Oil Leak Repair
 

I have a small oil leak that appears to be coming from my front seal behind the harmonic balancer. Due to tight working room, it will be tough to fix without pulling the engine.
Has anyone tried any of the products that claim to seal up oil leaks with any success? Engine is a 502.
Thanks,
Steve

Will the back seat come out of your boat to gain access? That would be easier than pulling the engine!!

I haven't used any of the stop leaks in a long time. They work by swelling the seals so that they tighten up. It may just be a prejudice of mine, but the entire concept bothers me.

Rene

Is it the actuall seal leaking around the crank shaft or the pan gasket? I had a leak on my old K5 Blazer a number of years back...what i did was drain the oil the night before and spray the area down with carb cleaner...let it sit overnight...then in the morning i sprayed it down one more time and let it dry and goop a coating of silicone over it and let dry.....never leaked againa dn drove like that for 5yrs before selling her...the new owner drove it another 2yrs before wrecking her with no leaks....it was one of those "i need it fixed for now till i have time to reapir it properly" things....that never got done :)

The carb cleaner and silicon idea will work, if you get all the oil off so the silicon will stick. I to have done this. Don't be shy on the silicon.

Good ideas guys. I am not really sure where the leak is. I've spent a lot of time with mirrors and lighting trying to figure out where its leaking. The pan looks OK it is above that. It seems to be coming from the front of the motor near the water pump, harmonic balancer area. I can't see anything for sure. Usually see a couple of drops hanging off the sea water pump housing. Nothing on the pan. Nothing on the balancer. Checked the oil cooler and lines. Seems ok, but have found some oil below it running down the hose? Keep your ideas coming.
Thanks,
Steve

Make sure your engine is not building up too much crankcase pressure, (blow-by). The best seal or gasket cannot hold back excessive pressure.

make sure it isn't leaking past the keyway. Feel inside the pulley for oil. Remove the bolt and check the back side of the large washer.
Mine used to put a very fine mist on the bottom side of my crossover and everything else in the straight path of the balancer. Removed the balancer bolt, squirted silicone in the key way, problem solved. Have heard of several others that had the same leak.

How would I test my crankcase pressure?
US1 That sounds like a good idea.

With engine idling remove oil fill cap and feel with the back of your hand at opening. You should feel or see nothing if the engine internals are healthy.

Let me add that long stroke engines, like in-line four or six bangers do not fare well in this test, so only use on V-6 or V-8's