sweet928

So after a year of a bone dry engine I noticed a few drips of "dirty" oil on the garage floor recently. (passenger side, front of engine) When I purchased the car I was getting a small leak from the cam tower and the oil pan. Capt Earl re-torqued both for me when I had him go over the whole car, fuel lines, belt check, etc. last year. Not a drip until now. (16 months)

Coincidentally, I noticed the leak the day I brought her in to a local shop for an oil change and to put on a missing alternator vent cover. The shop reported that both the cam tower and oil plan have a small leak, thus explaining the stain on the floor. They suggested I replace the gaskets on both in the spring.

1. Wondering if I need to just re-torque again as I've seen a lot of comments about bolts working themselves loose. Engine was out a few years ago with all new gaskets. Car is not a DD.

2. All of sudden I notice a line of oil up the driveway. Look on the garage floor and there's a new puddle of clean oil (previous drips were "dirty"). New "clear" puddle is about the size of a small dinner plate, plus a ten foot line in the driveway 3 inches wide. New puddle is in a different place on the floor. Drivers side of front of engine.

The thing I don't get is the oil on the garage floor is very thin feeling. Started to worry I had coolant mixed with oil but the oil stain is clear. No green antifreeze color at all. Checked the coolant tank and it's full and green. Checked the engine oil and it's " slightly dirty" and full.

The puddle is forming right below the drivers side wheel about 6 inches inward from the brake rotor.

So I started thinking maybe my steering rack sprung a leak but thought steering fluid is not a clear color. Checked the master cylinder and it is full too.

Baffled, I thought about my recent oil change about a month ago. I told the shop to use 15W 50 synthetic Mobile 1. They even said that's all they use. But when rubbing the oil from the floor between my fingers -- it's much more thin (watery) and clear than a sample of 15W 50 I poured on the floor to compare. I just checked the receipt and looks like they used 10W 50. Is 10W 50 watery compared to 15W 50?

My guess is my pan has worked itself even more loose and the clean oil is coming from the pan and the dirty oil is working it's way down the engine from the cam tower. Only thing I don't get is the puddle is more clear than the oil on the dipstick.

Any ideas from the brain trust?

vze2jshn

Check oil cooler hoses and connections at engine and radiator.

the flyin' scotsman

I'd get under the car and check if the engine oil drain plug and filter are tight.

Pwr strg system should be auto transmission fluid typicaly red in colour.

Landseer

I had a bad leak on my first car, an 84. Source was a seal.

Checking the 78-82 PET, it seems that 4.5L engine has a similar seal.

Its located behind the metal mickey mouse ear backing plate for the cam gear.
The oil runs down behind the plate. Looks like the valve cover or the head are leaking. Its #11 on the attached 78-82 PET diagram. I actually thought there was another similar seal on the same side, too, but don't see it referenced.

You can only confirm it as the source by dropping the alternator and looking straight upwards with a powerful light.

There are other O rings and seals needed, also on the diagram, if/when you perform surgery on this.

BigAl1

Could it be brake fluid? Sounds like from the location it is below the flex bend in the brake hose.

mickster

See if there is any oil pooled on top of the engine underneath the oil filler neck. It might be the oil filler neck gasket.

jleidel

When the engine is hot, do you get any white smoke from behind the wheel or under the hood? Do you smell burning oil? If so, its likely your cam tower seals leaking... and thus dripping oil down on the manifolds.

If not, front cam seals [#10 & #11 from Landseer's post above] are a possible candidate. These are tough to detect with the front TB covers on.

Make sure you monitor your coolant level as well. You don't want to start tearing into things and find a faulty head gasket.

Landseer

Note that when you replace these seals, you do not need to remove the cam towers. Strictly a front of the engine job. You have to take the TB loose, and pull the distributor (check for that seal too), but you do not need to remove the crank pulley, either.

sweet928

No smoke, no smell, no running issues. Only realized the problem when I pulled into the same driveway hours later in my DD. Saw the trail of oil on the driveway and lead me to the puddle under the car. Have not started her up since.

sweet928

Just got a bright flash light and saw a pool of "dirty" oil in the center of the engine far down below the Plenium/Spider. The oil is pooled in what I would call the intake manifold (Flat top area between the two valve covers) Still doesn't explain the "clean" oil on the ground. Checked oil filler pipes and tightened them clamps a little. They were slightly loose but I didn't want to over tighten.

Anyone know if there is a difference between the feel (between your fingers) of 10W 50 and 15W 50 oil?

sweet928

I'm thinking I have a brake fluid leak. its the only explanation for the fluid to be cleaner than what's on the oil dip stick. What do you all think. maybe the famous blue hose on the master cylinder?

the flyin' scotsman

If its brake fluid and as you describe have a small plate sized puddle under the car you should see a significant drop in the master cylinder level.

Difference between 15w50 and 10w50?..........well the latter is thinner at cooler temps, finger test is not very telling.

Landseer

Taste it.

sweet928

So how can the oil on the floor look cleaner than the oil on the dipstick?

tailpipe

check you power steeing fluid it could be the high presure line mine blew at the rub button right in the middle of the flexable part it sits up near the valve cover on the drivers side right by the shock tower it only really leaks when you move the steering took me a few months to find my leak i did the mickey mouse ear seal first thinking it was that good luck


Paul