[FC] Oil Pan Leak Woes

[Dale Dewald]

Hello Scott,

At 20:41 6/25/2008 -0400, you wrote:
 >I'm chasing elusive oil leak(s) on my Corvair and am becoming very 
frustrated at not being
 >able to stop them. Specifically, I'm trying to stop an oil pan leak 
(front) and possibly a front >bellhousing seal leak.
 >>snip<<
 >Here's what I have done up to this point:
 >a.. Stock oil pan gasket: Installed new cork/rubber pan gasket (2X) 
including flattening bolt
 >holes. Used non-hardening permatex both times. Tourqued bolts to specs. 
Did not stop
 >leaking at front of oil pan (around front 3 and second row of 4 bolts). 
Second time I tightened
 >bolts to just tight, let dry overnight and tightened to torque specs. 
Same leaks.
 >b.. Purchased vendor aluminum oil pan (very nice piece of cast aluminum) 
and thin paper
 >gasket. Used permatex and torqued to 7-8 ft. lbs. per vendor. Still leaks 
in the same spot.
 >Then purchased and used a thinner cork/rubber for aluminum pans and have 
the same area
 >leaking. The main part of the oil pan does not leak.

Since you have tried two different oil pans and four gaskets with exactly 
the same result, I would assume that the leak is not from the pan.

 >I may also have a bellhousing seal leak, but I can see the oil leaking 
from the front of the
 >gasket and it looks like it could also be leaking from the bolts 
themselves (I did have to
 >helicoil some of the bolt holes).

Have you thoroughly cleaned all of the oil off (until the area is dry) then 
sat and watched for the actual source? Perhaps you should also apply 
Permatex to the bolt threads in this area.

 >>snip<<
 >I am planning on changing the top cover gasket but want to eliminate all 
possibilities before
 >changing the bellhousing gasket.

I think it is more likely that the bell housing bolts are loose and the 
leak is from there. A top cover leak tends to send oil all over the engine.

Dale Dewald
Hancock, MI