Valve Cover Gasket Visible

[dyeager535]

Can some petroleum jelly or something thicker (petroleum jelly gets soft at a pretty low temp) but internal engine friendly be injected under the brass plug, then just skin it with JB Weld?

I'd epoxy the whole damn area, if the block is spread from missing that section and the tapered threads, the threads may leak.

 

[Wes Harden]

Yeah that sucks and someone been there tried to epoxy it b4.
But that is my best idea tap that down past the cracked out part( I can see the bottom of the plug) jb weld the plug in that port. Put the sender down by oil filter.
Great idea with the expanding rubber plug

Sorry that it turned out for the worst

 

[Daysanator]

This is my weekend project. You guys gave me some good advice and if nothing else, motivation... I would really like to tap just 3-4 more threads into the block. Since I wouldn’t have to drill first I’m more open to it. I don’t know if I greased the tap (great suggestion from a previous comment) and hold a strong magnet onto the side of the tap while I’m working so it picks up as much as possible. I know I have “nothing to lose” but I’d hate to lose everything over a few shavings then end up with a great seal and messed up engine.

I was looking for a “hollow” tap. Something with a small hole in the center drilled out. So I could tie a cloth to a string and pull it up into the end of the tap while I’m making threads and pull it out with the tap when I’m done. You’d think that would exist but I couldn’t find one with a quick google.

 

[dyeager535]

If I remember my NPT correctly, the taper of the threads is what achieves a seal, and being tapered, the amount of depth required to actually get a seal is pretty substantial. I guess if you had 3-4 threads engaged, and used some sort of sealant you might get lucky. But it's under pressure, that's going to cause issues you wouldn't see in a non-pressurized spot.

 

[Daysanator]

My other concern is widening the crack before the tap actually makes threads. I’ll have to remove all the old JB and see what I’m dealing with. I really hope they just couldn’t see back there and globbed it on. Surely the entire area it’s covering didn’t NEED it....atleast I hope not.

Also, you’re correct. The taper is actually what seals the threads on NPT.

I wouldn’t mind Tig welding it but it’s such a terrible spot. I looked into a cast filler rod that doesn’t require a pre heated process. It was pretty interesting.

 

[Daysanator]

With minimal effort from a flathead and the eye hand coordination of a dental surgeon (the mirror)... their JB Weld skills were likely just old but very brittle and zero bonding. My turn....

 

[Wes Harden]

this is dead end oil gallery, stuff some paper into the hole, tap with grease on flutes. pull paper out with tweezers\forceps. j/p weld the plug in place, cross finger and start her up

 

[Daysanator]

So... are you still with me on this adventure... the engine shop in town saw the pictures (they’ve honed a few engines for me and ALOT for my dad in the last 20+ years). “It’s trashed. There’s absolutely no way to fix it because it’s pressurized and oil will seep everytime under the JB Weld”.

This is my life’s goal to get a few years out of this and prove some pros wrong. You’ve seen the space under that brass plug. About a 1/16” of open space. Here’s my new plan as I sip in my barn and load my new toolbox up.

I’m going to buy this plug assortment. I’m going to insert the tightest fitting high temp silicone plug I can and then screw in the brass plug to hold it in place. I’ve noticed after the threads it is a round channel down for as far as I can see (½” maybe?). That’s enough flat surface for a silicone plug to expand aka Seal to. Hit it with some JB Weld and cross my fingers.

 

[Daysanator]

You may get the impression that I’m “cheap” and just rip the thing out already! but unfortunately it’s the opposite. I will not just put a simple 350 back in and I’ll be way overkill for no reason but to live a childhood dream of a badass K5 even if the truck isn’t worth the “love”. Also, telling me it can’t be done unlocks a mechanically inclined chemical reaction that needs attention. Ha.

 

[Wes Harden]

Yeah those plugs might just do the trick, nope totally get it. swap out a running engine for that would piss me off.

