Leaking Everywhere

Hi Guys,
I have been experiencing a misfire in the mid range since I got my car back 2 years ago. I have been living with it. I have been leaking oil - watching levels and living with it. Finally I am getting tired of it all and I want to have it running right. I want to be able to put my foot in it and enjoy the performance.

The mechanic who recommissioned the car claimed to do the carbs but when he handed it back to me, it had a power loss issue due to a ground that wasn't connected from the alternator to the starter. I had a couple of backfires on low voltage. So it was set up to run on this lack of proper voltage and ran funny and fixed it. It always leaked from the time I got it back. I always had some gas fumes.

I wanted to do a carb tune starting with float adjustment, clean jets and then reassemble and tune. I pulled the air box and it is a real mess underneath.

There is a mix of oil and gas all over the top of the motor / cams covers, manifolds. I can't really tell what fluid is what except by scent and feel but a lot looks mixed. The tube from the oil cooler to the block might be compromised or dirty.

I think the main culprit is the one from the tube that goes from head to head on the left - the rubber connecting tubes are saturated and loose. I am still afraid gas is leaking out of the carbs somewhere The pooling of fluids is consistent on the front and back banks and in the valley between the heads. Perhaps the head cover gaskets are gone too...

On top of everything, when I was filling the jar with carb fluid to soak the jets, it splashed back and sprayed back on my rear quarter panel and burned speckled light spots all over the paint even though I was facing the opposite direction. I have too confined a space and need to be more careful.

I couldn't be more mad at myself for letting things go and being careless. I am lucky the car didn't burn to the ground.

I guess I am going to clean everything, replace the needed hoses, replace the top gaskets on the carbs and continue with my tune. I will check it after the first drives for leaks and determine the source.

Thank you for reading my venting! Happy driving!
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Oh, man, sorry about the paint! Good luck with your under-the-hood projects... keep the photos coming.

 

Have you checked the manifold bolts for tightness and the carb bolts? also I believe the tube on left is just a vent from bank to bank. Sorry to hear about your problem.

 

On the paint - that will buff out. I use Griot's Garage random orbital machine. Machine Polish compound will get that out.

I'm struggling with a miss myself - I think I've narrowed it down to the carb on 3-4 on the rear bank.

I'm not looking forward to pulling everything apart.

 

Doesn't look too bad. Really.
The wet carbs are most probably caused by leaking lead plugs.
Nothing unusual on the 40DCNF. Its possible to fix this problem with either the easy method of restaking them, or the PITA-method of replacing them.
The 'oil' are probably residues of permanently leaking fuel.
If the volatile componenets have evaporated, it looks and feels like oil, but still smells like fuel.

Best Regards from Germany
Martin

 

That was clearly an "accident" that damaged your paint, even if it was your fault.

What kind of insurance do you have?

Mine is zero deductable and I would be able to at least get a partial respray due to something like that happening.

Might be worth a call to your insurer to check out.

BTW, when I was younger I spilled brake fluid on the fender of my newish TR7 and took off some of the paint, car was perfect, other than the blemish I caused, so I know how you feel.

Your leg gets sore from kicking yourself in the **ss, so try not to be too hard on yourself.
Alden

 

OK - some progress. I did a lot of cleaning in hard to get places, nook and crannies.

I changed the connectors on the Oil Evap cross tube. These were saturated.

I found the clamp was not tight on the oil tube that comes off the left side cam cover (is this the oil outlet/overflow?). I happened to find an extra clamp dangling (total of 3) on the tube too! I suspect this is one of the main culprits.

I also found a possible leak on the upper oil tube from the cooler to the block. It is at the banjo fitting on the block end. It feels like there is a drip collecting there. I have not run the car yet to see but I suspect I will have to find a guy to put on a new fitting or re-create this piece (I don't care about the horsey on the box for this).

I adjusted the carb floats - most were pretty close. I replaced the gaskets on the carb tops. I didn't do any special treatment to the gasket here but didn't read anywhere that I had to. I soaked all the jets in carb fluid overnight and blew out the holes. I cleaned the carb surfaces in hopes to see any leaks develop.

I found the metal plate cover for the clutch inspection window is gone - need to get a replacement for that.

Now time to tune the carbs! got my STE-SK flowmeter and two colortune sets.

I need to put some degreaser on the clutch housing and down that side of the motor where all the leaking was to start fresh there too. I'll probably go to the self car wash for that (I know cover the electronics).

Its nice to have it clean! It feels good!
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Get the last of the braided OEM fuel line out of there, and that inline fuel filter, why do need that, with the GIANT one down next to the fuel pump??

 

Honestly - It was just there. Should it be a solid line from the carb to the canister?

 

That's a vac line. You don't need a filter.

 

I knew you could do it. I had a filter on that carb line and after I bought a new carbon cannister, took the old one all apart and the carbon is sealed under a mesh not unlike the oil pick-up mesh and unless something I cannot imagine would never get sucked into the intake, although that is what everyone said years ago! It was also perfct ans spent a small fortune on a new one!

It is looking good! FWIW I use rubbing alcohol to clean most stuff off not near as nasty and seems to work very well!

Did you check the carb to manifold nuts they can be hard to tighten and shoul not be too tight but not loose either or will cause some leakage!

Rob
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Thanks Rob. Interesting about the rubbing alcohol. At leas I'm not the only one who found a filter there and scratched my head.

I did check the carb to manifold bolts and they were tight. Very hard to get at!

 

Mine has a filter and it was full of carbon bits. That's why it's there. Fix the carbon canister or put a filter on it. Put a filter is much easier.