Small oil leak
01-17-2019, 09:24 PM
#1
New Member
Thread Starter
Small oil leak
Here is a photo with the bolt hole circled
I have a small oil leak coming from where the engine oil pan ends and meets the transmission, I’m missing the bolt closest to the front bumper. I’m wondering if this is a internal leak or will getting a new bolt (if someone could provide dimensions or a part number that would be great) fix the problem. (Also the oil above if is from a cracked filter cap which is fixed)
Last edited by Robhuckell@gmail.com; 01-17-2019 at 09:27 PM. Reason: Forgot to put a picture in
01-18-2019, 07:49 AM
#2
Pretty sure that bolt you are referencing fastens the oil pan to the transmission. There is no oil flow and seal between the pan and the transmission. The pan only seals along the top side to the block. If you have oil leaking there I would guess it is coming from your rear main seal which you have to remove the transmission to replace.
01-18-2019, 08:51 AM
#3
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Thread Starter
Pretty sure that bolt you are referencing fastens the oil pan to the transmission. There is no oil flow and seal between the pan and the transmission. The pan only seals along the top side to the block. If you have oil leaking there I would guess it is coming from your rear main seal which you have to remove the transmission to replace.
01-18-2019, 09:26 AM
#5
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01-18-2019, 09:51 AM
#6
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Before you jump to replacing your rear main, clean all the oil off and watch for fresh. Also see if your oil level is actually dropping. Replacing a rear main is not a quick process and if they salt the roads where you live or the car has been driven in salted roads the subframe bolts will be a royal bitch to remove and you'll likely end up replacing at least one of the bolts.
01-18-2019, 09:58 AM
#7
The rear main seal on my Ford truck drips a little every time I park it but I just throw down a piece of cardboard and let it drip. I don't lose a noticeable amount of oil so it isn't worth the trouble of replacing it at this time. If I have to drop the trans again for some other reason I will deal with it then. Ultimately it's up to you to decide.
01-18-2019, 10:03 AM
#8
Before you jump to replacing your rear main, clean all the oil off and watch for fresh. Also see if your oil level is actually dropping. Replacing a rear main is not a quick process and if they salt the roads where you live or the car has been driven in salted roads the subframe bolts will be a royal bitch to remove and you'll likely end up replacing at least one of the bolts.
01-18-2019, 06:16 PM
#9
New Member
Thread Starter
Before you jump to replacing your rear main, clean all the oil off and watch for fresh. Also see if your oil level is actually dropping. Replacing a rear main is not a quick process and if they salt the roads where you live or the car has been driven in salted roads the subframe bolts will be a royal bitch to remove and you'll likely end up replacing at least one of the bolts.
The rear main seal on my Ford truck drips a little every time I park it but I just throw down a piece of cardboard and let it drip. I don't lose a noticeable amount of oil so it isn't worth the trouble of replacing it at this time. If I have to drop the trans again for some other reason I will deal with it then. Ultimately it's up to you to decide.
01-19-2019, 07:48 PM
#10
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I cleaned it up before going to my buddies, oil level is the same and no new oil, I drove for about 20mins. Is that long enough to know if there’s a internal leak?
01-19-2019, 11:36 PM
#12
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01-20-2019, 01:36 PM
#13
Make sure that nothing up top is leaking down. Make sure the valve cover is not leaking down in between the engine and trans. These cars are known for the fuel pump direction pump o ring leaking oil as well and dripping down through the bell housing, replaced mine when the pump failed and my oil leak went away. Still may be the rear main if its oil dripping out and nothing up top is leaking. Also make sure that its not gear oil or brake fluid
01-20-2019, 03:22 PM
#16
Honestly that's the front of the engine from what I can tell in the picture so axle seal isn't likely, and it looks like it's coming down from higher up. Most likely the o ring on the fuel pump leaking down and in between the engine and trans. That's exactly how mine looked.
01-20-2019, 08:21 PM
#17
If you can't isolate the source of the leak, I would suggest picking up some engine oil dye from the auto parts store. Pour the dye into the oil, drive the vehicle, and then use a UV light to inspect the area. The dye will show where the leak is coming from as well as the type of leak. If you find that there is no dye present in the oil that has leaked out, that indicates that the leak is coming from the transmission input shaft seal, and not from the real main engine seal.
01-20-2019, 08:41 PM
#18
I agree. Still sucks if its the input shaft seal. Could be multiple things in that area. Careful inspection and patience will prevent unnecessary repairs and a parts cannon. Rear main seal, input shaft seal, oil filter housing cap o ring, fuel pump o ring, edge of valve cover by the fuel pump (TSB on that one), and there's a cam position sensor right there as well, and also the camshaft end cap o ring. I unintentionally fixed mine when the pump went bad. I noticed no more oil leak. And also the other thing is the bell housing seals pretty tight against the trans, so even if you did fix the leak by messing with the oil filter, any oil trapped in the bell housing will slowly leak out for a while.
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01-20-2019, 08:47 PM
#19
New Member
Thread Starter
Make sure that nothing up top is leaking down. Make sure the valve cover is not leaking down in between the engine and trans. These cars are known for the fuel pump direction pump o ring leaking oil as well and dripping down through the bell housing, replaced mine when the pump failed and my oil leak went away. Still may be the rear main if its oil dripping out and nothing up top is leaking. Also make sure that its not gear oil or brake fluid
Honestly that's the front of the engine from what I can tell in the picture so axle seal isn't likely, and it looks like it's coming down from higher up. Most likely the o ring on the fuel pump leaking down and in between the engine and trans. That's exactly how mine looked.
If you can't isolate the source of the leak, I would suggest picking up some engine oil dye from the auto parts store. Pour the dye into the oil, drive the vehicle, and then use a UV light to inspect the area. The dye will show where the leak is coming from as well as the type of leak. If you find that there is no dye present in the oil that has leaked out, that indicates that the leak is coming from the transmission input shaft seal, and not from the real main engine seal.
01-20-2019, 08:48 PM
#20
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Thread Starter
01-20-2019, 08:53 PM
#21
Rear main seal is kind of rare on these cars. I think your good. I had the trans out three times in mine and the rear main was bone dry so I didn't mess with it. I just did my clutch and had a problem with the clutch pipe not sealing and some brake fluid got into the bell housing. Since it's a tight seal, even though I had fixed the leak. I had brake fluid slowly dripping out for a week and a half. Lots of cavities where oil can get to. Why did your engine get replaced?
01-20-2019, 11:49 PM
#25
New Member
Thread Starter
Rear main seal is kind of rare on these cars. I think your good. I had the trans out three times in mine and the rear main was bone dry so I didn't mess with it. I just did my clutch and had a problem with the clutch pipe not sealing and some brake fluid got into the bell housing. Since it's a tight seal, even though I had fixed the leak. I had brake fluid slowly dripping out for a week and a half. Lots of cavities where oil can get to. Why did your engine get replaced?
