Oil Leaks (aka. the "Hudson-Valdez") - Recommendations for Dipstick Replacement

rambos_ride

Hello All!

Greasy oily engines don't bother me...leaving puddles of oil in parking lots does.

She's parked until I can get these bad leaks fixed.

I degreased and pressure washed the engine last night - then ran the car 4 miles round trip.

1st one is pretty self-explanatory..distributor gasket should fix the problem.



This one however will be more of an issue to fix.

The dipstick is already not the factory - and oil is either coming out of the top of the tube..and/or...where the dipstick tube is pressed into the block - I'll need to remove the starter to make sure.

I think regardless it looks like I'll need a replacement dipstick tube/dipstick - what suggestions do you guys have?
Aftermarket? NOS?

Thanks!

rambos_ride

Ken,

Breather tube, no oil dripping.

Timing cover looks ok, possible slow leak front oil pan - no dripping, rear appears similar but oil from other 2 leaks gets back there so can't really tell yet.

According to the previous onwer the motor had a "freshening-up" , no major machine work..lapped valves, rings, gaskets - sympathetic type of freshening up.

They didn't detail/paint things, and there is evidence of newer head, exhaust, timing and oilpan gaskets and I have the name/ number of the guy who allegedly did the work so don't have any reason at the moment to doubt the work was done.

So on a flathead like this if blowby/pressure were an issue would I also see problems with the exhaust producing smoke?

There is no noticeable exhaust smoking.

lostmind

The breather tube or filter/oil fill cover could be plugged, forcing pressure out your leak points.

RL Chilton

lostmind is on the right track. Breather tube is supposed to smoke a little and let pressure out of the block. If it's blocked, you get oil out of the next least resistance exit point. In this case, right out of the top of the dipstick. You may NOT need a new dipstick tube.

nick s

not a cure for your current problem but some prevention for a huge one. it looks like the previous owner eliminated an oil filter using hose, if that comes apart you will starve the engine. the hoses should be eliminated w/ plugs in the block.

as for the dipstick, the origonal design was not to hold pressure. it was just a piece of felt underthe flat plate near the finger loop. another possibility to get out oil there especially since you said its not the right stick is being over full.

Thinking about it some more, not sure if there would be any negative effects on the oil flow because those lines do not have the resistance of a filter. the optional filter was in a bypass of the main loop, you may actually have more than the 10% or so allowed by design to take that path. maybe it also blows at the dipstick where with resistance fell into the sump.

rambos_ride

Here's some closeups. I won't know more until I at least pull the distributor and starter.

I'm going to hazard a guess the dipstick should fit a little better...is the tube supposed to be that short?

Distributor doesn't appear to have any gaskets, or possibly an o-ring being used.

rambos_ride

Nick - It does look like it had a bypass oil filter on it at one time. there is a hose mounted to a fiiting..on the end of that hose is a valve - like you'd see on the vent for a differential housing..sorry don't have a better picture.

I will look at the Oil-Filler breather closer tomorrow and make sure its not plugged.

RL Chilton

Yes, the dipstick tube is generally that short.

duncan

First replace the gasket for the distributor when I rebuilt my Hornet engine I used a oring which I thought was the right size but when the engine started within a few minutes I had a bad leak just below the rear main seal. the oil traveled down the block to the bell housing then dripped onto the floor under the starter. This was about 6 years ago and I found a rear main
neoprine seal from a 318 dodge .I replaced the oring with the proper cork tapered oring
now no leaks. Ray

rambos_ride

Thanks Ray - I just ordered a distributor gasket and 2 driveshaft bushings from Dale Coooper - ordered the parts, said he'd send them with an invoice.

Hard to beat service like that!

Chris Smith

Maybe they don't all have them but, I'm not seeing the press in the block tube for the stick to slide into on the first photo. Ken U-Tx photo has it. My block has it. Could be hidden by grime.

rambos_ride

Ken, Chris - Thanks for the reference pictures - that helps a lot, I don't have anything to reference for what should be there.

Could someone get me a measurement of the length of the dipstick from the "flat washer" to the tip..curious how "close" the one I have is..

Chris Smith

I have 11 inches to the tip.

duncan

Could someone please tell me the length of dipstick for 54 Hornet 308 with power brakes . I have the tube but not the dipstick. Any picture of dipstick would be great. Hudsonly Ray

brumac

Duncan, would you please post a picture and dimensions of the power brake tube. I need the tube and dipstick too. Is the upper end of the tube supported off of the engine? Thanks, Bruce

duncan

I will see what I can do about a picture. But in the mean time I will try to explain what it looks like. 10 inch pipe big enough for original straight dip stick to go through. 1/2 inch swedge on one end. 6 1/2 piece of thin plate one inch wide then weld 1 inch down from unswedged end . One end drill hole to bolt to back hole that holds oil filter on. Draw a straight line 8 inches long on piece of paper then bend pipe to just touch end of line on both ends of pipe.
The 6 1/2 wide plate 1 inch wide is welded offset to the left.And the same plate is kind of wrapped around the pipe in the right place then welded. I hope this will help Ray

duncan

should read 1/2 long swedge To have a tap fit into original dip stick pipe sticking out of block.

