Help - '35 leaking out pan vent slot.

[jakesbackyard]

The '35 I've been working on the last couple years had sat in heated storage since 1966 and runs so nice I haven't done any more than clean up the motor, new plugs, wires, points. Now that I finished the interior and put 3.25 gears in it I'm driving it some. The small leaks have become greater so I pressure washed off the underside of the motor and it is leaking quite a bit out of the oil pan venting slot. It will leak about 2-3 oz. in a few miles of driving. (I wedged a small flexible cup around it between the crossmember.) Originally I thought I needed new seals, but after looking at diagrams on the ventilation system I'm not sure what my problem is. Any help or ideas from the flathead minds on the board would be appreciated. Thank you. Jake

[Brian]

There is a pipe at the front of the valley,easily visible upon removing the intake. Is this in place? If not, you'll get a major leak like what you're experiencing. Brian

[Walt Dupont--Me.]

Brian is right, another thing, it could have the wrong pan gasket, 35 was the first with the pan breather, if it has a 34 gasket it will lead out the breather, or the pan gasket out of place around the breather vent. Walt

[jakesbackyard]

Thanks for the ideas. Does the tube fit down into the hole to the vent tightly? I'm understanding you think it is this breather tube that may have come out of it's lower fitting and now oil in the pan can run out of the vent? Is the only way to check it to remove the intake? I ordered pan gaskets with seals and was going to install them. Will I be able to check the tube from underneath with the pan off? Just thinking if I am opening up the bottom - no sense in taking off the intake.

[Brendan]

did you put 5 qts of oil in it?... mine will leak like a sieve when 5 qts are in it!

[jakesbackyard]

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I put about 4 1/2 in it and with the leaking it is now just a little above the add line. Does yours leak from that vent slot when too full?

[Brendan]

no, it leaks from the rear, when it gets to the first "L" on the dip stick it will stop leaking. yesterday i drove it sort of hard and it was leaking from the rear

[felix37]

My 37 leaks like crazy from the same vent slot. Has been for the last two years.

[31chevy]

Wrong pan gasket,been there done that, I had 37 block with 34 pan gasket it leaked, change to right gasket leak stopped.

[jakesbackyard]

I'm only guessing, but I don't think the motor has ever been worked on from the bottom or out. I'm saying this because the amount of crud I cleaned from the bottom side of the car was easily 76 years worth. So I'm thinking it's not the pan gasket.

There have been upgrades on the top side...cast iron heads, '41 fuel pump, '40 charging system, and 94 carb. All done many, many years ago.

So back to my last question...Can I see and diagnose that tube with the pan off? Thanks. Jake

[David J]

Here's a pic of the pipe talked about above in a 35-36 babbit motor . You will need to pull the intake to see it .

Originally Posted by jakesbackyard

So back to my last question...Can I see and diagnose that tube with the pan off? Thanks. Jake

[jakesbackyard]

Thanks for the pic David. So it looks like if the pipe is there and even with the top of the block it's "in place".

[David J]

This one is about 1/16" below the intake surface . I would check for cracks or pinholes as you sometimes see these pretty rusty inside and any holes in it down low will leak badly like the guys stated above .

Originally Posted by jakesbackyard

Thanks for the pic David. So it looks like if the pipe is there and even with the top of the block it's "in place".

[jakesbackyard]

Can it be pulled out to check it out?

[David J]

This one seems to be firmly in place . Walt would be better at answering this as I am used to 33-34 blocks and they don't have this .

Originally Posted by jakesbackyard

Can it be pulled out to check it out?

[rotorwrench]

The oil feed tube that runs from the rear of the block up to the front may be leaking from the plug that goes in there behind the cam gear. The front timing gear cover and cam gear have to be removed to gain access to it. If it has a press on cam gear, it would likely be easier to remove the whole cam. Check all other possibilities first though since this would be no easy task.

Kerby

[jakesbackyard]

This is sounding like a real pain. I just may have to fabricate a big drip pan under the motor and wait till next winter to dig deep. Thanks for all the replies. Jake

[Brian]

Jake, In my opinion, removing the inlet manifold is a very easy job to accomplish. I don't know exactly what engine/generator/fan/distributor you're running, but assuming it's close to stock, all you gotta do is disconnect battery earth terminal, remove fan, disconnect wire[s] from generator, remove generator, undo fuel line to pump, disconnect vacuum lines from manifold to dist and wipers, undo manifold bolts, and remove entire intake with carb and fuel pump attached. Simply reposition sparkplug looms off to each side to aid in removal. Should easily be accomplished within one hour. How painful is that? I'm not trying to be a smart arse, but to fabricate a big drip tray must surely entail just as much work, and you've still gotta fix the real problem! Enjoy the exercise, gives you a chance to check out the inside of the motor, and installation is just as easy. Probably the hardest bit of that is tensioning the fan belt! Brian

[Walt Dupont--Me.]

Originally Posted by jakesbackyard

Can it be pulled out to check it out?

Jack, just take a block of wood and with a hammer tap the tube back and forth a couple of times, then with a pair of pliers you can wiggle it right out. It should be blow the block surface about 1/16 to 1/8 . Walt

[jakesbackyard]

Thanks for all the great info. I'll dig into it one of these days. Jake