Stude Light

I was getting ready to button the engine up today but I decided to do one last check first. I thought I would pass a small thin SS wire through the slot below to ensure it was clear. This slot is only in the bearing side of the block and both ends you see above are accessible with the engine assembled. You can't see it in the photo below but if I would have taken the picture from the rear of the block the two openings would have been visible. So, I was feeding the wire through the bottom slot and it kept going but did not come out of the top slot. So I looked up in the block and saw the wire, then got my mirror and found a casting flaw. You can see the hole the wire came through in the mirror in the photo below. It wasn't a big hole but I don't think it is supposed to be there. I'm not sure why that oil slot is there. My best guess is that, with the step up in diameter of the crankshaft in that location, it acts as a pre slinger to drain the oil coming out of the rear bearing. I not positive that the casting flaw is causing an issue but perhaps it was allowing oil splash from the rear of the block to overwhelm the slot's drain function. I first flushed the area with Brakleen several times to get all the oil removed. Then, using a mirror and wire again, I gradually built up JB Weld over the hole. I used JB Kwik as it just needs to cover the hole and there is no stress in the area but mostly because I didn't want the adhesive to flow into the hole. I dabbed some around the hole first and let it stiffen up which only takes about 5 minutes. While still soft, I mixed a new batch and layered it up. I repeated this process, adding additional layers to the previous layer, which got stiff but was still very sticky. By doing it this way, I kept the adhesive from flowing down in the hole while making a decent sized patch that should stay put. Each layer will adhere well to the layer under it resulting in a solid patch that mimics a single mix. After I was done, I tried my little wire trick again and it popped out the opposite hole proving my glue job didn't plug the slot. Between opening up the drain back hole, adding sealant to the case half seam and slinger seam and plugging this hole, I'm really hoping I solve my oil leakage issue. I'll find out tomorrow.

To help diagnose issues, I install a vacuum gauge in the fill hole. This way you can see if the tank is getting a vacuum and you can watch the cycle. No vacuum - look for a clog or break in the vacuum line to the engine Weak vacuum - look for a leak or bad seal Vacuum but no fuel - look for an issue on the line to the tank Cycle intermittent - float or valves in the fuel pump

The oil issue was bugging me and, rather than give up the summer, I managed to find 3 hours between all my other commitments this weekend. Not the picture I had in my head a couple of weeks ago. The gasket I put on with the Hylomar peeled off nicely and, using acetone, I was able to clean it up along with the two surfaces it contacts. This is not the experience I had on my LaSalle oil pan gasket a few months ago but that was a different gasket material. I did have one spare oil pan gasket for the other side of the spacer so I'm set on gaskets. Now, for the rear slinger oil drain back hole.... I was able to remove the lower rear case half stud and get clear view of that area without having to remove the rear bearing. The largest drill I could pass through the drain hole was a 5/32". I stepped up to an 11/64" drill and that cleared out a few edges and started cleaning up the hole. Using 11/64" as a starting point, I incrementally increased the hole diameter to 1/4". While it doesn't look like much, that is a 210% increase in area. Another thing I did since I have the pan off, was to add some sealant to the outside of the block where the two halves come together. The oil is either coming from the slinger cavity or through a leak in the block halves so I figured I would attack both areas. There isn't much room behind the crankshaft flange so I had to use a mirror and light. You can see the parting line in the case halves in the shot below. I cleaned everything up as best I could and got all the oil off. I made a hook on the end of a piece of wire to apply sealer and used that to reach up there. I have to say I have a new respect for my dental hygienist as working using a mirror takes some skill and practice. I reshaped my wire and smoothed things out with it. Trying to get a post application photo doesn't show much but the seam is covered. The case half stud provides a barrier to keep oil splash from the crankshaft from hitting the hole so I don't think I need to add a shield. Hopefully I can carve a few hours out to reassemble and test this before the Congress of Motor Cars at Gilmore this coming weekend and I might just be able to take this car.

Either the 39 LaSalle or the 21 Oldsmobile Touring for me this year. All depends if I fix an engine oil leak issue on the Olds and the weather.

