[silverton]

I noticed I have a running oil leak today. It drips pretty quick when the engine is running and doesn't when the motor is off. It's coming from the intake side of the block and I feel oil under the oil filter, but I can't quite see in there well enough to really, well, see. Is there a gasket behind the cooler that could be bad? It started after replacing one of the coolant hoses that go to it, and the problem persists with a new oil filter.

 

[FordMan59]

The oil presure sending unit is on the back side of the engine near the oil filter. Sometimes they crack or split and leak oil.

 

[Onegimp]

The oil presure sending unit is on the back side of the engine near the oil filter. Sometimes they crack or split and leak oil.

True, it's kind of behind the brace thar goes from the intake to the block.

 

[silverton]

I'll check that out, but I've ran my finger along the bottom edge of the cooler and there is oil. Thanks for giving me a spot to look.

 

[FordMan59]

I know you said the problem persists with a new oil filter. Did you make sure there wasn't an old oil filter gasket or part of an old oil filter gasket stuck to the block. I've seen that happen more than once and it won't let the new filter seat up correctly to the block.

 

[silverton]

I did not check. I had a shadetree mechanic buddy do the oil change. Although, I think I may have given the descript a bit wrong. It still leaks when the motor is running, but only on a COLD start. It practically gushes and leaves quite the puddle. But as soon as it warms up, it just stops, nothing. I let it idle in the same spot in a parking lot for about ten minutes and the ground was dry.

 

[Escort92Man]

it MIGHT be a distributor O ring man, I just replaced mine on my 92 EGT with around 180k, pretty sure it was the original O ring because it cracked off, put a new one on and I don't leak any oil anymore! I was going through a half a quart every few weeks too, I would get under the car and there'd be drips of oil on the tranny right where it mounts to the engine and those are gone just doing the distributor O ring. Hope it helps man!

 

[Pinkiman]

it MIGHT be a distributor O ring man, I just replaced mine on my 92 EGT with around 180k, pretty sure it was the original O ring because it cracked off, put a new one on and I don't leak any oil anymore! I was going through a half a quart every few weeks too, I would get under the car and there'd be drips of oil on the tranny right where it mounts to the engine and those are gone just doing the distributor O ring. Hope it helps man!

:stone:
Wrong side of the engine.

if its coming from the filter area then either the oil filter o ring. or the filter housing gasket maybe by a long shot a head gasket. or it could be the oil pressure sending unit.

 

[silverton]

I still haven't had a chance to look. So there is a gasket on the backside of the oil cooler? That's one of the spots I suspect, but I think it's odd that it only leaks when the motor is cold, and stops when it's warm. That kind makes me lean towards the brass fitting of the pressure sender.

 

[silverton]

I managed to get under it today. The oil pressure sender looks clean. But there is oil under and around the cooler area. So I'll assume it's the gasket behind that.

 

[Escort92Man]

ok idea, take oil filter off, tighten the massive nut a bit, see if it stops, save you taking it off and new gasketing it. when it only leaks cold it's cuz metal expands when it's warm so it seals up.

I can vouch first hand it don't leak under a load when warm HA HA. but yeah take the filter off and tighten that nut up some that might stop it all together!