I was told that my 1950 Oldsmobile's 303 V8 will always leak; they were designed to. I have to get used to my "diaper car" and realize that nothing short of swapping the motor to a newer model will keep my garage floor clean.
Is that right?
I don't want to have to worry about leaving drips of oil (and whatnot) on my driveway or everywhere I go. What suggestions can you give me?

 

I find nearly every second gen Olds V8 leaks a small amount of oil. Is there a neoprene rear main available for the original Rocket V8? Make sure all your breathers are clean and functioning. I would replace all the gaskets, including the rear main and go from there.

 

The mechanic I'm working with said that a newer gasket (two-piece) would require machine work to make it fit and then it would only delay the leakage problem. He's convinced that any motor of the 1970's on back is going to leak eventually. While I recognize the improvements in engineering and factory processes due to mechanization in the last number of decades, I am disappointed to hear about the early V8 leakage issues.
Next question: what would be a good replacement option that does NOT leak oil? A new LS3 motor is $8K or so and needs a computer to run it, right? I want good fuel economy if this car is to be a daily driver (in good weather) but power to set me back in my seat. Also, will the hydramatic from 1950 serve me adequately with a newer motor?

 

Yup- makes perfect sense to spend 8K instead of spending $10 for a seal. Get a new mechanic

 

No, you will need a matching 4L70E which is a POS behind any power IMHO. What kind of mileage are you expecting? Talk to some of the first gen Rocket V8 speciality vendors like Ross Racing about improved gaskets. Tough to get any motor 100 percent leak free. But a couple of tiny drips on my Olds motors is exceptable to run a unique power plant. I have to say this little Olds 260 that the previous owner put in my 70 leaks nothing probably due being full of sludge. My question is why do people buy old cars like this and use them as daily drivers and not know how to fix it themselves? They require more maintenance and a lot work at time due to their age. I do everything but welding, I can, just not up to my standards, the rest is fair game.

 

If the engine is basically sound I'd work toward curing the leaks and keeping it. I've got stage I and stage II Olds V-8 engines. Leaks can exist in either. They all can be repaired.

 

I don't have the time or equipment to work on my "daily driver" old car. I never got the knack from my dad to develop the skill, either. I do have a love of the class, the style, and the uniqueness of old cars, though. So, even though I have to pay someone else to work on it, I love it! I love the sound, the smells, the looks I get, the curves, etc. I also enjoy doing other things with my "free" time than getting knuckles banged, flakes of stuff in my eyes, backaches from awkward maneuvers under a dash, etc. We all enjoy the hobby for different reasons, right? I'm so excited I finally got my '50 Olds! I just can't work on it much myself.

 

Ozzie, I just found out today that the engine runs and sounds great! Big relief. The carb needs rebuilding and the fuel pump, lines, and tank needs replacing. At least there are no bad sounds and no smoke. Next, the hydramatic, the rear diff., the wheel bearings, the brakes and master cylinder, the radiator, the this and the that. I LOVE this part of a new car project!

 

That's good news. Just take it little by little and after a while you'll have a well restored vehicle. Learn as much as you can about it. If you don't have it, try to get a shop manual (original or reproduction). Read it and understand it, and you will get a new appreciation for the vehicle.

 

Fair enough. I was just pointing out an old car can be a challenge, especially as a daily driver. Especially with points, carbs and the extras we want. My car was full of mice, upholstery work was needed. I did it myself, gross and takes some skill too. Turned out OK, more to go. I carry a bunch of extra parts as these tune up, starting and charging parts are no longer everywhere like they were just a few years ago. Even if you can't swap them, carrying some extra parts is a good idea. I learned in school and in life working on cars, Dad was a Carpenter, didn't teach me much about cars. Enjoy, a modern drive train that any mechanic can work on might be for you as long as the swap is done properly.

 

I had an old mustang that leaked, it had high mileage but ran great. When I parked in my drive, I just slid a pice of cardboard under it, about 1x per month I needed new cardboard.

If you clean the engine, you can systematically go after the biggest leaks first, the clean engine will help locate what leaks. I think a lot of old cars leak because....wait for it there old, I recently carefully reassembled my engine and currently have no leaks. My original trans tho has a couple drops every time I park it.

 

I generally don;t worry about small leaks until I pull the engine for some reason or another and reseal it. All engines will eventually wear in areas where there are seals for moving parts. The object is to replace those seals before there is harm to the surface where the seal rides.

 

Back in the days of open breathers several British engines had no crankshaft seals at all, but something like a screw thread and an oil thrower disc at both ends. They worked ok until the engine developed too much blow by.
But it was said of British cars of the time; "If it doesn't have an oil leak when you buy it new, take it back to the dealer to have one put in".

Roger.

 

If you are using cork gaskets and synthetic oil you will have oil leaks. When I switched to synthetics I had new leaks within a week. and MOST went away after i switched back to dino oil. First generation Oldsmobile with rope seal mains and cork valve cover gaskets that are held down with only two bolts have a tendency to have wet bottoms, its part of the abeyance of a 70 year old car. Embrace it like it came that way, it probably did.... Tedd