I have a 1990 with a 305. It is dripping oil from the dust cover on the trans. What should I look for? I have heard that the intakes leak, valve covers leak, oil sending units leak? It is leaving a good size puddle under the car and is quiet annoying. How hard is it to fix these leaks? Is it a garage job or 2 buddies and a case? I also noticed the block is wet above the oil filter? That would be a valve cover?

 

Check the oil sending unit behind the driver's side head. I've seen several of these leak.

 

The intake and valve cover job is literally a 2 buddies and a case. My buddy and I did it in a couple of hours taking it easy and taking pictures along the way. There are a lot of hoses and other items in the way, but once you get familiar with them, they become much less intimidating.

I had a lot of oil on the back passenger side of the intake/valve cover area. I pulled the valve covers off and pulled the intake.

Mostly, the job is simple cleaning and new gaskets. It's a fun weekend buddy job that will make you much more familiar with your top end.

 

take off the dust shield

go to the car wash

leave the car running

spray the back of the pan and the area that is under the valve cover- just spray it all down with degreaser

hose her down

drive about 20 miles and have a look

I think it might be the rear main seal and the valve cover gasket

 

Ok, have an update here. I switched to synthetic oil (10/40) Mobile 1 and wow! Now the car drips oil as I move it. It is leaking much worse! Is this the synthetic oil or have I blown a seal? I cannot find where it is coming from? The valve covers are dry and the heads around them, the intake is wet back by the distributor but not enough to warrent this kind of oil on the ground?? The only thing I can think of is rear main? I hope not? Anybody have a trick to find an oil leak without standing on your head or ripping the engine apart to find that you just created another leak?

Thanks

 

Well, synthetic oil is much thinner than regular oil so it's just making it easier to leak out of wherever the leak is. I'm thinking rear main as well.

 

Pull the dust cover off and check the backside of the flywheel. If it is rear main you will see oil that has slung off the flywheel. Also if it is a bad leak you might see it driping.

 

i have had the same prob. even though the back of the block by oil sending unit isnt that bad or "wet" that was my whole problem and that leak is gone. pretty easy to change too

 

Ok, another update. The bell housing is wet and around the oil filter is wet? The oil sending unit seems not to be leaking, but that would not throw oil up to the top of the engine? Pulled the dust cover and it is dry as a bone in there! No rear main leak!! Seams like an intake leak, just no pooling oil on the rear of the block? Is there another leak point between the intake and the bell housing? The distributor is not leaking. I just don't see what would cause pooling of oil on the ground?

Here is a stupid question: If the engine was overfilled with oil, where would it come out? Should I look there if there is a place? I just got the car and could have overfilled the engine. Because the leaking is slowing down and the dip stick (not myself) still reads full?? Maybe I am the cause.