I am going to be purchasing a 1995 F250 from a coworker this week. It has 267k on it but seeing how I need a vehicle and the price is right ($500) i'm going for it. It has a substantial (looks like someone poured a quart on ground where it parks) oil leak from the rear passenger side of motor. (you can hear it sizzle as it hits the exhaust manifold) It only seems to leak when driving. I believe he said it had a 302, but i'm not positive about that. He drives it often but says he doesn't drive it more because it goes through so much oil. I realize that I have not purchased this truck yet but I am trying to get ideas of what to possibly repair so i can be "prepared" this weekend and work on it. Thank you for any ideas. I will post more info as I find out. Thanks again!

 

Could be a lot of things. 5 minute fix to a whole weekend... who knows. If its leaking that bad it should be pretty easy to see where its coming from. If its not obvious I'd get some UV dye and a light to help pinpoint it. For $500 you can't go wrong unless a LOT of stuff is wrong... It's worth $350 or so for scrap price.

 

Actually, it is probably worth more than 500 for scrap metal.

 

I agree. But i have to have a vehicle and the oil leak is the only problem with this truck. I am newly married and my wife has some medical problems that require weekly trips to the hospital. If i have to i will just keep putting oil in it. It has a new transmission (less then 10k) and suspension as well as brakes all around. Right now until after we get my wife well i have no other options for transportation. My coworker is giving me the deal so i can take care of my wife. Plus there is just something about a ford truck

 

If the problem with the motor is big enough, it's going to either be very expensive, or very time consuming. But sometimes you can find running motors with a lot less miles for about 500 bucks. Recently CL in my area had 2 351w and a 460 for 250 bucks each. If I took that truck in for scrap they'd give me more than he bought that for..

 

The 302s I have had would lose oil in three areas. Valve cover gaskets, Bad PCV valve, and rear main seal.
1 The PCV system should be checked first as if thats not working it will cause the valve covers and every other seal to leak. Check the valve and hoses for clogs. Easy and cheap.
2 The valve cover gaskets are a pain to replace but it doesn't require a bunch of tools or money.
3 The dreaded rear main seal requires transmission removal to repair.

Its probably the valve cover gaskets and a malfunctioning PCV system. The oil pans on this era truck are known to leak but that wouldn't leak on the exhaust.
I hope its cheap and quick and most important that your wife gets better soon.
Regards
rikard

 

Thank you for the kind words wishing my wife well. She asked me to extend her thank you. As for the truck, i plan on giving it a very close inspection this weekend. I have since been told that it is a 351c but i plan on cleaning motor and trying to trace leak no matter engine size. It "sprays" oil when accelerating and might leak a drop or two when parked. If nothing else I will keep a case of oil in toolbox. After all my wife is more important then a truck. I have read that oil filter seal could be one thing to look at in this particular engine. As always I will post more as known/needed. Thank you all for the help you have already extended and i'm sure will continue to. Im kinda new to this whole forum format and everyone here has certainly made a positive impact

 

Welcome to the forum. The engine might be a 5.8 (351w) but its not a 351c. Your engine can be identified by the eighth character of the VIN or the VECI label under the hood. It should also be stamped in bold letters on the intake manifold. The 351 w or Windsor is related to the 302w, but its taller and wider. The 351c was a Cleveland and is an older engine that was dropped in the 70s. The 460 was also offered on the F250 as well.
A common problem with oil filters is that the seal from the old filter will stick to the block and the new filter will not seal. Use a Motorcraft oil filter and clean the mating surface carefully.
Regards
rikard

 

The filter is on the driver's side. I wish the best for your wife too. PCV, just to clarify in case the OP hasn't heard of it or is unclear as to what it it, is the positive crank ventilation valve, and they can clog, building pressure in the crankcase, which will push oil out of seals. They are a bit hidden on these trucks, but really not bad to replace. A spray sounds like more like a gasket thats severely torn. Just don't run her out of oil, my old 351 used to use a quart of oil for every fillup, and I put about 80k miles it like that before the carbon buildup got to the point of keeping 1 of the exhaust valves from sealing. Then I ran it for 3k on 7 cylinders...gotta do what you gotta do, and health is the most important thing.

 

The only two leak sources mentioned that actually could get on the manifold are the valve cover and maybe the rear seal if it could miraculously spray out of the bell housing and get on the lower manifold. But the valve cover seal is right above the manifold and is likely the culprit, especially if the PCV is clogged and pressurizing the crankcase.

I would start with the PCV valve, it's only like 4 bucks. You can find it just between the intake manifold and the firewall on a 351w. It's in a hose above the valve cover. Hope your wife gets well!