oil leak from rear

[twol8uluz]

Ok, just got this car a few weeks ago and I've noticed its losing oil, ok not really losing it, cuz I found it.....all over my driveway!! Grrrr! I haven't been able to pin point exactly where its coming from, all I know is its from the rear (firewall) side of the engine bay. Any ideas or suggestions?

[FordMan77]

It's probably the valve cover gaskets. Post up your year/model and mileage. That would help us help you.

If you replace the vc gaskets also replace the grommets that go around the bolts, and use a good fel-pro gasket set.

[KeithGTP03]

It could be as simple as the oil filter wasnt seated all the way, or the filter has a bad O-ring. I had an oil change place not tighten my oil pan drain plug and it wiggled loose.

[twol8uluz]

Sorry, forgot about all that. Haven't sat down and set all this up yet. Its a 2002 gtp with 128k on it. I know its had 3 owners and a spotless carfax. I already know I need a new front swaybar..broken of course, ordered the gmpp set ;-). And both lower control arms. Im hoping nothing else major needed repair, but a valve cover gasket doesn't sound too bad, its gettin to it that'll be a pain it looks like. Buuuuut, im sure ill someone else do it. Hehehe.

[gtpinsc]

do u smell burning oil when its being driven?

[twol8uluz]

No, not that I can distinctively smell.

[gtpinsc]

im guessing the oil is coming from somewhere else than a valve cover.. "usually" when they leak u can smell oil burning off the manifolds.. how does the oil pan look?

[twol8uluz]

Oil pan looks great, besides the oil from somewhere above dripping down.

[twol8uluz]

Well, while checking out the engine bay, I've found the two hard line come from the radiator (pass side) are plugged by bolts!! Wtf? Where do these lines lead? Or are supposed to lead? This does not sit well with me at all!!

[FordMan77]

Umm, those are where the transmission lines should be connected. This allows the trans fluid to be cooled at bit before returning to the trans. Take a look at the bottom of your trans and see if you see 2 hard lines coming from it, and see where they go. I have a feeling someone just took some rubber line and linked the 2 together bypassing the rad.

I suggest you find out why this was done, or hope you have an external trans cooler. The previous owner may have installed one (I hope).

[twol8uluz]

there are two hard hard lines running from underneath the trans (visible by looking into the engine bay) with rubber lines. looks like they tuck underneath the radiator section. i would "assume" theyre actually connected to the radiator some how!? lol i havent had issues with the trans....yet. besides an occasional harder than expected shift on hard accel. but maybe thats just the way they shift when driven that way? nothing to harsh, but rougher than the normal shifts. i hope this little rig job someone decided to perform doesnt bite me in the butt down the road!!?

[Scottydoggs]

you really need to follow those lines, and for sure figure this one out, any time you put rubber hoses on to metal trans lines the chance that they will be blown off is there, when they do fail, the rubber hose can burst or it can simply blow off the metal tubing, when this happens your car will most likely catch fire and burn to the ground.

if this is the case, you can get new lines and install them or replace the rubber hose with new tubing and use compression fittings to secure them, the rubber hose and clamps is a definite no no.


ps: i had a friends car catch fire from the same thing in my driveway, he swapped out the rad, twisted the lines and went rubber hose and clamps to fix it, when the fire dept came they put out the fire (the whole engine bay was cooked) then put the hose in the gas tank, then went and put the hose in the carb and killed the whole car, what was left of it anyways, lesson learned.

[TheOtherNick]

So I guess all the new cars with in line filters that are hose clamped on are going to burn to the ground?

[Scottydoggs]

So I guess all the new cars with in line filters that are hose clamped on are going to burn to the ground?

anything that is factory installed is ok, im sure there is some kind of flaring done to hold the line together.

its when someone riggs it to make it work that it wont last, and if it does last its a time bomb at best.

most of the time ppl will just cut the old line and slide a new rubber hose on, it has nothing to grab onto and it can blow off. most of the time it will take 2 or 3 hose clamps to make it stay on.

[twol8uluz]

hmmm, that sux!! what would those rubber lines be plugged into then if the original lines are plugged? the top and bottom rad hard lines are still in the radiator.....plugged off.

[Scottydoggs]

hmmm, that sux!! what would those rubber lines be plugged into then if the original lines are plugged? the top and bottom rad hard lines are still in the radiator.....plugged off.

someone may have looped your lines in order to bypass the radiator, maybe the trans cooler was leaking and this was the cheep route. aka back yard butcher at best.

id still take a real close look at it, better safe than sorry.

[twol8uluz]

Ill just get new lines and do it the RIGHT WAY!!