Oil dripping out of drivers side heat exchanger

[koolkozak]

Just replaced all my seals on the rocker arm shafts, did a valve adjust, poured 3 quarts of oil into the intake heads to flood the bottom rockers with oil, closed up the valve covers with new gaskets, added 6 quarts into the oil filler tube. And then... noticed a significant drip of oil coming from the drivers side connection of the heat exchanger and the muffler. Can't figure out where the oil could be coming from. The car hasn't been run yet so it's not from any kind of pressure. So some kind of passive leak from somewhere. Im thinking it's from filling the 3 quarts of oil into the engine case??? How much can it hold? And where would it leak from if its overfilled? I thought it can hold about 4 quarts in the engine case and the rest goes in the oil tank. Any suggestions?

[koolkozak]

[DRACO A5OG]

Yes, crank takes about 4 quarts.

Your procedure of filling, may I ask why? When I did my 3.4 build, I squirted oil over the tappets but never considered filling it via upper cam tower openings. Filling the oil would have taken care of it in any case and hand crank and no gas crank to insure all is lubed up.

There should be no passive openings to let the oil out or you would have a massive Vacuum leak. You sure you will filling into the engine and not out onto the heads?

[koolkozak]

Originally Posted by DRACO A5OG

Yes, crank takes about 4 quarts.

Your procedure of filling, may I ask why?

There should be no passive openings to let the oil out. You sure you will filling into the engine and not out onto the heads?

The filling from the top valve covers into the engine case was done as advised when replacing rocker arm shafts so that the rockers dont start going without being lubricated first with oil.
Closed up the bottom valve covers and filled 3 quarts of oil into the top valve openings to flood the bottom rockers with oil prior to cranking the engine.

Yes i filled it directly onto the intake openings, over the top rockers and into the engine.

Im so puzzled. About 3 teaspoons of oil on the ground.

[DRACO A5OG]

Interesting procedure, I used my old school oil can to soak the rockers on top.

Not for nuttin, but did you confirm all the rocker shafts are in the proper position and how high did you torque them?

3 teaspoons? Hmmm, stopped on it's own? Clean off that spilt oil it will smoke on you.

[koolkozak]

Originally Posted by DRACO A5OG

Interesting procedure, I used my old school oil can to soak the rockers on top.

Not for nuttin, but did you confirm all the rocker shafts are in the proper position and how high did you torque them?

3 teaspoons? Hmmm, stopped on it's own? Clean off that spilt oil it will smoke on you.

Yes, shafts are in place properly flush with the thin parts of the cam housing sides and tightened by hand so that the shafts and nuts dont turn anymore when tightening the bolt(unable to get a torque wrench in there). But i dont suspect them to be the problem since the engine hasnt even been cranked yet.


Im trying to figure out what could cause this very passive leak? dont understand what else could leak without any oil pressure being generated.

[DRACO A5OG]

Indeed, very strange.

I do not mean to rain on your parade but hand torque may not be enough. Once you break those rocker shafts loose, you will lose the tensil strength of those rocker shafts to properly seal to the cam towers. Basically they have been squashed, short of getting new ones.

You should consider getting a 1/4" per inch Torque wrench that will go to 260 inches and torque to 252" = 21 ft lbs using a 5MM allen socket. I swear it will fit going in on an angle. Also an 8MM long allen key modified by cutting down the short end about 1/2" and grinding out a divet to allow the stud to go into the allen key as you torque it down.

What state are you located?

PM me and I will explain in detail.

You might get lucky but check closely for leaks at the shafts, the RSR seal are okay while sitting but they will not hold back the oil under pressure.

[Rawknees'Turbo]

How much oil, if any, went down the cam carrier housing passages that are exposed to air at all times (even with rocker covers installed), when you poured oil directly into the cam housing like that (I hope that makes sense)? Any oil that got in those spaces would eventually find its way to the ground.

[koolkozak]

Originally Posted by Rawknees'Turbo

How much oil, if any, went down the cam carrier housing passages that are exposed to air at all times, when you poured oil directly into the cam housing like that (I hope that makes sense). Any oil that got in those spaces would eventually find its way to the ground.

Pretty much none, as i poured with a thin funnel right over the top rockers and right into the engine.

