Oil Leak near filter

heatwave · #1 (**permalink**) 06-29-2009, 11:24 PM

I have a 1998 F150 XLT with a 4.6, V8 with 171000 miles. I have noticed under the engine on the left side or oil filter side it's wet with engine oil, every time I change oil I use an engine cleaner to wash it off. It doesn't drip on the ground , but it looks kind of sloppy after about a 1000 or more miles. It's not the oil filter leaking, it's the mount on the bottom side of the engine where the filter mounts.
Does these engines have an oil cooler? The mount looks aluminum. How hard or easy is it to repair?

Thanks in advance.....

dragon wagon · #2 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 01:48 AM

Sometimes the oil filter's rubber gasket stays on the filter houseing when its removed!! Placeing another filter with its gasket on top will cause a leak!!
Chris

l-m tech · #3 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 08:31 AM

Sounds like the gasket between oil filter housing and engine block.

Joe Finn · #4 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 08:33 AM

Is your filter mounted up near the driver's side wheel well with hoses going back to the engine?

1ATony · #5 (**permalink**) 07-01-2009, 03:58 PM

Shouldn't be to hard to fix,not sure what seals may be in there.

ford2go · #6 (**permalink**) 07-02-2009, 01:14 AM

It is probably NOT a gasket from an old filter that got left in there. When that happens, they usually spew oil out in pretty short order. ( Dealer did it to me once).

Might be that you're not getting the filter tightened correctly. Do you coat the rubber gasket on the filter with oil before you put the new filter on?

It just might be normal for them to leak a tiny bit.

It could be slithering down from above that spot somehow.

I assume that you're checking your oil level to be sure, but it doesn't sound like it's anthing to worry about. The only thing that I see that could a problem would be if there was a tiny crack in the oil filter mount. That could get worse over time.

I gather that you find the oil spot pretty annoying, but there might not be much that you can do about it.

heatwave · #7 (**permalink**) 07-18-2009, 04:34 PM

I thought it was the oil pan leaking at first, with air blowing the oil. By looking at the oil filter bracket, it looks like a water jacket is there. That's the reason I brought up oil cooler up. The bottom radiator hose joints to the bracket and the motor mount, mounts to it and the oil filter. It does have bolt, so I know it's not part of the block.

Has anyone here ever disassembled or rebuilt one of these engines. They would know?

Thanks

SSG VA BEACH · #8 (**permalink**) 07-18-2009, 11:43 PM

I had a coolant leak from that area...here is a picture from a junk eng and the gasket from ford with pt #
I was concerned when I had the problem because as you can see you have oil and water inlets and outlets on the same gasket. they said this gasket is the same for 4.6 Romeo and Windsor

heatwave · #9 (**permalink**) 07-19-2009, 11:21 PM

On my 1998 XLT, 4.6 looks different from the picture shown. Where's the oil filter located on your truck?

On my truck the oil filter is located on the left rear part of the engine. The bracket is about the length of the engine. Starting from the filter, then next the motor mount bolts to it and then in the front the the bottom radiator hose connect to it.

I'm going to study it a little more. With air blowing it , its really hard to see where it coming from. It starts right behind the power steering pump, pump being on the bottom, front of the bracket. BTW, it's motor oil, not power steering fluid.

Thanks for the help.

SSG VA BEACH · #10 (**permalink**) 07-19-2009, 11:54 PM

On my 99 4.6 the filter is on the front drivers side of the engine like the pic. This is the first 4.6 I have had so I am not up on all the diffs.