Just like the header says. I have a horrible oil leak on the drivers side. It looks like the exhaust manifolds are leaking oil? Hopefully you can see in the pics. but the oil is running down the exhaust and burning like crazy. It doesnt look like its the valve cover or the heads leaking. Ive searched every part and came up with nothing. Hoping this is an easy fix seeing I just dropped 4 grand on this truck last week check out the pics and let me know what you think

ill upload pics in just a min

 

Seems to me that you should clean off the oil that's there, that way it may make spotting the leak a little easier.

 

 

what blows my mind is that it looks like its leaking from the front exhaust port and the rear one too. I dont have a clue I may try cleaning it tomorrow to see what i can find

 

What little I DO know is that right below the headers where it "looks" like it's leaking from is the oil filter block, and right next to it should be the oil pressure sending unit. With 2 or 3 oil cooler lines plus the sending unit right there in the general vicinity, I'm bettin' that's where you'll find your leak.

 

thanks Im going to head out now to take a look and see what i can find

 

ok looked a lil bit closer this seams weird but the thing the oil filter screws onto. where that piece bolts to the block is where its leaking? should that even be a possibility I checked all the lines running by the filter they seem fine. should I try tighting that bolt?

 

Someone much smarter than I can chime in on this, but if you look at the filter block there's no other place it could feed other than where it bolts to the block.

If there's a gasket in there it might have blown, or the bolt may be loose. Check the cooler hoses too, you may have a split in one of those lines and it could be spraying.

 

Thanks Ill dig deeper into it tomorrow when its daylight. Hopefully someone has had this happen to them and they can chime in

 

go to Official Ford Parts Site | Buy Motorcraft & OEM Ford Parts Online | FordParts.com , enter your model, go to engine, then search oil cooler and click on "view pic". Looks to be an o-ring between the engine oil cooler adapter and block. I've had these O-rings leak on other types of engines (brother burnt up a 283!). Sounds like a good place to start.

 

Yes, there is an o-ring between the oil cooler (the unit the oil filter screws onto) and the aluminum log it bolts to. I have heard of these coming loose, or the o0ring weeping. Also heard of some coolers getting eaten away by salt and corrosion to the point of getting perforated. But that is pretty extreme and rare.... Your rest of your truck does not look anywhere near that attacked.

The cooler bolts on with a large hex drive. Remove the oil filter and look up inside the oil filter bung to see the head of the bolt that secures the cooler.

Keep in mind there is a lot of air blowing around under the hood. A mist of oil coming out of the oil pressure sender or oil cooler will get blown all over the place, making it unclear where it started.

A can of brake cleaner and some aerosol foot powder are great tools. Thoroughly clean off all the existing oil and then coat it the suspect areas with talcum powder. Start engine. The leak will appear as a dark spot in the white powder.

 

So the dealer just called and said it looked like the head was cracked, theres no oil in the water and no water in the oil what do you guys think I'm talking it for a second opinion Monday. The dealer doesn't want to help out at all. I'm still leaning towards the oil cooler so I may pull it apart Sunday and see what happens. I'll try the brake cleaner and the powder to check for the leak.

 

Well, a cracked head is possible but so uncommon with these. I'd sure be checking the oil cooler first.

 

Took the truck to another mechanic today that I trust and he said its a bad head gasket. I replaced the ones on my 351w so I'm wondering if it's a similar project?

 

The modulars are a different animal than the old 351w engines. The modulars have a front cover that has to be removed. The timing chains, tensioners and etc are behind the front cover. Then add the fact that it is a SOHC vs a OHV the 351 was.

On my 74' F-100 with a 302 I had a similar issue. I'd be driving and all of a sudden a huge puff of smoke from oil hitting the header and sprayed oil in one spot. Turned out to be a bad power steering hose. When I turned to one side it upped the pressure in the hose and moved it slightly causing power steering fluid to shoot out onto the header.