Thank you! I took it to Auburn in 2018. I just spend some extra timing cleaning it up before a show like that. A couple of times I took it on the Donald Gilmore Classic Tour (about 100 miles) in the rain. On the last one, I missed a turn and ended up a few miles down a dirt road in the rain. That takes some time to put it back in show ready condition.....especially being black. I was going to take it to Iowa this year to go for my Senior Grand National but it doesn't look like I can make it. No windshield wipers either

I drive my cars to lots of local events and stores and the occasional hundred mile trip across town. I have a couple thousand miles on my 100 point car which included driving it to work - office space in a renovated Durant-Dort factory. Or visiting my Dad's gravesite Sometimes I just take an evening cruise in the country I get a charge taking the LaSalle out shopping Or I'll stop at the local fishing hole and try my luck No trailer queens in my fleet.

Great vehicle. It looks taller than the trailer. Did it actually fit in there?

Today's driving test was 35mph at 18 psi oil pressure and that is where it just starts to leak out the rear of the engine so it looks like my oil leakage issue is driven more by engine rpm than oil pressure. Up to 30mph it stays perfectly dry. My next step then is to pull the oil pan, engine cross bolt and rear cap, look at the oil drain back hole and see if there is anything in there and try opening it up a bit. When I assembled the engine I made sure to verify the path so I'm not sure what I will find or what else I can do. The only other thing I can think of is that the parting line of the engine block is vertical and maybe it's leaking there. Have to pull the flywheel to look back there and I'm not sure there is even enough access behind the crankshaft flange. I've run out of time to do much more work on it this summer with all of life's other events. Too bad as the car runs and drives really well 😞.

Yep. Written by the people that want to sell you something. Not one prewar car needs ZDDP and most post war cars are fine with current levels that are in the latest oils. I just posted about this in another thread

A lot of times we get wrapped up in all the questions, answers and advice and forget to look at the obvious.... That is a really nice looking car! Congratulations on the purchase. It'll just take some time to sort things out and you can decide on how deep you want to go to make it reliable. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the heck out of it and have some fun during the sorting out process. Scott

In other news….I had sent my speedometer out to Russ Furstnow to get rebuilt. I received that back, with a couple of extra drive links to replace the one that broke due to the speedometer gear locking up. I installed it and it works great! Russ is a great guy to work with too.

I managed to get a run in before it got late today. Using 8w30 (I mixed a little 5w30 in with the 10w30) and reducing the oil pressure I got the following: Idle pressure (same hot/cold) was 15 psi. No rear engine leak. Driving up to 30 mph oil pressure reached 18 psi. No leak Driving up to 40 mph oil pressure peaked at 22 psi. Lots of oil out the back. Maybe slightly improved. I am not sure if it is oil pressure or engine rpm related. Tomorrow I will turn down the pressure to a maximum of 18 psi at 40 mph and see what happens. If it still leaks it’s rpm related, if not, I’ll dial up to the max pressure before it starts to leak. I have a feeling I’ll be dropping the pan and going to option 3 from above and seeing if I can open up the drain back hole with the engine together

Just a correction- they reduced (did not remove) zinc and phosphorus levels as they contaminate the catalytic converters. There was a lot of testing that SAE did to ensure backward compatibility to older engines to strike a balance between catalytic converter problems and flat tappet engine problems. The current levels were shown to be adequate in performance production engines but most people that run those or build them beyond specs use the specialty oils with the higher levels of zinc and phosphorus that were previously specified. I would also run the special oils in those engines as added protection. Additionally, going beyond those levels causes oxidation and spalling so, too much is bad also.

Either one is fine too, they just cost more. Any fully synthetic will work too. All depends on what you want to spend as you will find no performance difference in your application. Just make sure you do frequent oil changes. Lots of folks like Rotella or VR1 for the higher zinc and phosphorus content required for high revving, high performance engines with flat tappet camshafts and I would agree that would be a good choice for a race engine but for those us that don’t race, modern oils are fine. The entire ZDDP “hoax” has been created by the people selling the stuff and perpetuated by those that haven’t read all the SAE papers and test reports on why the current levels are fine except in the most severe cases. Lots of anecdotal stories out there and way too much discussion on oils….I wonder why I bother anymore. I don’t mean to belittle your question though. We are just trying to be helpful. Again, those oils are fine choices too. I choose to save my money.

