Oil situation

[BIGSHOMIKE]

This is on my 92, motor only has about 15k or so on it since rebuild. I've added 2 qts in only 300 miles of driving it. The bottom of the motor isn't even dirty yet, and it's not burning any (no smoke of any kind) no puddles, the only place I see any oil is on the very botom of the pan, which is coming from that sensor on the front (level sensor?) my question is when I drive if that leak could intensify to the point of losing that much, there is oil all over the bottom of the car but it looks old, like it's been there awhile. I know new engines use some but a qt every 150 miles?

Thanks

 

[Mr Anonymous]

The level sensor could very well be the source of your oil loss, and it probably doesn't take much driving to pick up enough dirt on the undercarriage to make relatively fresh oil look old. Try wiping up as much as you can from underneath and putting a clean piece of cardboard, and old sheet, newspaper, etc. under the car overnight to see if you can positively ID the source of the leak.

 

[sdpatt]

The level sensor is on the back face of the oil pan. It leaks just as much or more when the engine is stopped than when it is running. The oil pressure sender up on the block under the number 3 cylinder on the other hand, will pump oil out at a prodigious rate when the engine is running, but not much at all when the engine is stopped.

 

[BIGSHOMIKE]

Okay, last night I did some more investigating. The stuff on the bottom is only on the drivers side and it's trans fluid. I check the sensor on the block and it's bone dry. I also checked the cooler and around there, filter etc, and by the pullies under the car. I got a clean shop towel and wiped up around where I couldn't see as well and couldn't find anything. I filled it to full yeturday at lunch and this morning it had already moved 1/4 way between full and add. i also checked to see if the was coolent in the oil or vice versa. My 95 ATX uses about 1/2 qt between changes but you can see drips from it. This is wierd. There is no oil on the ground under it and it has been parked in the same place since I got it last month. Anything else I could check?

Thanks

 

[projectSHO89]

If it's using oil at that rate, and not dripping, it has to be going out the exhaust.

Have someone follow you while driving and see if there's blue smoke.

At that rate of consumption, you should be getting conscripted by the military to work as a smoke screen generator.

Go back and check under the engine. Look here for a description of what to look for: http://www.shoforum.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=17;t=004872#000001

Steve

 

[shojuan]

projectSHO89:
If it's using oil at that rate, and not dripping, it has to be going out the exhaust.

Have someone follow you while driving and see if there's blue smoke.

At that rate of consumption, you should be getting conscripted by the military to work as a smoke screen generator.

Go back and check under the engine. Look here for a description of what to look for: http://www.shoforum.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=17;t=004872#000001

Steve

My Mazda B2600 truck burns 1 quart of oil every 200 miles and you can't see any smoke coming out the back!

 

[BIGSHOMIKE]

I got ahold of the guy who rebuilt the engine. He had the same problem with a ford V6 (not a SHO) and it was a pinhole in a sensor. There is no trace around the pressure sensor but when I get home I am going to wrap a shop towel around both sensors then go drive it the see if one gets oil soaked. I'm sure it's not burning it.

 

[BIGSHOMIKE]

OK, that produced nothing.I put it up on jackstands and ran it for awhile and looked around last night, all I found was a small exauhst leak and a dead wasp. As clean as the motor is this should be like shooting fish in a barrell, I'm starting to get a little nervous, remembering the horror stories of guys in high school draining 15 qts out of the old chevys. Is there any sort of dye I could purchase to assist me here? mabye similar to the type they use in AC systems?

Thanks

 

[SHOZ123]

If it's leaking that much oil the back of the car would be covered in it. My '97 was leaking at the oil cooler this fall to the tune of a quart every 500. It covered my rear bumper with a fine layer of oil and dust. You must be burning it. Try Auto-RX.

 

[LaTechSHO]

yes there is a dye for oil that is just like that which they use in A/C systems.... glows under blacklight and everything

Tracerline makes it i believe.... my store sells it and you should be able to find it at any real parts store.... (which doesn't include autozone/advanced auto)

Louis

 

[BIGSHOMIKE]

Thanks, I was hoping there was. Lets say It is getting past the rings, wouldn't there be signs? Theres no smoke, and when I replaced the wires I pulled all the plugs and cleaned/ regapped them, there was no signs of oil on the plugs or in the wells. And would there be a loss of compression/power if that much was getting by? The place that rebuilt the motor will stand behind thier work, so my only concern is just figuring out where it's all going. I will try the dye this weekend if I can find it. Thanks for the help.

Mike