[Bull]

My vacation started last week. I fixed my dad's car, then fixed my broken mower. Now, I can start putting some time into this TA so I can actually drive it. I have not driven a '60s/'70s car in years...maybe five years or more.

I hooked up the linkage that I found online to get the reverse lights working, and wanted to test them out. The battery was deader than dead. Fluke showed exactly zero volts. I believe I left the lights on about a month ago. Dummy! So, after I hooked up the battery charger, I started peering around the engine bay for grins. When I first got the car, I had noticed oil was pooling around the distributor shaft. Well tonight, I saw a hole down there that I do not recognize (no jokes, please ) Is it supposed to be open like that? Seems like when washing the engine, a whole lot of water would get inside, and I am also wondering if it is letting oil out. Car is not running right now for me to start it and watch the hole, but I figured someone here might have some input.

Follow the screwdriver shaft:

[77 TRASHCAN]

If that hole is open on the other end, it is only exposing the bell housing area of the back of the engine. Nothing to worry about.

If you have a leaking rear main seal or pan gasket, some oil could be slinging off the flywheel, coming out that hole. The oil would most likely be coming from the valley pan gasket leaking and/or the dist. housing. (the dist. should have a gasket between it and the block....)

water and soap going in the hole would not hurt anything....

[Bull]

I appreciate your response and the information it included.

Here is a related question: two other fellows with '76 400 blocks checked theirs, and do not have this oil. Why does mine have it, and not theirs?

I am of course assuming the engine is stock to the car; maybe it isn't a '76 block. I haven't checked the codes yet.

[Goat & Chicken Farmer]

I'm going out on a limb here, but is that a magnetic timing probe hole??? below that hole should be the flywheel (or flexplate).

[77 TRASHCAN]

It looks like there's a "6" by the hole, might be for "76", I have a block that has "73" in that area, the casting code is 1072, which means Oct 72, I think.

You might clean that area, see if there's any other numbers or letters.

I have one 77 400 block, one 78 block (which was made in 77,the last batch of 400's made) and the 73 block, none have the tiny hole. Who knows....why. I have a 455 block in a pile of stuff, I'll look here soon at it also...and at the 350 in my car for the moment.

A friend of mine is looking for a "Don't tread on me" flag for his front yard... I don't know why...
Jeff

[Rack776]

Reference mark a machine shop made during a previous rebuild?
Push some stiff wire down & see how deep it goes.

[bren566]

Hi Bull, glad to see you starting on the car. I believe the block is a 73 if I remember correctly. I always thought the seepage back there was from the valleypan gasket but we never got into checking it out after the oil pressure issue. If I can be any more help just holler!