Distributor Seal, WTF Am I Doing Wrong?...

hey there....lots of great advice here.. if these don't cure it,there is a really good chance that the distributor mounting boss on the intake (where gasket seats) is not perpendicular with the distributor gasket flange.. fortunatley, i have built a tool to correct this with the intake on the engine(use a shop vac to catch minor metal shavings..
if you're gonna think about using two gaskets, not really sure about thatproceedure.. they alway would squish out on me.. so i use a teflon moroso distrbutor shim (gasket) they come in a kit of 3 different thicknesses..
if you need the tool, call me,and i can ship it to ya to borrow.. (pleeeeeze send it back : )
tricky @ morley performance 636-533-4777
fenton,mo.

 

I know and I appreciate it. But if I'm gonna aqueeze back there to get at the oil pressure sending unit, I'm only gonna do it once, lol.

You're right, lots of good advice has been offered. And I really appreciate your offer to loan your tool. I got the leak stopped at the distributor. I've still got a small leak at the oil pressure sending unit or the intake manifold at the same location. I'm going to remove the sending unit today to check it out and likely just go ahead and replace the line (it's plastic and seems fragile). That's a lot easier than pulling the intake. And if that don't fix it, that only leaves one culprit, the intake manifold seal at the rear by the sending unit. In that case, I'll pull the intake and reseal and one way or another should be good to go.

 

cool man, those plastic lines are junk. a copper line kit is only about 10 bucks and they carry em by all the gauges and ****. just use the correct ferrules and fittings that come with it and youll be set. the mist youre seeing could be from the line, spraying up as the rpms/oil pressure rise....

 

I like the fitting that comes on newer chevy trucks, it moves it up above the intake and has a built in 90*. In case you ever need to mess with the gauge feed, it is not impossible to see.

 

I always put in a 2" ****** then put the line fitting on top of that - it jacks it up so you can get to it. I also just like saying ******!

 

haha!

 

OK here's today's update. I changed out the sending unit and plastic line for new fittings and copper line. At first, it looked fine. At the corner store I stop at on my usual test run, there has always been oil on the ground by then. Not today. Insert the laughter of an insane man. Victory. Or so I thought. By the time I got back home, it was leaking again.

I think the sending unit may still be the problem. I couldn't get the old fitting out of the block so I just put a new top on it with the copper line. I also couldn't get dope tape around it and it's unknown if the fitting in the block has dope tape on it. Now when I first started the engine after changing the fitting, I immediately had 10psi or so more oil pressure all accross the board. There was also oil and grime on the back of the oil pressure gauge. So, there was a leak somewhere in the system. I did use all new fittings and dope tape in the two threads in the gauge.

I'm going to remove the sending unit fitting on the block and dope tape the two pieces on the block and see if it still leaks. If it does, it'll mean the leak's coming from the intake and I'll have to pull it and reseal. I shouldn't have been lazy and done it right the first time.

 

you used the ferrule right? ferrule=the wedge ring that slips on the copper line. also, the taper went into the fitting, not the nut correct? not trying to treat you like a child, but as a plumber ive seen this type of thing messed up everyday

 

I've heard of teflon tape and I have heard of pipe dope - dope tape is a new one. I like it - it could be either one and says you the time of having to clarify which one as long as there is something. The copper line shouldn't "need no dope tape" - only the pipe threads into the block and the pipe threads to the tubing adapter.

 

done like this correct?

 

Sorry, it's teflon tape. I couldn't remove the pipe thread into the block and am unsure whether or not it has teflon tape on it (it was there when I got the truck). I just put the new tubing adapter on the old fitting in the block. The gauge side has teflon tape on both pipethread fittings. The old ones had no teflon tape on the gauge side so it's probably safe to ***ume there's none on the engine side too.

I really need to get the pipe thread off the block and teflon tape all the threads top and bottom to be sure. I should've done it that way to begin with. But I was lazy and thought since it didn't leak there before, it had to be in the plastic line not in the pipe threads. Obviously I was wrong.

 

Yes, I did it like that. Thanks for making sure I did it right.

 

cool. ya, a couple wraps of tape on the threaded part goin into the block should be all you need, the ferrule does the sealing on the line joint. hopefully you can get it out without too much trouble

 

So if the ferrule does the sealing on the line joint, I don't need teflon tape there? Just making sure. It appears the old ferrule seal at the block failed along with a very old crack with a silicone smeared repair (not my repair). I must've disturbed the old silicone repair that was somehow hanging on by a thread when swapping intakes. The pipe thread in the block is really tight and there's really no room to get a wrench on it as it's right on the firewall. I'll get it out and teflon tape somehow just for peace of mind. And then on to reseal the intake manifold if it still leaks.

 

correct, the joint with the line/ferrule/nut does not need teflon, and others will be tapered pipe threads, and will need a few wraps of tape to seal up. and they will most likely be br***, so dont go crazy tightning em. br*** is soft, and will tear up if yer not careful.

