Looking for some blazing insight here, I'm stumped. I've temp. wired my chev 454 in my F-1 to run, no problems there, mainly just for inspiration. (block no. 3968512, 73 truck, low h.p.) I just pour a little gas down the carb. and it kicks off. In that amount of time it leaks about a quart of oil from the spin on filter area. The motor ran when pulled, I know the motor did not have problems before. It had a Fram ph13, I've tried wix 51060 (wrong), wix 51061r and an AC PF1218. The filter spin on area appears to be smooth with no obvious defects, I've lubed the oil filter gasket, etc. I've tried real tight and real loose, nothing makes a difference. All of them leak and I mean immediately. It's as though the gasket fails on the filter, in fact they seem to be loose when removed. What have I missed? There's an "o" ring on the spin on ******, is that supposed to be there? Here's a picture of the fillter area. My concern is a blockage or problem elsewhere. Any ideas or info links? (I've searched here) Thanks in advance
I don tknow if that's the problem, but it's possible that it's keeping the filter from seating all the way at the gasket.
Well, it turns out that on closer inspection with my xacto knife (my bad) it's not an "o" ring but a shoulder on the ******. I also made sure that the ****** hadn't loosened.
Y don't you get another one of those filter adapters from another motor and switch it out. Also make sure your screw heads are not to high. $0.02
Funny that it worked fine before, did you ever see it running before ? Any chance you may have knocked an oil gallery plug out when installing the engine ?
It's possible that when the engine was pulled, some thing hit the oil filter. This could have cracked the adapter. The adapter comes off with 2 bolts. Also see if the byp*** in the adapter is working.
What about trying some of that marking/etching type spray to see where/if it is contacting to actually seal? Might also be able to tell where it is leaking that way as well.
Thanks for the input. I'll check everything again. I tried to inspect it for anything obvious. The engine came from my brothers 67 Camaro, seemed to be just fine. It hasn't been run in a while but I've had the openings sealed and have turned it with a breaker bar periodically. Baffles me, the leak is obviously from around the filter, no oil anywhwere else. I'll pull the adaptor Monday and check or replace it. Thanks again for the help.
Any chance that the o-ring-looking shoulder is contacting the threads before the large diameter o-ring on the perimeter??? And what are you doing with a Fram filter anywhere close to a motor you think anything about?? K
Always check the o ring on the filter and block . I have had them stick to the block when they double up they seem to fail in a bad way .I do know from experance .
Thanks guys, It came with a Fram, that's what I originally thought was the problem, since then It's been Wix or ACdelco. I don't see any indications that the shoulder is bottoming out, I'll verify that though. The gasket sticks above the threaded portion a sufficient amount for "crush". Some filters I looked at with the proper number for the application did not. As far as the o ring, I've lubed them, etc. If they are sticking, they all are sticking. I'm on my 5th one in 2 days, trying different brands and part numbers. It's not a leak so much as flow once the pressure comes up, all around the filter recess. It's more or less instant. The engine starts, oil puddle on the floor.....maddening Thanks again for the input.
could an oil p***age be blocked, causing high pressure and its finding the filter as a place to remove the pressure and leak?
It's hard to tell in the picture, but it almost looks like your adaptor is sticking down too far and your bottoming out the filter threads before the outer seal comes in contact with the surface. Pull the adaptor out as others have suggested and see if something is between the adaptor and block.
What he said. Also, sure you have the right filter and the filter gasket is contacting the gasket surface on the adapter? Put some grease on the adapter, screw the filter down by hand - lightly - then remove the filter. Check for a pattern in the grease on the adapter and on the gasket.
Another thought. The edge of the well where the filter goes in and then seats on the gasket surface has some witness marks. Any chance the body of the filter is hitting there which would stop it from going down in the well?
Hi charleyw. The filter area in you pic looks ok.The thing that caught my eye in your picture is where you can see the oil pan curve to meet the main seal, yea, in the "pie shaped area" between the pan and fly wheel. There seems something sticking up that I do not recognize. Is it possible that the pan gasket has pushed out there? Eric
Be sure and let us know what you find, but with the kind of flow you describe I think I'd plug that 1/8" oil tap right above the filter, good place to hook up a gauge.
Thanks again guys for the input. (if I could do multiple quotes I'd reply to each, lol) From the different ideas y'all have given me, I'm going to baseline every thing, start from square one. New adapter, etc. I've tried various filters, looked for marks, the oil p***age above the filter is plugged. But now I'm not so sure about the pan gasket mentioned in the last post. I did pull the pan to check everything and put a gear drive in. With the volume of oil lost in the short time I don't think it's a pan leak. It has to be under pressure. I thought everything went together correctly but at this point who knows. Thanks again guys, I'll post anything I find out.
Make sure you're using a filter that has the rubber gasket at the very outside of the filter. Some of them have a smaller diameter rubber gasket, and if you use one of those you are going to have a major leak. I'm pretty sure a PH13 is a large diameter gasket, but you might want to make sure.
Thanks Ebbsspeed, I've pretty much bought every 454 filter available, they all seem to be at the outer diameter. I've also made sure that the gasket diameter is correct to seat on the filter boss surface. There does seem to be a difference in the relative height of the threaded portion of the filter from brand to brand. The ACDelco is recessed the most, made no difference. I do know that is possible for a 61 year old man to throw one the length of a 40' shop even when it's partially filled with oil!
do any of the filters look 'ballooned' at all? i had a oil pump pressure releif spring break years ago, and it'd balloon the filter, than leak like mad when the pressure escaped thru the filter mounting o-ring. took a few filters and finally a pressure test to figure it out.
One other thing to check. If someone put a regular pipe ****** in the adapter, instead of what's supposed to be in there, you might not be able to tighten it up to where the gasket seals. Reason being NPT (plumbing pipe) threads are tapered, meaning that the diameter of the pipe threads is a little smaller at the beginning of the threads than at the end, This is what helps seal the joint in a plumbing connection, the gradually increasing diameter of the threaded pipe makes the joint tight. The threaded ****** in the oil filter adapter, on the other hand, should be the same diameter top to bottom.
Visually it looks okay. I'm removing it tonight to check things out. I have a new one on the way also just in case. Thanks
Clean the old paint off the sealing surface , looks like it was painted with the old filter on... Have you checked to make sure the oil sender is OK ... not been removed or broken?
I have had electric oil pressure senders leak and piss oil down the filter, looks like the filter is leaking.
The Jalopy Journal
