| silverchief | -- 07-31-2017 @ 12:15 PM |
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Looking for helpful insight into Bar's Engine Oil Stop Leak. Don't know if my long term oil leak is from the pan or rear seal. I know Bar's is a old company with a good reputation regarding it's radiator stop leak - but I have a great engine and don't want to risk damaging it with an unknown product. Thanks.
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| carcrazy | -- 07-31-2017 @ 12:24 PM |
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Where is the leak coming from? Is it from the rear of the crankshaft? The best fix is to take the time and expense to fix it correctly. I, like you, would be reluctant to put a stop leak product into my crankcase.
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| TomO | -- 07-31-2017 @ 1:56 PM |
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All that the oil stop leak products do is swell the seals. Your engine could have a slinger type rear seal and the Bars would not do any good. If you have one type of a full circle front seal, the Bars could damage it, by swelling the rubber. As long as you just have drips, I would leave it alone. If you are losing a lot of oil, then pull the engine and have new seals put in. Tom
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| len47merc | -- 07-31-2017 @ 1:57 PM |
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silverchief - how much oil is your Ford marking it's territory with between oil changes? The typical most effective way to address this on our Fords is with a galvanized drip pan, a cold beverage and a bunch of lies. If losing quarts of oil between oil changes you've an issue. If less than a quart, and what many typically see is 1/8-1/4 of a quart (no more than 1/2) then you likely may never do any better than that and you'll need to find a way to live with it. Even at National Meets many of the fully-restored trailer queens/Dearborn cars can be seen with drip pans under them. This assumes your leak is from the rear main seal, where it most often is realized. Suspect you'll find that to be the case. Personally I steer clear of patches and quick fixes. If I've a leak of any kind that is beyond the normal expectations the focus has to be on addressing the source of the issue and not band-aiding it. Bars makes great products for emergency quick fixes if and when absolutely necessary. I'd never use it in one of our V8s though. Steve This message was edited by len47merc on 7-31-17 @ 2:35 PM
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| Stroker | -- 07-31-2017 @ 2:31 PM |
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AND Ford even employs a device that's on the bottom of most oil pan clutch covers that appears to be simply a cotter pin inserted in a hole. It's FAR MORE than that. This device actually allows the oil leaking from the rear main seal to be "wicked"-out of, and thence blown-away by the air-stream under the car whilst driving. Attached is a photo of a V8-60 pan with the cotter-pin properly installed. This message was edited by Stroker on 7-31-17 @ 2:32 PM
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| Stroker | -- 07-31-2017 @ 2:33 PM |
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OOPS, forgot the photo.
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| cliftford | -- 07-31-2017 @ 2:45 PM |
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Here are sources of leaks I have found in the past: loose dipstick tube where it threads into the pan, and bad or missing gasket on the dipstick its self. Ocasonilly you will find that one or more pan bolts are loose enough that oil will drip out around them. The stop leak is just a band-aid fix at best. This message was edited by cliftford on 7-31-17 @ 3:37 PM
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| silverchief | -- 07-31-2017 @ 4:34 PM |
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Thanks for the excellent advice. Makes my decision easy. I estimate I lose about half a quart over a months time. Tomorrow I'm going to the DIY garage and snug up oil pan bolts. Is dropping the pan to replace the gasket a simple matter? Seems I recall a thread indicating it is somewhat involved.
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| sarahcecelia | -- 07-31-2017 @ 8:06 PM |
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A pint of brake fluid will stop a rear seal leak as a rule. It will swell the seal a little. I've used it on motors and transmisions of customers cars when I worked for auto dealers, at the advise of my then Service Manager, Ed Hamburger,now CEO and owner of Trik Racing Parts and Hamburger Oil Pans, with good results.One guy with a 1950 Chevy, was losing a about a quart going about 5 or 6 miles to work and back; added the brake fluid- about a week later-NO MORE LEAK!!! Regards, Steve Lee This message was edited by sarahcecelia on 8-23-17 @ 12:14 PM
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| TomO | -- 08-01-2017 @ 7:23 AM |
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Bill, before you snug up the oil pan bolts, clean the timing gear cover and oil pan to determine where the leak is. Over tightening the oil pan bolts can make the situation worse by distorting the gasket surface of the pan by the bolt holes. Tom
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| len47merc | -- 08-01-2017 @ 8:04 AM |
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Dovetailing with TomO - 15-18 ft lbs is the torque spec for the oil pan to block bolts. Timing cover is 12-15. I've found checking and re-torqueing these as necessary annually is necessary on my '47. Over-torqueing will definitely produce leaks - spoken by a former 'more-is-better' wrench. Steve
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| silverchief | -- 08-01-2017 @ 9:28 AM |
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Thanks very much guys. Didn't know that. Now I will take my torque wrench with me, and first try to determine where the leak is actually coming from.
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| supereal | -- 08-03-2017 @ 12:02 PM |
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The old saying about Fords is "If it ain't leakin', it probably needs fixin'". Usually some cardboard on the garage floor is required in the best case.
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| FordFreak | -- 08-04-2017 @ 4:15 PM |
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I have a piece of 1/2 " plywood under mine . Works great !
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| 1934 Ford | -- 08-05-2017 @ 6:55 PM |
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I have used the Lucas brand stop leak in my 169,000 mile 1981 El Camino 305 V8 and it works real well, but never tried it in a flathead engine. 1934 Ford's since 1972
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| 56MarkII | -- 08-05-2017 @ 7:21 PM |
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And it probably won't either. These flatheads have rope seals packed into a groove or retainer. I don't know what setup the older ones have other than being the same as the 49-54 flatheads (yes we used them here in Canada in 54!!) but the rear seal retainer is an aluminum insert that you install the rope seal into and is placed into the block. If no sealant such as gasket sh*llac or silicone is used BETWEEN this aluminum seal retainer and the cast iron block this rear seal assembly will leak and try to put goop under this retainer with the engine in the car. I ended up removing the transmission etc. and loosened all of the other main bearing caps so the crank would droop below the rear bearing because rolling this insert with sealant under pressure from the seal against the crank just wipes the sealant off rendering the attempt useless. Otherwise as for the rear seal leaking, mine had a rapid drip bordering on a slight trickle when my car was started after a very long storage causing this seal to dry up. I carried extra oil along and drove it. After 10 miles it stopped leaking after the "rope" soaked up oil and swelled.
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| sarahcecelia | -- 08-23-2017 @ 12:43 PM |
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Oil pan bolts only take about 6 pounds of torque (can't remember exactly), if you over tighten them, they will leak. I used to work for Buick, and had to take valve covers off, tap them with a hammer on a vise, where the holes for the cap scews were, (to straighten them out)and put new gaskets on, because guys had over tightened and distorted them where the cap screws that held them on went-because they thought that would stop them from leaking; when the answer was a new cork gasket. The old ones got hard, and that caused them to leak. If a good gasket is used, and the cover is tightened evenly, in a criss/cross pattern, and not over tightened, it shouldn't leak. Same with an oil pan. If only a few cap screws leak, take them out, clean them, and put black Permatex on them. Re-install them, and they shouldn't leak again. That black Permatex is nasty to use, but it works well! Hoping to save you from an oil pan removal.....I am..... Regards, Steve Lee
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