Oil leak problem/question

[Bob from Northport]

A friend has a 31' Town Sedan with 3000 miles on a rebuilt engine and drive train. It suddenly developed an oil leak problem from the rear main area. We believed it was overfilled. Drained and put back 4 qts. to start. Driving the car on level roads and absolutely no leaks. But when the vehicle drives up a steep incline and levels off, it leaks a good bit from the rear main-bell housing weep hole. Any suggestions as to the cause or problem area??

Thanks!!

[1931 flamingo]

Is it possible that there was a sizeable amount of oil in the flywheel housing and it's just draining out now that you've lowered the amount in the oil pan. Try parking on an incline for a few days and see if it's still coming out. JMO
Paul in CT

[James Rogers]

Like Paul says, it could be residual pooling in the flywheel and housing. Park the caron an incline for a couple of days with the front down. Always use the stick to add oil and keep the level between the F and L marks preferably half way between. Never just add oil by amount indiscriminately. These tricks should work. If it doesn't, you have a worse problem that will probably need the pan removed to fix. I feel like some builders use old or incorrect babbitt mixes that won't stand up to the rigors of our engines. There are also many balances that need to be watched to build a good, long lasting engine. Another thing almost builders DON'T do is, burnish bearings because many don't believe it helps or don't know how. All my babbitt engines get burnished on a machine so the babbitt is done correctly then run as a complete engine in a stand before it leaves my shop.

[David Russell]

Hi, I own the car with the oil leak problem. I will try parking it nose down for a couple of days, thanks. More info...it only leaks after going up a steep hill then onto a flat spot. Then a LOT of oil runs out of the bell housing. It does not leak if I back up the same steep hill onto a flat spot. Dave

[PC/SR]

There was a quart left in the dipper tray and valve chamber when you drained it. 4 new quarts in the pan may still be too much. Maybe a half quart less would work better.

[jdpalmer]

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i HAD A LEAK ON AN INSERTED REBUILT AND THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE REAR SEAL i TOOK THE REAR INSPECTION PLATE OFF AND OIL WAS DRIPPING OFF THE CAP BOLTS AND AROUND THE OPENING FOR THE PLATE. nONE WAS LEAKING FROM THE REAR MAIN BEARING. cLEANING IT OFF AND RUN THE ENGINE AND IT WOULD TAKE AWHILE FOR THE LEAK TO START EACH TIME. i FINALLY SAW IT WAS COMING FURTHER UP THE HOUSING. iT TURNED OUT TO BE A CRACK IN THE FLYWHEEL HOUSING WHERE THE BOLT IS NEXT TO THE CAM SHAFT END AND THE GASKET WAS NOT SEALING. hOPE THIS IS NOT YOUR TROUBLE BUT IF YOU PUT A MOTER IN WITHOUT STRETCHINING THE FRAME FFOR THE REAR MOTOR MOUNTS IT'S POSSIBLE TO CRACK THIS WEAK POINT. cHECK IT OUT THROUGH THE INSPECTION PLATE AND SPRAY SOME CLEANER TO SE WHERE THE OIL IS COMING FROM OR YOU WILL ALWAYS WONDER ABOUT IT. jIM

[Kohnke Rebabbitting]

[QUOTE=James Rogers;305796]Like Paul says, it could be residual pooling in the flywheel and housing. Park the caron an incline for a couple of days with the front down. Always use the stick to add oil and keep the level between the F and L marks preferably half way between. Never just add oil by amount indiscriminately. These tricks should work. If it doesn't, you have a worse problem that will probably need the pan removed to fix. I feel like some builders use old or incorrect babbitt mixes that won't stand up to the rigors of our engines. There are also many balances that need to be watched to build a good, long lasting engine.


]Another thing almost builders DON'T do is, burnish bearings because many don't believe it helps or don't know how. All my babbitt engines get burnished on a machine so the babbitt is done correctly then run as a complete engine in a stand before it leaves my shop.[/QUOTE


James, you brought me into this one! The word BURNISH came into use, when the engine industry started getting down on the equipment builders that were selling that kind of crap. The builders went to a nicer word, of Burnishing, rather what they called it previously, as Burning in, what that process really done was burn bearings out. You tightened the caps down, and powered the shaft, until the babbitt got soft around the shaft, smoked, and smeared the babbitt to supposedly to align the shaft, and by the way, that babbitt that got smeared, is now worthless, for a bearing surface, as it will be crumbly, and most of the time, not stuck to the rest of the bearing, like before. What it did was most times was move the bearing alignment that shouldn't have been moved. When you align bore an engine, it should be as straight as it can be made, and if it isn't, get rid of the junk, and get something that does bore straight. That also goes for who ever grinds your cranks, if it isn't straight, get another grinder man. That also goes for that slop some are using, as it does the same thing as buring up, only be sides it removes the finish from the crank, and will channel oil, and if it is that abrasive to cut babbitt, there is no way in H , that it won't be embeded in the babbitt, as that is what babbitt does with foreign particles. If you cant hit the hole size dead on, you are much better off scrapping 2 to 4 tenths off the high spots. Herm.

[David Russell]

Hi, This is Dave, the owner. I drained about a half quart out, the dipstick is now directly between add and full. And the very serious leak has stopped. Still get a few dozen drops of oil from the bell housing, but none of the previous heavy pouring out, even after a steep hill climb. Thanks for all of the interest and advice. i will just watch it for a while.

Dave Russell

[James Rogers]

Originally Posted by David Russell

Hi, This is Dave, the owner. I drained about a half quart out, the dipstick is now directly between add and full. And the very serious leak has stopped. Still get a few dozen drops of oil from the bell housing, but none of the previous heavy pouring out, even after a steep hill climb. Thanks for all of the interest and advice. i will just watch it for a while.

Dave Russell

Hopefully it will diminish more as time passes. There could be some oil in the flywheel and housing left to drip out.

[PC/SR]

That should work, as residual oil drips out. And there will probably be a little bit of drip anyway. The actual engine lubrication of an A is done by the oil in the valve chamber and dipper tray. The oil pump is just a sump pump that moves oil to a higher level to drain down to where it does its job. Unlike later engines, where the oil pump actually pumps oil to the part. The pump will still pick up oil from the L mark (and lower) on level ground, but of course the safety margin, ie hills, recovery from right turns, etc is narrower.

[David Russell]

Hi, This Dave the owner again. The problem is resolved. I just drove up some very steep hills and have zero leaks. The dipstick now registers about 1/8" above the top of the L. I might have a dipstick that is not reading correctly and will borrow one from someone to confirm.
Thanks again for the comments, and thanks to Bob Campbell for posting this issue.

[1931 flamingo]

Great news!!
Paul in CT