I found a leak in the housing the water pump is attached to. its right next to the fuel pump between the block and the housing itself. I believe I need to take the a/c brackets off, remove the water pump and this housing should slip off with some light prying.

have any of you guys don't this repair before on a 394, taking apart the 2 sections? does the inner section come free and slide off once the water pump I off?

im gonna try napa, hopefully they will have my gaskets, but what would the inner gasket be called, or where a better place to order them from would be?

Im trying to make these repairs in a timely manner, and get the car tip top top cat for the summer, I got trips and shows and more trips planned but not with an unsound water pump system. Thanks

 

Are you talking about the timing chain cover? I can't think of anything else in that area. Do you have a motor manual for your car, if not it's a good investment....Tedd

 

I do have a motor's manual and the cover says 1964 but it goes back and forth all around and has been very helpful for tune specs and if i do the carb with the kit i bought 2 weeks ago. im gonna go grab it now and see if it has anything on this part.

but what im really talking about is behind the water pump there is the section with the oil filler tube attached to it. this housing behind the water pump is where the leak is coming from, where it meets the engine there is a gasket. Im wonder how i get that part off after i take off the water pump- that is the part behind the water pump with the oil fill tube on top which is leaking coolant from the bottom left corner behind the fuel pump. anyone with a 394 familiar with this process?

 

looking at the manual and describing lifting the engine from its mounts and removing oil pan and fuel pump and the pulleys this seems to be a really really involved repair. idk what to do now. don't even see sense in making a new thread. thanks man. the only other way i see now is somehow getting to the one really small area and plugging it with some sort of silicone or something tough enough to get on it and seal it. any recommendations please?!

 

The manual is exactly right, this job is a major PITA.
You will have to get a lift or chainfall to support the engine while the pan, timing cover and front mount are removed. The harmonic balancer will also have to come off.
Just take your time and follow the instructions in the motor manual carefully. When you get the cover off clean all gasket surfaces carefully and take a (machinist) straight edge and a .002 feeler guage and make sure that the cover is flat within .002 in. And not deeply pitted.
While you have the cover off you might as well change the timing chain and gears. Unless the chain is totally tight and unworn.
Removing the radiator will also give you better access to this area.

 

that is pretty intense, id probably sell the car before doing all of that. I don't have the facility to be lifting up the engine, removing pulley disconnecting fuel pump and lines, oil pan and all, then finding new mounts to replace the 50 year old ones, new seal and gaskets for all of it and making sure its all machine straight and torqueing it down. and im certainly not about to hand someone hundreds if not a grand to do all of this work, MAW replace this that and the third, no way man. what a monkey wrench this is on this one.

at this point im about to slap something on there, anything, just to plug it from the outside. is there really nothing, would it really be a futile effort?

 

You are refering to the timing cover gasket. In all honesty, you would be better off removing the engine to do this repair. It's very common for these timing covers to become corroded, and have small holes or divets. I have one here I could post some photos for you. It sounds to me like you are not in a position to perform this repair. You could attempt to clean the area real well with parts wash/ brake clean. Then use compressed are to completely dry the area. If this area leaks while it's just sitting, not running, you may have to drain the coolant. Then you could apply black or grey RTV sealant in the problem area. You also may want to consider stop leak in an attempt to seal it internally. I personally hate stop leak because it tends to clog your radiator and heater core. Getting the ballancer off the 394 is a challenge in itself. It seams like parts for these relics are getting harder and harder to find.

 

I have linked this to your identical thread on the same subject, to prevent us all from going insane.

- Eric

 

I tried to move the engine repair discussion to the engine repair forum, but at this point theres not much to discuss. I don't think its getting done, atleast not by my hands or from my pocket so therefore its not getting done. thanks for chiming in guys. that concludes this project, looks like im drawing up a sign today.

 

Post some pics and a price in the "cars for sale section".
Some of us may be interested.

 

nah. then you guys will chew me down, tell me its a 4 door, and yous all know whats wrong with it, partsing it out for the next 2 months would probably be better than the 2000 they would say its worth as is. i hate this thing so much, i think smashing it up to bits and scrapping it would give me more satisfaction than selling it. I think im done with old decrepit POS cars for awhile, or better yet indefinitely. now i gotta find some poor sap who will give me a little more than its worth. probably gonna terminate this forum username too, let someone else who actually still has an olds use it.

 

It is a 4-door. A post sedan, in fact.

According to Collector Car Market Report, it's worth:

4dr Sedan... #5: $575... #4: $1400... #3 $3400... #2: $6200#1: $9325

It looks like it's probably a #3 to me, at least from these pictures:





- Eric

 

well all I know is, if I sold a piece of **** 4 door 6 cyl 2 speed 4 lug mangled front end parts don't drive straight nova for 3000, I gotta get atleast 45-5 for this one which starts and runs great drives straight blows cold ac and has a v8.

 

What you should know is that the market for cars varies tremendously by marque, model, and equipment.

I don't know what kind of idiot would pay that much for a Nova in that condition, but if you can find another one from under the same rock, I'd say you've got it made.

- Eric