Re: [ihc] Never overlook the obvious, or even the oblivious

["Allan Ericson" <lowvolt@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Coming out of the breather hose or other "crankcase pressure" induced spot?

I've had several IH engines that leak out the dipstick, flame arrester
fitting, oil cap, and other similar spots, spraying onto parts of the engine
that "get the blame."

Irritating, to say the least.

Glad you found it.

-Allan
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Stricker" <jstricke@domain.elided>
To: "IHC Digest" <ihc-digest@domain.elided>
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2003 8:43 PM
Subject: [ihc] Never overlook the obvious, or even the oblivious


> This is mostly to Howard, Steve and Mark S., and Hofs.
>
> When these yahoos were visiting, I told all of them of my leaky valve
cover
> difficulties.  For those of you that don't know, I'll go back a while.
> Sherman, set the way-back machine to about 1997.
>
> The engine in my '80 Traveler was getting a little tired.  I had a couple
to
> rebuild, but both of them ended up being unworthy of my Scout so I ended
up
> buying a rebuilt 392 NI Cooling short block.  Put a set of fresh 345 heads
> on it with the Thermo-quad, and was quite happy with the performance, if
not
> the gas mileage.  Used the Scout pan and accessories so it kept the
dipstick
> on the drivers side of the engine.  What the heck, it's a toy, screw the
gas
> mileage.  Engine ran well, used and leaked no oil, and all was right with
> the world.
>
> Sherman, move the way-back machine to 2002.  The body was rusting badly
and
> I'd lost the front two cab mounts to the dreaded creature.  Rather than
just
> fix it, I decided to FIX IT.  The Scout was gutted.  Body came off.  Top
> came off, interior gutted.  Everything fixed to better than new, including
a
> set of Herr Flecksters rear disk brakes.  It took six months and cost
about
> $10K, but when all was done it was worth every penny.  I think that all of
> the above (except Mark, who's never seen the Traveler in person) will
agree
> it's one of the nicest Scouts you'll ever see, and nearly rides like a new
> truck.
>
> Enjoy the heck out of it until this spring.  Uh-Oh, what's that?  Oil.  On
> the front axle.  Crap, passenger side valve cover gasket leaking.  Oh
well,
> fixed it.  No big deal, just a little something to remind me it IS 23
years
> old.  Drive it for a month, more oil.  I'll look at it when I get a
chance.
>
> In July, we have a big Fiero show to go to in Detroit, MI.  1200 miles one
> way for us.  We decide to trailer the show car and, at the last minute,
> think it will make a nice rig to use the Traveler to do it.  In the shop
it
> comes.  Valve cover gasket replaced again.  Holley fuel injection
installed.
> Everything checked and re-checked.  Test drive.  Oil RUNNING out the valve
> cover.  Crap-ola.  Back in the shop. This time, go to Navistar and get the
> IH rubber gaskets.  Use "the right stuff on them".  Let it run for about
an
> hour in the shop the night before we leave.  A slight leak on the front
main
> seal.  I dig through the parts and actually find one after I can't get any
> of the friendly parts guys to come get me one.  Put it in.  Dry as a bone.
> Life is good.
>
> We head out the next day.  Fill gas at Topeka, about 180 miles.  Getting
> about 12 mpg.  I'm not unhappy.  But what's this?  Oil coming from the
valve
> cover gasket.  Crap, press on, leaving  oil behind us since we needed to
get
> to St. Louis that night.  Got in there, found a parts store with "the
right
> stuff" and some brake clean and a pack of single edged razor blades.  Pull
> the valve cover again and reassemble with on gasket, just "the right
stuff".
> Let it run in the motel parking lot for almost an hour, dry as a bone.
>
> Take off for the run to Detroit.  Get gas about 200 miles later, oil all
> over.  Decide "screw it", add oil at every gas stop and keep going, I'll
> look at it in Detroit.  Get there without difficulty and find a set of
> gaskets.  Take an afternoon and do a leisurely valve cover gasket change.
> Test drive around Detroit and run it for a couple hours, dry as a bone.
>
> Head for home get a couple hundred miles down the road, smell oil.  Same
> crap, different day.  Thoroughly disgusted, we just keep feeding it oil
and
> come on home.
>
> As soon as we get home, I decide this is NOT acceptable and it will be
> fixed.  We change the valve cover gasket one more time using the rubber
one
> we have left at home.  Nothing changes.  At idle, it will not leak a drop.
> Get it on the road and the front of the head, alternator, bracket, and
block
> are covered with oil.  Now it's time to get serious.
>
> We add the dye and get out the fluorescent light. After cleaning
everything
> spotlessly, we put it in the shop and set the idle to 2500 rpm.  About 15
> minutes later, there's a fine mist of oil on the front of the engine.  It
> appears that the oil is coming our of the TOP bracket mounting bolt.
Steve
> S had suggested a crack in the head, could it be??  Bracket comes off and
we
> can't find a crack, but the bolt is oil soaked and it appeared to be
running
> out of there, so we used a new bolt, wrapped in Teflon tape with "the
right
> stuff" pumped into the hole before we installed the bolt.  One good thing,
> though, was that the dye proved to us positively that the oil was NOT
coming
> from the front seal, distributor, valley cover, or valve cover gasket.  At
> least we were narrowing it down.
>
> Finally, today, we decided to try a new approach.  We took the alternator
> bracket, a/c compressor, and alternator completely off.  We found a belt
in
> the shop that would run the water pump using the p/s pump as a tightener.
I
> put another ounce of dye in 3 more quarts of oil and overfilled it three
> quarts.  I was going to find a leak somehow, somewhere.  And I did.  It's
> fixed.
>
> I've given you all the information you need to tell me where it is, so
tell
> me.  I may even give a prize to the person that comes up with the answer.
> I'll give you until midnight, so you'll have to email me and digest
readers
> just lose out.
>
> John Stricker