Oil leaks on my 302/t5

[zeon_64]

88 mustang 5.0 - 5spd 135,000 km

Lately my car has been leaking oil not much, but enough to piss me off, before i left for europe no leaks. I changed the oil/filter before i left, left it in my garage. I come back, noticed after a few days of driving that it now it has leaks.

I'm 95% sure its now the rear main seal.
Where the block goes to the bell housing, there is kind of like a sheet metal flip that goes about 1/2 inch under the bellhousing? Sound famaliar? I can see oil dripping down there, making drops. So that makes me think it in the rear main seal.

I lifted my car, and the bottom of the motor is basically dry, i thought it was my oil pan gasket, i tightened it up, some bolts were loose. But the oil pan did look preety dry.

Took off the upper intake to take a look if it was around the top of the motor. Replaced my Pvc valve/filter, upper gasket, and valve cover gaskets since my valve covers were leaking a bit. The lower intake gaskets looked dry/fine..

I checked my oil level sensor and its not leaking there, nor around the oil filter. I also took off the bellhousing, for the clutch cable, it looked dry inside from what i noticed..
The gasket on the cover on the bellhousing, if that gasket was broken, could it leak from there?

Any suggestions? The oil is not red, it is engine oil..

If it is the rear main seal, which i think it is. What has to be done? Pull the motor/bellhousing/clutch/tranny ? Or just the bellhousing/clutch/tranny, which method is easier. If i do pull the motor out, do i have to replace the motor mounts? Or can they be reused.

Do you have to re-align the clutch?

Thanks

 

[Ourobos]

You are probably right, rear main. You can replace it either way, tranny and exhaust have to go regardless. You can either jack the motor up and try to lace it around the oil pump with the pan off, or pull the motor. Depending on how patient/inclined you are, I would pull the motor. You'll need a $4 10-tooth clutch alignment tool from autozone. The one piece rear main seems easy to install (easier).

 

[blk92stangg]

If you are referring to the rear main seal, you can get to it by pulling the tranny, pulling the off the clutch and flywheel,digging out the seal CAREFULLY, and pounding in a new seal. I did mine and it still seeps a bit. There is supposedly an optimal depth you need to reset the seal to, but I don't know what it is. Basically, if you do change it, expect it to leak again at least a little bit. That way you won't kill yourself when it leaks again.
I think ourobos was referring to the oil pan gasket, but not sure.

 

[zeon_64]

Its hardly leaking, maybe 100ml oil every 10 days lets say.

So if i change it, it will leak regardless?

I was under the impression the bellhousing has to come out? And the flywheel?

This is what was posted to me:
You don't need to pull the motor.

You need to:

1. Remove H pipe
2. Remove d/s
3. Remove Shifter
4. Remove transmission
5. Remove starter
6. Remove bellhousing
7. Remove pressure plate
8. Remove flywheel
9. Remove seal

Assembly is the reverse. You will need to re-align the clutch disk, but it's pretty straight forward with the proper tools. Shouldn't take more than 3-4 hours.

--

Another question,what are the torque specs on tranny too bellhousing, clutch, flywheel, bellhousing to motor, etc..

Thanks

I've swapped my tranny before, no that is not a problem. I think of it as a bonus, get to change tranny oil

 

[The Shape]

If it isn't leaking very much it might be better left alone. Mine has leaked for the three years I have owned it. Hasn't gotten any worse..... yet. As posted above most people who replace it just have the leak return a short time later. Being as you have a T-5 I would just wait til it is time to replace the clutch.

 

[bgjohnson]

somtimes the leaking from the rear main will cause the clutch to go bad faster because of the fluid getting on the disc. did you ever think that it might be leaking from the bolts on the flywheel? I'm not sure but on some engines the flywheel bolts go right into oil and it can leak threw the bolts, just a thought, it's probably not it but it's another thing to think about.

 

[zeon_64]

Do the flywheel bolts have to be replaced
or can they be reused

If replaced, should i get ARP or is a ford oem part fine?

I've owned the car for 3 summers, no leaks till recently. Its a ****ing piss off that i can't even park on my girlfriends driveway. This is how i will not REPRESENT Ford to a GM Family (hers and mine). No ****ing way!

Ford for life.

 

[zeon_64]

Can i machine my flywheel, but use the clutch that is already in? 35,000 km on it.. king cobra clutch