[JHEMMINGS]

Just broke in my 355 small block and found a oil leak when dropping the oil. The leak is on the front of the oil pan, wondering if the only way to fix the leak is to pull the pan off and start over or is there an easy fix!!

[maverickmechanic13]

make sure everything is tight first. Determine if its coming from the oil pan, tming cover or te front seal. Something may be loose or your harmonic balacer might have curled the lip on the seal wen you put the balancer on.
Need be you may be able to loosen everything and sneak some rtv in.
Good luck

[JHEMMINGS]

Put new seal on my Chevy small block 355 and it's still leaking oil from the front seal! Is my only option to buy a new oil pan? Just looking for a second opinion

[Richiehd]

From the seal? Polish the hub on the dampener and replace the seal. Pan seal? clean up and goo some RTV in it. You have a chrome timing cover or pan? they are always hard to seal. Make sure crankcase is properley vented, so you dont build up pressure and leak. Good PCV and vent to air cleaner.

[JHEMMINGS]

I cleaned the block, oil pan and timing cover before I replaced the oil pan seal and used plenty of rtv sealant. frustrated with it! I do have valve cover breathers but not sure if that's enough this 355 has 10 to 1 compression

[2old2fast]

Are you using a 4- piece pan gskt. or a 1- piece ? I've had real good luck w/the 1-piece.. dave

[35WINDOW]

And whose (which one) Gasket set are you using?

[Dannyringo]

First check this:
pull your harmonic balancer off and look for a grove from the seal. If there is a grove on the balancer where the seal rides, get a kit which is a chrome spacer that is driven on over the hub.( use the lock tight red junk like they say to do) install a new oil seal in the timing cover with silicon on the outside of the seal and that should take care of the problem, if this is it.

did you use the blue oil pan gasket instead of the old 3 pc system? and did you use silicone at the edges of the timing cover to seal that area? if not do it all over again.