The Ford Barn

eddie48 · 11-22-2020, 08:18 AM

I have been working on getting the 34 back on the road for about 2-1/2 years, now. Finally have most all of the body work done and a first coat of paint. Started it (factory rebuilt tag on engine) for the first time in almost 50 years and it runs great!! However, I notice a small coolant leak which seems to build up on the outside of the oil pan gasket and drip down off of the oil pan bolt. Can't find the source. New gasket (took the pan off to clean out the gunk). Worse yet, the oil shows signs of coolant contamination (grey foam).

No smell of coolant in the exhaust and no white smoke. I tried changing the oil, again after running for a few minutes but the new oil got foamy in just about 15 minutes of running. The coolant level in the radiator is dropping, slowly but no sign of blow-back through the radiator.

It's probably been about 50 years since I had a flathead apart ( think I may be getting too old for this stuff) and I don't remember or never knew what the water jacket looks like, but I assume there must be a crack right near the gasket surface at the bottom of the block. How else can I be getting coolant both inside and outside the block?

By the way, the leak appears to be located near the rear of the engine, drivers side about where the bulge in the block is.

Any thoughts? Should I try adding a sealant? The radiator is newly re-cored.

Thanks,

11-22-2020, 08:18 AM	#1
eddie48 Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: Eastern CT Posts: 45	34 pickup, finally back together but.... I have been working on getting the 34 back on the road for about 2-1/2 years, now. Finally have most all of the body work done and a first coat of paint. Started it (factory rebuilt tag on engine) for the first time in almost 50 years and it runs great!! However, I notice a small coolant leak which seems to build up on the outside of the oil pan gasket and drip down off of the oil pan bolt. Can't find the source. New gasket (took the pan off to clean out the gunk). Worse yet, the oil shows signs of coolant contamination (grey foam). No smell of coolant in the exhaust and no white smoke. I tried changing the oil, again after running for a few minutes but the new oil got foamy in just about 15 minutes of running. The coolant level in the radiator is dropping, slowly but no sign of blow-back through the radiator. It's probably been about 50 years since I had a flathead apart ( think I may be getting too old for this stuff) and I don't remember or never knew what the water jacket looks like, but I assume there must be a crack right near the gasket surface at the bottom of the block. How else can I be getting coolant both inside and outside the block? By the way, the leak appears to be located near the rear of the engine, drivers side about where the bulge in the block is. Any thoughts? Should I try adding a sealant? The radiator is newly re-cored. Thanks,