 

[Daysanator]

this is dead end oil gallery, stuff some paper into the hole, tap with grease on flutes. pull paper out with tweezers\forceps. j/p weld the plug in place, cross finger and start her up

As mentioned I’m a fitter first and mechanic second. So talking to my dad he said the same thing. I was wondering if I could put petroleum jelly down there and then use my pen style high suction vacuum to suck it out. I feel like I’m over thinking this to the 100th degree but I want this thing on the road for more than a week or two. Thanks for the reassurance. Good info for sure

 

[bp71k5]

Do they make freeze plugs small enough to drive down in there without damaging the threads?

Other idea. Get one of those brass plugs with an extended tip on it that extends down the tube a bit more and has an o-ring groove on it. Might have to machine one if one doesn’t exist that fits.

 

[Daysanator]

Do they make freeze plugs small enough to drive down in there without damaging the threads?

Get one of those brass plugs with an extended tip on it that extends down the tube a bit more and has an o-ring groove on it. Might have to machine one if one doesn’t exist that fits.

Man, I didn’t think of that really. I was on the mindset of putting a silicone plug in place and finding a 14 thread count flared style plug because they have a tit on the end beyond the threads. However a brass plug with Extended o ring would be the ticket. I sub out my job site hardware to Fastenal and I don’t know if that’s a national brand or not but they make custom stuff. Typically you “have to buy 100 or more to get it”. So I’ll see if they have something. Great input. It’s a positive pressure reservoir so it’ll hold a seal if I can just make the seal able to hold pressure and temp.

this is all over an $11 oil sending unit leak. Dear Mechanics, you are underpaid. This stuff isn’t fun in a lifted truck.

 

[Killain]

I'm impressed with the optimism, but I also know too well the properties of cast iron, steel and brass. After that, is much more optimism followed by JB Weld and finally silicone. So wishing you luck !

 

[Daysanator]

Well, I don’t know which faith you fellas are Aligned with but send a nod my way on this one. Ha. The plugs showed up and they are good quality and longer than expected (a great thing). So I shoved (a solid push so it’s a tight fit) one down and put the plug in. Cleaned it all up with Simple Green. Used a paint removing style “wire wheel”. Then roughed it up with some high grit sand paper by hand. Hit it with the JB Kwik Weld...

Along with that... I have JB Weld “in stock” at all times but I walked by this kwik weld and I hope they’re selling how strong it is and not how quick it is. I’ve got nothing but time. The features on the package as far as strength sold me. So I hope I didn’t sacrifice strength over cure time.

either way.... I just have to put it all back together and fire it up. It’s such a shame to have a very strong engine and then have something that isn’t even mechanically related label it as a junk block.

I’ll update tomorrow. Thanks for following along and giving me some great information. If not for my current situation than for future headaches.

 

[diesel4me]

Brazing the plug in and the crack would work,but I know it would be impossible to get a torch in there and not burn everything withing a foot of it up,and also risk the cracked area spreading..the block would need to be near cherry red hot to let the braze rod flow in properly and getting it 100% clean would be tough too..

I have seen guys use lead on engine casting flaws or rusted pits,and on body panels,it is an art to get lead to bond to cast iron or steel though--it doesn't require a much heat as brazing does,so the risks are lower...a guy I know that had a 62 Corvette with a 283 had the block crack when it froze ,without enough antifreeze ,and he had the block "stiched" at the crack at a machine shop--they drill numerous holes so close they overlap like an "8" and then tap them,and put brass machine screws in the holes--then "solder" everything with the lead..
It worked great too..

I know how it sucks to have a potential "fatal" flaw in an engine,my pickup's oil pan keeps my heart in my throat knowing it now has 2 bolts "stripped" in rot holes and RTV slathered over it to keep the oil in,and that could let loose suddenly and destroy the engine before I could even pull over and shut it down on a highway..(but at least the pan could be replaced,not by me though!)..
I've had other engines with cracked blocks I puttied up with PC-11 Marine Epoxy and coated with POR-15 that never leaked,but I was always expecting a failure at the furthest spot away from home..trusting epoxy isn't a good feeling at all when you know metal should be there instead..

