Did I find the oil leak?

D

DWester

Member
Howdy all. We bought a 31 coupe a couple weeks ago and took it for it's first ride yesterday. After about 5 miles, I opened the hood to check things and found oil all over the place. Checked the level and it was down a quart. After doing a little investigating, I found this bolt missing. Will oil come out of this hole with no bolt or is it a closed area from oil?
 

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Can't tell in your picture which bolt or hole that you're talking about, they all look the same.
 
Oil will come out of that bolt hole. It is open to the timing gear area. Probably would push out lots of oil with the timing gear acting as a pump.
 
midgetracer said:
Katy, you need glasses!!!
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I've got my reading glasses on, and can't make it out, so I put the computer magnifier on and brought it up to 200% and finally found the culprit.
I've got good eyes, they're just weak and slow.
 
Since that bolt-hole is going into the engine block and not into the actuall timing gear chamber does it go all the way through? Take a small probe and see how far the hole goes. If it goes all the way through, then that’s your reason. Plug it.

Another question, when I pulled the timing gear cover on my ’29, it was dry in there. The oil level is all the way up in the engine. Shouldn’t there have been a little oil in that timing gear chamber?

Another thing, my new Randy Gross steering is being shipped as I write. I am so excited to see what a difference that new steering makes. Just the fact that the column and the steering box are two seperate parts is going to make putting it in the A so much simpler than taking that old one-piece out. Do all closed cars have to have the steering removed through the floor?

Another weird question. Randy wants me to ship my old steering column back to him after cutting off the steering box. Even though I detest that old seven-tooth steering set up, it is in pretty good shape. It has just too much play for me. If the future owner of this car wants to restore it to all original, shouldn’t I keep that original steering and sell it with the car?

It snowed, rained, snowed, and is raining again. I wish it would make up it’s mind.

Mike
 
Some of those holes are dead-end, others are open. If that one is open, it will throw oil out quickly. Been there, done that!
 
Since you need to put a bolt in anyway, just put a bolt in and torque it down. Clean up the engine compartment, top off the oil, and then run the car around a little bit and check everything again.
 
Minerva had a HORRIBLE oil leak! That "hidden" timing cover bolt, inside the square recess, below the generator mounting boss, was MISSING!!!! Some folks miss that bolt & break the timing cover, when they try to GORILLA it off!!
Been on here 11 Years & don't remember anyone talking about that "hidden" BOLT! (BUT, they'll do 11 pages about "WHAT OIL" or "IT'S THE CONDENSOR or "FIX IT UNTIL YOU BREAK IT"!)---LOL My Dog is LAFFIN' out loud!
Bill W.
 
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What Bill Williamson just said is very important to etch into your brain if you are not an experienced "A"er and do your own engine disassembly or assembly. Can cause a lot of grief and not always apparent until too late.
 
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DWester said:
.... After doing a little investigating, I found this bolt missing. Will oil come out of this hole with no bolt or is it a closed area from oil?
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Some of those holes go all the way through and some do not. That hole is where the stud goes for the generator/alternator tension support. If you currently have a generator on the "A" my gut feeling is that the previous owner had an alternator mounted and took it off to either mount on another "A" or sold it and forgot to reinstall the timing gear bolt when he reinstalled a generator. Install another bolt and you will probably be just fine. My 2 cents worth.
 
With an open end hole, it's AMAZING how much oil spirals around the bolt threads & leaks out the lockwasher slit! Just rub #2 Permatex on the bolt threads & it won't leak.
Bill W.
 
OK. I cleaned up the area of the hole and got me a bolt that fit, then put a sealant on it and snugged it up. Put everything back together and took it for a ride. Not a drop of oil was found. Got lucky on that one. Thanks to all for your input. Couldn't make it without you. I feel really fortunate to have this place to go to for the wealth of knowledge you have to offer.
 
DWester said:
OK. I cleaned up the area of the hole and got me a bolt that fit, then put a sealant on it and snugged it up. Put everything back together and took it for a ride. Not a drop of oil was found. Got lucky on that one. Thanks to all for your input. Couldn't make it without you. I feel really fortunate to have this place to go to for the wealth of knowledge you have to offer.
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Thank you


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
#2 Permatex is a GOOD thread sealer! Even if the threads are oily, just wipe them off & the #2 Permatex will stick to the threads well, unlike silicone type stuff. It works GOOD, when you have a Diff plug that weeps, even though it's a tapered Pipe thread. "Theoretically", pipe threads are supposed to seal completely, but they DON'T. That's why Plumbers use a little "pipe dope" on the external, or "Male" threads. Always use it on the external or "male" threads, so any excess is pushed to the OUTSIDE!
It's EASY to remember which is "MALE" & "FEMALE" threads, just THINK about it!---LOL
Bill Semiplumber
 
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