SuperDave

Dan, I have extra dip stick if you need one

onerare39

I'm looking for a long dipstick and tube for my 54 with power brakes, are there any out there?

SuperDave

Rare as hens teeth. I made one a few years ago. I copied an original. should have kept the dimensions.

rambos_ride

SuperDave - sent you a message.

rambos_ride

Ken says - Probably you have excessive blow by past the rings. Does the breather tube on the valve cover also drip oil? How are the timing cover and rear main seals. Looks like it is a high miles, tired motor to me.

Got a distributor gasket from Dale Cooper, and slapped it on today. As expected there was nothing on the old distributor..not even an o-ring.

So started it up and no more leaks from the distributor at this point.

I pulled the breather cover while running and there is a considerable amount of "light smoke" coming out of the crank-case.

So as running test I pulled the oilpan-dipstick out while the breather tube cap was off..and rapped it up to about 2000rpm..other than the fore-mentioned smoke coming out of both breather tube, and dipstick tube - seemed "ok" otherwise.

Then I put the breather cap back on..left the oilpan-dipstick out...rapped it back up to about 2000rpm and could see oil bubbling to the top of the dipstick tube - didn't do this with the breather tube cap off.

So obviously the smoking aint good, I'm going to grab a new breather cap...but lets say that doesn't help...am I just boned and need to tear the engine down?

My other thought was to try and scavange some of the crankcase pressure off by adding a tube from the exhaust and connecting the breather cap hose to that - I've done this off the collectors of headers for chevy racing motors before.

At least the distrubtor leak got fixed!

rambos_ride

NICK - not a cure for your current problem but some prevention for a huge one. it looks like the previous owner eliminated an oil filter using hose, if that comes apart you will starve the engine. the hoses should be eliminated w/ plugs in the block.

I got a better look..they did just stick a hose between the outlets...its ok to block both those openings off then?

TwinH

I would guess with the breather cap on you could look under the car on passenger side and see this smoke coming from the road draft tube that connects to the rear valve cover. You say considerable smoke coming from the fill tube,can you see it 'puffing'? If so removing plug wires one at a time may lead you to an offending cylinder. Short of that,time for a compression test or cylinder leakdown test to gauge the condition of your rings. No ideas on the dipstick,both my 308's are 55,56 blocks that aren't drilled in the stepdown location. Mine uses a BBC dipstick and tube as seen here.

duncan

Beautiful engine compartment Twin H. Our 54 Hollywood looked like that at one time but when the body guy primed and painted the door sills snd doorposts he didn;t cover car good enough and there is primmer over spray over engine compartment inside of hood and inside of trunk lid. I was so dissapointed. Ray

rambos_ride

Twinh - the breather cap I'm talking about is the black one shown in your picture. Mine has a nipple off the side with a rubber hose just dumping out by the a-arms.

From the sound of Kens description of the working of the breather system, that this would be incorrect.

I just took another look..I have a hose coming from the rear valve cover to a fitting on the intake manifold smack between the carbs.

So - I probably should replace the oil filler cap I have - anyone got a good part #

Heres an awful picture of mine..the red heater-hose is actually the hose coming off the oil filler cap.

junkcarfann

This may be off the wall, but is there too much oil in the engine? I had an old Ford that blew oil out of everywhere possible when I mistakenly put in a quart too much.

But my guess is that this engine has massive blow-by, combined with leaking gaskets and perhaps plugged breather tubes.

It might help to convert it to a PCV system...so at the blowby pressure gets sucked back into the intake. (FWIW, Blowby is worn piston rings allowing compression pressure to blow past the rings into the crankcase, often the result of doing a valve job only on a tired engine).

TwinH

If there is a hose going from the rear valve cover to the intake someone has converted this to a
PCV system. I'll bet there is a PCV valve at the junction of the hose and the intake OR valve cover. I've gotta think that is part of your problem. Between the cap with the hose on the drivers side and probably a plugged up PCV valve somewhere in that valve cover hose I don't think the crankcase can breathe well enough. Here is a pic of the road draft tube on mine that is an open vent.

SuperDave

Is that a remote full flow oil filter installed?

TwinH

Yes,a full flow oil filter installed by the PO. I have changed the plumbing around some on the current build but this one worked fine. The bearings were in great shape when I tore it down due to excessive ring land wear on the old Jahns pistons led to broken rings.