Unstoppable oil leak *update* maybe exhaust stud insert?

[Phizinza]

UPDATE: Read post #5 please. Thank you.

 

I posted about this before. Please don’t be put off by the size of the tread and just read on, Thanks.

 

My rocker cover leaks. I have tried a new gasket, silicon and non hardening sealant, grinding the rocker cover so it doesn’t touch the exhaust outlets. I have tried tight, lose, and in the middle with the bolts. (I have put it on 5 times so far) Now, I have gone out and bought another rocker cover. It looked good, no curves no bends, straight as straight gets. I also got another new gasket for it. I fit it on with the “non hardening sealant” and it leaks just the same as the other.

When it started to leak I pulled both of them off and cleaned them up. I adjusted the tappets. Then put them both back on with the sealant, the one that wasn’t leaking is fine. The one that was started to leak more. Then more, more more more! Well, it leaks about a drop every 2 seconds and goes straight onto the exhaust (lotsa smoke!)

 

So. Now that I have tried 5 times, and failed, with my brother and dad watching over me and saying “yeah, that’s right.. That’s how you do it… what do you mean it still leaking???” Our family has always done there own repairs.

I have got to the point where I am happy to leave it leaking. I just want to make up guards so it doesn’t leak onto the exhaust or spray onto the CV boot like it is. What I would like to know is, Why is it leaking, and why can’t I stop it?

Its leaking at the bottom of the cover, right next to the exhaust port. I know its leaking from the rocker cover because when I take the cover off I see oil all over the gasket where it was dripping out the oil. (please don’t ask “you sure its not leaking out the top?”, because I know where its leaking, Thank you) So. Can anyone answer my question? Should I just live with it for a year and then drop in a ej22? Just putting 500ml’s of oil every 100km…

Thank for any help you give.

[TomRhere]

Makes me want to think that somethings amiss with the head on that side. I know it's not the easiest place to get a good look at, but I'd pull the cover back off clean the area real good and see what's what there. Maybe there's a hairline crack in the area, cause unknown, (stone hit, someone mis-handled the engine if it was ever pulled or the head for that matter). Maybe someone gouged the sealing surface while trying to clean the old gasket off. Hard to tell what a previous owner did to it. Just throwing out my .02.

 

Somewhat related. Brother had a Ford truck with the 390 engine, leaked like a sieve at the rear of the DS head/intake/block. Swapped gaskets out, still leaked, swapped intake, still leaked, swapped the head, still leaked, WTF?!?!?!?!?!? He bought another engine. Never did find a cause for it to leak like that.

[Meeky Moose]

go get a tube of fujibond from the dealer.. make sure both surfaces are free of oil. put a nice bead on there and put it back together, fujibond gets hard as its heated up. works good to stop annoying leaks like that.

[Phizinza]

I've looked at the head.. Nothing looks amiss. It also feels fine. I'm going to try the silicon again, maybe find some of this fujibond, or somthing like it. Anymore idea's? I don't want this post to stop here!

Damn, you guys have almost got my hopes up again...

[Phizinza]

I have been cleaning my car today. I degreased the heads again and to m surprise it looks like the rocker cover is not leaking! But it could be worse, there’s still oil dripping on the exhaust. I had to put inserts into my head for the exhaust studs as two on one head and one on the other striped more then 50% of the thread out of the heads. But now I fear that I have broken through somewhere where I shouldn't have with the insert. Is this even possible? How would I go about fixing this? Silicon in the insert? Thanks.

[karinvail]

I know someone who drilled out a broken stud only to drill a little too far and into a water jacket in the block (this was on a semi truck motor). They drained the fluid, JB welded a stud in, let it dry, and had no problems after that. Probably not the ''right'' fix, but it worked............

[hooziewhatsit]

I think my car is doing the same thing :-\

 

I just got done replacing HGs, and resealing everything elsel.

 

The oil appears to be dripping from one of the exhaust studs on both heads onto the exhaust.

 

Tomorrow I'm going to take the exhaust off and see what it looks like, where it drips from, etc.

 

bumpage

[Phizinza]

let me know how it goes mate.

[Matty B]

Phizinza,

 

I am embarrassed to admit that when I was re-threading the exhaust stud holes in Elvis (my old EA81 dual port motor) I drilled too far with a pilot hole,

Right into the oil jacket!

I suspect that this area has a heat crack in the alloy or someone has been too enthusiastic with the drill.

Drip drip drip, the buggar kept dripping until I drained all the oil (when hot),

blew compressed air up the hole and then epoxied the stud in.

JB weld is excellent, Cold Weld is good too.

PM me on the BYB if you run into trouble.

Best of luck.

Matt (Tasbrat)

[Humble Nuto 53]

i also used jb weld in an exhaust stud on 68 new yorker.

 

brake cleaner'd the hole, painted the stud with a thin layer of never sieze,

and packe the hole with jb weld, then put a thin layer of jb directly on the

never sieze, and inserted.

 

this was in 1982. apparently markus of darkness is still using the motor in a

68 charger...

 

amazing stuff that jb

[Phizinza]

Hey thanks guys.. I think I'll drain the oil and take that stud out tomorrow and fix this leak. I am suprised that this is what it is, and that people have had it before. But I guess if you put a oil jacket that close to the stud, its bound to happen.