My car is leaking oil. Need some help.

[5LugFoxFanatic]

My car is leaking oil. Bad. This is the most it has ever leaked. I parked my car while it was running and there was a puddle in about 5 minutes about 4-6 inches in diameter. It appeared to be leaking where the transmission and engine meet. When I was driving, I noticed smoke when I was in rush hour. I thought it may be coming out of my pipes, but when I was standing still I noticed it was coming out of the sides of the car, and I have tail pipes like a 87-93 LX so the go straight out of the back. Would a leak by the tranny and motor be enough to get onto the exhaust pipes and burn off? When I was parked, I did not notice and smoke out of the tails. I have a feeling it’s the rear main seal. If it is how much of a pain in the ass is this to do? I have access to a lift and tool. What does the mail seal do exactly?

 

[87'GTstang]

It's quite hard for oil to get on your headers if it's the rear main seal leaking. Check all around back there to see where specifically it is comeing from and go as high as it goes and that will be your leak. My suggestion is to really look at the valve cover gaskets as well - that's a common problem area.

 

[5.0Droptop]

it could be your rear main seal. It can leak out there and get on the flywheel and toss it everywhere. Hence the smoke from it landing on the exhaust.

 

[5.0Droptop]

The rear main seal is behind the fly wheel. You need to either pull motor or the tranny. I would pull tranny. If its a 5 speed you may as well do the clutch while at it... if its old. The rear main seal rides on the cranks Rear Main Journal and seals in the oil. Its located behind the fly wheel and it can be removed easily once the tanny is out and flywheel is off. It gets installed from the out side. Not a big pain if you have access to a lift and tools.

 

[88stangmangt]

It's quite hard for oil to get on your headers if it's the rear main seal leaking. Check all around back there to see where specifically it is comeing from and go as high as it goes and that will be your leak. My suggestion is to really look at the valve cover gaskets as well - that's a common problem area.

on the headers yes............exhaust no............i have seen some cars come into the shop with blown rear main seals and they look like some one painted the bottom of there car with oil. more than likely the smoke is comeing from the exhaust pipe. best way to tell is smell, buring oil on exhaust smells totally differnt from oil from the exhaust tails.

 

[HISSIN50]

check simple stuff first - make sure your pcv did not come out of the grommet. then clean the block and watch it - a leak that bad will show its ugly self within a few mins of running the motor.

one drop of oil on a hot exhaust will look horrible.

good luck.

 

[87'GTstang]

on the headers yes............exhaust no............i have seen some cars come into the shop with blown rear main seals and they look like some one painted the bottom of there car with oil. more than likely the smoke is comeing from the exhaust pipe. best way to tell is smell, buring oil on exhaust smells totally differnt from oil from the exhaust tails.

Yeah I thought about that after the post and just wasn't picturing things well. Just follow the trail to the highest point or concentrate where the most amount of oil is, Also, tey popping the hood when it is doing it and take a look.

 

[5ive.oh]

I actually just pulled my motor today, what a PITA. At least there will be no more oil leaks (hopefully). Is there another way to remove the pilot bearing without a slide hammer?

 

[HISSIN50]

I actually just pulled my motor today, what a PITA. At least there will be no more oil leaks (hopefully). Is there another way to remove the pilot bearing without a slide hammer?

you can use hydraulics - pack the cavity behind it with grease. then use a socket or extension or something that fits tight around the ID of the old pilot bearing and jamb it in there - the pressure from the grease should pop the old bushing out.
just make sure the socket, etc, is really tight, or you will end up eating your grease.
i have not done this method, but others have. IIRC, Jrichker has written up (posted) specifics on the method before. if interested, try searching.
good luck.

 

[blk92stangg]

I forget where I read it, but someone had the idea to use ivory bar soap instead of grease to pop out the bearing. The hardest part, with the hydraulic method is finding something that will fit the pilot bearing exactly. If you go with soap, at least it won't flyout and hit you in the eye. Let us know how it goes.

 

[5ive.oh]

I tried that method last night already, but my bar didn't fit quite tight enough. Maybe I can find a slide hammer, I have to wait for new motor mounts anyway, the old ones are cracked badly.