Cannot find oil leak

Tiny
RANGERSHANE
  • MEMBER
  • 2002 FORD RANGER
  • 4.0L
  • V6
  • 4WD
  • MANUAL
  • 180,000 MILES
Got tired of my oil leak so tore everything off my engine to source it. I have come to find that my entire valley was filled with oil and spilling out of the back of the engine down to the bottom of the transmission and onto the exhaust causing a burnt oil smell. I’ve been told that head gaskets won’t leak only oil and it would be a mixture of oil and coolant. My valve covers only have a possible class I leak on the drivers side. I have replaced both gaskets and the drivers side valve cover. No idea where the leak is coming from any help would be greatly appreciated.
Saturday, April 25th, 2020 AT 7:40 AM

8 Replies

Tiny
RANGERSHANE
  • MEMBER
  • 46 POSTS
My intake manifold had a good amount of oil in it as well. I cleaned all of the oil that was in the valley. Here is picture for reference. The residual oil goes all the way up to the thermostat.
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Saturday, April 25th, 2020 AT 7:45 AM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
Good morning,

Thanks for the pictures but there is no sign of oil for me to give you an opinion.

If you left the oil and took a picture, it would have been better.

A common area is the intake manifold itself. It leaks from the corners and can accumulate oil in the valley.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-is-leaking-oil

I would remove the lower intake manifold as well and replace the gaskets. Also, the head gaskets can leak oil without leaking coolant. That is common. I attached a picture of the lower intake below.

Roy
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Saturday, April 25th, 2020 AT 8:27 AM
Tiny
RANGERSHANE
  • MEMBER
  • 46 POSTS
Are these the gaskets you are referring to? They have a good amount of oil accumulated on them.
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Saturday, April 25th, 2020 AT 8:32 AM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
That is the upper intake manifold. They most likely have oil around them from the oil in the lower intake.

Roy
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Saturday, April 25th, 2020 AT 8:46 AM
Tiny
RANGERSHANE
  • MEMBER
  • 46 POSTS
That would mean taking off the heads right? To get to the lower manifold gaskets.
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Saturday, April 25th, 2020 AT 9:00 AM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
The lower intake should come up without removing the heads. I posted a picture before that showed the upper and lower removed together.

Roy
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Saturday, April 25th, 2020 AT 9:03 AM
Tiny
RANGERSHANE
  • MEMBER
  • 46 POSTS
Okay. Yeah, the picture that I sent was the lower gaskets then. Here is a better photo.
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Saturday, April 25th, 2020 AT 9:07 AM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
Got it. Again, with it clean, it is very difficult to determine the source of the leak.

It would have been much better if you would added an oil dye in the motor and ran it before you took it apart. Then you would have found the source of the leak.

Roy
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Saturday, April 25th, 2020 AT 9:14 AM

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