WhatÂ’s this broken line?

[i3adme]

So I finally get my rig moving under its own power, and then an oil leak began to squirt all over the front of the engine. After 2 frustrating hours I find the culprit, a crack in a line that appears to have been capped off with orange rtv. I wiggle the line a bit and it just broke off. Anybody know what it is or what it's for? I tried to get a good picture of it. The part that broke off is on top of the alternator.

 

[Madgyver]

Timing cover dip stick tube.

 

[phred]

Hard to tell exactly from the photo. If I'm not mistaken some mustangs timing covers had the dipstick tube there.

 

[phred]

Mad you beat me to it while I was typing. Lol

 

[Mark1911]

Mustang/passenger car type timing cover with dip stick and tube in the cover, you can probably put a small freeze plug in it. I believe it's an 1/8” plug.


Mark.

 

[BUCKWILD]

^^^yep dip stick

 

[66ranger]

An empty 223/ 5.56 shell casing makes a good plug.

 

[Broncobowsher]

That engine, at least the timing cover on the engine, came from an early (60s or 70s) car. The timing cover dipstick was used on the front sump engines. You have a broken dipstick tube. Someone in the past did the quick and dirty fix of plugging it with RTV. What remains of that tube is a light press fit into the timing cover. A little gently wiggling while pulling should get it out. Measure the OD of where is was in the timing cover. It is a nice fractional number like 5/16 or 3/8. Get a cup plug that size and drive it in. No need for messy sealer either. There is no pressure behind it. The oil you are fighting is simply oil tossed up there from the timing chain spinning and flinging oil off it.

 

[B RON CO]

Hi, just get the alternator out of the way. You don't have to disconnect the wires, just the negative cable on the battery and rest the alternator on the inner fender. the you will have plenty of room to work. Good luck

 

[i3adme]

Thanks for the info guys! Looks like my wife guessed it. I was just confused because there was already an oil dip stick. Quick fix I went with was to put black rtv in a rubber cap, and put a hose clamp around it. We'll see if it works after the rtv cures.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Nothing is as permanent as a temporary repair

 

[Mark1911]

That's funny right there. ^^^