Violently blew out an unknown gasket the other day…

[RangerReviver1990]

On Sunday, I was heading to work and usually I like to let my truck run for ~5 minutes before I leave to my engine can warm up just a little bit because it has a bad lifter chatter. But that day, it was struggling to stay running, it was like someone was gradually press the gas and then let off the gas, and it did this once in a while. So I thought if I at least got the truck running, my engine would kind of calm down. I throw it into reverse and I watch the tachometer shoot up to 2500 and then starts to move, and it only did it that one time. I shifted from Park, Reverse, and Drive a couple times but it just acted normal. I didn’t think nothing of it until I pulled into a turn off for a gas station and I smelt oil, like burnt oil, I pull into the gas station and notice smoke coming out of the hood, I opened up my hood and saw oil sprayed on the entire left side of my engine bay and a massive puddle of oil spewing out from under my truck. I had to abandon it in an empty parking lot until someone could tow it back to my house because it lost all of its oil. My suspicion is a crank seal or the oil pan gasket has blew out I can’t really see all that much because everything has oil on it. I know the 4.0 has leaking problems, but idk what happened. Anyone got any ideas? Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[rusty ol ranger]

On Sunday, I was heading to work and usually I like to let my truck run for ~5 minutes before I leave to my engine can warm up just a little bit because it has a bad lifter chatter. But that day, it was struggling to stay running, it was like someone was gradually press the gas and then let off the gas, and it did this once in a while. So I thought if I at least got the truck running, my engine would kind of calm down. I throw it into reverse and I watch the tachometer shoot up to 2500 and then starts to move, and it only did it that one time. I shifted from Park, Reverse, and Drive a couple times but it just acted normal. I didn’t think nothing of it until I pulled into a turn off for a gas station and I smelt oil, like burnt oil, I pull into the gas station and notice smoke coming out of the hood, I opened up my hood and saw oil sprayed on the entire left side of my engine bay and a massive puddle of oil spewing out from under my truck. I had to abandon it in an empty parking lot until someone could tow it back to my house because it lost all of its oil. My suspicion is a crank seal or the oil pan gasket has blew out I can’t really see all that much because everything has oil on it. I know the 4.0 has leaking problems, but idk what happened. Anyone got any ideas? Any help would be greatly appreciated

The fact you had to rev it to 2500 to get it to move kinda makes me believe its an trans line or something related...assuming you have an auto.

Best thing to do is identify the oil that spurted...trans fluid and motor oil will smell (or if youre into adventure, taste) very different.

Check the engine oil level, and trans fluid and see which is low. If you blew that much it pry wont even register on the stick anymore

 

[19Walt93]

/\ Like he said, locate the leak before you do anything else. Checking the fluid levels is a good first step, thn look fo obvious signs of the leak. Assuming you can't see it, I'd clean the engine bay then have someone start it while you watch for leaks. It sounds like the leak will show up quick and you'll want someone to be ready to shut it off as soon as you see where it's coming from. I use a product called Pink Stuff, Awesome Pink, or Incredible Pink- depending on where I buy it. Our recon department used to buy it in 55 gallon drums. I believe it's designed to be a whitewall cleaner but it works good as a degreaser, spray it on, wait a few minutes and hose it off. The fumes are pretty rugged so do it outside.

 

[Shran]

Also agreed, you need to identify what type of oil you're dealing with.

If you lost that much, that quickly, it was something pressurized. By left side, do you mean driver's side or passenger side? Oil filter & trans cooler lines are on the passenger side, power steering is on the driver's side... those will all make a huge mess if they blow out.

 

[Curious Hound]

Listen to those guys ^^^^.

but, really, all that verbiage and no pictures? I don’t think it really happened.

 

[superj]

hopefully your oil filter didn't come loose.