Oil Leak

B

BOBBYARMER

Registered
My 93 Mark leaks like hell in the front of the motor. It drips down onto the frame and drips right in the middle. When I look to see where it's comming from, it appears to be comming from a switch with a allen key plug in the houseing. Any Advice??

Bob Armer
Davie, Florida
 
In front of the motor? Where is this switch?

Is it leaking through this area?

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If so, sounds like the oil filter adapter gasket is toast. Common problem, actually.
 
You might wanna change that ASAP. You wouldn't want to cross contaminate your oil and cooling systems. Engine coolant runs through that same piece. You get crossfolw between the two liquids, and you could kiss your engine goodbye if you get too much coolant in the oil.
 
Bobby....the oil filter housing adapter also has COOLANT running through it because its also the lower radiator hose attachment. If you get coolant into your oil, you're going to cause damage to your bearings in the engine amongst other things such as oil contamination and VERY poor lubrication.

You're more likely to get oil in your coolant though because of the pressure of the oil system. Oil in your coolant isn't quite as bad, but you still don't want that.

This gasket will FAIL because it loses its sealing properties because it gets hard and brittle. Once this fails, you car will PUKE oil while running and hardly at all when you're stopped. DO NOT drive it like this.....AT ALL! If you do...your engine will eventually fail due to lack of oil.

Here is a picture of the oil filter adapter, notice the alluminum pipe above where the oil filter was, thats where the lower radiator hose attaches.

PIC857.jpg
 
In the case of my car..

The oil filter adapter would leak like a seive when the engine was cold...
Once the motor warmed up.. the leak would subside.

I also noticed that when I "first started the car", it'd puke oil really bad, but if I "blipped" the throttle the leak would subside.
(enter speculation mode)

what I THINK was happening is that Oil would pour out of the gasket under idle conditions, but when I blipped the throttle the pressure increase would force the oil to bypass the leak.

If I let the car idle when cold, it would pump ALL the oil out of the motor before the motor could "warm up".. blipping the throttle would get the oil PAST the leaking area and it wouldn't leak so bad.

Once warm, it wouldn't leak.

Now, this is just "what happened to me", I'm not saying by any stretch of the imagination that anyone should "continue to drive" their car with a leaking oil filter adapter gasket.

it's not a hard job... a little patience and some contortionist experience helps!
 
I can see it now....*the doctors trying to stop the jugular vien from squirting blood out so he tells the guy to push like he's dropping the kids off at the pool, and than the doctor smacks him in the back of the head* lmao!

I imagine that the "blip" of the throttle was building up the pressure causing the gasket to swell. I leaks a leak and with the pressure of the oiling system I don't think it would just "skip' over the open hole.

When/if you are installing the adapter/gasket, us a long extention with the 10MM wobbly socket on the end, insert the bolt into the socket, put the adapter over the bolt, install the gasket over the bolt. Now use this whole assembled piece thats on the end of your long extention and with your other hand guide it all up into place and start the bolt by hand by turning the extention. This way you don't have to try and get both arms up into that tight hole at the same time. Worked like a champ and I barely got coolant/oil on me, haha.
 
J said:
I imagine that the "blip" of the throttle was building up the pressure causing the gasket to swell. I leaks a leak and with the pressure of the oiling system I don't think it would just "skip' over the open hole.
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Click to expand...

well the way I see it is.. the oil was taking the path of least resistance.
Out via the leak..

The leak was easier for the oil to escape than it was to force it's way thru the oil filter...

The increased throttle put more pressure on the oil forcing more oil than could "escape" thru the bad gasket..

OF course as I said above this is speculation based on my experience with my car.

When I pulled the gasket out, I dont see any way that "pressure" could cause it to swell..

because it's a fairly hard gasket with sealant bonded to the gasket...
on mine..

the gasket seemed fine and in one peice.. but the sealant was missing in one area, and I "assume" that is where it was leaking from.

Go ahead, slap me in the back of the head now!
HAHA
 
Lol! I can see that theory working, except if there is a hole in the system, no matter what its going to be leaking because the entire thing system pressurized. While I agree about the gasket being extremely hard, I don't see how up'n the pressure wouldn't just cause it to leak more unless something plugged the hole.

Poke a hole in a radiator hose, than romp on the gas, its going to build up more pressure and squirt out harder.

I'm not scientist but there was something blocking that leak, no way the oil just "flow'd" over it. :)

I would hit you but I'm not trying to be a smart ass or get physical, just trying to figure out the logic, which may help others.
 
My mark viii does that same thing! When cold it will puke out oil (about half a quart) then the heat makes the gasket swell and it stops. I still havnt fixed mine been dripping at startup for a year now, i am in the process of fixing it now. I work by a machine shop that tells me to unbolt the bottom (which usually is the one leaking) and unbolt the other one and use ATV on the bolts and old gasket - they swear to god it wont ever leak again (versus buying another gasket that will deteriorate down the road). Im doing mine now i will let you know how it turned out and any other tips/tricks
 
I would recommend changing the gasket... it is most likely damaged... I already replied to your other post. In extreme cases Oil Mixed in with the coolant which is something you certainly want to avoid.

It is a pain but if you do the work yourself you will save yourself a bunch of head aches down the road these gaskets usually last for over 100k miles.
 
yea im in the middle of changing it now - is it only 2 bolts? cuz i can only see 1, and only see1 in the photo above :(
 
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