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Oil seepage from head gasket? + pushrods outer layer getting shaved
Just got done with a head swap last week and have put nearly 500 miles on the car since. Went underneath to make sure the exhaust nuts were still snug and noticed this oil seepage on the driver's side head. Is it something I should be concerned about? I checked the two head bolts that aren't covered by the exhaust and they were both at 70 ft/lbs.
Get some sort of small flathead screw driver or piece of paper and drag it between the intake and where the oil is running down on the block. I am wondering if your intake is leaking on the corner and running between the head/block and running down in that spot.
You can use some oil dye and a blacklight to see where "source" of leak is. As suggested it may be migrating from intake/head to that point...or coming from head/block
I assume you used thread sealant on the head bolts
I used a small flat head to run paper towels between the head and block. The top one is the section above the water pump. Next is below the water pump. They are just soot. Then I ran below the #1 primary and got oil. Next is below coolant temp sensor. Last is between 5 and 7. I wiped the head and intake behind the engine but just got a little bit of soot again. I used ARP thread sealant on all bolts. To be perfectly honest, I was still getting my technique down on the driver's side since it was the first one I did. By the time I did the passenger side, it was smooth sailing. I did that on purpose so if there was a problem, it would be on the much easier to work on driver's side.
I found a few old threads about this and shoebox himself noted he's seen oil leak from head gaskets once before. "If oil can get down the bolt hole and into the mating surface between the head and block (and the gasket is not perfectly sealed), then yes it can leak oil there. I would not have thought it could happen, either, but I have seen it in person (it was on an SBC-not LT1)." and "It's possible. I saw it firsthand at the back of cylinder #7 on a new (not mine ) rebuild. Head torque was apparently not done correctly and I guess oil seeped through the corner bolt hole and between the head and block. Before that, I did not think it was possible, either."
you are way closer to this that any of us from this side of the keyboard.
While a dye test would show more "clearly" the leak source the paper towel test you did suggests it is more accumulated near #1 cyl.
Maybe there is a small piece of debris you didn't notice between head or block and gasket. Maybe you missed one of the bolts in TQ sequence.
Oil would have to come from inside VC and find a way to migrate in under a head bolt then between head & block....unlikely but I guess anything is possible. The thread sealer would be more to stop coolant leaking if any of those head bolts get into a coolant passage vs oil
At this point you can pull that head and replace that gasket and make darn sure you use thread sealer on all and correct TQ sequence. This means the intake and that header need to come off...
You could initially try a re-TQ alone...maybe you missed one bolt on a step pass
were the heads checked for flatness before install?
Okay, at least I know the oil can only get there from the top down. I'll try a re-torque first. I counted out loud up to 17 as I was torquing to make sure I didn't miss any but then again, I also added 6 quarts of new oil without draining the old oil before first start so who knows. I did not have the heads checked for flatness, I pulled them out of the box and installed. I did check for cleanliness though.
Why would you add 6 quarts of oil to an engine that already had oil in it? No wonder you are leaking oil.
Because mistakes happen when you're excited to fire up your top end rebuild.
OP, i followed along in your head swap thread, I'd check the bolt torque on the heads for grins, then clean it up, really really really well. Run it and check it every so often until you can pin point the leak. Hopefully it's just something minor and the oil is just migrating to where you see it and you don't have to pull a head, again.
Because mistakes happen when you're excited to fire up your top end rebuild.
Pretty much. I thought I had drained the oil before starting the project and didn't even think to look at the dipstick. Too amp'd.
Originally Posted by biketopia
OP, i followed along in your head swap thread, I'd check the bolt torque on the heads for grins, then clean it up, really really really well. Run it and check it every so often until you can pin point the leak. Hopefully it's just something minor and the oil is just migrating to where you see it and you don't have to pull a head, again.
I'd like to avoid that for sure. I bought a new gasket, thread sealant, and steam pipe washers just in case. Also did about 2 hours of research on torque wrenches last night and ended up buying a CDI (owned by Snap-On) 30-250 ft/lb wrench just in case my current (120-960 in/lb) isn't quite calibrated anymore.
Pretty much. I thought I had drained the oil before starting the project and didn't even think to look at the dipstick. Too amp'd.
I'd like to avoid that for sure. I bought a new gasket, thread sealant, and steam pipe washers just in case. Also did about 2 hours of research on torque wrenches last night and ended up buying a CDI (owned by Snap-On) 30-250 ft/lb wrench just in case my current (120-960 in/lb) isn't quite calibrated anymore.
Yeaaa that right there might be your biggest problem. 960in/lb is only 80 foot lbs, and thats the end of it's range. When using a torque wrench it's a good rule of thumb to shoot to use one that has your final torque inside of about 10-15% of it's min/max settings.
Checked torque with my new wrench and it was all good. I guess I'll just drive it for a while and see what it does.
Also, I noticed a metal ring around cylinder #3 pushrod intake side. Pulled it to investigate and it looks like the pushrod's outer layer is being shaved off. What's going on??
Also, I noticed a metal ring around cylinder #3 pushrod intake side. Pulled it to investigate and it looks like the pushrod's outer layer is being shaved off. What's going on??
is that a "2 piece" PR?
are both ends like that with a "seam"
if not turn those PR over as that seam/lip is catching on guide plate.
FWIW I have TF PR https://www.summitracing.com/parts/tfs-21407100 (your length may be different) ...but they are solid one piece. Have run them for at least 10 years now with my ISKY adjustable guide plates
Are they a bigger OD than stock? Seems very odd. You try reaching out to Trick Flow?
Originally Posted by ******
is that a "2 piece" PR?
are both ends like that with a "seam"
if not turn those PR over as that seam/lip is catching on guide plate.
FWIW I have TF PR https://www.summitracing.com/parts/tfs-21407100 (your length may be different) ...but they are solid one piece. Have run them for at least 10 years now with my ISKY adjustable guide plates
These are the original pushrods that came with my Golen long block. They are one piece Smith Brothers 5/16 .083” Wall Hardened. That "seam" is the ring that I noticed when I had the valve cover off. It looks like it's the outer layer of the pushrod that's been peeled up and collected in that spot as the pushrod moves through the guide plate.
went under to clean up the oil film and noticed it's on the back corner of the head too. The area around the oil pressure sensor and top of the oil filter had a thin film of oil.
04-02-2018, 11:07 PM
Oil seepage from head gasket? + pushrods outer layer getting shaved 
