Mysterious Oil Leak

[88Rangerr]

Alright so if you saw my other post my 4x4 doesnt work and while i was looking at it today i noticed the underside of my engine is covered in oil. I opened the hood and looked for any leaking up there, didnt find anything. It has to be towards the back, becuase 1) i cant see it. and 2) i JUST replaced the valve cover gaskets..... so anybody know any common leaks towards the rear of a 2.9?

thanks,
Nate H.

 

[Guilius]

yes....the Rear Main Seal.
it would explain the oil all over the bottom and not the top

 

[88Rangerr]

yeah that what i was thinking...thanks.

 

[cowboykilroy]

If you replaced the valve cover gaskets then noticed the oil leak I would be going back and checking that the gasket was in the right place. If you overtightened the bolts the gasket can squeeze out and cause a leak

 

[Eaglefixer]

what about the OIL PRESSURE SWITCH located on the drivers side down low on the engine

 

[88Rangerr]

the gaskets couldn't be overtightened, they have metal stoppers if they ever did get over tightened. i just snugged them up so I knew they'd seal. I dont see any oil around them either.

 

[doorgunner]

......my wife's car had an oil leak...took the dealership a month to find it as we brought it in each time the leak started dripping--it would cover the side of the engine....

turned out to be a pin-hole in the casting that would open up when the car sat in traffic......

get a can of carb cleaner.....drop the flywheel dust-cover & wash off the oily area....then drive it til the engine warms up good/drip starts.......

 

[88Rangerr]

I actually may have found it today. I looked at the low oil level sensor on the drivers side of the oil pan and where the wires run into the sensor was covered in oil and just about to let another drop fall. hopefully...

 

[Eaglefixer]

glad to see you found the leak

 

[RangerDanger]

Front main seal/timing cover gasket??

 

[86rangerxlt]

the gaskets couldn't be overtightened, they have metal stoppers if they ever did get over tightened. i just snugged them up so I knew they'd seal. I dont see any oil around them either.

those are the cork gaskets right? those seem to be pretty forgiving. i replaced mine with the rubber ones then after setting my valves and having the covers off and on they were done. ive had the covers off so many times with the cork ones and no leaks yet.

 

[88Rangerr]

Yeah i got the cork ones. They work great, in fact, i actually had a little easier time of getting them on and in place than the rubber ones. had to replace rubber ones when I got the truck, had to do it again this past summer.

 

[feellnfroggy]

the gaskets couldn't be overtightened, they have metal stoppers if they ever did get over tightened. i just snugged them up so I knew they'd seal. I dont see any oil around them either.

They cant get overtightened in the sense that it would mess up the gasket, but I put about 3 lbs too much pressure on my valve cover bolts once and twisted the head right of, it dont take much. You may not have done what i did but its possible you stretched it and allowed a leak, or tightened in the wrong order, yes, this applies to valve covers too. although problems are alot less common.

The OPSU is a possibility, rear main seal, as well as the oilpan gasket. just keep cleaning and eliminating suspects.

 

[88Rangerr]

Well I'd get under it right now with a pressure washer but I'm up in Maine with 5 feet of snow and -5º temps. I'll keep looking when I can, but I really believe its the low oil level sensor on the drivers side of the oil pan.

 

[IRKillroy]

well, work it backwards... and keep in mind, we know what you tell us.

if it didn't leak before you did the valve cover gaskets then more than likely it's from you doing the valve cover gaskets.

The only way the Oil Pressure sensor would start leaking is if you hit it with something.

I've done my VCs so many times adjusting my valves, when I'm in a rush or lazy I get a crappy leak so I have to re-do them. Just take them off again and see for yourself. If you had a little bit of say, silicone from something oil would get by.

just a thought... hope you find the leak.