VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 '32 Oil Leak at Distriburor

I have an oil leak that appears to be coming from the distributor just below the clamp. Is there supposed to be a seal or something to prevent the oil from leaking out at this point???

Nope. There is a groove cut into the distributor housing, but there were no seals used. :( :( :(

After putting the oil pan back on and close examanation, the oil is coming from the distributor running down the side of the block and to the rear where it looks like a rear engine leak. Any thoughts on how to stop this or why it is leaking out at that point.

How much oil pressure is your oil pump putting out? :confused: :confused:

When cold about 23 and then it drops off from there as it warms up.

Okay then, what is your oil pressure when the oil is hot and you are driving down the road? :confused: :confused: :confused:

About 10 to 15 as I recall. I can double check tomorrow, but I believe that is correct.

If the oil pressure is 15 pounds when hot you might have too much pressure.

Are you sure that the oil is coming out of the distributor hole or could the oil be coming from under the gasket at the bottom of the push rod cover? :confused: :confused: :confused:

Yes, it is definetly coming out of the distributor. If the oil pressure is 15 pounds, how do you reduce it??

Do you have a vane pump or a gear pump?

Also, you can pull the distributor and check the groove in the housing to make sure that it is clean. Some dudes have tried with some success to put a small "O" ring in the groove to keep the oil from leaking out past the distributor.

I don't know if it is a vane or gear pump . I suppose the only way to tell is to remove the oil pan and check the pump itself. I will remove the distributor tomorrow and make sure the groove is clean. If necessary, I will try the "O" ring route.

Report back as to what you found. Good luck!

dawg: regarding elevated oil pressures, i had our 29 conv landaeu out for a sunday spin the other day. its got 50K miles showing, with original paint and interior, hence i believe the milage is correct. the engine would appear to have never been disassembled(crud 1/2" thick in places) anyway, when warm, the oil press gauge reads 15 psi and no puddles of oil appear on the blacktop after a drive and the car is left to idle. i suppose the oil press gauge may be posting a falsely elevated reading or some of the 194's can live with 15 psi and not puke oil. regards, mike

Just received a call from Jim V. After he drove his '32 again and checking out a few things, it has been determined that the oil leak is not coming from the distributor. The leak is definitely coming from the rear main bearing area, and the leak is major.

Also, the oil pressure (hot) when driving between 30 and 40 MPH is 11 pounds. :cool2:

JYD is correct in my reassement of the leak. But, I do still have a minor leak from the distributor. Major leak at rear main is an understatement, the oil flows out in a steady stream at idle and that is with about 5 pounds pressure. It is coming from the rear main area.

Does anyone have the check ball and the retaining wire that has been discussed. If so, I would be greatly interested in obtaining the ball and retaining wire.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Check the recent ads in the G&D a dude has an ad for the ball and pin.

The rear main leak has been discussed on this site many times. You can do a search for prior posts. In a nutshell, it is caused by too wide a gap between the bearing and crankshaft. The oil flow is more than the passage from the slinger area to the pan can handle. If the passage is dirty or partially plugged by crud then it can contribute. Without a ball, when parked up a hill oil will drain from the pan out onto the ground.

I have a hard time understanding how oil can come out past the distributor if there is no pressure in the oil pan. If there is enough blowby and/or the draft tube is partially plugged or both then the pressure in the pan could force oil out past the distributor. Or if the distributor bore and housing is worn, corroded or otherwise too loose then you might get a leak. I have found that the distributors are often stuck in the bore on older engines and even when cleaned are a snug (will not wobble) fit.

After pulling the engine and closer examination it would appear that the "distributor" leak was actually coming from the side plate just above the distributor.

June 13, 2005 20:29

"Are you sure that the oil is coming out of the distributor hole or could the oil be coming from under the gasket at the bottom of the push rod cover?"

Glad that you found the leak Jim. Good luck on the main bearing leak repair. :p

Thanks,

I'll let you know early next week.

Cool!