Ugghh... I think I did the oil strainer nut thing?! Options

[TRP]

Ugh.... I think I did what I wasnt supposed to do! I had to drain 1 qt of oil out of my engine because I over filled it. I drained some oil and went to tighten things up. With my torque wrench set to 8 ft lbs I started to torque things back down (up?) and about two turns in the was a loud ping... and the nut was loose again. I wasnt anywhere near 8ft/lbs.

I have a 1.8 with the 914 Werks tuna can. Am I destined to have this motor torn down for a repair? I snugged it up and took the car out for a test drive, fully expecting to dump 3.75q of Brad Penn on the toad. 15 minutes later... no drips... no gushers.

What should I do here?

Ted

[fiacra]

Ugh.... I think I did what I wasnt supposed to do! I had to drain 1 qt of oil out of my engine because I over filled it. I drained some oil and went to tighten things up. With my torque wrench set to 8 ft lbs I started to torque things back down (up?) and about two turns in the was a loud ping... and the nut was loose again. I wasnt anywhere near 8ft/lbs.

I have a 1.8 with the 914 Werks tuna can. Am I destined to have this motor torn down for a repair? I snugged it up and took the car out for a test drive, fully expecting to dump 3.75q of Brad Penn on the toad. 15 minutes later... no drips... no gushers.

What should I do here?

Ted

Ted,

You're talking about the drain plug, right? Not the oil strainer cover? That's the bolt you have to be really careful with. Not sure what happened with your oil drain plug, but I'd just drain the engine and see if you stripped it. If it's new oil, and you drain it into a clean pan you could reuse it (not what I would do, but up to you). If it were me I'd want to be sure that oil drain plug is going to hold and not give out later because it doesn't have good purchase. The cost of oil and a new plug is a lot less than a new engine.

[FlacaProductions]

Drain plug or tuna can bolt?

[wonkipop]

must have been stripped prior?
or your torque wrench was no good?
if it was already stripped before you got the car and it was not leaking oil just snugged up you might get lucky.

here is a tip. use the other plug adjacent when doing simple operations like draining oil.
i only go near the screen and associated cover plate every second oil change.
type 4 engines have an oil filter. not so dependent on that screen being the only filter like the type 1 and 3 engines. and to be honest i have never found it sludged up when i have dropped it to clean it. lowers the risk. but i am paranoid. got a screen off oil change coming up in a couple of weeks when i get some hoist time. i hate that moment of doing up that nut.

[TRP]

Sorry for the confusion. The Tuna Can bolt/formerly the oil strainer bolt.

I drove it another 10 miles, one tiny drop under the car. I'm gutted, because I'm pretty sure that I popped that stud out of the boss in the case. If I'm trying to find a positive here, I guess I found my donor 1.8 for the core rebuild for a 2056.

[TRP]

Well, damn. There is now a 4" collection of oil under the car, but not from under the tuna can, its kind of off to the right side.

[Jack Standz]

Sorry to hear about your motor. As you know, it's a nasty feature of the type iv motor.

It's not a stud that pulls out (see photo). It's a through bolt that goes into a fairly weak boss. When it fails, often your case pretty much becomes scrap metal. It's normally a big chunk or crack in the boss that goes into the camshaft journal. Sometimes it can be repaired, but often it means finding another case.

[TRP]

Ugh. I dont think I was the nitial cause, It has tto have been cracked beforehand, it simply wasn't that tight. So, if that boss cracks, does it take out the passenger side of the case, because thats where the oil is coming from, up by the pushrod tubes.

I have been looking for a core for a few weeks because I was planning to build a bigger motor and keep driving the 1.8 until the motor was ready. I guess now I have to expedite that plan.

I have a line on a complete motor that's 500, but its pretty rusty and clearly sitting outside. There is a second one (a 1.8) with all the tins, but with a dropped valve seat, the owner wants $900.00. I dont know whats a fair price for a long block 1.8. The seller is pretty firm on $900.00. There is a 2.0 shortblock with crank and rods in Saratoga, but who knows about the shape of the case or crank.

What a huge bummer. I just got it back together, I haven't even put 250 miles on this thing yet.

Ken Jansen's wife and I keep playing phone tag. Should I just buy a SCAT motor and be done? LN and PMB are backordered on builds for 3-4 months and require a build able core.

I'm crushed. The silver lining is that the swaybars and new fuel lines worked great for all 15 miles I drove it today. Maybe tomorrow I'll take the vette out and burn off my sorrows.

Oh! The new bus throttle body arrived today, so that's nice.

[Jack Standz]

The boss is on the left/driver's side of the motor.

Here are some photos that show how close to the camshaft bearing the boss for the oil pickup comes. The bolt that goes through the "eye" on the pickup works as a lever to apply sideways pressure on the bolt when one tightens the fastener on the strainer cover.

[Jack Standz]

2nd photo

[sixnotfour]

Use an inch pound torque wrench ,,, and or have yours checked...
low end of lbft wrenches is not accurate enough,,

[wonkipop]

Well, damn. There is now a 4" collection of oil under the car, but not from under the tuna can, its kind of off to the right side.

might be oil filter leaking?

[TRP]

Well, damn. There is now a 4" collection of oil under the car, but not from under the tuna can, its kind of off to the right side.

might be oil filter leaking?

Maybe. I will check tomorrow. I tried to tighten the oil filter tonight and it felt pretty tight.

What a stupid way to ruin a well running car. Do they sell new 914 cases? I

[wonkipop]

Well, damn. There is now a 4" collection of oil under the car, but not from under the tuna can, its kind of off to the right side.

might be oil filter leaking?

Maybe. I will check tomorrow. I tried to tighten the oil filter tonight and it felt pretty tight.

What a stupid way to ruin a well running car. Do they sell new 914 cases? I

don't punish yourself. it may not have been your doing.
could have previously been overtightened and had a stress fracture started.

i'd keep an eye on it snugged up and see how you go. short runs.

[wonkipop]

take the vette out for a drive. put a smile back on your dial. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)