Weird Oil Leak 302

George Snyder · #1 (**permalink**) 05-11-2003, 06:07 PM

I need help! I have a small oil leak around #3 cylinder on my engine. It sprays tiny droplets of oil about the size of a pencil point on card board when i insert it between the head and headers. I have layed under the car while someone reved the engine to above 2k where it starts to leak. I can not find the source. I changed head gaskets a short time ago and it was doing it before new gaskets also. Heres where I am so far.
1. Not valve cover gaskets.
2. Not head gasket.
3. Not head stud as first suspected, but that would be coolant.
4. It did slow down after i retorqued the header bolts, but the
plug is not fouled.
Cracked in alum. head? If so wouldn't it have to be directing above edge of rings? The fans are not running, so it is not blowing from another source.
Any thoughts at all please help.
I have the registration coming and want to drive the car without the smoke! 421 miles on engine.
Thanks,
Bud

turnpike boy · #2 (**permalink**) 05-11-2003, 07:21 PM

but I've had an oil leak in my XB3 crate motor too. Mine was at the #5 cylinder location, but was pooling oil on the lip on the bottom edge, topside of the valve cover. Turns out it's a crack in the cover, so fine you cannot see it - discovered when I yanked the cover and saw that the exh. rocker arm was rubbing on the cover. The inside of the cover (at the rocker location) was polished about 1/8" dia., and this had also caused the crack. Would weep oil only when running, and had no discernable source. Cure, until new covers arrive, was to shove the cover upward as much as the bolts will allow, and tighten down there - pretty much stopped the problem. Like I said, not sure if your troubles are similar - but worth a check.

Rich · #3 (**permalink**) 05-11-2003, 08:29 PM

If you've relocated the dipstick to an aftermarket oil pan, make sure the dipstick hole in the block is fully sealed.

Rich

George Snyder · #4 (**permalink**) 05-11-2003, 08:56 PM

Thanks guys,
Rich,
I screwed up a little. I listed the wrong cylinder. It is #7 not 3.
I realized that Ford numbered their cylinders in order, but i had the number flipped. Sorry I am new to Ford Engines.

Turnpikeboy,
I am completely sure it is not the valve cover leaking. I have had them off and on six times now. I used rubber and cork gaskets. I even when to studs so i could position the gasket to cover as much of the flange on the head as possiable. The gaskets do not match very well, I might add. Both sides are now permatexed with #2.

It acts like it is coming from the header bolt. I guess it is possiable that the cylinder wall could have gotten scared or the rings damaged from the leaking head gasket. But why is the plug not fouled with oil? There also was no coolant in the oil from the blown gasket. It just leaked coolant out onto the head and sprayed out the header and header bolts. You could see it bubbling as it hit the hot headers.
Thanks for your help. Maybe others will post so suggestions.
Bud

Rick Parker · #5 (**permalink**) 05-11-2003, 10:36 PM

If the oil dipstick is on the drivers side and enters the pan on the side near the middle of the block, check that area. There is a gasket used on the fitting that seals the dipstick tube in the pan (OEM pan) the gasket can deteriorate or be destroyed by "hot tank process" during engine rebuild.

Another posibility is that the minute droplets are being emited from the breather cap.

Mr.Fixit · #6 (**permalink**) 05-12-2003, 09:00 AM

Just get teh flouro dye and blacklight and find out for sure where it is escaping. I will admit I have changed the wrong gaskets before while trying to fix oil leaks, that is irritating.

George Snyder · #7 (**permalink**) 05-12-2003, 03:21 PM

Mr. Fixit,

Where do I find this Dye and lite? Will it detect oil splaters as small as these? Remember they are only as large as a heavy pencil point. They are not drips, but under pressure splaters when they show up on the white cardboard. All in about a 2 inch diameter circle.
Thanks and I await your response.
Bud

Mr.Fixit · #8 (**permalink**) 05-12-2003, 03:39 PM

You should be able to get the flouro dye at NAPA or off a tool truck. A high intensity black light is used for finding it as it leaks out. The stuff makes your motor oil flouresce and look like the stuff in a firefly's backside, as viewed with a blacklight.

George Snyder · #9 (**permalink**) 05-12-2003, 03:56 PM

Thanks Mr. Fixit.
I will post the results when I find the source.
Bud

George Snyder · #10 (**permalink**) 05-16-2003, 09:38 PM

Mr Fixit,

Decided to try your suggestion to find my oil leak. Found both the dye and the lite at local NAPA store. The cheapest lite they had was $130.

Ouch! I think I will try and find a repair shop that may have one.

My question is this. Is this something that about any average shop would have, or should I try to concentrate my search to a specially shop?

Bud

mr0077 · #11 (**permalink**) 05-17-2003, 03:31 AM

Bud, try Walmart in the bulb section, buy a 60W standard bulb for your drop light, or get a 150W floodlamp bulb and take the shield off the drop light, but be MUCHO!!! CAREFUL if you use the big one, LOTS of heat. The 60 watt worked very well for me, just had a small flashlight in one hand and the drop light in the other, snooped until I found my problems...its like magic. But, do you need to drain the oil after you put the dye in, or wait until your next change? Seems like you drain it, or the bottom of your car will glow for months from little leaks...LOL.

speed220mph · #12 (**permalink**) 05-17-2003, 07:26 AM

George,

If the dye test doesn't work, find a shop that can do a "smoke test". This is the newest way of finding leaks in any engine system, be it oil, coolant, refrigerant or whatever. Smoke can find smaller passages to get out of an enclosed system than does any liquid without making a mess, so smoke would be your best shot at locating your troublesome leak.

In your situation, I suspect they would inject the smoke into the crankcase and study the area immediately around where you suspect the oil is coming from. It shouldn't take long for the leak to be pinpointed.

blykins · #13 (**permalink**) 05-17-2003, 03:18 PM

Well....here's my $.02. I have a 351w block, and I had oil coming around the head stud nuts from where I coated them with oil to torque them. That's the only thing it could be, because on a 351w block, the head studs aren't in any water passages....So I was thinking maybe you're just weeping a little oil from where the nuts were torqued....how much is it actually leaking?

George Snyder · #14 (**permalink**) 05-18-2003, 11:05 AM

GOOD NEWS!!

Installed the dye, but it didn't help, but the good news is that I did find the leak.

I did not install the engine, and it came from Ford with the oil dip stick installed on the passenger side in to the oil pan. I just assumed that that is where it was intended to be.

I should have paid more attention to Rich's post!

I am not sure how they sealed the oil dip stick hole on the drivers side in the block at the Factory, but that was the source of my leak! the oil was being sprayed out the open hole from the crank at higher RPMS. I just never got my head up far enough to see it, as I was concentrating on the upper part of the motor.

I lightly tapped a 1/8 steel plug in the hole for now and will change it to a brass one that can be driven flush to the block.

I sincerely want to thank everyone that responded.
Bud