bob duffer Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 I got home from a short 5 mile drive and i notice oil leaking from under the 34 Buick ., Pulled it into the garage and looked under the car and its coming from the radiator over flow tube. I open take the radiator cap off and out comes a lot of oil and radiator fluid mix. I didn't think this was a pressurized system but it was really coming out . I put the cap back on and checked the oil . Less than a quarter inch on the stick. Any ideas what happened? I'm guessing a head gasket, but i thought i would ask you all first. It is a straight 8 . I'm glad i shut the engine off when i did. It was running fine . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 Sounds like an upcoming money event. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgan Wright Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 Before replacing the head gasket you might try re-torquing the head bolts. If the gasket is not too rusty you might be able to save it and save the labor of removing the head. Specs call for 65 - 70 foot pounds on those bolts. The head bolts on the manifold side are easy to get to with a torque wrench. The bolts on the distributor side, you can't get them with a torque wrench without removing the rocker arms which is a pain, but you can get to them with a very long box wrench, maybe 14 or 16 inches long, and slide it between the rocker arms. You can guess the torque, just tighten them as much as you can, 70 pounds of force on a 12 inch wrench is 70 foot pounds. I bet $100 that at least 10 or 15 of those 23 bolts are loose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgan Wright Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 Remember to tighten the bolts in the right order. Start with the bolts near the middle and work your way to the front of the engine, working on both rows of bolts at the same time, then go back to the middle and work your way to the back end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob duffer Posted September 20, 2016 Author Share Posted September 20, 2016 I am not very comfortable taking the engine apart . Are there any shops in Michigan that i can trust to do the job ? Maybe pull the engine and get it painted while i'm at it? Rebuild it? I can have the car flat bedded to there shop if anyone knows of anyplace . Thanks for the replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithbrother Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 Where in Michigan? Dale in Indy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgan Wright Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 21 minutes ago, bob duffer said: I am not very comfortable taking the engine apart . Are there any shops in Michigan that i can trust to do the job ? Maybe pull the engine and get it painted while i'm at it? Rebuild it? I can have the car flat bedded to there shop if anyone knows of anyplace . Thanks for the replies. All you have to do to re-torque the head bolts is take off the valve cover, the bolts are right there. The whole job might take half an hour and it might fix the problem. Worth a try, and anybody who can tighten a wrench can do it. Head gaskets on these cars are not the modern rubber and plastic things that crack and burn and need to be replaced. Head gaskets on the fireball 8 are solid metal and if they aren't rusty, all you have to do is re-tighten the head and voila. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob duffer Posted September 20, 2016 Author Share Posted September 20, 2016 ok i'll give it a try , will there be radiator fluid in the cyl. holes that will have to be removed before re- starting? When i get done tightening? I already drained the radiator from the bottom cock . It was green up until the last 2 cups or so then it was nasty thick brown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob duffer Posted September 20, 2016 Author Share Posted September 20, 2016 Clinton township michigan 48035 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgan Wright Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 (edited) 1 hour ago, bob duffer said: ok i'll give it a try , will there be radiator fluid in the cyl. holes that will have to be removed before re- starting? When i get done tightening? I already drained the radiator from the bottom cock . It was green up until the last 2 cups or so then it was nasty thick brown. I would change the oil before trying to start it again, after torquing the bolts. As for radiator fluid in the cylinders, yeah that would be a problem if there was too much, you could get hydro and destroy the engine, so maybe to be on the safe side, remove the spark plugs and crank the engine for a few seconds to get all the water out of there. But on second thought, there probably isn't much water in there. Too much water and the engine would never have run in the first place, and you said it was running. So that little bit of water is too small to worry about. Good luck. You may need to change the radiator fluid a few times because half the coolant is in the water jacket not just the radiator. Edited September 21, 2016 by Morgan Wright (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 Call me if you want to talk or get a look. I will be out your way in the morning. PM sent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