Hopefully that silicone plug mashed under the plug will withstand the 60+ psi of oil pressure on a cold start and not soften enough to fail after the engine gets up to operating temperature..I bet it'll work for longer than you think..

 

[Daysanator]

You’re exactly right. This might last forever but I’ll think about it everytime I throw it in drive. This is a road queen project and I’ll get a new engine as the last step if this fix lasts. I doubt it’ll see many cold days. I just need my damn barn back. I parked it expecting an easy fix and its 100% in the way a few weeks later.

 

[diesel4me]

I hear ya..Every time I go to do something to my truck that should take 10 minutes usually ends up being an all day or more affair..
Sucks having only 1 vehicle too,your boned if it wont run, or you need to get parts for it..and you cant tear it all apart when you need it a day later to get somewhere ..

My truck is in rather poor shape and so am I as far as being able to fix it lately,so I have resorted to ghetto fab fixes as far as the engine goes, (and the rest of it too,but nothing that would threaten my life or others ,I keep the brakes & tires in good order)..but its 38 years old and lived all its life in the rust belt so many things are deteriorated now..

I'm not real thrilled with it being diesel,and the fact 6.2's have a bad habit of snapping the crank with no warning,and its a pain to get started in cold weather,I'm rather tired of it, and though its survived 17 years of my abuse,if it craps out I would likely not put another diesel in it..
It would be less work to drop in a gas V8 than fix what it needs "in the chassis"..

I feel its not worth the effort or expense to replace the oil pan and exhaust manifold and many other things on it when it could "blow up" a day later..so I just cob it together and pray it holds!..it doesn't exactly inspire confidence when you try trusting it very far from home though..but I see newer trucks in worse condition at my friends shop often too..

 

[Daysanator]

Fired it up. That spot is leak free and happy as could be. Unfortunately I zeroed in on some other leaks. The valve cover I was worried about is a slow drip and there’s a few spots on the oil pan that may be residual. I’ll have to look into it more. Right now just burning off the oil that went all over the place. I also noticed there was no pvc valve and the ⅜-½ hose was pulling from the rear of the engine. So I’m ordering a pvc valve and getting that dialed in.
Vacuum on a sbc 350 is just Greek to me. I can figure out most furnaces, build ductwork for anything, I’ll pipe a boiler room, I can plumb anything you put in front of me but this vacuum system just boggles me a little. I need to do a lot of research on it. If it weren’t for my dad that lives and breathes 350’s I wouldn’t have known what was missing or what to add.

Which brings me to the next notable experience. Gentleman.... it may be in their 30’s before they nod there head from listening and not just to get through the conversation BUT keep talking trucks with those kids. My Dad knew nothing (to me) from my age of 13-23ish and I’ve worked on trucks with him through those times. But I’ll be damned if that man did talk me into the ground about 350’s the last few weeks. Up and over my head. I’m a grown man running a mechanical job that’s 3 years long and $50 million dollars and I felt like a toddler hearing about what’s in my driveway for under The hood of a $2k truck.

He pulled out a notepad of the firing order on a 350 because he’s a mechanic from all angles. Farmer to the core but he forgets things. And I slowly put my phone away because my googled firing order meant zero to little compared to my dads notes in that moment.

I apologize for ending this on a sappy love letter but groups like these need it every now and then. The world today definitely needs more dads like mechanics. Swearing at inanimate objects is a lost art. Ha. Thanks again fellas. This was a pleasure conversing with all of you. On to the next headache!

 

[Wes Harden]

Cool glad it's stopped leaking from there. Dad's note pad will be great resource for you.

So if you are not concerned with smog, You will need a 3/8 vac line from PCV valve to manifold vacuum (3/8) port on carb base front. the other valve cover needs to be the vent, large hose, 3/8ths or better to filtered air, normally to air cleaner in stock config. You can use a push valve cover filter if running open element air filter.
Vacuum line to distributor vacuum advance, big discussion about ported or manifold vacuum. I haven't decided which is best yet. need to experiment again, last time I had another issue which skewed the results.
And last brake booster vac line 3/8 to intake behind carb or carb depending year.