I just installed my engine in my car for the second time, after having it honed and installed TS gapless rings. Anyway, I noticed a small line of oil coming from one of the oil pan bolts.

What’s weird is that when I installed this engine the first time, I had a leak from the same exact spot, same bolt!! Only this time, I have a different pan and gasket, but still leaking there. The kick in the pants is that there’s no oil in it yet! It’s apparently oil from pre-lubing new bearings and cam when I assembled it.

The bolt in question is the one that is impossible to get to when the oil filter is installed – right behind it. Plus, the corners of the bolt rub against the pan when tightening.

My question….Is this common and if so, What’s a good fix? I plan to install an allen head screw and washer this time around so at least I should be able to tighten it better.

 

be hard to have a leak without oil in the engine, and from there since it's have to be over filled to have oil to that point

 

Seems to me that a few of those bolt holes go all the way through the casting on at least some blocks, which is kind of thin there.

Put some silicone on the bolt threads.

 

Yes, I know that but, I think it's oil running down the inner crankcase wall and onto the oil pan gasket area. As I said, I didn't even put the initial 5 qts of oil in it yet - and it leaks from that bolt hole!

I'll just do what RB says and try sealer on the bolt threads as well as around the hole itself. Always something!

 

when you had all this work done did you have the block magna fluxed to check for cracks. that would have told you about the leak/cracked area.

 

Thanks, but it's not leaking from the block....but from the oil pan bolt. I ran this engine before, and I ended up just splooging RTV on the bolt threads and it worked. Just weird how it ended up being in the same area and same bolt.