critterpainter Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 Does your engine have an oil cooler? Buick called it a temperature regulator. it is bolted to the block just above the water pump and it will have 4 lines going to it. Two for water and 2 for oil. If it sprung an internal leak, it can pump oil into the cooling system when running. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob duffer Posted September 21, 2016 Author Share Posted September 21, 2016 10 minutes ago, critterpainter said: Does your engine have an oil cooler? Buick called it a temperature regulator. it is bolted to the block just above the water pump and it will have 4 lines going to it. Two for water and 2 for oil. If it sprung an internal leak, it can pump oil into the cooling system when running. Yes it does have an oil cooler , I just had it off last fall cleaning it. I wonder if the insides of that came apart- like you said and got in the coolant . Thanks for the suggestion= I will check that too. that just might my be the problem . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob duffer Posted September 21, 2016 Author Share Posted September 21, 2016 Larry I will be working tomorrow , I am still a working man. I don't get home till 3 pm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 I vote for the oil cooler. Oil pressure would be higher than coolant pressure. A head gasket leak, I believe, would leak the other way. Larry will probably fix you right up! Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 9 hours ago, bob duffer said: Larry I will be working tomorrow , I am still a working man. I don't get home till 3 pm. Maybe this weekend. I am still partly in the working world, but on an international time schedule so I have some flexibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 I agree that it is probably the oil cooler. So I would just bypass it and re-torque the head bolts for good measure... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob duffer Posted September 21, 2016 Author Share Posted September 21, 2016 How would i by- pass the oil cooler ? Maybe make a plate for the opening? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMicheletti Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 You would have to make a "U" shaped tube for the oil to connect inlet directly to the outlet since all the oil went through the cooler. Since there is a leak, you might have to make a water pipe that would connect the water pump outlet directly to the engine. Leaving the oil cooler in place may give you a leak out of the, now open, oil line in thecooler. You might be able to plug those holes, but things are really tight around there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob duffer Posted September 24, 2016 Author Share Posted September 24, 2016 Ok , got it out and it looks like it's been repaired before . Maybe i'll take it to the local radiator shop and have them fix it . Like you guys said, there is little to no room to try and by-pass this ., Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob duffer Posted September 24, 2016 Author Share Posted September 24, 2016 Here is the room i have when the cooler is out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Engle Posted September 24, 2016 Share Posted September 24, 2016 Your choices are, 1. replace the core (I have not seen any NOS cores available and any old cores will have high potential of leaking) 2. Repair the core (risk of other places leaking in the near future) 3. Bypass the cooler. The two oil line fittings in the block MUST be connected to maintain oil flow to the bearings. You can easily make a plate to fit the cooler mount at the block and add a pipe to connect by a rubber hose from the pump to the new plate. Two of the four junk engines I got had this bypass. Some people like to see the Buick logo cooler cover and so you remove the core, and plug the oil line connector holes. This method does mean that the oil line loop has to be a tight bend. I have seen several show cars done this way. Bob Engle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob duffer Posted September 25, 2016 Author Share Posted September 25, 2016 Bob ...you wouldn't happen to hve a picture of one of these by- pass would you ,.. so I can get an idea of how it looks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob duffer Posted September 25, 2016 Author Share Posted September 25, 2016 Head bolts were all tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted September 25, 2016 Share Posted September 25, 2016 (edited) Take the oil cooler to Ferndale Radiator. It is on Woodward just north of 9 mile on the east side of the road. Talk to Mel. They have been working on radiators for ever. They made the new radiator for my truck. If anyone can fix it, they can. Tell him I sent you. Edited September 25, 2016 by Larry Schramm (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob duffer Posted September 25, 2016 Author Share Posted September 25, 2016 Thank you Larry , i'll do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Engle Posted September 25, 2016 Share Posted September 25, 2016 Here's a photo of one block with home made mods. My other one has been stripped so no photos. I checked my photo galleries and could not find a picture of a bypassed unit on a car. Remember, The stamped steel covers on the coolers are prone to rust through. Some people epoxy coat the inside of the cover. I have one spare cover that is coated. If I were to do the bypass, I would remove the two fittings in the block and replace them with right angle fittings facing away from the block. This will allow more room for the "U" shaped tub to connect the two fittings. Bob Engle 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgan Wright Posted September 25, 2016 Share Posted September 25, 2016 (edited) 16 hours ago, bob duffer said: Head bolts were all tight. Good to know. Hope it's not the head gasket. Edited September 25, 2016 by Morgan Wright Made an incorrect statement. Corrected it. (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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