What your looking at is me laying on my back looking up at what I think is the starter. MY issue is with the oil I see collecting along the bell housing. Anyone ever seen this before. I'm going to check tomorrow to see if I'm still covered.





Woody

 

what engine are we looking at exactly? do you know where its coming from or are you asking us?

 

looks like a rear main seal leak, but it could also be your valve cover gaskets.

 

2002 5.4L

Woody

 

could be rear main, oil pan gasket, valve cover gasket. i'd check or replace the pcv valve(motorcraft only). if its clogged then the pressure in the crankcase will escape through the weakest part which happens to be the gaskets and seals. and if thats not the problem then i'd clean it up and put oil dye in it and drive it while checking it each day until you start to see it leaking. it should help you out.

 

Pop the rubber inspection plug out of the bottom of your bellhousing. If oil runs out then you have a rear main leaking if not then look at the rear of the rightside cyl head. Check around the plugs and head gasket as well as the cam cover. I would also take a look in the valley under the intake manifold for any oil leaking at the head gasket to block joint.

 

Absolutely positive! That is the typical result of the pass side head gasket leaking oil. There is an oil feed in the back side of the cylinder head that will leak externally. This is most often with the 99 model year. Had a real problem with those. I am in the process of replacing head gaskets on an 02 Lightning for the same thing, only it is leaking into the valley under the intake. This one has 152K on it, though.

 

Yup. Take a flashlight and look up a little higher. You can usually see where the leak starts at the rear of the passenger side head. Might be able to see it through the wheelwell also. My 02 4.6 had an oil seep there when I bought it. I never really worried about it since it was pretty minor, but the last couple of times I've checked it seems to have dried up. I wasn't expecting that but I'll take it.

 

its valve cover gasket or head gasket... most likely headgasket

 

My '03 5.4 work truck had what looks like a similiar leak ... turned out to be a head gasket leak. Eventually it caused oil to drop on the cat, giving me the nice smell of burning oil in the cab.

Area of oil leak (after cleaning by the mechanic)





Method he chose to make the repair

 

What we found regarding the oil leak in that area was during the cyl head installation by the robot a small aluminum chip would be shaved off the head by the locating dowel right at the edge of the head to block deck locating hole. The chip would drop right in the worst place possible, right across the head gasket sealing bead for the high pressure oil supply hole. Some would never leak and others would. The process was changed to eliminate the problem. The other issue with a leak in this area was an overheat. If the engine overheated the head would warp allowing the rear of the passenger side cyl head to rise. The clamp load would be compromised and a leak would result. Some of these engines will also leak at the front of the driverside cyl head as well as the high pressure oil supply hole is at the front of the block on the driverside. But because it leaks behind the front cover and is very minor you will never know it and it causes no concern. In the case of an overheat that caused the leak I have seen where retorquing the cyl head bolts will stop the leak. This works about 50% of the time. Remove the cam cover and torque the head bolts another 90 degs. If it works your good to go if not you do what you were going to do anyway...replace the head gasket. Take care.

 

I know this is an old thread but, I am just wondering if anyone has just tried to snug up (90 degrees) the head bolts with success. If so, what needs to be removed to access those bolts? Do I just snug the right side back (if that is where the leak is at) or snug up the whole right side?

TIA, Jaq

 

My guess would be do the whole side. only doing where the leak is,,would cause it to leak somewhere else on the gasket. only caveat i would say is if it wont go the 90 dont force it,,, if not near the leak!!!!!