Oil Leak - 4.8L - Oil Pan

[NC_John]

I've picked up a small oil leak on my 02 thats been aggravating me. I can't stand the oil spots on the driveway. The back and bottom of the oil pan stays wet. I've opened the bellhousing inspection plug and the flywheel is bone dry so I don't think the rear seal is leaking. I've cleaned off the engine with brake cleaner, put the truck on stands and spent 15 minutes looking around trying to figure out where it is coming from. The rear of the intake manifold seems dry too (as best I can tell). Valve covers seem dry enough. The perimeter of the pan always seems wet. After a few weeks of going back and forth I've decided I'm going to replace the oil pan gasket and see if I get lucky. (If its the rear cover leaking there is no way I am pulling the engine to fix it). Wish me luck- I hate leaky vehicles!

 

[afpj]

Have the same issue in 2002 with 5.3L FFV. Haven't bothered to try to fix it due to cost. Apparently it's a huge job because of what needs to come off. This is what I've been told anyway, so if you are able to do it easily, please post back, and TAKE PICS please!

 

[NC_John]

Have the same issue in 2002 with 5.3L FFV. Haven't bothered to try to fix it due to cost. Apparently it's a huge job because of what needs to come off. This is what I've been told anyway, so if you are able to do it easily, please post back, and TAKE PICS please!

For the 4.8 it looks to be the easiest in-car pan removal I've ever done - no lifting or jacking up of the motor. If yours is a 2WD you just unbolt a crossmember section and drop the pan- in theory anyway. I have to run to advance autoparts to get some fluids and I'll get started...

I'll let you know- I just hope this is where the leak has been coming from.

 

[afpj]

4WD vs 2WD may be the difference. I also read somewhere that alignment of the pan is extremely critical. I sure hope it goes easy for you...gives me some hope maybe what I've been told is incorrect (remove transmission housing, crossmember, differential carrier etc.) Not wanting to do all that.

 

[NC_John]

4WD vs 2WD may be the difference. I also read somewhere that alignment of the pan is extremely critical. I sure hope it goes easy for you...gives me some hope maybe what I've been told is incorrect (remove transmission housing, crossmember, differential carrier etc.) Not wanting to do all that.

It went fine- started it this morning and finished it this afternoon. Crossmember came out easily. I had to unbolt the starter but didn't disconnect it- just moved it to the side. The pan drops pretty much straight down. It took the most time to desludge it and clean it before putting it back on. Alignment and installation were no problem- put it up, start all the bolts loose, snug them, put the tranny bolts in and torque it all up.

No leaks in the garage but I need a good run down the interstate to see if the leak is gone. The pan gasket did look like it could have been where it was leaking. I didn't see anywhere else that looked like it could have been the source. Fingers are crossed....

 

[NC_John]

Oil Pan Gasket- Didn't Fix Leak

Took a test drive this morning and the engine still leaks. Looks like it is coming from bellhousing, same as before. Still don't think its the rear main- the flywheel is dry. Rear engine cover? I'm not pulling the engine to fix a leak so that ain't happening. I've read some about the intake manifolds (or more accurately the valley cover) leaking. Has anyone had this as the source of the leak? I'll pull the intake and replace that if its possibly the source but I don't want to take stuff apart unnecessarily. Its hard as hell to see if it is leaking oil- not much access back there as it goes so far back under the cowl....

I don't want to start feeding it stop-leak yet. Ideas?

 

[afpj]

Sorry to hear about that. Only idea I have is what a dealer would do...dye into the oil and blacklight it. Got no idea where you get the dye though. Good luck. Keeping fingers crossed for you, as what you find will likely be my issue too.

 

[NC_John]

Sorry to hear about that. Only idea I have is what a dealer would do...dye into the oil and blacklight it. Got no idea where you get the dye though. Good luck. Keeping fingers crossed for you, as what you find will likely be my issue too.

I've been screwing around with it all week. The engine is so far back under the cowl that I can't even do a decent job degreasing back there and everything just feels oily/greasy. I can't tell what (if anything) is leaking.

I decided last night I'm going to pull the intake this weekend and clean all that stuff up. Going to do the intake valley cover gasket, intake manifold gasket (just because I have to remove it, there is no oil there to leak) and check out the oil pressure sending unit, cam position sensor and whatever else I can find on the rear of the engine block. I'll do the valve cover gaskets too. That is about all I can change without pulling the engine and if I have to pull the 4.8 out, a 4.8 is not going back in. I'll go 5.3 or 5.7 at least and I don't want to spend the money to do that right now. One way or another, I'll fix the damn leak- leaky trucks are ghetto!

 

[afpj]

One way or another, I'll fix the damn leak- leaky trucks are ghetto!

Hmmm, you must live near Laclede's Landing...

 

[NC_John]

Hmmm, you must live near Laclede's Landing...

I had to google that to see what you were talking about- then I figured it out because of the arch in the avatar- nah, I live in NC- I just got that shot on a road trip passing through there on my way to Kansas City. I just like the picture - no affiliation with St Louis.