Without the oil filter go with Rusty’s recommendation and change it fairly often. Synthetic is good stuff but more expensive and the bigger issue is just cleaner oil. No need for any additives or worry about higher ZDDP in your engine - absolutely not required. Just use a good off the shelf API rated oil (probably API SN)

For your gaskets https://www.olsonsgaskets.com/ It is better to use the original mechanical pump. Less risk of over pressurizing the carb, less risk of fire, etc. I run the original equipment on all my cars. That said, I do have an electric fuel pump installed on my 1939 LaSalle that I use for priming/starting as modern gasolines tend to vapor lock or boil out of the carb after a hot soak. I run on the mechanical pump. It is also smart to hard plumb the fuel lines when adding an electric pump and avoid rubber fuel lines. I would rebuild or get a refurbished pump. If the electric pump you have allows to free flow through it when not running, go ahead and keep it and you can use it when needed to improve starts….just put it on its on switch if it isn’t wired that way already. That pump looks pretty accessible so should be easy to diagnose for the ticking noise and/or service it. I agree with Rusty above on the tires and brakes. Museums are a terrible place for cars if they don’t have a regular maintenance program and take it seriously, which includes occasional driving. Most do not. I hate to say it having managed a museum in the past, but from a preservation perspective, it is far better for a car to be sold to a conscientious owner than donated to a museum. I like driving my cars and feeling comfortable doing so which means… I would replace all the tires, wheel cylinders, master cylinder and jounce hoses. I would blow the brake fluid out of the lines and and look at the condition of the fluid. If it is really discolored from rust, then the hard lines would get replaced, if not then I would leave them. Of course if the exterior of the lines were corroded, I would replace them also. Being able to steer and stop the car will save your life and the hydraulic brake system and tires are the two primary failure modes which can cause a horrible accident. The mechanical steering system is typically robust so long as you do a check on the joints to ensure they are not worn out. Lack of propulsion is far less serious.

It does sound a lot like a lifter - higher pitch tick vs a thud. With the large plug boot covers you could just pull a wire instead. One at a time and start it up. The best thing I’ve found to free something up without disassembly is a couple of quarts of ATF in your oil and run it for a while. The additives in ATF are pretty good at cleaning and freeing stuff up. Personally, I would pull the oil pan and scrape out all the gunk first if you haven’t already. Could it be a fuel pump tick? If you can reach the fuel pump you may be able to feel that or stick a long screwdriver against the pump will often allow to to feel or hear it. Chassis ears work well too. Scott

I would start by grounding out each spark plug ( one at a time) and see if that changes the noise. You can just ground the plug with a screwdriver. That will isolate it to a particular cylinder if it is in the lower end. Quick and simple test. Next I would perform a compression test on each cylinder. Again, that will isolate it to a single cylinder and give an idea on valve or ring issue. This is another fairly simple test but does require a compression tester and removal of each spark plug. Please let us know results and we can direct from there.

For my 1923 Light Six, I use: SAE 30 in the engine - whatever is on the shelf as no special oil is needed. 10w-30 would be fine too but I like the straight weight oil better during the hot summer days. 90w GL-1 in my transmission. It seems to be easiest to shift with this weight. You could also use GL-4 if desired but not necessary. I tried the same stuff I used in the axle below but didn’t like the shifts as well (gear slowed too fast). 600w SPO 299 lube in the rear axle. This is a GL-1 which is fine for your spiral bevel axle. This is a good choice for the rear axle also…about the same weight as the SPO 299 above but GL-4 (has more EP qualities) The heavier gear lube in the rear helps keep the lube from traveling down the axle tubes and the lack of lip seals may allow some leakage with the lighter lubes. You don’t want GL-5 gear lubes as your trans and axle may both have brass/bronze and the friction modifiers in GL-5 with oxidize yellow metals.

