Oil leak check location

[jce98]

Chasing an oil leak that appeared to be coming from the valve covers. Aluminum valve covers, fel pro gaskets, arp studs. This was a serious leak, changed valve cover gaskets still leaking. Changed intake gaskets and resealed with RTV the china wall. Still puking oil from what appeared to be the top end. I was about to the point of pulling the engine. I had eliminated any top end leak areas.

I pulled exhaust manifold and located the source of the leak. The block had provisions for right hand dipstick and left hand dipstick, one side should be plugged. I had no plug. It was blowing oil up making it appear to be coming from the top end. Stuck a bolt with some RTV in the hole and leak problem solved.

The kicker is I searched several forums and not one mentioned this as a possible cause for the leak.

 

[GoToGuy]

Is it your stock engine or original? Are you using the original dipstick and location?
What information you give, as complete as possible, determines the best answer. I'm curious how with engine at idle you didn't hear or see any vapor or blowby . At night with flashlight any oil vapor would have smoke trail.
As fan and airflow from highway speed can make tracing any leak more difficult.
Why didn't someone plug the unused dipstick hole? Quality Control.

 

[jce98]

At idle in the driveway. no leaks Run down the road a bit pull back in the driveway. bad leak. The issue was that apparently when the rpms went up it blew oil up to where it appeared to be leaking from the top end. Smoke was everywhere since it was dripping on the exhaust.

Crate motor, I did not install. It appears that there was a plug at one point in time.