stangrookie302

Okay, so for the last couple months my car has been "getting rid of" more oil than it should. I know these 5.0's are oil burners in some respects. Crank case ventilation valve is one and also the seals tend to go according to most mechanics that I talk to. On a 3,000 mile diet for the oil change, I will need to add a quart of oil after about 1500 miles depending on how hard I drive her. In the last couple of months it seems to be every week and a half. I just noticed the my trash can and surrounding area is coated with oil. I back my car up to my trash can near my house. Seems like it's coming out of my passanger side tailpipe. Now I understand that there are some gaskets that seal **** up inside the car and I'm wondering if that is the case. I just would like your input. I'm not sure if a leak down test would prove anything but then it might if my head gaskets are leaking. Also, no oil that I can see is coming out of the block when I pop my hood. I also have lower intake gaskets and I'm sure the upper intake gasket wouldn't leak that much oil. Thanks

Goosepoop302

I would start by cleaning your engine a bit and the area around it... When it's all dry, run the car a bit and see if you can find anything new start to leak. I would check valve covers and around oil pan gaskets, around timing chain cover.

Burning oil is a different story

dawson1112

Do the paper test lol couple pieces of note book paper draped in front of the tail pipes .
Start it up after it sits for a night and see how much oil is being blown out the tail pipes.
It sounds to me like your valve stem seals are likely leaking oil into the cylinders and it blows a lot of it out the first start of the day , the rest is burnt as you drive.

I would imagine they are leaking pretty bad for you have oil blow out the tail pipe .
Only other think I can think it could be is a bad head gasket.

I believe there is a tool that you can use to replace the valve stem seals with out removing the heads but its a pia . Basically you roll each cylinder up to tdc insert a plug where the spark plug goes and inject some pressurized air to hold the valves in place while you remove the keeps and springs. Its a lot easier to just pull the heads and do it. Then you get to put new head gaskets on as well.

Duncan_GT

^^ yeah if he's going to have to replace valve seals and the like, I would recommend just taking it to a cylinder head shop. My shop charged me $40 total to swap out my springs, seals, locks, and retainers, as well as setting the spring pressures and install heights. Its a lot less of a headache, trust me.

stangrookie302

I also failed to mention the fact that it has a hard time staying started after the initial start. It starts quick but then it starts choking on itself and then comes alive. Sometimes during the winter months it dies at first. I tried that paper test this morning and nothing came out. I also tried it as I got home after driving from work and nothing. I know the oil must have come out of my car cuz of my trash can but maybe not that much and over a period of time it collected on my can. So, is there a test I can perform that tests the piston head seals? I can understand that there are three locations of which the oil might be coming from. The crank case, valve seals and the head gasket correct? Also, it leaks underneath my body but it drips at the lowest part of my mounting bracket for my transmission. maybe i have a rear crank seal that leaking on top of my tranny and it's running down the tranny? just a thought.

tinman

Sounds to me like the thing is building too much crankcase pressure.
Check the PCV as well as all the hoses for it.
Could well be the valve seals but that won't account for oil leaking out the bottom of the engine.
Check the corners of the pan gaskets.....

stangrookie302

I did replace the PCV recently. I know your supposed to replace them every 60 thousand from what I've read. But the screen might be clogged, again. So, once I get time, I'll dig into that fun part of getting into small places

Goosepoop302

Check your harmonic balancer and the plate between engine and tranny. It sounded like your seeing oil around the area near your car, not just a spot it has dripped... Got a pic?

I would think your plugs would show oil going through to your exhaust

stangrookie302

What pics do you need? I have replaced my plugs about 8 months ago and wires and cap and rotor. What is the harmonic balancer that you speak of?

dawson1112

If you didn't see any oil droplets on the paper after setting all night and then starting it up I doubt its leaking into the cylinders. Are you sure its oil residue and not just carbon from a rich cold mix? That would account for the choking when its cold.

The balancer is the thing on the front of the engine that the crank pully is bolted to. And the seal behind that is the front main seal.

The oil coming from the bottom of the trans could very well mean that either you rear main seal is leaking , or the valve cover gaskets are leaking from the back.