Little help here.

Scottio57

Scottio57

Senior Member
I did the first oil change in my 30 sport coupe. Now its hemorrhaging oil from everywhere. I have no idea what oil dad had in this car before I got it but it came out black as Coal. It always leaked a little but now it ran out a pint in 20 miles and left a trail up to the house. I used 4 quarts of O'Reillys 10w/40 generic oil. Any suggestions? Seems to leak when running.
 
Where does the level show on the dip stick? My first thought is if you only put 4 quarts in you either didn't drain all of the oil because of sludge AND/OR there is a lot of sludge build up, making the level high in the pan.

 
Did you do anything else before the leak started (however unrelated it may seem)? Did you replace anything? Any chance you put too much oil in, how much oil did you add and what does the dip stick say?

Charlie Stephens
 
Could be the filler tube cap was pushed on too far causing back pressure forcing oil out the rear main.
 
What about the oil return tube off of the rear main bearing? Did you somehow plug it up, not install it correctly, or did it get plugged up from valve cover sludge?

Mike
 
Also check oil filler cap ...

if it has a green "choreboy cleaning pad" inside the filler cap or any foreign object ... remove it, if pad is clogged up the back pressure will blow all of oil out the rear main.

NOTE:
There was guy that had his older engine seize up.

He bought a rebuilt engine, installed, tested in the garage.

Then he changed oil and set off on a Club tour.

Seventy miles from home the engine seized up!

After "flat bedding" it home it was found that the oil pan which he had filled 70 miles before was empty!

He had witnesses that swore to have seen him add the oil after the oil change.

The conclusion was that first engine died due to lack of oil when the "coreboy" clogged up and pumped all the oil out the rear main.

As near as they could figure out was that he installed the clogged filler tube on the new engine and the back pressure pumped all of the oil out and "that was all she wrote".



It is better to leave the vent open as designed.
 
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look around your engine and determine where its coming from. It may just need a valve cover gasket. Word of warning Model A's are easy to work on. But you will have to work on it. I got a car that I thought just needed tires and paint. well i still have those ties on there because it needed head gasket got a new ignition system, exhaust work, front spring refresh, fluid changes everywhere, new belt, new charging system, 3 sets of ex/intake gaskets and honeing and fitting and still needs a new replacement manifold I have broke three old ones in trying to get them to fully seal. look up the work before you do it. for instance ex/in mani washers are spring steel and should be cupped in and if you do that backwards it can cost you the manifold. also get that pan off you wont believe what is in there. I need to respring my valves still the springs are rust and about to break or just heavily weakened. Look up torque specs because 55ft pounds isnt much for a head stud and they break easily over the 55ft and you can crack your water neck with over torque.
 
Many cars will leak at full, but not at a half quart low. That said it is not really leaking from "everywhere>" Take some time and look. Maybe it is coming out the rear, or pan or valve gaskets, or all of them, but chase it down. Much easier to diagnosis with more specific information.
 
Make sure your oil return line is tight.
Make sure your dip stilck is going all the way down. They can hang up on that tang and fool you. If over filled, it will come out fast and make a mess.
 
The difference between "F" and "L" on the dipstick is only about 1/2 quart, which I know seems odd. But filling the crankcase to "F" will almost certainly cause leaking from the rear main. I keep mine halfway between the extremes on the dipstick and if the engine leaks from the bottom of the flywheel housing, I know it's time to adjust the main bearings.
Marshall
 
Thanks guys. Lots of good stuff here. I was thinking on the way to work this morning I remember putting the fill cap on good and tight. I am sure it was not venting although I think it would have vented through the dip stick as it just sets there and is not tight at all. Tomorrow I will clean it all up and make sure the cap is venting and run it around a while. If that doesn't work you have given me plenty of other options. Thanks a million. I do appreciate it very much.
 
Scottio57 said:
Thanks guys. Lots of good stuff here. I was thinking on the way to work this morning I remember putting the fill cap on good and tight. I am sure it was not venting although I think it would have vented through the dip stick as it just sets there and is not tight at all. Tomorrow I will clean it all up and make sure the cap is venting and run it around a while. If that doesn't work you have given me plenty of other options. Thanks a million. I do appreciate it very much.
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The dipstick should be snug in its hole. Make certain to pinch the upper part just below the finger loop so it has full engagement with the hole.
 
Scottio57 said:
Thanks guys. Lots of good stuff here. I was thinking on the way to work this morning I remember putting the fill cap on good and tight. I am sure it was not venting although I think it would have vented through the dip stick as it just sets there and is not tight at all. Tomorrow I will clean it all up and make sure the cap is venting and run it around a while. If that doesn't work you have given me plenty of other options. Thanks a million. I do appreciate it very much.
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Sounds like you might not be pushing the dip stick all the way in. They are usually snug in the hole. If you haven't pushed it all the way in and did the same when refilling, you will have too much oil in there which has been mentioned above. Where the dipstick is folded over at the top to make the loop for your fingers, it is bent back along the stick for a bit so that it is kinda round again. The doubled up part of the stick goes into the hole in the block, fills it and won't bounce about while driving. Checking the cap and dipstick is such a quick thing to do, you could do both of them while holding your breath.
 
Scottio57 said:
To the full mark. Did not overfill.
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How many physical quarts did you put in?

Repro dip sticks, non Model A dipsticks, dipsticks not put in all the way all can give different readings.

4 1/2 quarts is the max one should put in if the engine has not been taken apart, oil tray and valve galley cleaned out.
 
Oh my god. All that muck in that pan. Holly smoke. I really had no idea that could be in there. Well. I guess I'll order up a pan gasket.
 
To be clear I have always kept the oil level at the same point about half way between full and low. I put in just a tad over 4 quarts. I have already set a stop on the cap so it can't bottom out again. Tomorrow I will clean up the mess on the engine and run it around and PRAY that solves my problem. I will also fix the dip stick so it is tighter. You all have been great and thanks again.
 
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