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my 383 is leaking oil from somewhere around the front seal. BRAND NEW gaskets and seals, yet i cant get it to stop leaking. any suggestions?

could possibly be your front head bolts not tight enough less likely to be the vavle cover gaskets especially if their new.

It is possible the balancer is leaking. The front timing seal wears a grove in it so if it does not have a speedy sleave it will need one. The sleeve fits over the balancer and gives the seal a new surface to ride on and seal.

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Certified pilots, looking down on people since 1903.

the speedy seals work GREAT, you should be able to get them from your chevy dealer cheap, the whole kit with the sleeve and oversized seal. I done a ton in Powerstrokes, but its common in a lot of cars.

Also if that doesn't help i've found that putting a little dab of RTV silicone on the keyway will help seal in oil. Sometimes if the woodruff key is worn a little or not the perfect size it'll spit oil from behind the crank bolt...speaking from experience

I mentioned the speedy seal/sleeve because it has been the source of several oil leaks I have repaired. It is a good idea to do the repair if you even think it might be leaking there. I was able to get my parts from Kragen, they had it on the shelf. Also make sure that you have a bolt and washer in the fuel pump rod hold orifice. That hole is in the front of the engine in front of the fuel pump, I have seen many leaks there as well. When I was in the ARMY and was a Helicopter mechanic we would steam clean the engines and dry them real well. Then we would douse the whole engine (turbine) with baby powder and go on a test flight. Where ever a leak was the oil would leave a stream or trail in the baby powder and point right to the source.

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Certified pilots, looking down on people since 1903.

If it is an aftermarket chrome cover, it can be a pain to stop leaking. I now run nothing but stockers cause it was so much trouble.

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FIAA!

SFPP!

Hey luvrv8 thats a neat trick ill keep that one in mind.mytmouz that bolt that luvrv8 mentioned is a good place to start BUT beware that bolt has to be short 1/2" or you will lock up the fuel pump rod if you are using one i have seen that more than once.

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1978 pro street step/side 455Buick, 4sp,4.11s, 31/18.5s

Believe me, I know about the bolt hole in question. It's one reason why I dislike the mechanical pumps. Also, I've had oil leak in this area, oil was leaking through the crankshaft keyway groove. ^%!$#&! hard to diagnose!

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If you think no one cares, try missing a couple of payments...



FIAA!

SFPP!

i bet that bolt that yall talked about is the culprit! I'll check.. any more info on the location would help...

nope, the bolt's there

Well now it's getting ugly it is either the crank seal or worse the pan seal.Are you using chrome parts or painted?There is also two different pan seals in the front one thick and one thin do you have the right one ?Is the cover new or used if used it could be bridged between the bolt holes.

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1978 pro street step/side 455Buick, 4sp,4.11s, 31/18.5s

well, i think TJ's right. i think its the wrong seal. its the thin one. i need the thick one.