Vannin' Home Forums General Discussion General Discussion Used Oil analysis

Curiosity finally got the better of me and I collected a sample and mailed it to Blackstone Labs.

Here is the report:


The coolant showing up in my oil is most likely the leaking timing chain cover. Not happy as I spent extra effort in doing the job right, and still got it wrong.

The bolts holding on the TC cover and water pump keep loosening up, and it drips coolant right where the TC cover meets the block when they do. If it's dripping to the exterior, it is dripping inside too

Not looking forward to doing the job again

Coolant being routed through the timing cover is one reason I REALLY like the slant six. The timing cover and water pump are completely separate pieces.

Sorry to hear about the leak.

Its pretty cool what your oil can tell you.I would like to send mine to the lab one day.Sorry to hear about your leak.

I'd be afraid what mine would tell me..........

I know what mine would tell me. Why did all my brother and sisters escape and I got left behind and sent to a lab?

I've got a lot of leaks to take care of on Eagles Nest.

I feel for you Wrcsixeight, I had to do the same repair, and for precisely the same leak. My 318 was like that when I first bought the van.

I took off a valve cover to see why there was lifter tapping, and my hair stood on end! Emulsified oil everywhere. At first I thought he'd been running ancient Pennzoil, but then I noticed some steam...

Took forever to clean it up. Took lots of cleaning and degreasing the front of the engine to locate the source; The coolant was running out of a power steering pump mount bolt hole and right into the side of the timing chain cover. It literally disappeared right into it!!

Replaced all the lifters, camshaft, timing chain, oil pump, etc.,.

My situation was even worse than just having the leak; the flamer previous owner had run the antifreeze down to not much more than water, and since he was also a gorilla, he stripped the bolt holes for the alternator and power steering pump adjustment bolts. What was then left of the threads rusted out; for a while my power steering pump was held on with one bolt, (!) which is why even though I was running all sorts of tests on the back roads and highway near here to dial in my carb, I wouldn't risk driving my van the longer distances to events. I had to tear the front of the engine off and helicoil all of the holes which led into the water jacket. What an asinine design!!! You'd think the Engineers and Machinists had never heard of a bottom tap!

An important tip I finally pried out of one of the best of the long time engine rebuilders up here, by gradually wearing him down, (namely he got tired of me asking about it every single time I saw him...) ;0) -was just what on earth he used on these engines as a bolt thread sealant. He said to use Permatex Aviation Form-a-gasket sealer on the bolts which penetrate the water jacket.

Amazingly, I actually had an inherited bottle on hand; my Dad had been a longtime military aircraft Mechanic!



I used it and it worked great, and I've even been able to adjust the alternator and power steering pump several times with no signs of leakage. Its pretty cool that the solution to my long time leaks issue came from my Dad!

I'd also suggest using Loctite 515 on the paper gaskets rather than RTV.



RTV works well, but this is great stuff. I use it on my water pump, oil pan, trans pan, and freeze plugs, and have had zero leakage or seepage, which is pretty good for a beat up oil pan which I had to pound back into shape from the previous owner (aka person of recent simian ancestry...) who also vastly overtightened the oil pan bolts!

Blackstone labs will mail out a free sampling kit to anyone interested.

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

The basic test is 25$ and to check the TBN, total base number, is another 10$. I recommend putting the little mailable container they give you in a larger padded envelope and not put "labs" in the address. I got the strangest looks when in the post office by clerks who thought I was mailing fecal matter or something.

The TBN is related to the oil's ability to neutralize acids that form as byproducts of combustion. It is said short trip driving and not heating the oil up enough for long enough to burn off condensation depletes the TBN fastest.

My driving is basically nothing but short trip driving and I expected the TBN to be way lower, with more fuel dilution but both TBN and fuel contamination were fine for 13 months. The Oil I used, Mobil 1 0w-40, is designed to go 15000 miles in euro vehicles that have large sumps. It's TBN is something like 10 or 11 to start with, and apparently the TBN does not drop linearly.

Anyway once I reseal my TC cover with better products, I expect to extend my drain intervals out to well more than a year, if my driving habits remain the same.


I was rather surprised to see the coolant leaking just a few short months after replacing my whole cooling system. I really thought I did it right, and was dismayed to see the leaking, and more surprised that I was able to get another solid turn on every accessible bolt on the WP which stopped the leak, for 3 weeks or so before I would find drips, and the bolts loose again.

I am not looking forward to doing the job again. I wonder why the bolts were all too happy to back themselves out. They are not stripped. Getting the sealing products on the paper gaskets and all the brackets and accessories in place and tightened up before the RTV skinned off was alway as an issue, and I had the radiator off for easy access. Guess I am just not that good at this sort of task, but damn if I will pay someone else to do it.

Almost sounds more like tired bolts stretching over time than backing out. I would replace the bolts with new ones when you redo the TC next time. I personally like ARP bolts, when I can afford them.

Hope the re repair goes smooth this time around, RC. You're just saying that to make me feel better about the time I did my first big job on my 394 Olds. 1972?
Man, Sure wish I had kept that car.
Anyway. Had to R&R the heads. Met my Future Father in Law at his old hole in the wall Airplane Hangar Quonset hut Machine Shop, answering the ad for machine work, on my heads. Escondido Motor Parts guy lookin' sideways at this crazy kid insisting on obtaining the 29/32" freeze plugs for the block underneath the head, with the gasket set. "'cause that's how the factory had it, man..."
Having to call my drag racer Brother in law, when it didn't run real good upon reassembly.
Him laughing at me, when all the plugs were in only hand tight. Psft. Psft. Psssft, Pop!
Did go 100 mph+ tho. Had that granny gear low auto. Second gear burnouts. Awesome... Crazy Kids...

Never ran it @ Carlsbad. But it went there alot! That 61 Super 88 sure was a fun car... A present from my Mom's Dear Dog Show Friend, when they obtained a shinier newer old Pontiac. I remember it was light green. Catalina, mebe?
Think it might have been a Bonneville.
I liked the Olds... 325 HP. factory. Oh yeah. If Mom only knew...

RC, best of luck. Gentlemen, thanks so much for all your help. Learn so much from all of you. In Spirit of Vannin,