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Marshall V. Daut · 12-05-2017, 08:30 PM

You can often see the gasket edge peeking out between the block and the flywheel housing. So, don't tear the engine apart until you're sure there is no gasket. Clean an area so that you can examine it with a strong light for signs of the paper gasket edges being exposed. If you can't see the gasket edge extending beyond the block and flywheel housing, take a dentist's pick or other small, sharp pick and scrape along the juncture between those two parts. If you pull out pieces of paper, the gasket is in there. If only metal scrapings come loose at the pick's point, the gasket was probably forgotten. If it is there, unless the gasket was improperly installed or damaged during assembly, it's rare that a leak would form here. So, if you discover paper gasket material, the leak is most likely not coming from between the engine block and the flywheel housing. Not impossible; just unlikely. You're back to a rear main leak, which isn't restricted to originating only if the drain tube is missing or clogged. That's just the most obvious cause - and rarely is the problem. Look elsewhere, such as at the main bearing clearances, especially the center main.
But even a very badly leaking rear main bearing can't hold a candle to the amount of oil that will leak if that gasket is missing. It's the back of the camshaft under pressure that is pumping out that oil every revolution it makes. A paper gasket barely contains this gusher. Metal-to-metal sans this gasket doesn't have a chance of stopping the leak, unless a lot of goop took the place of a gasket, which some guys do. Too much chance of error there for me.
How badly will the engine leak if that gasket is missing? One car I repaired had a small bucket tied under the flywheel housing to catch the puddles of oil that streamed out from between the engine block and the flywheel housing in only a matter of minutes. Why couldn't the previous owner just do the job right and fix the darned thing? Nah! Hang a bucket instead and sell the car to a friend of mine. MORON!!! Yeah, she'll hemorrhage that much sans the gasket.
Anyway, check this out first and get back to us. 'May have to go to Plan B to stop that leak.
Marshall

12-05-2017, 08:30 PM	#5
Marshall V. Daut Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Davenport, Iowa Posts: 2,111	Re: oil leak You can often see the gasket edge peeking out between the block and the flywheel housing. So, don't tear the engine apart until you're sure there is no gasket. Clean an area so that you can examine it with a strong light for signs of the paper gasket edges being exposed. If you can't see the gasket edge extending beyond the block and flywheel housing, take a dentist's pick or other small, sharp pick and scrape along the juncture between those two parts. If you pull out pieces of paper, the gasket is in there. If only metal scrapings come loose at the pick's point, the gasket was probably forgotten. If it is there, unless the gasket was improperly installed or damaged during assembly, it's rare that a leak would form here. So, if you discover paper gasket material, the leak is most likely not coming from between the engine block and the flywheel housing. Not impossible; just unlikely. You're back to a rear main leak, which isn't restricted to originating only if the drain tube is missing or clogged. That's just the most obvious cause - and rarely is the problem. Look elsewhere, such as at the main bearing clearances, especially the center main. But even a very badly leaking rear main bearing can't hold a candle to the amount of oil that will leak if that gasket is missing. It's the back of the camshaft under pressure that is pumping out that oil every revolution it makes. A paper gasket barely contains this gusher. Metal-to-metal sans this gasket doesn't have a chance of stopping the leak, unless a lot of goop took the place of a gasket, which some guys do. Too much chance of error there for me. How badly will the engine leak if that gasket is missing? One car I repaired had a small bucket tied under the flywheel housing to catch the puddles of oil that streamed out from between the engine block and the flywheel housing in only a matter of minutes. Why couldn't the previous owner just do the job right and fix the darned thing? Nah! Hang a bucket instead and sell the car to a friend of mine. MORON!!! Yeah, she'll hemorrhage that much sans the gasket. Anyway, check this out first and get back to us. 'May have to go to Plan B to stop that leak. Marshall Last edited by Marshall V. Daut; 12-07-2017 at 11:59 PM. Reason: "among" changed to "amount"