So it's been a while since I turned the car over. I've been farting around trying to replace the floor pans and fix the power steering leaks for too long. I work on the car as I get time here or there. Anyhow, I start her up for a bit this weekend and now I've got a pretty fast oil leak. Looks like it's dripping from the bell housing. Here's a quick video of it... I assume I'll now have to pull the engine to fix? The only thing I've replaced on the car is top end, exhaust, break and ignition system. Looking for insight from folks who have seen oil leaking at this spot before. Thanks
A couple easy to fix possibilities, rear intake manifold gasket or valve cover gasket. Not so easy to fix is rear main seal
Exactly what I was hoping to hear... I'll check valve covers and manifold when I get home. I replaced all of them a year ago...but the car is old and the engine has never been pulled or rebuilt. I hope it's an easy fix.
"the engine has never been pulled or rebuilt." chances are the intake manifold gasket or valve cover gasket will not leak on start up or just idling. if you didn't drive the car far enough for it to come up to operating temp... sorry...rear main seal....JMO
I suspect Frank is correct... The intake end seals only leak appreciably at higher RPMs, much the same for valve cover gaskets... With engine cold, at idle neither will be dripping within a minute or two... Plus leak appears to be coming out of bell housing, the other leaks will be flowing down outside of engine...
I didnt want to rain on his parade and he did mention that he had worked on top end. Take the inspection plate cover off and you should be able to tell rather quickly by the seeing if oil is dripping out in front of flexplate. That is a lot of oil even for a rear main, oil pan gasket might be shot, I would make sure oil level is not too high as well
Excuse any rookie mistakes....this is literally my first project car. Last year I replaced intake manifold, carb, distributor, coil, headers and exhaust and radiator, alternator.... and everything takes me ten times longer to do as I am learning as I go. Car was timed and running good and I noticed oil light would come on and off. Oil level was low and I did notice a slight oil leak. I figured I was burning oil. Parked the car and decided I would start replaced the floor pan.... Now not enough CFM on the compressor... then I start on project to run 220 v to garage to get a bigger compressor in. I get that done and new compressor in. Cut off tool is working great...in the midst of tearing out the old pan I decide to turn the car over...it's been a least four months since i started it. Now the oil leak is very quick and it's with a cold engine. I just checked the valve covers and back of the manifold and no new oil. Talk about a snowball. I think someone warned me of this, just about a year ago. Should probably just pull the engine out with the trans and rebuild both. take out the windshield while I am at it and fix the leaky cowl. Maybe in a year from now it will all be done... new floor pans, rebuild engine and fixed cowl. Seems like a good 12 month goal.
Does the motor have to be pulled if it's the rear main seal? I was planning on it eventually as the cowl needs to be fixed...I assume it would just be good to rebuild the trans and motor given it's never been done and all original.
No you do not have to pull the motor. Do a google search and there are many articles about how to do it, lots easier than trying to explain it. It would be a good time for a rebuild though but I suspect you are like most of us and when you have the time you dont have the money or have the money and no time and then there is always the snowball effect, you could probably pick up a roller motor for less than it cost to do a rebuild but you never know for sure what you are getting when you do that or you could pick up a roller motor and rebuild it and have it ready to slip in when the time comes. I have always figured about $1,500 to do a decent rebuild and thats with no hp stuff in it
Yeah, with enough time and money we can do anything. Going to finish welding in the new pan then I’ll pull the motor, Fix it and add some stuff . This will be another year of working on it here and there. Thanks for all the help guys.
So did you remove the power steering? Did you also remove the pump? What all did you do to the steering? (Maybe a power steering fluid leak?)
Main and timing cover lip seals leaking like this on older motors after sitting too long is quite common. Even happens to rear trans seals as they take a "cold set" and the seal becomes over compressed as crank rests moreso at the bottom edge of the seal. The plasticizers used in the seals fade away over time and the seal becomes less pliable and forgiving. Basically.. the oil bleeds out from between the crank and bearing and the crank's centerline slowly drops more towards the bottom of the bearing housing/lip seals bore. Then not running it in combination with the day/night temp swings deforms the seal into that oblong shape and it takes a set. Engine needs to be brought up to temp so the lip seal is heated by the oil and may "relearn" a true centered(floating on the pressurized oil wedge) crank position. You can also speed up the warming process with less mess by using a heat gun or hair dryer(the latter takes nearly forever though!) while hand rotating engine before starting to fully warm it up. This will reduce the amount of oil spilled while the engine is warming up. Another slightly longer term fix is to use a high-mileage oil with seal conditioners to "swell the seals". It's a bandaid for sure, and not good for long term seal life.. but the stuff does work its magic over time. The problem with purposely swelling seals is that once the seal is "reconditioned".. it can distort and shrink over time causing even bigger headaches.
High Mileage oil did stop the rear main leak on my 428, had been leaving oil spots for as long as I can remember... Before 2017 it was only getting maybe a hundred miles per year... Probably four years ago I bought several quarts of Quaker State Defy that was on closeout(API SL, advertised as containing boosted zinc content)... The stuff set around here for a year or more so one day I decided give the 428 a change... After a run there was always a spot maybe 1.5" in diameter.. Well last year when I was installing power steering I noticed it had not dripped... Umph... Since last April I've put over 1500 miles on it and it's yet to drip... Yes I look after every run... High Mileage Mobil 1 decreased oil consumption on the wifes Grand Marquis from 2500 mi qt to around 4500 mi., so stuff does work... At least in some engines... No it wasn't leaking...
I failed to mention that I had just changed the oil and filter. I added five quarts...maybe too much? As far as the Power Steering Goes, it's not 100% installed. I rebuild the control valve and ram cylinder and am in the process of replacing the center link. The pin that stops the control valve from turning got stuck and I ended up sheering it off... but I was able to find a replacement center link in good condition on the forum. With the new control valve and ram cylinder, I was going to replace the pump with a Borgeson pump and be done with the steering. I'll check the oil level today when I get home, maybe it is too much.
