Chasing another oil leak

[double ugly]

I'm getting a puddle of oil under the car the size of a mouse pad. Last night I cleaned the underside of the car and this AM drove the car a few miles to get the liquids up to temp. I parked the car on the lift and checked it after it sat the day. Oil is coming from the driver's side hole in the block plate. A perfect stream of oil the diameter of the 1.5 inch hole. Is a galley plug directly above this hole? Nothing else under the car was oily.
John

[blykins]

There are several things in that area. One is the rear main seal, which I've never heard of one leaking that bad unless it was installed backwards. There are also galley plugs back there, along with a big cam plug.

Was the oil coming out of the block plate?

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by blykins

One is the rear main seal, which I've never heard of one leaking that bad unless it was installed backwards. There are also galley plugs back there, along with a big cam plug.

Brent's pretty much listed them. When you have a leak from the back of an FE the first step in the protocol is to eliminate the possibility that it is either valve covers or the intake manifold leaking. It doesn't sound like that's your problem, unfortunately. If you can stick your finger in the hole of the block plate, just like a proctology exam, and get a glob of oil on the tip of your finger, then you're going to have to separate the trans., pull the bellhousing, clutch, and eyeball the back of the motor.

[blykins]

Why couldn't it have been a gynecological thing, Patrick? Proctology?

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by blykins

Why couldn't it have been a gynecological thing, Patrick? Proctology?

Some might say that FE mechanics and proctologists are in a similar line of work.

[double ugly]

What really pi$$es me off is the car just got put back together. The flywheel was off and a leak should have been obvious.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by double ugly

What really pi$$es me off is the car just got put back together. The flywheel was off and a leak should have been obvious.

Yep, and I'm going to stick my neck out and say if it is leaking profusely from the hole below then I'm calling it a bad galley plug.

[double ugly]

Yup, on the driver's side.

[B737800FO]

Originally Posted by double ugly

Yup, on the driver's side.

I had an issue with this long ago. If the block has cup plugs and you're running an HP/HV oil pump they tend to leak oil ( Like every aircraft I've ever flown)
I always use a thread sealer on the pipe plugs were applicable as well.

-Keith

[FWB]

if it was apart and no signs of a leak then it may be just a pan gasket.
internet diagnostics always seems to be worst case scenario, when its usually
a much simpler solution.
oh and Patrick describing a rectal analogy doesn't surprise me....

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by FWB

if it was apart and no signs of a leak then it may be just a pan gasket.
internet diagnostics always seems to be worst case scenario, when its usually
a much simpler solution.
oh and Patrick describing a rectal analogy doesn't surprise me....

Wait a minute, until yesterday this thread was ten years old....

[FWB]

hehehe, and? trying to back pedal now after 10 years?

[olddog]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Wait a minute, until yesterday this thread was ten years old....

Some things never change.

[twobjshelbys]

Q: How do you know when a side oiler [or any FE] is out of oil?

A: It stops leaking.

[HI Cobra]

Fe side oilers don't leak - they are just marking their territory.

[PJ UPTMOR]

That is what I heard all my life about fe. They marking their territory or property. lol..

[Large Arbor]

My FE is leaking I think at the same place. I can't decide whether to live with it or go after it. It's on the drivers side running down the block plate.

Is it difficult task to do, aside from removing trans, clutch, flywheel, block plate, etc. I mean is the plug difficult to seal?

Phil

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Large Arbor

My FE is leaking I think at the same place. I can't decide whether to live with it or go after it. It's on the drivers side running down the block plate.

Is it difficult task to do, aside from removing trans, clutch, flywheel, block plate, etc. I mean is the plug difficult to seal?

Before you jump to any conclusions, attach something like an old baby's diaper to the back of both heads and along were the intake manifold meets the block and heads. The diapers, or whatever, need to be clean and white. Make them tight up against everything and along all seams, especially the valve covers and the spot were the valve covers, heads, and intakes all meet. Then take it for a nice drive, pull it in the garage, let it sit for an hour, and then inspect the diapers. That's the first step on any FE oil leak diagnosis. That's the one sad thing about seeing your kids grow up, you don't have a supply of clean cloth diapers to use on your car.

[Large Arbor]

I would do exactly as you said except two nights ago I wiped those areas dry and cleaned them well with starter fluid and after 24 hours had no oil showing in those area after wiping them with a rag. Thus my conclusion was its coming from a plug on the drivers side.

I will double check again though before I go after it further so I have a clear conscience.

Phil

[patrickt]

On the bright side, you will not have to pull the engine out and you can couple the task with a clutch freshen-up when you go in there.