I have a heavy
oil leak coming from the front of my 351/427 Dart block. Before I started tearing off parts I thought I'd get a few opinions from the forum.
It only leaks when the engine is running. Never a drop when it's not. I actually crawled under the car when it was running and up on jack stands to try and ID the leak (not fun). I had a light and magnifying safety glasses and assumed the worst (front seal) but it appeared to be coming from the
oil pan itself where it meets the block directly below the crank. I didn't think there was any pressure in the
oil pan, at least not enough to cause a big leak. If I'm wrong I can drop the oil pan and RTV the low points and replace the one-piece gasket. If I'm right I will have to strip the water pump and timing cover off and replace the seal. Worst case scenario: the crank snout is bent and eating the seal, but I watched the crank being balanced at the machine shop so that possibility seems remote. As an aside I'm getting .002" run-out on the balancer but that seems minor. Any thoughts?
Bill Stradtner