What could be the possible leak?

[Bryan]

Ok so the oil is falling onto my catalytic converter on the front of the motor and burning off. I see a lot of it on the converter. I checked the valve cover gaskets and they don't seem to be leaking. Now I looked down into the engine and it seems right where the motor mount is (closes to the firewall on the passenger side) and it seems to be coated in oil. Also down on the subframe by the CV half shaft (the boot has oil on it as well).

So what could be the possible spots where the oil is coming from? I am about to get the parts, but having a basic idea of what I could be looking at would help. I would spray the motor at my local car wash since they have a special solution that helps to remove sludge and oil, but I am just so afraid that if I do this the car will not start aftewards.

 

[luigisho]

Usually valve covers and cam seals

 

[Bryan]

Usually valve covers and cam seals

Well the valve covers are not leaking. I have since removed that. Guess my next move is the cam seals. Are they hard to change out?

 

[luigisho]

The one by the cam sensor is tight but you can get to it. The trick is to get the new one in without distorting the lip and some of the aftermarket ones I've heard need a little smear of rtv to seal properly. There is probably a how to on the forum and a search will bring up lots of info about this. This site was good except sometimes the pics don't show up anymore http://web.archive.org/web/20110506211942/http://www.shophoenixproject.com/CIDRemoval/CIDremoval.htm

try this one http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=81540

 

[Irish Pride]

It's your cam seal(s) or front main seal. Look down by the crank and I'll bet you see oil coming from the bottom of the timing cover.

 

[sperold]

As far as the car wash goes..... leave it running, and keep an eye on it while you are washing and be ready to stop if you hear the idle drop. Or have someone keep it at 1500 rpm and still keep an eye on it.

 

[NEp8ntballer]

if you understand the concept of gravity then finding a leak is pretty easy. start from the bottom of the motor and then follow the trail upward until it stops.

 

[tery]

second for the cam seal, I've been putting off doing mine and have the same symptoms

 

[Bryan]

if you understand the concept of gravity then finding a leak is pretty easy. start from the bottom of the motor and then follow the trail upward until it stops.

That would be the right thing to do, but seeing as how the motor is covered in sludge its hard to tell. I am debating on getting the engine cleaned to see just exactly where its coming from.

 

[tery]

If you notice the smoke much more after going up a hill or parked facing up hill, again, I'd again say cam sear behind the sensor. I did a ghetto fix with some heavy gauge aluminum foil that trains the drips toward the front of the car and I only get smoke now after going up hill cause the oil trails back toward the manifold, or if I really push it, I think the air movement around that area blows the drip backward.
T

 

[luigisho]

and if you pull the cam sensor you can see whether or not there's oil present there

 

[SHOtimer]

That would be the right thing to do, but seeing as how the motor is covered in sludge its hard to tell. I am debating on getting the engine cleaned to see just exactly where its coming from.

I would do just that.

Doug

 

[rubydist]

the other candidate that I don't think was mentioned is the power steering pump - it could be the pump shaft seal or the o-ring on the return line fitting.

do you have to add engine oil? or power steering fluid? or both regularly?

 

[Bryan]

the other candidate that I don't think was mentioned is the power steering pump - it could be the pump shaft seal or the o-ring on the return line fitting.

do you have to add engine oil? or power steering fluid? or both regularly?

Only engine oil. Power steering is fine. And she only smokes when I sit long enough at say a light or when parked, and only after the engine has gotten up to operating temperature.

For example... Going to work for me is a 36 mile round trip. That's up one way park it and she sits over night for my shift (12 hours), then start her back up and drive home. I lose about half a quart doing this.

Now the car actually runs great! I get around 26-28 mpg on the expressway and the engine doesn't miss a beat, knock or tap of any sort.

 

[Bryan]

and if you pull the cam sensor you can see whether or not there's oil present there

What does the cam sensor look like?

 

[Fordlover96]

The cam sensor is relatively easy to find. Go to the back, left corner of the intake manifold. Then look below it and slightly behind. It looks like the mickey mouse head, sans the ears, with a connector on the top.

 

[rubydist]

half a quart in 36 miles is almost always due to bad valve cover gaskets - I would double check that, especially in the very back passenger side corner, where the gasket likes to get rolled when being installed. take a mirror and a flashlight and look very carefully.

or the cam seals are so rotten as to basically not exist...

 

[SHOtimer]

That's a lot of oil loss!

Whatever you have has got to be a massive leak.

I do agree with Fred. Although you feel like you have already ruled out the valve cover gaskets, you should look again.

Have they been changed recently, or are they original?

Doug

 

[Bryan]

That's a lot of oil loss!

Whatever you have has got to be a massive leak.

I do agree with Fred. Although you feel like you have already ruled out the valve cover gaskets, you should look again.

Have they been changed recently, or are they original?

Doug

the valvecover gaskets are brand new. I even pulled them off to check them. it doesn't seem like oil is leaking out from there. And I feel this even more the case since when I look under the car all the oil that is running off is going down the passenger side and all over the catalytic converter. Even the smoke is coming up from the front of the motor. I just don't know anymore and I don't really know where to take it.

I am at wits end here, and now with my back up car being in a accident and totaled I am just thinking about selling this project to get something to get back and forth to work with.

 

[SHOtimer]

I see in your other thread that you installed them yourself.

Did you use the RTV in the corners, ect?

If you are sure it isn't the valve covers then the remaining options are the cam seals or the crank seal. How old are those seals? The oil pan?

If you arn't losing PS fluid, and losing that much motor oil we can be sure it is motor oil and not PS fluid from the pump/hoses.

Doug