Ok so over Xmas I picked up a replacement engine Ran ok so took it down to long block then fitted all new parts to it Runs well but has started to leak oil on left hand side ( not much ) at the moment The only thing I can think of is it from the oil cooler seals And should I worry or not Shame the engine will not keep its good looks
Did you clean the red paint off around where the oil seals go under the oil cooler? They work much better without paint which can flake off and/or leave small cracks for oil to seep through under the paint. Also make sure its not a pinched push rod seal or a pinched rocker cover seal (this can be quite a large leak - think a litre in 10 miles..) Or unlikely... it could be where the engine block has been cracked by someone pushing the oil cooler sideways hard - my engine block has (had as I think it has run its last today) a crack beside one of the bolts that goes through a flange above the cylinders. It only showed up when I ran the engine without the fan housing on top and I could see the oil coming out. (you can run for a minute or so..) Only get really worried when the oil level drops to minimum from maximum over a shorter distance than you can drive before you find somewhere to top it up again.
Yes before I painted the engine I put masking tape over all the parts I did not want paint on like where the oil cooler seals are Oil level not gone down much but also not been for a long run Think that's what I will be doing this weekend
