Rear Main Oil Seal Leak

[JimNolan]

I've diagnosed the oil leak on my new engine as coming from the rear main oil seal. I let the car warm up real good today and watched the oil drip from the bottom of the Lakewood Bell Housing. It drips one (1) drop of 10W30 every 2 - 2 1/4 minutes. I calculate it will drip 30 drops an hour or 1500 drops between oil changes. Since I am physically unable to pull the engine right now I was thinking of making a metal drip pan (@ 1 qt.) to fasten to the bottom of the Lakewood Bell Housing with a drain plug to catch the drops of oil between oil changes. I can make it so the bell housing sits down in the pan some to ensure the drip is dispersed inside the catch pan.
MY QUESTION IS THIS: Has this been done before and if so is there a ready made oil pan like I'm talking about already built. Thanks, Jim

[bw_kc]

I did some google searches and didn't see anything.  I've got a pesky leak - novel idea you've got there.  I'd say as long as you're not taking the car to the track build your metal diaper and see how it works!!!

[JimNolan]

I put a pan underneath the car and ran it for 30 minutes. I left the pan underneath the car overnight and found I had 1.85 ML the next day. I did find a small amount of oil coming from the intake/block rear area so I re-torqued the intake (I'd not done that since build) and it was loose especially at the back. I realize I am making a mountain out of a mole hill but 1.85 ml of oil looks like a quart on the garage floor when you look at it. There are 946 ML or oil in a quart and it'd take 255 hours of run time to loose a quart at this rate. I also am going to go to something besides 10W30 in the way of oil this summer. I now consider my leakage moot and wish I hadn't wasted time worrying about it. But, I've rebuilt FE's for years and never had one leak on me before. It was just unusual for me. And, I'm still going to build my little tray underneath the bell housing (the Lakewood has a bunch of bolts to fasten it to) so I don't leave oil where ever I park.

[Cyclone03]

I've had a leak running down the front of the bell housing for the last 13,000 miles. Changed RMS 4-5times,resealed intake (yes I removed it),valve covers every valve lash, fuel pump (now a plate). I've given up and just let it leak.
Your little tray will only catch oil when the car is not moving the rest of the time it will get blown around and spray everywhere.

[Bad Byrd]

Oh man.................I tell you this just makes me laugh, my wifes SBC powered 32 was driving me crazy with oil leaks. I bet I pulled that motor 5 times chasing those little SOB's! Finally I just blew the whole motor apart and resealed it myself, Changed rear mains, changed oil pan, valve cover, timing cover, intake manifold I changed it all...................well it leaked again. So I pulled it again and took it to a local shop who I have know for years he is a race engine builder and had him go through the whole thing and I have not had a drop since! That was 2 yrs ago, well this winter I noticed some fluid under the car and got under there and the damn front seal in the trans was leaking......................Geez I cant catch a break......................so right now I am in the middle of swapping the TH400 out and in goes a fresh rebuilt 700R4.

Did I mention I HATE LEAKS!!! I will spend hrs, and hrs, and hrs and boat loads of money to ensure that my stuff does not leak. And if this damn Ford leaks..................it too will come out and get fixed....................I can not handle a car that has oil leaks...........................Did I mention I hate oil leaks!

I am working with a company caller premier Rubber right now to make me some neoprene intake gaskets because I wont use cork. I have been down this road before with the whole cork thing before and this isnt an option for me.

I guess my point to you is.....................why not just pull it and make it right, bandaids seldom work in cases like this.

[JimNolan]

I guess my point to you is.....................why not just pull it and make it right, bandaids seldom work in cases like this.

You're right, I should.
I had a heart attack last summer and I don't think I can physically crawl around the floor lifting engines and transmissions like I did before. I got a knee going out on me too. And, it'd be expensive to get someone else to take the time with a show car to ensure everything goes back like it should. It's the 57 Fairlane and I don't even have a power steering leak, anyone that knows 50's Ford power steering knows it's unusual to not have that leaking. The leak comes from the very bottom of the bell housing and I can have it sitting inside a catch pan by at least an inch. It should catch the drip while going down the road as well as being parked. 

[Bad Byrd]

I guess my point to you is.....................why not just pull it and make it right, bandaids seldom work in cases like this.

You're right, I should.
I had a heart attack last summer and I don't think I can physically crawl around the floor lifting engines and transmissions like I did before. I got a knee going out on me too. And, it'd be expensive to get someone else to take the time with a show car to ensure everything goes back like it should. It's the 57 Fairlane and I don't even have a power steering leak, anyone that knows 50's Ford power steering knows it's unusual to not have that leaking. The leak comes from the very bottom of the bell housing and I can have it sitting inside a catch pan by at least an inch. It should catch the drip while going down the road as well as being parked.

Well I have never experienced the Heart attack deal myself, but the good thing is it sounds like you have more time then money............so take your time, call some buddies and attack it slowly and you will get it fixed right.

[Lenz]

I'm on board with Bad Byrd.  I have had the heart attack thing so I know where you live, it changes how you approach things but not how they are accomplished or the outcomes (by the way boys, I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm as good once, I ever was ).  The catch pan idea sounds OK but what's gonna happen once you exceed idle rpm where you can't measure a leak rate?  The leak could drastically increase.  Then, think about the air passing under the car while you are moving, that might empty the device and make a larger mess than you've got now, that air can change the whole catch can concept.  Bottom line, ya gotta fix the leak to win the war.  JMO.

[fastback 427]

Jim, my dad had 6 heart attacks over 9 years so i know how debilitating they can be. A few years ago I had a rear main leak show up at the track. Tech put me on hold till the leak was fixed. A couple long time buds ran to the gas station and picked up a roll of duct tape and a pack of feminine hygiene products. Yeah.... with wings.   Being secure in my manhood we taped them to the tranny and took it back to tech. They let me race the whole weekend with a few cheap shots of course!

[Bad Byrd]

Jim, my dad had 6 heart attacks over 9 years so i know how debilitating they can be. A few years ago I had a rear main leak show up at the track. Tech put me on hold till the leak was fixed. A couple long time buds ran to the gas station and picked up a roll of duct tape and a pack of feminine hygiene products. Yeah.... with wings.   Being secure in my manhood we taped them to the tranny and took it back to tech. They let me race the whole weekend with a few cheap shots of course!

Now that is some funny Chit right there! LOL

[My427stang]

Can you drop the pan in the car? 

Nobody loves to work upside down, but it can be done usually.

Not to mention, if you find its the pan, gasket, or windage tray blocking the main from dumping pressure before it gets to the seal, you may not HAVE to change the seal