I was pumping water out of my basement (upstate NY) instead of working on the elky.
Tom Tomlinson ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brad Waller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "'The Chevelle Mailing List'" <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 04, 2005 7:57 PM Subject: [Chevelle-list] Ever had one of those days? > Sunday I decided to check out the oil leak on the Chevelle. I'd noticed a > leak a while ago and thought it was a bad gasket on the spin on oil filter. > The leak went away for a while, and then came back. I tightened the filter > a bit more and the leak seemed to be there still, but it looked like it was > the filter. On Sunday I put the car on stands and got under it while > running. > > Turns out that the leak was coming from the oil filter adapter (swapped over > from the old 327 when I assembled the short block 10 years ago), not the > filter. I tried to remove the filter, but I had tightened it so much that I > bent the handle on the filter wrench! I finally got the filter off and > pounded on the handle to get it somewhat straight, then removed the adapter. > The bolts were not all that tight, so I assumed that it might be as easy as > cleaning up the adapter and installing again. I did get it nice and clean, > but when I went to clean the block I found the gasket sealing the adapter to > the block was crumbling. This was the source of the leak. > > Since I swapped this into a short block, the 350 block did not have the > usual oil filter fitting, but it was easy enough to swap over the pressure > relief ring and spin on adapter from the dead 327 way back then. I figured > all I needed was to go and buy either another adapter (since nobody would be > selling the gasket only), or buy the pressure relief/spin on combo setup > without the adapter from my local speed shop. > > I get in the car and drive over to find out that they are now closed on > Sundays. So I head over to Pep Boys. They don't carry one, but they say > NAPA should. Kragen is closer, so I go there first. They don't carry it > either, but NAPA should. I drive to NAPA and guess what? They are closed > on Sunday too! > > Now I'm beginning to wonder what to do. Do I cut my losses and get help to > push the car into the garage (not all that easy since it is in front of the > other garage), make my own gasket from rubber or cardboard, make it from > RTV, or cannibalize the engine for the Corvette. That engine is on an > engine stand so it would be easy, but I hate to mess with something that is > already put together. While looking at the setup on the stock engine, I > realize how different my 327 setup is. I also realize that I still have one > PF141 filter and the entire canister setup from the blown Corvette engine! > > Now, the only trick left is to figure out if that can work. So I grab the > old canister and stick the long bolt into the block... Success. I don't > know why, but Chevy still machines the threads for the canister bolt. I > found some shorter bolts to hold the pressure relief ring in and bolt it up. > I then load the canister with the filter and fill the canister with a quart > of oil. I carefully get the O-ring in place and slowly screw the canister > into place. All done, I start the engine and check under the car. > > SPLURT! There goes a pint of oil before I can shut off the engine. It > overwhelmed the cardboard and made a nasty puddle in the driveway. Now I > was getting really pissed at the car. I removed the canister, dumped the > oil, and checked everything. I saw nothing wrong, not kinked O-ring, the > canister seemed to be tight, everything fit dry. I figured what do I have > to lose, so I worked the O-ring into place first, then installed the > canister again and started the car. NO LEAKS! > > So now I have a '67 Chevelle with a '70s 350 and '60s oil filtration. When > it comes time for the next oil change I'm not sure if I'll stick with the > canister or swap to a new factory style spin on fitting. Other than the > PF141 filters being hard to find, it seems like a decently large filter. > How was your weekend? > > Brad Waller ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) > > '66 Corvette | 327/dead | 4-speed | Wilwood Brakes | 245/45/16 BFG R1 > '67 Chevelle | ex-SS396 | 355/700R4 | F-Body Brakes | 275/40/17 Kumho MX > > >
