Oil Leak 2.9

[PhilinPA]

Hi there,
1990 with 125,000 miles 2.9 V-6 leaking oil. Occasionally there is a drip on the mat under the truck but it looks wet on the engine. I am wondering should I clean the engine first and then run a dye test to locate the oil leak or do I just run the dye test and then attack the leak. Also, the valve cover gaskets were replaced about 10 years ago and I expect to replace them this go around. While I am at it any suggestions on anything else I should replace? Maybe coolant and heater hoses and while I am at it the radiator or even the heater core?
Thanks

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Thats valve cover.

Rear main/pan is the other ones

 

[JustAnother90B2]

Check your intake mani gaskets. I did my valve and oh man did I need to replace my intake too.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Valve covers are notorious for oil leaks on these. I took to using gasket shellac on new gaskets and snug them down with the shellac tacky (the instructions on the bottle say to let it dry then install it and it’s messy to do it with the stuff not dry, but it will take a dead blow hammer to remove the valve cover when you do it wet which means no leaks).

My one 00 Ranger was suspected of a rear main leak. Both myself and two mechanics agreed. When the transmission acted up, I used both issues to justify doing a 5.0 swap. Turned out the rear main was perfectly dry. It was like the Sahara around it. The valve covers were both leaking in the very back where it was running down the back of the block and appearing like I had a rear main leak.