[Rawknees'Turbo]

Ok, one other thing to consider is that if enough oil gets in the case, it will enter the cylinders and the go right past the stationary rings and then out any of the open exhaust valves and into the headpipes - not sure exactly how much oil in the case that would take, however, and would be affected by the tilt of the engine, etc.

[koolkozak]

That was my first thought that I overfilled the case. But supposedly it can take about 4 quarts before being overfilled and spilling out. I poured in only 3 quarts. And 6 in the oil filler tube.

[James Brown]

check the oil return tubes for evidence of leaking

[koolkozak]

Originally Posted by James Brown

check the oil return tubes for evidence of leaking

Dry

[James Brown]

cool, do you see anywhere else that is wet? if not, i'm betting its coming from one of the exhaust valves.

[Rawknees'Turbo]

Originally Posted by koolkozak

That was my first thought that I overfilled the case. But supposedly it can take about 4 quarts before being overfilled and spilling out. I poured in only 3 quarts. And 6 in the oil filler tube.

Oil in the tank gradually drains into the engine case via gravity, so based on what you posted above, and the pics that seem to show oil in the exhaust, I'm betting the case is overfilled. If it were mine, I would run the engine and see if there is no longer oil present after the oil pump has scavenged the case (once the smoke has cleared out so you can see anything at all ).

[DRACO A5OG]

So no oil on top of the exhaust pipes just emanating from the bottom?

[koolkozak]

Originally Posted by James Brown

cool, do you see anywhere else that is wet? if not, i'm betting its coming from one of the exhaust valves.

What would be wrong with it?

Originally Posted by Rawknees'Turbo

Oil in the tank gradually drains into the engine case via gravity, so based on what you posted above, and the pics that seem to show oil in the exhaust, I'm betting the case is overfilled. If it were mine, I would run the engine and see if there is no longer oil present after the oil pump has scavenged the case (once the smoke has cleared out so you can see anything at all ).

Thats what i was thinking as well, but kind of strange that it would leak so passively. But makes sense since the oil from the tank tries to equalize with the case oil which causes it to overfill right? Where does the overflow leak from when it gets too much oil? And does this mean that every time i park the car it would start leaking since the oil would drain into the case after the scavenger pump stops working?

Originally Posted by DRACO A5OG

So no oil on top of the exhaust pipes just emanating from the bottom?

Not that i can see. It only looks like it comes from inside the heat exchanger and leaks out at the connection between the HE and the muffler.

[DRACO A5OG]

I need a visualization check.

How does oil leak past the exhaust valve if valve seal is working. Are we saying his valve seals are compromised? 3 teaspoons of oil seems like allot in such short period of time.

OP, nothing else is open on top of your engine, right?

[koolkozak]

Everything is closed up, except for the oil filler cap was open when i was filling up. But ive closed it after finishing. It did seem like the leak started at that time when i filled up into the tank. But i can not confirm if that is a precise assumption.

[Rawknees'Turbo]

Originally Posted by koolkozak

Thats what i was thinking as well, but kind of strange that it would leak so passively. But makes sense since the oil from the tank tries to equalize with the case oil which causes it to overfill right? Where does the overflow leak from when it gets too much oil? And does this mean that every time i park the car it would start leaking since the oil would drain into the case after the scavenger pump stops working?

When the pistons/rings are stationary (and with no compression and combustion pressures on them, obviously) oil gets past them pretty easily and then will go right past any exhaust valves that are held open by the cam lobes and into the exhaust.

When the case gets too much oil, it "leaks out" as I described above, and is one of the reasons that many (all, for the most part) will smoke at startup if they have sat for some period of time. Now the drain down takes time - hard to say exactly how long, but won't happen every time you park the car for just a few days. And remember, that the leak deal has been increased in your instance by adding oil directly to the case like you did (the case oil level then increasing further when you added six quarts to the tank and the engine hasn't run yet).

Originally Posted by DRACO A5OG

I need a visualization check.

How does oil leak past the exhaust valve if valve seal is working. Are we saying his valve seals are compromised? 3 teaspoons of oil seems like allot in such short period of time.

OP, nothing else is open on top of your engine, right?

Down the cylinders, past the rings and out of the engine by way of any open exhaust valves.