5.0 Oil Leak Blues

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Eallen66
Posts: 80
Joined: December 31, 2013, 5:01 pm
Location: Bargersville, Indiana
United States of America

5.0 Oil Leak Blues

Post by Eallen66 »

After swapping in the fresh rebuild 5.0 in my my sons 64 we have an oil leak that has me baffeled. It starts at the passenger side top bell housing at about 1:00 and runs down and drips off the bottom of the bell housing. It only leaks when driven and drips after. It can idle all day parked and never leak a drop. Take a slow trip around the block & it leaves a puddle. To get to the bottom of the bell housing it runs around the starter mount on the motor side of the starter plate.

The back of the block below the intake is dry as a bone. I can clearly see the entire valve cover bottom through the wheel/frame opening and it is totally oil free visibly and to touch. I had come to the wrong conclusion it must be a main seal, rear plug, or crank bolts with oil thrown up by the flywheel. I dropped the tranny today, bone dry everywhere. Flywheen dry on both sides, starter plate dry both sides, and back of block totally dry, oil pan dry everywhere. Ahhhhh!

If I didn't know better I would think it is coming out of the lower corner head gasket area but that makes no sense to me. Any suggestions or do Ford's have a secret oil leak elf I have to catch??
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Eallen66
Posts: 80
Joined: December 31, 2013, 5:01 pm
Location: Bargersville, Indiana
United States of America

Re: 5.0 Oil Leak Blues

Post by Eallen66 »

Since we can't find the clear source of the oil leak we started with a 1 by 1 gasket replacement process last night until the leak stops. We started at the top by replacing the intake gasket with Felpro's performance version. We used standard Felpro on the rebuild.

I Haven't had time to look at it thoroughly today. If it works my suspicion is a leak out the passenger rear corner that seeped down the recess where the head meets the block and was blown onto the bellhousing once in the air stream at the side if the motor. If the case I am amazed that you could feel or see no oil on the block behind the intake or head until the lower head bolt.

Keep my fingers crossed & if it doesn't work the oil pan & valve cover gaskets are next on the list.
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