first start-leak from rear??????

well, I advanced the timing and it made a huge difference in temperature. It held right at 180.
Also, fortunately I found the source of that oil and it isn't the rear main or rear pan at all. I saw it start dripping down the side of the bellhousing coming from the oil filter area, it just ended up right at the bottom of the bell.
My pressure sending unit is leaking from some of the threads in the block and I think it might be dripping from that over to the bell and down.
I didn't use any teflon tape or thread sealer on those brass pieces, maybe that's it.

Be very careful about using teflon tape on any fitting that has access to the oil galley. If a piece of it gets past the pickup screen, the pump ain't gonna like it.

glad to hear your problems were easy fixes. see, optomistic is good :D

I guess I won't use teflon tape on them, I'll just have to try cranking them tight as hell and hope that does it.
I have some crud coming out of the carb too, it looks like it's coming from the accelerator pump plunger, or whatever you call it.

Quote:

---

I'll just have to try cranking them tight as hell and hope that does it.

---

No, no, no . . . Don't do that. With a brass fitting, you'll either break it or strip it out. Get some good automotive thread sealer at your local parts store.

Anything new with your oil leak?? I was thinking about it today. And I dont know why the timing / running hot thing works, but it does...I have seen headers actually glow red with an engine that was seriously out of timing (retarded) Not only the headers, but about half the length of the exhaust pipe under the car too!!

I do have some thread sealer, I'll try that on those fittings and hopefully it will stop all the oil from escaping.

Another thing that bugs me, is that the engine still doesn't start easily. Even my lawnmower starts up with one pull, shouldn't this engine start up on one crank. I probably have to give it 10 tries before it will start for good. I don't know much about carb tuning, maybe some idle stuff is way off or clogged or something.

Good to hear that your oil leak is nothing major. Replacing that diapharm should stop the gas leak. If your carb isnt up to snuff, that could be your starting problem, assuming your plugs, wires and distributor parts are good. Sometimes the carb is the last thing you think is the problem, but that's it...do you have access to another carb you can switch to (even if it's not the correct one) just to see if it makes a difference?? Oh, and cool on the timing issue too. See, things are getting better. John

well, I don't have another carb. I'm using an MSD ignition and I used the old screwdriver in the boot trick to see how the spark is and it looks good, new plugs too.

I'm thinking I may just get a new carb, I don't want to have to crank and crank and crank everytime I need to start up.