cruiser54

Good. That's the little teacup oil filter, right?

jedijeb

Replaced the electronic sending unit with a mechanical gauge, the leak is still there.

Going to replace the elbow the sending unit screws into but since it only seems to leak when I am driving it I am looking more towards it coming from the dipstick possibly.

If the rings are completely shot, would putting a load on the engine generate enough pressure in the oil pan to force the oil out the dipstick? I checked compression not long ago and had at least 100 on each cylinder, not great but not completely shot I would think, though I do get quite a bit of blow by.

A friend today told me I need to put in a Kubota diesel lol. Probably because he works for Kubota. Not that I could afford one, but would be awesome to try it.

cruiser54

Does the engine consume oil? What do the spark plugs look like?

Ever shined a flashlight into the oi filler hole to assess the sludge build-up?

jedijeb

It was using about a quart every couple thousand miles, but I think most of it was leaking as the engine has always been covered with oil, but just a wet film, nothing like this before. Plugs look good, some slightly black but not oily, more like running a little rich which is expected with a carb.

Had the valve cover off to replace the gasket, which I thought was the original oil leak. Rockers had a black, fine charcoal looking sludge buildup on them, but it had been sitting unstarted for seven years before that. The original owner gave me the service records and he did have the RMS replaced before he stopped driving it, probably trying to stop the leak I am dealing with now.

Last winter I had to replace the air filter because it was soaked with oil, but this spring that seemed to stop. Thinking back now, I did have a 79 Mustang with the 2.3L and I had a lot of oil in the air cleaner about the time it broke a ring.

Can the 2.5L be rebuild without removing it from the vehicle? Can the pan be removed so that the pistons can be pushed up from under it so I could re-ring easily since I don't have a place to pull the engine? Rebuilt a 225 slant six like that once, just not sure there is enough clearance under the 2.5l.

cruiser54

Do a dry, then wet compression test first.

That charcoal looking stuff isn't from sitting. It's from infrequent oil changes.

Firestorm500

Pull the hood, then take a buddy along in the passenger seat and drive it.

The passenger can lean forward and possibly see where the oil is coming from at speed.

Or you can pull the dipstick, then put a hose (with a clamp if needed) and run it out of the rear of the hood and over the cowl. Tape it to the windshield. If it blows oil out of the hose, you've found the leak.

I think I would do the hose test first now that I write this. Easier and less invasive.

jedijeb

I was thinking to wrap some paper towels around the dipstick and tape them in place then drive it. If more oil on the inside then blowing out the dipstick, if more oil on the outside, then , well the mystery just gets worse lol.

jedijeb

Another weekend, another attempt to quell the leak.

I removed the elbow fitting and placed the mechanical oil pressure gauge fitting directly into the block just in case. Looking at the elbow, it doesn't appear to have been leaking. I also replaced the oil filter with a new one just in case.



I had to remove the distributor to get to the fitting. Looking at the gasket it was pretty much shot so got a new one. The one that was on the distributor I thought was rubber, but looks more like it was hard plastic and someone added silicone around the outer edge of it, the replacement Felpro gasket was composite paper and just a thin ring, I hope it was the right one. When I pulled the distributor it looked like a little oil was draining from the square hole just under the vacuum advance shown here in the photo.



I don't think there is any pressurized oil flowing into the distributor, nor should there be any at that point of the engine, should there? Isn't that part just splash oiled?

There was a little wear on the oil pump drive it seems.



Does this look excessive and need attention?

Got it put back together and fired it up, ran it for a few minutes, still have 75psi cold and it gets down to where it is about 45psi at 1000rpm when hot. After a couple minutes I look again and there is oil running down the side of the head and block. I feel around the bottom of the distributor and can't really find any fresh oil running there. I do however see a small bead of oil along the seal of the valve cover, and there is oil pooling in the holes for the spark plugs and a line down between the sending unit and running down by the base of the distributor and between that and the oil filter. I am beginning to think it must be the valve cover gasket, but I just don't see how that much oil can leak from there. It did begin to be this bad after I pulled the valve cover and checked to make sure the gasket wasn't kinked because there has always been a little leak in that area. I had replaced it a year ago with a new rubber gasket, and it still looked to be in good shape. I think I will pick up another one and see what happens. Everyone says to be sure to use the rubber gasket, though I have only ever had experience with cork ones in the past(Ford 302). I noticed that the sealing surface on the head looks textured or unmachined cast, could that cause any sealing problems?

Should be able to have a gasket by Tuesday so maybe will know something more by Wednesday.

jedijeb

Well shoot me now I fixed the leak but was my own dumb fault to begin with.

Turns out when I reinstalled the valve cover gasket, that passengers side bolt that is mostly hidden behind the fuel line, radiator hose, heater hose and A/C compressor wasn't just hard to align when I was putting it back in. Seems I punched the bold through the gasket trying to get it started, which cut the gasket and there was about an inch of gasket that was inside the valve cover instead of under it. So that was where the oil was pouring out. Hidden there behind the A/C compressor I just couldn't see it. Put on new gasket and the worst of the leak was gone.

Still had a leak on top of the valve cover that was coming from the filler cap, which I had already replaced. Even a couple mile trip would leave the top of the valve cover with oil down the grooves in the top almost all the way to the back of the cover. Solved that though. I used black silicone on top and below the rubber gasket on the filler cap, let it set over night then no more leak. When I change the oil I just put a funnel into the grommet for the PCV valve, works like a charm.

Thanks for the patience and all the help everyone.