RE: Oil Leak

["Stegmann, Steve" <Steve.Stegmann@domain.elided>]

John,

I did the valve covers less than a year ago.  Starboard was RTV & gasket,
leaking but not enough to run down anywhere yet.  I have to take the A/C
bracket loose to get this one out.  The port was done with "The Right Stuf".
Tiny seep at the last bolt but not enough to get on anything.  Never foolish
to check *any* gasket on one of these things.  Maybe thats why Ford always
uses cast pans mostly now.  Actually on the lastest cars they're using
plastic pans.  Seems to work fine.

I haven't tried tightening the oil pan bolts as I've found that this usually
just aggravates the bloody things.  The more I think about it, I'd bet on
the pan gasket.

Maybe it was all just blown oil coming from the dripping pressure sender.
We'll know that in a day or two.  That was the big leak.

A few weeks ago the fitting for the high pressure power steering hose
attaches to the steering box decided to leak.  Wha?  This is a  new hose,
wasn't leaking before.
Oh, well,   it prevents the bottom of the frame from rusting.

Thanks,

Steve

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	John Stricker [SMTP:jstricke@domain.elided]
> Sent:	Monday, March 15, 1999 2:20 PM
> To:	Stegmann, Steve; EldonMcf@domain.elided; ihc@domain.elided
> Cc:	jlandry@domain.elided; n9ads@domain.elided
> Subject:	Re: Oil Leak
> 
> Steve,
> 
> At peril of feeling really foolish, do NOT neglect to check your valve
> cover
> gaskets.  If your flywheel is clean, I'm betting against a rear main seal
> leak.
> 
> Reach up there with a phillips screwdriver on the screws of the pan and
> make
> sure they're snug.  Same goes for the 5/16 bolts that are up there.  Don't
> tighten them like your life depends on it, just make sure they're not
> loose.
> And really, really check those valve cover gaskets.
> 
> You'll be amazed at where that oil can run down to from the top.
> 
> In fact, before I did anything else, I'd just replace them so I could take
> a
> look at them.  If everything seemed ok, then I'd go to the pan gasket.  If
> you jack your scout up so the springs can fully extend, you'll have plenty
> of room to get the pan off.  It's not a bad job, but it is a dirty one.
> Hope you like the taste of 50W.
> 
> John Stricker
> 
> jstricke@domain.elided
> 
> "I didn't spend all these years getting to the top of the food chain
> just to become a vegetarian"
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stegmann, Steve <Steve.Stegmann@domain.elided>
> To: 'EldonMcf@domain.elided' <EldonMcf@domain.elided>; 'ihc@domain.elided'
> <ihc@domain.elided>
> Cc: jstricke@domain.elided <jstricke@domain.elided>; jlandry@domain.elided
> <jlandry@domain.elided>; n9ads@domain.elided <n9ads@domain.elided>
> Date: Monday, March 15, 1999 9:29 AM
> Subject: Oil Leak
> 
> 
> :Guys,
> :
> :I'm searching for an oil leak.  I stopped the leaking pressure sender
> with
> a
> :new one, same pressure readings, no leaks.
> :
> :Next lets turn to the rear of the engine.  Take off the front flywheel
> :cover, and the throwout bearing inspection plate.  there's oil dripping
> from
> :the cast block to which the clutch pedal fork attaches.  I imagine this
> is
> :coming from the transmission, it looks like the 50w I just put in there.
> :
> :I should say here that the entire inside of the clutch housing from the
> :engine to the transmission is wet with oil, always has been.
> :
> :There's oil leaking from the back of the engine.  I'm leaning toward the
> oil
> :pan gasket, every other gasket seems to leak except the head gaskets.  I
> :inspected the rear main as well as I could, can't really get to it,
> pretty
> :tight fit.  I worked a piece of clean paper toweling between the flywheel
> :mounting hub and the rear main bearing and it came out clean & dry. (The
> :front main is also dry) The flywheel has had some oil, or liquid on it at
> :one time or another, it isn't perfectly clean, but then it seems "way"
> too
> :dry to account for all the leakage back there. It looks the same as it
> did
> :when I last looked in here a year ago.
> :
> : I've noticed that if the oil pan gasket leaks back there, it will drip
> down
> :inside the front flywheel cover plate, and then the wind from the clutch
> and
> :flywheel can easily whip it arount in there.  BTW the starter gears, and
> the
> :clutch side of the flywheel are dusty dry.
> :
> :Any comments?  I'm way to lazy to replace the rear main unless I *really*
> :need to.
> :
> :How much clearance do I need between the axle and the front part of the
> oil
> :pan to get the oil pan out without disconnecting the axle?  I have a 2"
> :skyjacker which works out to 4" of lift in the front and 3" in the back
> :based upon Eldons ride height information.
> :
> :Thanks,
> :
> :Steve