Upper Oil Gasket/Rear Main Seal Leak Issues

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NorgeMan

Member
1st Gen Owner
V6 Engine
2 wheel drive
Joined
Sep 19, 2020
Messages
90
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Location
Knightsville, SC
Happy end of the year Greetings to all,
I truly hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas Holiday and as we enter another new year tomorrow, Let's all pray for better days! Speaking of better days, I was experiencing motor oil leakage around and on my starter and sides of upper oil pan. It seems to be either the upper oil pan gasket or rear main seal. I will take it in next week for a further diagnosis to find out the true issue. I was wondering if any members here have had problems and/or repaired the upper oil pan gasket/rear main seal. I heard the parts are dirt cheap but it's the labor that kills ya! It's a 4L V6 with 135,000 miles and it purrs like a kitten so I want to hold on to this baby. I'd appreciate any and all feedback/experiences from my Sporty enthusiasts concerning this!!
Peace and Toodles!
 
Make sure PCVValve (rear of left ValveCover) has been changed in the last 33kMiles
& the associates Hoses+Tubing are not Cracked\Leaking.
A bad PCVValve or modified\deleted\leaking PCV Hoses+Tubing can cause a slight increase
in CrankCase pressure which in turn causes RearMainSeal & other gaskets to weep oil.

If you do drop the OilPan & replace that Gasket,
check for broken pieces from the TimingGuides
& clean the OilPump pickup screen.
 
Make sure PCVValve (rear of left ValveCover) has been changed in the last 33kMiles
& the associates Hoses+Tubing are not Cracked\Leaking.
A bad PCVValve or modified\deleted\leaking PCV Hoses+Tubing can cause a slight increase
in CrankCase pressure which in turn causes RearMainSeal & other gaskets to weep oil.

If you do drop the OilPan & replace that Gasket,
check for broken pieces from the TimingGuides
& clean the OilPump pickup screen.
Awesome reply! Thanks for the information. That's one more thing to bring up to the shop. Have a blessed entrance into the new year.
 
Im going with valve cover or PCV as said...
 
Make sure PCVValve (rear of left ValveCover) has been changed in the last 33kMiles
& the associates Hoses+Tubing are not Cracked\Leaking.
A bad PCVValve or modified\deleted\leaking PCV Hoses+Tubing can cause a slight increase
in CrankCase pressure which in turn causes RearMainSeal & other gaskets to weep oil.

If you do drop the OilPan & replace that Gasket,
check for broken pieces from the TimingGuides
& clean the OilPump pickup screen.
Just to be clear, the valve cover is on the driver's side? I ordered the pcv valve and from what I saw, it looks like it is on the firewall end of the driver's side valve cover.
 
Yes, drivers side and barely accessible. PCV valve should be an easy swap, but turned into a PITA for me. Poor design and very easy to break the plastic "nubs" inside the valve cover if the PCV valve is over tightened. BTDT. Don't make the same mistake I did and good luck. See link below.

PCV Valve
 
Yes, drivers side and barely accessible. PCV valve should be an easy swap, but turned into a PITA for me. Poor design and very easy to break the plastic "nubs" inside the valve cover if the PCV valve is over tightened. BTDT. Don't make the same mistake I did and good luck. See link below.

PCV Valve
Yes, I noticed how it's buried behind all things imaginable. So when you say, "over tightened", it just doesn't pull out, I have to unscrew it? Great, thanks Ford!! Easy does it is the name of the game. Thanks very much for information!
 
Removal is easy. IIRC, rotate counter clockwise about 1/4 turn. PCV valve will turn with the metal coolant line attached. Use a thin nose plier if needed. Install just enough where you feel it "click".
 
Just to be clear, the valve cover is on the driver's side? I ordered the pcv valve and from what I saw, it looks like it is on the firewall end of the driver's side valve cover.
Yep, left ValveCover, your left as you sit driving down the road;
left=drivers side unless you're in Britian\Australia\NewZealand\...
PCVValve is QuarterTurn to remove\install LeftyLucy\RightyTighty;
careful not to break ValveCover plastic tabs in that hole.
ValveCover gasket may still be leaking; they can be difficult to get to seal proper.
If you still have the 5/16" PCV Coolant Loop, now is time to consider deleting it.

2001.Ford.ExST_Engi.AirN_PCVa.Valv_Ford.ev268.JPG

2001.Ford.ExST_Engi.AirN_PCVb.Valv_Ford.ev268.JPG

2001-ford-exst_engi-airn_pcvc-valv_ford-ev268-jpg.2774
 

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  • 2001.Ford.ExST_Engi.AirN_PCVc.Valv_Ford.ev268.JPG
    2001.Ford.ExST_Engi.AirN_PCVc.Valv_Ford.ev268.JPG
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I like pictures. Pictures are good!! It has the coolant loop so I should just toss it as shown in the one picture you sent me. That's interesting. Why delete the coolant loop? Thanks for taking the time for informative reply!
 
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5/16" PCV Coolant Loop was intended to warm up PCVValve & a small PCVHeatExchanger
on the left right side of the IntakeManifoldThroat (pic below) on cold starts,
but considering Coolant is also cold & location of PCVValve is directly above
left ExhaustManifold, it really is a "Rube Goldberg" design,
doesn't work as intended & only a source of potential Coolant leaks.
Deleted this a while back, live in a colder 9000ft location & have had no issue.
Need to follow those 5/16" hoses back around to the right side & also delete
associated 5/8~5/16~5/8"PlasticHoseTee & 5/8~5/16~5/8"SteelHoseTee assemblies,
then replace with stock 5/8"HeaterHoses.

2001.Ford.ExST_Engi.AirN_PCVf.Xchg_Ford.ev256_Olda.GIF

2001.Ford.ExST_Engi.AirN_PCVx.HosT_Ford.1L5e-18696-bc=s70da_Dlet.GIF

2001.Ford.ExST_Engi.AirN_PCVx.HosT_Ford.1L5z-18472-ad_Dlet.GIF
 
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Man, did you design this truck or what?! Lol. I very much appreciate all of your help with this matter and I look forward to getting this done as soon as the part arrives.
 

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