Here is what the Oldsmobile Owner's Manual says about oil pressure. You'll notice that the Olds marketing team was not nearly as astute as the Cadillac team for there is no mention of "Oldsmobile Engine Oil" in my book. Cadillac Engine Oil, huh? I'm sure it was drawn from a pristine reservoir of crude oil and personally processed by the Cadillac Car Company employees. 😁 My plan was to try to get the oil pressure down to 15-20 psi hot while driving at 40 mph and see if that makes a difference (plus the change to 10w30). Too many other commitments so I can't get to it until this Thursday, which is killing me.

A few drops are expected but not a cupful. My 1923 Studebaker has a similar slinger setup and doesn’t leak at all so they are capable. The downside of the slinger is there is no way to keep out water and dust.

I had the oil pressure at max which was running just over 25 psi going down the road. It would run 20 psi at idle. Cold idle was 25 psi and I took that down to 20. I’ll have to recheck it with the thinner oil and new pressure setting hot and cold but won’t get to that for several days. This has a cone clutch and large potted flywheel. The flywheel housing is open. Other than slinging some grease from the throwout bearing the cone clutch side is fairly dry. The front of the flywheel and OD up to the starter ring was soaked and would sling oil inside the clutch housing that would then drip on the splash shield under the car along with the rear engine mount cross member. I have taken the splash shield off now and dried everything up so I can easily see any leak path. All I have been able to test so far was idle and running it up to maybe 1500 rpm. I don’t want to rev this long stroke engine up any higher without putting it under load. I won’t get back to testing until next week.

I took the car for a 20 mile drive yesterday. The engine runs great and has a lot of torque. I love the 2 barrel with the added secondaries.....they actually work! The car drives drives great, track well and stops nicely. 40 mph is an easy cruise. The problem is that it spews oil out the back of the engine.....probably a full cup full on the ground after you stop. It's pretty disheartening after all the work. It can only come from two spots: 1) Where the crankshaft exits the rear of the block 2) There is a oil passage out the rear of the crank that has a small hole that picks up oil from the pressurized journal and lubricates the pilot bushing. This path is interrupted by about 2 inches of packed wool felt. It is pretty messy around the back of the engine but it appears the oil is slinging off the forward part of the flywheel and not from the clutch side so that means it is coming where the crank exits the block. This engine has no seals and instead has a slinger and drain back cavity. That cavity is only in one side of the two piece block. See photo below. When I assembled this engine I made sure that drain path was not blocked. My current plan is: 1) To be depressed for a few days 2) Then I will try changing to lighter weight oil (instead of SAE 30). I'm thinking if the drain is just a little restrictive, a lighter oil may just be enough. I will also decrease the oil pressure a bit in the hopes to decrease the oil flow rate out the rear bearing 3) If number 2 doesn't work, there is a slim possibly that I can remove the oil pan, slide the case half bolt out of the way, remove the rear main bearing cap and try to get a tool up there to open it up. I'll have to do a good job catching any metal and flushing the area out and not damaging the crank (although probably not a big deal in that area). 4) If number 3 doesn't work, I'll have to pull the engine out and tear it down and try to figure out what is wrong and how to fix it 5) If number 4 doesn't work, I know where there is a cliff I cleaned everything up and dried up all the oil with mineral spirits. I removed all the underbody panels for clear access and started the engine. It does not leak at an idle. It never did. I tried a high idle and also noticed no oil leakage as it would be easy to see if anything slung off the flywheel. So this issue occurs while driving at higher speeds......so either higher engine rpm, a warmer engine or both. Appreciate any suggestions I'm overlooking. Thanks.

My turn signals are hooked up so you have to have the ignition switch or key “on” for the turn signals to work. I did it this way as I won’t be using them when the car isn’t running and no worries about a dead battery if someone bumps the lever when the car is parked. My brake switch is wired to the battery or ammeter since you may want that to work if the car is turned off and it’s a momentary switch so it’s not like you can leave it on.

The back side of the rim is held tightly against the flange of the steel wrap around the felloe which is what the attaching bolts react against. On the outboard side…..for the most part, yes, the wedges provide the contact points but the area where the rim latch protrudes also heavily contacts. Since the wheels are not perfectly round and the rim has some flex to it, there may be some light contact in other spots but really no support like the wedges.