This isn't really a truck question but it just blew my mind. I have a 65 Mustang that someone wanted me too do some work on. He said to pull the motor and trans and change ALL the gaskets. (just to prevent future leaks) I told him he didn't need ALL of them replaced but I would replace thhe ones that are leaking now. Getting this thing out, it is obvious that it was just rebuilt. His head gasket was leaking so I changed that. I completely washed and painted everything. Its been sitting on the stand for 2 days now while I work on it. I just finished the motor and wheeled it back into the garage as it's getting late but, when I went over the crack at te edge ( I have a pretty pronounced one) the stand got stuck and a bunch of oil started running onto the floor. I didn't replace the pan gasket or rear seal because it didn't appear to be leaking. After closer exam, it appears that the oil came out of the bolt holes in the crank not from the seal. I haven't looked at the trans yet but where would this have come from. Is it possible to leak through these holes???? I believe that the motor is actually a 78 if that makes a difference.

I don't want to put it back in with a rear main leak, but I don't want to change it if I don't have to.

 

oil can,t leak from the bolt holes in the end of the crank either the rear seal is totalled or the plug at the end of the cam is leaking , this is not so uncommon.

 

That's what I was thinking too but everything was dry. It just suddenly happened when I was moving the stand and it appears that it came out of the bolt holes. I'm thinking that it is probably from when I washed it. ( I hope) I dryed everthing off last night so I'll look at it again today.

This is a fairly fresh rebuild so I wouldn't think it would be the seal. The cam plug is a possibilty though. I'm going through this because the head gasket was leaking. In the process I have found bolts not torqued right, the freeze plug in the back of the head installed crooked (leaking) broken bolts in the waterpump, carb not actually mounted (very loose). That's what makes me wonder about this leak.

 

O.K. upon further inspection, the cam plug appears to be put in crooked too with a little oil showing on the edge of it. What is the easiest way to remove that? ( is there any room behind the plug)

Now I guess that I can run to the parts store then I can fix all the leaks in the trans. (everything that can is leaking)


Thanks for the input.

 

Well, I replaced the cam plug and thought I was good to go. I set the motor down to reposition my chain when all of the sudden there was oil running out the back of the motor. It looks and smells like ATF. What I noticed is that it IS coming out the bolt holes in the crank. I can look into the holes and there is a hollow area behind the holes. What I want to know is...could the front seal on the trans have put this fluid in there? Is the rear main bad? I would like to bolt up this motor and put it back in the car but now I'm stuck.

 

sounds as though everything was done very sloppy on this motor and probably you need to bite the bullet -pull the pan and drop the rear main cap and check the seal could be in backwards or cockeyed because when the flexplate/flywheel is on there is no way for oil to get into the bolt holes.Good luck

 

Man, we think so much alike. I let the motor sit on the hoist for a while and then went and lifted up the front. The oil started running out the back like I was pouring it out of a glass. So, I drained the oil and it looked and smelled just like the stuff in the driveway. Tomorrow I guess I will pull the pan and see what is up. (I may get the ambition to do it tonight yet) I have never seen a rear main leak like this before. I started it up and drove it into the driveway and it didn't leave any trails. The way this thing dumps oil, it should leave buckets behind. something else I haven't seen is the hollow area behind the bolt holes. Is that normal?

I do agree that whoever put this thing together the last time didn't know what the *** they were doing. I hate following people like that.

Well, I think I'll go pull the pan and see what happens.

 

O.K. I bit the big one and pulled the pan and the rear main. The seal don't look bad. Problem is that the bolt hole extend all the way thru the crank flange(Past where the seal rides) It appears that the oil goes thru the bearing and then out the holes. I don't see any way of stopping this other than to seal the bolts.


I am open to suggestions here. I have been doing this 25 years and NEVER run into this.

 

we're obviously talking about different holes. I meant the 6 holes in the flange on the rear of the crank that hold the flexplate on , I'm not sure what holes you are referring to as there are the 2 holes for the rear main and the pan bolt holes but none other I can visualize - help

 

Thems the ones. It is coming out the 6 holes where the flexplate bolts up. I'm still at a loss. Haven't worked on it this morning yet.

 

Those go right through the flange and any oil coming through them must be coming from the rear seal/main

 

Actually there is a "pocket" between the rear main bearing an the seal. The bolt holes are drilled completely thru the flange and there is nothing to stop the oil when ther are no bolts in the holes. I talked to a guy at work today and he tells me that he heard some where designed that way and you need to put sealer on the bolts.Live and learn I guess.