I'm not very bright because I decided to tackle all the most annoying jobs at one time. Since I had to take the center link down to get the headers out, I figured I should address the constant oil leak coming from the back of the engine by replacing the original 1968 oil pan. Thankfully the rear main seal area is dry, it's the oil pan and/or gasket.
This pan has seen better days. No metal in the filter.
My theory about the leak is that the pan rail is not straight and neither is the block. No, it's not because the pole jack is crushing it, the pan has been leaking since the day I got the car in 2018. It's the same thing that happens with the headers - the fact is, two irregular mating surfaces are not going to seal hot fluids efficiently. Over the last couple years I've tried several different gaskets and all of them leaked including the modern molded type.
I'm still a believer in the molded windage tray kind but I think they're only good on oil pans with flat rails. You can see how the seals got blown out which is most likely from me over-tightening it when trying to stop it from leaking....
As mentioned, I ordered a new 402 pan from Mancini with a Superformance gasket. I will admit that I've used these gaskets before and they leaked. However, I attributed that to what looked like a home made windage tray I used from another motor. I should have known better, it was all bent up and a little thicker than what I thought was normal so nothing would have kept the oil in that time.
Before installing the pan, I made sure to speak with Greg from
Superformance to clarify his gasket instructions which was helpful. He suggests using RTV around the edge of the pan which I've never done so I wanted to confirm exactly how he wanted it. He gave me some specific info on where and how to lay down the silicone so I can avoid a big mess.
Here's the new pan and gasket ready to go in. However...
...before it can go on for keeps, I have to replace the oil dipstick tube that snapped off when I was taking the header off. F@ck!
As most everyone who's replaced a dispstick tube on an engine equipped with headers
in the car knows, it's essentially a losing proposition. Something is going to get destroyed whether it's the block, the dipstick tube itself or something that just happened to be near the hammer when it slips out of your hand.
Knowing this, I initially tried welding the original one back together. Didn't work - I'm not that good and it's really hard to do. The tubing is thin and became work hardened where it broke. Even with the welder on the lowest setting it would still burn through. I managed to get it tacked together about halfway around but the weld was not consistent and there were still holes. It never would have survived the install anyway.
Since I had to get exhaust gaskets and various other stuffs, I ordered
this $40 repro tube from Mancini's. They shipped my order out quickly which was great. The part itself is fine and seemingly correct for a restoration. You can even see where it's whittled down at the bottom of the tube to fit in the block. No matter though, still a fail.
I swear, replacing a dipstick tube is the worst job, even with the engine out of the car. My method is to use a crow's foot socket on the end of a long extension. You slip the wrench pad over the flare and pound the end of the extension until the tube seats. Prior to that, I put the tube in the freezer overnight to shrink it. When that didn't work, no amount of heat applied to the dipstick tube boss on the block would loosen it up enough to get the base of the tube in all the way. At that point it was over anyway, too much pounding had weakened the flare and it cracked. My fault for sure but still junk.
This is a brand-new dipstick tube I just paid $40 for.
This is like the third or fourth repro tube I've had bad luck with. I don't know what it is with them but in my personal experience they are next to impossible to install. As I've stated many times, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed but this job should not be that hard. Had to call up my friend for a used original that I'm getting on Sunday, hopefully I will be able to get that one seated. If that one's a no go the hole is getting threaded and plugged.
Once the dipstick tube ordeal is over, the pan can go on and I can put the steering linkage back together. Then I'm going to clean the throttle body thoroguhly, get some new spark plugs and make some new plug wires to replace all the burned ones (four!).
While under the car, I took a look at the rear suspension which had really started to creak towards the end of last year. Amazingly, everything was loose. I was pretty upset with myself but at lest it's all tightened up now. Just about every fastener had come loose - the shackle bolts, the leaf spring U-bolts, the lower shock bolts... Ugh. I have to keep better tabs on this stuff. The rear shocks were loosened one click since it was riding pretty harsh. Didn't touch the fronts though. Thankfully all the fasteners in front are still tight.
I still have a few more things to take care of, one being the oil pressure gauge wiring. It contatacted a header tube coming out of the firewall and melted so it's not reading pressure. It turns on and lights up though so hopefully it's just the wiring. One of the dash turn signal indicators is not working now either so I may have to drop the steering and take the instrument panel to fix all this stuff. Fun times. If I have to take the dash out again I may end up getting one of
these Dakota Digital replacement dashes. Not cheap but really nice.
More to come.
