I was cleaning the motor on my $100 field find project car when I found the following small hole in the casing.




Pretty clearly the cover is fubar unless I want to try using some jbweld. The lower portion of the motor had a lot of oil on it, which I thought may have come from the oil cooler line but now I'm having second thoughts.

Any idea what might have caused this? The whole area around the bolt is rounded as if to fit a socket but this thing is definitely a hole.

 

I don't know what it is, but I have a feeling it's there for a reason... Maybe there was once a bolt there??

 

it's from the predrill for the oil pan bolt threads....look on the oil pan and I bet there is a bolt right there.

nothing to worry about.

 

i dont think thats from the bolt that goes through the oil pan.

maybe someone hit something there causing a small hole. probably would be fine if you used some jb weld to plug the hole. if you can take off the front cover and look at it on the inside you might see what caused it. but i think someone might have hit it with something on the outside. my 2 cents.

 

Yup, this is the case. On the front side of motor there are a series of reliefs built into the housing to receive the oil pan bolts and this is one of them. Maybe a socket wore it thin or just the casting was thin but the bolt is directly on the other side so the hole can't expose the oil pan. Thanks! Guess there's a reason it says "the machinest" under your user name.

 

Don't be giving out information of jb-welding a hole you don't know about, it's perfectly fine.

 

well despite my post count, i've been around the block a few times, and I usually know what I'm talking about. I'm just glad I could help.

 

woops. sorry.

 

My engine has that exact same little hole, and like everyone is saying, its the end of the hole for one of the oil pan bolts. Nothing to worry about.