Massive Oil Leaking - need advice...

[ViperMan]

Well, I've just sunk a ton of time and money doing the tuneup, the new carb, and completely rewiring the engine bay.  I took it to my shop today and changed the oil - 10w30 high-mileage.  Took it out on the highway to go up for job interview, and once I got up to speed and such and was cruising, I look behind me to see smoke just rolling out from under the car.  I was leaving a plume.

Up in the air, the car is just covered with oil underneath - the heaviest concentration seems to be at the back of the block, between the engine and trans - now I know a rear main seal sounds like the source, but is it going to leak that bad while driving?  I heard they leak most when idling at a stand-still.  I've also got oil just all over the pan - all over, from front to rear and side to side.  I'm THINKING maybe an oil pan gasket, which shouldn't be TOO bad to R&R...  I probably have to drop the steering link, but that's not too tough.  Is there more involved in an oil pan R&R?

Valve cover gaskets have minor seapage, nothing that looks bad.  Heads seems solid.

NOW, I know you can replace the rear main while the oil pan is out, but I have NO IDEA how to do it...  Can you guys give me some tips?  Also, where can I get a rear main seal at a decent price?  Will a local auto parts store be able to get one?  Felpro maybe?  I dunno...

At this point, I'm thinking Carlisle is going to be a loss.  There's no way I can go rolling up to that show with smoke pourin' off the car...  I'd get laughed right off the grounds.  What do you guys think?

Jeff

Stupid...

[Oldschool]

Could be any number of sources.  Try and get it as clean as possible and on a lift.  While under the car with a good shop light, see if it is leaking while shut down, then while idling, and then at a few rpm.  See if you can pin down where it is coming from by locating any fresh oil getting on areas you just cleaned.  Good luck...........       

[cudabob496]

There's a tap at the back of the engine at the top for the oil pressure guage. Maybe a leak around
there?  Also, with the engine off, and distributor out, you can use a power drill to run the oil pump to get oil pressure up. Last time I had that situation, it was an out of wack valve cover gasket.

[Bullitt-]

Could be the back end gasket of the intake manifold...you won't see much leakage sitting still but under acceleration the oil pours out.  I had a small version of this problem I discovered with front end raised with motor running.

[sleepychallenger]

not questioning your abilities, but did you check to see if maybe you double gasketed the oil filter? it has happend to the best of us, just dont see the old one still up there sometimes. um, other than that...dont know, all was well before the oil change right?

[ViperMan]

not questioning your abilities, but did you check to see if maybe you double gasketed the oil filter? it has happend to the best of us, just dont see the old one still up there sometimes. um, other than that...dont know, all was well before the oil change right?

Actually not quite - just before puttin' her down for a week to rewire the engine bay, we took a trip to the southern part of PA - on the way back she was starting to smoke, but it wasn't nearly as bad.

I did double check the gasket as I installed the new oil filter - all was well.  Having been a lube tech for a while, I learned to double and triple check that oil filter gasket!  Thanks for thinkin' of it though.

I'm really thinking oil pan, but that intake gasket sounds like something to check, too.  Does oil AND coolant travel through the intake manifold?

Jeff

[nivvy]

Rear main seal???

[sleepychallenger]

I'm really thinking oil pan, but that intake gasket sounds like something to check, too.  Does oil AND coolant travel through the intake manifold?

Jeff

oil is under the intake and blocked by that valley pan (if it leaks then it would spill out oil) and coolant runs through the intake. was there oil on the top of the bell housing?

[Bullitt-]

   coolant runs through the intake to the heads & is sealed by the L&R gaskets, no oil runs through the intake but at the front & rear it is contained in the block by the intake seals/gaskets. In my case one side of the rear intake seal had slipped during installation leaving about a 1/4" gap & I was loosing about a quart of oil every tank of gas but none was dripping to the ground while sitting still.   



<EDIT> I discovered this after two mechanics diagnosed a leaking rear main seal.

[cudabob496]

A messed up intake manifold gasket will allow oil to be sucked into the cylinders and produce smoke. Maybe check the intake manifold bolts.

[ViperMan]

Ahh I'm very sorry the winner goes to anyone who might have suggested the oil pressure sender...

Yes the oil pressure sender was soaked in oil and we watched it spitting oil when idling.  It's running down the passenger side of the bellhousing/engine and onto the oil filter, dripping from that onto the exhaust collector just beneath it.

The last guy to work on this engine - we'll call him "The Idiot", for anyone who's followed recent posts on my wiring projects and the like, replaced the standard one-wire-for-dummy-light sending unit with a cheap-thing-for-a-guage fitting with a plastic line running out of it.  The plastic line however was never connected, and was simply folded up a bunch of times and wrapped with electrical tape.  This plastic has now given out inside the pressure fitting, and is leaking like a sieve.

Thank God for my jobber account with Advanced Auto Parts - O.E. replacement piece, $3.50.

Should be back up and running tomorrow.

Thanks for the tips guys.  See you at Carlisle (provided nothing ELSE goes wrong...)

Jeff

[360 'CUDA]

 

That's not funny

[ViperMan]

New oil pressure switch installed, leaking has stopped, remaining oil is just burning off - should be good to go for Carlisle.  $4.92 total repair (Advanced had the wrong part - got it from Napa.)

Jeff

[Oldschool]

Glad it was an inexpensive fix.....        

[cudabob496]

At least it didn't let go right behind the oil pressure guage inside the car!