Crazy oil leak, cant figure it out.

[thegeneral]

2000 XL 5.3 4wd

I just recently drove 2500 miles straight from the east to the west, and got a check engine oil level light about 500 miles into the trip. I added a quart.

500 miles later, same thing, added another quart, light was still on. I checked the level and it was down a quart still.

Long story short, 2500 miles, 5 quarts of oil.

I get home and it's leaving two oil puddles about an oil pan width apart on the driveway. It also seams that it leaks only under about a 2000 rpm load. Mostly dry at idle.

So I do some investigating, replace intake manifold gasket, oil pressure sensor, cam sensor, throttle body gasket, still leaking.

I did some more searching online and replaced the crankshaft sensor and valve cover gaskets, still leaking.

I'm down to either the oil pan gasket or the rear main.

Has anyone else had this issue?

Any other ideas of where it could be leaking from?

I'm sorta tapped out on this fix, so i'm ready to just have it done.

 

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

2000 XL 5.3 4wd

I just recently drove 2500 miles straight from the east to the west, and got a check engine oil level light about 500 miles into the trip. I added a quart.

500 miles later, same thing, added another quart, light was still on. I checked the level and it was down a quart still.

Long story short, 2500 miles, 5 quarts of oil.

I get home and it's leaving two oil puddles about an oil pan width apart on the driveway. It also seams that it leaks only under about a 2000 rpm load. Mostly dry at idle.

So I do some investigating, replace intake manifold gasket, oil pressure sensor, cam sensor, throttle body gasket, still leaking.

I did some more searching online and replaced the crankshaft sensor and valve cover gaskets, still leaking.

I'm down to either the oil pan gasket or the rear main.

Has anyone else had this issue?

Any other ideas of where it could be leaking from?

I'm sorta tapped out on this fix, so i'm ready to just have it done.

Can you trace where the oil is streaming from? Is it up high like its leaking from the head gaskets or heads? Is it lower and coming from the oil pan? If it was dripping from the weep hole in the bell housing it would be the rear main.

The oil pan gasket also has pressurized oil passing through it and it has a gasket on the driver side that could blow out. How about something simple like a recent oil change and the filter has a double gasket on it spraying oil out?

 

[thegeneral]

All good ideas!

I don't think it's coming from higher than above the bell housing.

There is oil on the starter bolts, and oil on both sides of the pan (I park on an incline which doesn't help)

I did not know that the oil is under pressure below the gasket line which helps me.

It only leaks when running, any drips post driving are residual so its not a constant stream.

I'm gonna change out the pan gasket and see if that helps. There is some oil inside the bellhousing but i'm hoping that is coming from the pan gasket seeping into the bell and not the rear main.

Hopefully?

---------- Post added at 10:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:39 PM ----------

and i checked for a double gasket, no such luck.

---------- Post added at 10:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:40 PM ----------

the heads are dry as well. I did clean it up completely and it seams as though most of the oil is coming from around the rear of the pan and dripping down the bell housing. There is some oil getting into the housing but if its a rear pan leak and its under pressure as you said, maybe the plastic covers on the upper side of the bellhousing is letting oil in.

Looks like ill throw a new (pain in the ass) pan gasket on and see if it takes care of the problem.

If, after all of this and I still have a leak, i'll be accepting donations...

 

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

The oil pans on these aren't all that hard. You have to remove the front differential which is easy, but after you do that there is tons of room and it comes right out.

I recommend you also replace the oil pickup tube o-ring while you are in there because they typically crack and suck air. A good kit should include the o-ring you need

 

[thegeneral]

Do you know if having a 6" lift makes it any easier? Do I still have to remove the dif?

 

[DCT]

Rear main seal. Very common issue. I need to replace mine.

 

[thegeneral]

Is yours leaking around the starter bolts? Does it only leak when running?

How have you diagnosed it? How much oil are you leaking?

---------- Post added at 11:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:20 PM ----------

And I do have to say that quite a bit of people on the web replace their main seal on these engines only to find that they are still leaking.

I still have a thread of hope.

 

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

Do you know if having a 6" lift makes it any easier? Do I still have to remove the dif?

Well a suspension lift typically does not relocate the differential, so you should be ok.

I would wash all the mess away really good with brake cleaner then run the engine so you can verify where the leak is coming from before doing all that work