m42racer

If you are referring to the check Valve, I would not suspect this. I would suspect the Head or deck surfaces. Did you check them after surfacing? Just because they were surfaced does not mean they were done right. I would not get to carried away with a problem in either until you have exhausted all other possibilities. Be absolutely sure the oil is not coming from somewhere else, before you think its in the Block/Head. Something to be said for making sure everything is absolutely perfect before assembly. If you had checked the surfaces, you could be sure its not them, and be looking somewhere else.

adrial

Why do you think that I didn't check the surfaces?

I looked over the surfaces when I got them back, there were no obvious scratches.

I am absolutely sure the oil is not coming from anywhere else.
Where else could it be coming from? What else is there that could possibly be leaking onto the engine ID tag, but not getting anything above the ID tag wet?

Anything else?

David Floyd

Can you post a picture of the area ?

adrial

Bottom left corner...


It leaks onto the far right side of the ID tag...

I dont have any shots of the leak/engine currently...I may be able to get some in the next week.

m42racer

Looking means nothing. The surfaces need to be checked for been straight, parallel, and flat. Its possible the head was not surfaced flat, corner to corner, end for end. This is common, and will cause leakage, but almost everytime will result in the Head not sealing under compression. Checking can be done with machinists straight edge, but should be done on a surface plate and measured up to the checking pads. If the head was not surfaced properely, the clamping will not be uniform across the head. Did you install the Gasket dry or use some sealant? If you can send the pics as asked. I really think you have something else going on. It may come down to removing and inspecting, but before you do this, check everything else.

Mike S

Had to redo mine twice to stop that leak. It leaked in all the back three water passages like what you showed in the pic. Finally, prepping the surface and making it absolutely clean finally solved the problem. Oh...and no copper adhesive either.

MitchB

I thought using copper sealant was needed with a multi layer gasket (like the MLS or Cometic) ??

adrial

Mike,

Aren't those oil returns?

m42racer,
I did not use any kind of sealant... the mating surfaces (and the gasket) were clean and dry prior to install.

I will try to get pictures of the area with the engine running and it leaking as soon as i can...

Pauerman

Adrial,

For what it's worth...

My '89 had an oil leak in this area and it turned out to be the cam tower gasket. It first came to my immediate attention on a dyno run at Technodyne. Chris suggested that the cork gasket at the back of the cam tower is a very common failure point, but for me, it turned out to be the gasket.

I had another oil leak experience more recently with my '86 car. Instead of the rear lower corner, this engine was leaking at the lower right corner. This too was a cam tower gasket. With this engine, the head surface that mates to the cam tower surface had a clean up pass done at the machine shop. It still leaked after I retorqued all fasteners. Upon removal, the gasket appeared to be in perfect condition but not wanting to chance anything, I installed a new one. I lined the lower portion of the new gasket with hylomar and resinstalled - no more leaks!!

When I get my '89 car back together, I for sure will be using hylomar on this gasket.

Good luck.

Jeremy Himsel

When I installed my MLS gasket I rememeber having a tough time getting it to sit on the dowel pins easily which left that corner of the block a bit funky. It took a few minutes to get it right which left me unimpressed with the MLS gasket. It's not odd that it would leak there as the round hole sends oil pressure to the head and the square is a return. I wonder if the pressure valve in the head is bad. Were the lifters loud at all?

Mike S

No, not the round holes, the rectangular ones in your pic. Those rectangular ones are coolant. Mine was leaking out of the back three. The copper adhesive issue is interesting. Guru racing suggests that you use it, the maker of the gasket says no. I tried both and better success without any adhesive.

Jeremy Himsel

Mike I think you may be a bit confused here. The small rectangular holes that are approx 1" and located on the passenger side of the block (or the lower side if the deck with the engine installed) are oil return holes and drop straight into the crankcase. They connect to the passages that are next to the lower studs/nuts in the head when installed. The round passege located in the lower left section of the picture is where oil enters the cylinder head.

The coolant enters in the front of the block and is returned through the head.

Mike S

Hmmm...been a while since I had it apart but I thought those were coolant. In any case I had coolant coming out out of the protrusions on those three areas. I used ARP studs and followed the torque procedure (including waiting 24hrs for retorquing). I think the MLS gaskets are a bit more finicky when it comes to how clean the surface has to be, but once set they're bomb proof.

michael2e

Interesting, I had the same trouble as Jeremy getting the MLS to fit easily over the dowel pins. I got mine through Danno. After a little work on the rear pin the gasket sat flush at the rear of the block but then was a little funky at the front drivers side. I put some RTV sealant there as Tony G had recommended to help prevent a coolant leak but still had to keep my fingers crossed when torquing the head on. I put it on dry also. In addition, despite doing the best I could to be sure the multiple layers were aligned correctly I still wasnt sure they werent gonna overlap with the head placement. The tight fit on the dowels had caused some flex in the gasket preventing portions of the layers from sitting flat on the deck.

For the first few hundred miles sure enough I had a very slight external coolant leak at that corner. I retorqued the allen bolts there and that problem seems to have abated and so far no problems after 6000 miles. Good luck

ewainwright

How you doing? What did you find? Did you use another MLS gasket or standard? Was your issue solved?