 

The gauge side should be good to go with teflon tape being on both fittings and the ferrule installed correctly. Same goes for the fitting with the ferrule on top of the block fitting. The only fitting that is suspect is the one I didn't remove, the fitting that screws into the block. I'll have to get in there and get it out and teflon tape it to be certain. It's just not easy, there's not much room and you have to stand/kneel on the engine and inner fenders while bent over and using both hands on the fitting at the same time, lol. And again, if it's still leaking after that, it has to be the rear seal on the intake manifold.

 

ya, i just went out and eyeballed mine, and its not even as far back in the firewall as yers, lol. itll be a trick, but it can be done. be patient with it.

 

also, one more thing. when you set the intake, how long did you let it setup before firing up the motor?

 

A nice quick lazy way to fix a leaky intake seal is to hook a shop vac to the oil filler in the valve cover, fire up the vacuum and smear silicone in the suspect area. The vacuum pulls the silicone into the leaky area and you don't have to fix it correctly. Used this trick many a time and it has always worked. Good luck!

 

I'm bettin' on the PCV system too....... bad PCV valve or breather.

 

I can't remember exactly, but it was still daylight when I set the intake and waaaaay past dark when we fired it up.

 

That's pretty interesting. With as much as I've already gone through, I'd probably rather go ahead and pull the intake. For peace of mind and because I'm a glutton for punishment.

 

I put a new pcv valve in today before I did the oil pressure fittings. I probably should've mentioned that. It must've slipped my mind. Also,a brand new breather cap. But it still leaked.

The new bottom line is that it's leaking at the oil pressure fitting in the block because I was to lazy to work hard at getting it out. Or it's leaking at the rear of the intake manifold in the same area as the oil pressure fitting. It's taking a while, but I'm getting there and sooner or later there will be no leaks.

 

i fought a leaky steering box adjuster nut once. for a week. I'd back off the lock nut, clean it out, sealant around the sector adjustment screw then back on with the lock nut. let her set up all night drive to work. it's wet. argg!

then my kid happened to nudge the wheel while i'm looking at it. and the power steering did it's thing, causing a laser thin jet of fluid to shoot out of the BACKSIDE of the ps hose right ontop of the adjuster on the ps box. miniscule hole in a 10 dollar hose putting fluid on another part with no clue.

is this what's going on with your sender and dizzy?

 

Funny how things can fool you sometimes. In my case, I can crawl under the truck and look up and see small puffs of smoke and an oil mist when you hit the throttle. I can see it up top too with a mirror and flashlight. The puffs of smoke and mist are either coming from the oil pressure fitting or the intake manifold seal itself. I just can't tell which place it's coming from. I'll find out for sure today if it's the pressure fitting.

 

I'll sure give you one thing, son, you're no quitter! Hang in there - you'll get all those annoying problems resolved and learn a lot while doing so.

 

Haha thanks. I'm not one to give up easily. Now it's personal.


A small update, the fitting in the block is NOT coming out. I'll have to pull the intake to get it out which I may as well do anyway. It's my luck I'll spend three days trying to get at that fitting just to find the intake is leaking instead/also. So I'm off to do that now. This will not whoop me.

 

Been following this thread since day before yesterday when I found it. Now I'm posting to offer encouragement, agree with Tudor on the 2" ****** (for both reasons he mentioned), and to suggest that you may have to pull that intake to get that fitting out. Always a PITA to get the seal right back there on an in-car installation.
Sort of points out to all of us the need to check out that little fitting and it's connecting line or sending unit while we have the intake off!
If you manage to get the fitting out without manifold removal it might be a good idea to insert a ****** before replacing the connecting adaptor to line.
That's a damn good idea posted above about using the shop vaccuum to **** silicone sealer into a leak in the seal between manifold and block!
On another, OT note: Are you by any chance related to the Ferguson family ***ociated with ***berland Island, GA? In earlier years I knew several family members and knew that some were now living in the Caerolinas.
Good Luck !!!!!!!!
Dave

 

Not real keen on this trick personally. I'll tell you a little story. Guy brings me a car to rebuild the motor. Seems it threw a rod. I pull it apart and find silicone in an oil p***age that has starved the bearing and the rod goes boom. After a bit of quizzing, the gut tells me he used the "Old vacuum trick" to seal an oil leak. Seems he not only stopped the leak but ****ed in enough silicone to clog the oil p***age as well.
Probably has worked well for many, but I'm not going to risk. Cost him $3200.00 to fix the fix.

 

Dave,

Lots of good advice in this post. Thanks a bunch. You're right about checking the fitting if the intake is coming off. It can save you a ton of heartaches later. Also, the ****** idea is great one too. With the silicone pushed out at the rear of the manifold, it's impossible to get a wrench or socket on the fitting. I would also add to never use that plastic line, it's way too fragile. A copper line kit with all the fittings and ferrules is only $10 and has everything you need except the teflon tape which is cheap too. Consider it insurance to again save you heartaches later.

And terd feguson is just my innernetz handle, not my real last name. Thanks again.

I just got back from getting new gaskets and brake cleaner and I'm about to get started pulling the intake. I should also be able to get at that br*** fitting once the intake's off. I'll know tomorrow, but I'm pretty confident this will take care of everything.