Major oil leak on rebuilt engine

[Doctor's Ford]

My 1933 model B engine was entirely rebuilt. Every internal component was either replaced or redone. Engine has essentially no miles yet, just test running and a brief first ride that I posted a week ago. After engine got warm it started leaking oil like crazy, both from the front and from the rear (seen in photos below). I was ready for a few oil spots as everyone says these cars are known for but this is clearly a significant leak that can not be left alone. Half a quart of oil went out in less than an hour. The engine will be removed again. Where should I check for source of the leak? All seals/retainers were new. Any particular type that is recommended or to stay away from? Thanks. Manuel

[JSeery]

Would guess the seals were not installed properly. Are they the rope type seals? Did you install them or someone else? If you installed them, have you ever installed this type of seal before?

[Bob C]

That oil looks like it has water in it, does the dip stick show
over full??

Bob

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by Bob C

That oil looks like it has water in it, does the dip stick show
over full??

Bob

I agree with Bob unless that is some different type of oil, it looks like a water oil mix.

[Doctor's Ford]

I checked the oil dipstick. It has no marks (like Low or High, etc) so don't really know where the level should be but it seems definitely high (half way to the stick) and it appears a bit diluted, watery as some of you stated. Photo not showing well but I marked where the oil level is. Engine rebuilt was done professionally by a builder who has done several model As before. The seal was rope type. I don't know what the water contamination means but I am sure is bad news and I am bracing for the worst scenario. The engine runs very well, no smoke, idles perfectly. Can you tell what generally causes water to leak into oil system? and how you would approach checking this problem?

[Ross F-1]

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If you overfilled, the crank could be whipping it into a froth, producing that appearance. It would also account for the massive leaking. How many quarts did you put in?

[john in illinois]

The leak of water into oil is usually a head gasket leaking or a crack in the block or head. If the engine was rebuilt,it was probably checked for cracks and the head and block surfaced.I would pull the head off and check the gasket before pulling the engine.

Model B will pump oil out the rear main if the oil level is too high,so your front seal and rear baffle may be fine.
You also might consult with the rebuilder.

Also if you have water in pan,loosen the drain plug and it will come out first.
John

[39topless]

Originally Posted by Ross F-1

If you overfilled, the crank could be whipping it into a froth, producing that appearance. It would also account for the massive leaking. How many quarts did you put in?

Maybe drain the oil and refill with the correct amount (4-5 qts ?). Also check the radiator and fill to correct level. Then run it again and see what happens.

[Mart]

Drain the oil and check for water in it. If water is obvious then a strip down may be necessary, if not obvious I would do the following:

Put the recommended amount of oil into the motor.

Mark the dipstick with a small notch.

Use this as your "full" mark and always maintain the oil to this mark.

If the mark is significantly lower than the oil level you are showing now, that might be the problem (oil level too high).

If the oil level rises and the oil becomes discoloured or milky it might be getting water leaking from somewhere.

I'm just thinking what I would do before tearing things apart.

Mart.

[FrankWest]

Originally Posted by Mart

Drain the oil and check for water in it. If water is obvious then a strip down may be necessary, if not obvious I would do the following:

Put the recommended amount of oil into the motor.

Mark the dipstick with a small notch.

Use this as your "full" mark and always maintain the oil to this mark.

If the mark is significantly lower than the oil level you are showing now, that might be the problem (oil level too high).

If the oil level rises and the oil becomes discoloured or milky it might be getting water leaking from somewhere.

I'm just thinking what I would do before tearing things apart.

Mart.

Manuel, don;t tear engine apart until you drain all the oil and water if any then add new oil, try again several times.

[FrankWest]

You have way too much oil!
My 1933 model B dipstick shows full at 1/6 the dipstick legenth before the handel!!!!!

[Walt Dupont--Me.]

The Model B engine did not have a rear seal original, You keep mentioning a rear seal. Did some one machine the rear slinger on the crank so a rope could be installed? If the front seal is leaking some one has done a poor job installing it. Walt

[FrankWest]

Originally Posted by Doctor's Ford

I checked the oil dipstick. It has no marks (like Low or High, etc) so don't really know where the level should be but it seems definitely high (half way to the stick) and it appears a bit diluted, watery as some of you stated. Photo not showing well but I marked where the oil level is. Engine rebuilt was done professionally by a builder who has done several model As before. The seal was rope type. I don't know what the water contamination means but I am sure is bad news and I am bracing for the worst scenario. The engine runs very well, no smoke, idles perfectly. Can you tell what generally causes water to leak into oil system? and how you would approach checking this problem?

-

Full in this engine is approx 2 inches from the bottom of the dipstick!

You have way too much oil.

More oil in you engine than in Texas-----------------------------

[cmbrucew]

I would re torque the head before anything else.
Drain the water out of the pan, and run it again.
Then re check water and oil levels.
Bruce

[Doctor's Ford]

OK, I'll follow the suggestions that all of you agree upon: Will drain the pan and inspect oil, put correct amount of new oil, re torque the head (this has not been done yet after the rebuild so it is a good idea) and give another try. I'll post the results. Fingers crossed! Thank you all, Manuel

[TomT/Williamsburg]

I had a similar situation in the new engine in my 40 coupe about 14 years ago. If there is water in the oil, I used a commercial motor flush, Motor Flush I believe it was, that worked very well. I also made some frequent oil changes early on. No problems since ....

[rockfla]

Just a thought too. Maybe borrow a friends torque wrench as well , to double check yours and make sure of correct torque. That rear rope seal can be a real booger. Make sure you have someone who knows what they are doing..

[Doctor's Ford]

To follow up on the oil leak problem of my rebuilt model B engine. Some good news, some not too good. This is what I found out and did today.

First, I emptied the oil pan to inspect the oil. As suspected, found 6 quarts of oil, significantly more than the 4-5 recommended. There was no water at all. The milky color was due to an additive that is popular around here, a German product called Liqui Moly CeraTec. The guy who rebuilt the engine seems a fan of this "friction reducing additive" and he poured it into the oil system.

Second, retorqued the head up to 55 lbs (7.6 Kg) (cold). Removed spark plugs and inspected head which looked normal. No signs of water leaks. The water level in the radiator was normal.

Third, added 4 quarts of 15-50 W motor oil and measured the level with a mark on the dipstick. It was half way where it was before! Lot of extra oil there!

Lastly, started the engine and let it run. Unfortunately, after 30 minutes it began to leak oil again, initially at the front part of the pan and then at the rear. Same locations as shown before but less intense leak.

Finally I retorqued the head with hot engine at 55 lbs

I am confident there is no water leak anywhere. There was an excess of oil due to overfilling the oil pan but the persistent leak now that the correct amount of oil is placed seems to indicate a retainer problem in the engine.

Do you agree that next step is to remove the engine and check seal/retainer? Manuel

[Tinker]

Chase the leak. If it's coming from the pan was a gasket used? Start simple work your way out if you have too.

[flatjack9]

It may be that the leak is only in one place and seeps along the pan rail making it look like multiple locations.