Tracing my oil leak

1

I got the bottom of the T spic and span and took a closer look yesterday

I found some brazing on the hogshead close to the drain plug. Could it be a failed repair job? Or is it a gasket problem with the drain plug?
Or is i something else I haven’t discovered?

I drained the remaining oil in the hogshead, beneath the lower petcock, and will continue the diagnosis today, inspecting the brazing repair job for visible cracks and maybe get a better drain plug gasket, put a little oil in her and try to get a better idea of exactly where the leak is coming from.
Any suggestions or advice?

2

Some may frown about this, and it’s just a suggestion. Do what you’re comfortable with. If wrapped properly, 1-1/2 turns of teflon tape, stretching it at the overlap to prevent it from coming off can help on a drain plug. 95% of teflon tape’s function is to lubricate threads, 5% to seal. Obviously these threads don’t need lubrication. Do not wrap the 1st turn of thread, and when you do an oil change, ensure that you clean the threads in the hogs head so that no teflon strings will be left behind to potentially get in your oil tube. Clean the plug to remove any oil residue, or it will be difficult to do. Wrap with the plug in your left hand, start on the underside holding the tail against the threads, pull the tape towards you and over the top, keeping enough tension on the tape so that it stretches over the thread and down in to the valley of the thread. Finish on the undeside with stretching it over the start until it breaks and basically it will adhere to itself. Dont use the cheap white stuff, it’s horribly thin and shreads easily. Get some quality suff that has some thickness to it, pull enough off the spool to give you the 1-1/2 wraps on the plug, then cut it in half length wise. Should be wide enough for the threads, and a piece ready for the next oil change. If you want to talk about this, pm me.

3

Thanks, I’ll give it a try.
I did put a fiber gasket between the plug and the copper gasket, and that seemed to help cinch up the plug without stressing to the cast iron hogshead—I can snug it tight with finger pressure, however I did find a tiny hole in the flanged area where the plug threads into the hogshead. I’ll check the depth with a toothpick or fine wire. I suspect I could use a bit of solder to plug up the hole if necessary.

Well, the hole wasn’t a hole—more like a bubble in the brazing.
I added a quart of Pennzoil and see it there’s still a leak tomorrow morning.

4

On mine it was one of the petcocks… Oil was traveling down to the drain plug looking like it is the drain plug leaking. Turned out the petcock looked closed but was a tad bit open.

5

Thanks, I’ll check it out. There’s still some leakage, not as bad as it was, but a leak is still a leak.

6

I’m curious, has anyone here used a fiber washer on the drain plug instead of copper, and if so, how did that work out for you?

7

I have some Teflon tape for gas fittings—it’s quite a bit thicker than the usual Asian import stuff at the Big Box outfits.

8

That would be the stuff to use. I have tried the fiber washer with poor success. Doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. That’s why I reuse the copper one with the tape.

9

Thanks, Suley, and Canadian26Tudor!
I used my Teflon tape for gas fittings with the copper gasket and gave her a pint of Pennzoil 30wt yesterday evening and put a clean piece of cardboard under her.
This morning there was no sign of a leak!
A mystery solved----thank you!