Hi,

Got an oil leak that I am having a hard time figuring out. I have had a dye test done and have been unable to visually trace it to its source. It pools in front of the transmission.

I have had the rear main seal recently replaced for an oil leak. It leaked a little for a few days after but then the car started to leak a ton. It seems to get worse after a 30-40 mile drive. The car is still at my local indy and at first glance he thinks it is leaking from the upper oil pan.

Anybody here have upper oil pan done or have worked on it themselves? I found a part number (AJ8004494) in a parts catalog located in the s type FAQ's forum but not much else. Any help would be great?

 

Sorry I don't have any help but the 4.2L V-8 is not known for oil leaks so when you do find it please post back. As our cars age leaks will become more common.

The V-6 is well known for oil pan leaks.

How many miles on the car?
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I've got about 67000 miles on her. I am wondering if the rear main seal I had replaced, is having issues or was damaged while installing. I will not know until the car is taken apart. I'll will follow up when I have time.

thanks again

 

He probobly damaged it on install. Upper oil pan? There isnt one. He must be thinking the bed plate and you never touch that unless youre doing an engine rebuild. Its what hold the crank, bearings and everything swinging on it in the block

 

Not the best with arrows and highlighters and stuff but here is the page with part I found. Sorry couldn't figure out how to make it bigger.

The more I think about it, the the rear main seal is starting look more probable.

I don't know about you guys but when my car sits in the shop I sure do miss her....

 

Sorry to hear that!

A rear main seal leak is also quite rare on the 4.2L. Any idea why or when it started leaking?

Just interested because I have never heard of this before?
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I purchased it two months ago and it has leaked since the day I picked it up. It started out small but was continous, about 1/2-1 oz. a day. The guys I purchased it from said they would get it fixed. The rear main seal was replaced on a Friday. I took it out that Sunday, went about 80 miles round trip and it started to leak a lot more.

Here is a pic from my phone when I first discovered it while I was changing the oil. Sorry, not the best. It pools mainly inside the hole on the bottom of the transmission. I first assumed that it was the front seal on the transmission but a leak test showed otherwise.

 

Thanks for the picture! I guess all engines can leak!

Brutal;
Do you replace any/many??
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I too will be interested in knowing what is going on. 14 months ago I picked up a '03' STR, one owner, dealer serviced, all records, 112,000 on the clock. I enjoy doing the maintenance, even with my limited skills. Thank you YouTube!

Oil changes, new 100K mile plugs as well as new ignition coils, new fuel filter, took the front end off to put in new head light bulbs, installed a new 'J' box......etc....a great sense of accomplishment and $ thousands saved. It had a new, dealer installed ZF trans with 7K on it when I bought it.

What does this have to do with an oil leak?.......belly pan, always as dry as a bone....2,300 miles since oil and filter, including a full underbelly inspection.

The last week.....large oil spot under the car......why haven't I looked at it?

A Horse and I had an argument last month...I lost. The Horse said I would be able to lay on a creeper in another month. This time I'm listening.

With out being able to lift and get behind the belly pan I'm just wondering what might have changed in such a sudden time.....loose oil filter? oil pan gasket? oil line of some kind?

I'll know in 4 more weeks but just thought I'd throw it out there.

Btw....first car at 19......'57' XK140DHC......loved it.
then 495K miles in 'P' cars.....74 carrara, 78 SC, 95 993 carrara
Back to the CAT......2003 STR, Quartz with light grey interior......love it...I put a cold air ram system on it. This installed in about 10 min. with only a few hand tools....it really released the beast! WHEW!!

I tell my friends that it is both 'elegant' as well as 'insolent' .....really am enjoying the drive.
(one 'P' car left)

 

Engine oil? PAS? Trans?

They're all different...

 

Thanks for the reply.....engine oil., clear and on the ground. Parked over cardboard when I was well enough to move a little more....definitely clear engine oil. I think the 3/4 qt. loss that I just added was an accumulated loss over several weeks. I put the cardboard down to see A, if I was the 'leaker' and B. to see if the leek progressed or was fairly consistent. After 6 or 7 reparkings I'd say the leek looks fairly consistent.

Thank you for any and all input. M.W.L.

 

Engine oil is never clear in my experience.

 

Maybe it's clearly engine oil? :-)

 

How about taking it back and see what they say? They just replace the rear main seal, and likely they screwed up.....or didn't replace it at all and added some stop leak that worked for a moment.

 

Not sure just when I posed the 'oil leak' question but I have the results. Not being able to get under my STR for the better part of 9 weeks do to the repercussions of a very poor decision one evening when 'hangen' with the Buds......I've just been able to inspect, diagnose, and remedy the situation.....the drum rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroll.

Loose oil filter. .......cleaned all of the affected areas of oil, hand tightened the oil filter again.....done deal.

2003 STR 124K Quartz exterior light grey interior
1995 Porsche 911/991
1963, 64, 65, Chevy P-30 step vans (original fiberglass, 5,600 total weight body's) Chevy 350 cu.in. transplants.

 

Aw come on! Tell us what you did that night!
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Whew.....I could go into all of the 'I'm not sure I want to remember' details but the high points are good music, attractive woman, great cocktails and then......bummer.....

The 'bummer' .....turned into 3 1/2 weeks in bed (solo, I might add).....crawling vs. walking....then crutches, canes, and finally back to walking again......yea......I'm still working on going from looking like a 'question mark' back to an 'exclamation point' but, in my understanding (in depth) of life's little gifts of 'learning experiences' ....This too shall pass........Onward and upward!

Not the first time.....probable won't be the last.....eh....to quote Dick Marcinko of U.S.Navy Seal Team Six....."I feel pain, therefore I know I live".....

 

You are just teasing us!

 

I wish......

 

I believe what Norri is referring too, is, what exactly happened that you wound up in a question mark for 3 1/2 plus weeks. Curious minds wanna know....