O.T. Ford Ranger

I know this hain't a tractor question.....bare with me.

Got a 1987 Ford Ranger with a 4 cylinder 2.3 engine that has a bad oil leak. Is leaking between the engine and tranny---leaks out on top of tranny, drivers side. I thought maybe there was an oil passage plug between the engine and tranny, so I pulled the tranny and all plugs are tight. SHOOT!!

Main seal is good. Oil sending unit is good. Valve cover is good. Only thing I can think of is a head gasket cause that would leak right on that area. Any ideas on this? Never thought of a head gasket leaking so much externally. Has overhead cam and the rear plug looks good on that too.

Oh yea, it is painted red.

Thanks,

Buzz

You hit the nail right on the head!!!!!

GREAT PICTURES!!!! Thanks a million. Last night I looked at the manual and it hit me that it's an overhead cam. Then got to thinking that they must run oil up there through a hole.....but where. Then, today, got yer pictures.

Since the valve cover and pressure sending unit are not the culprit, I suspect that it is indeed that gasket----especially looking at those pictures.

I'll give ya a shout,

Thanks again,

Buzz

The oil goes up into the head thru the passage I marked with the screwdriver in the block and the pen in the head. As you know the sending unit is right there on the side of the head. The oil goes from there, the length of the head, and up to each of the four cam bearings. From the cam bearings it goes thru the length of the cam and out a port on each of the cam lobes to lube the cam followers.

As an idea to make sure its the head gasket, most likely is, you can drive the oil pump with a drill and look for were the oil is coming out. Just take off the timing belt cover, remove the timing belt and drive the distributor jackshaft. On mine it took a 17mm socket. Make sure you time the dist and cam correctly when you put it back together.

I always liked the 2.3, nearly bullet proof

Clean with HP washer first.

Get a good mirror on a stick (tool) to peer back there from out here.

Don,t drive it to get it to leak, the wind/turbulance in the compartment will drive the oil where it is not leaking. (been there)

Begin looking before someone else starts it up (be careful to discuss when)

JimN

Yea, I agree on all that. Thing is, is that it leaks SO much that I don't need any leak detector!!! Holy molie that thing pukes out of there.

I cleaned that area off before I pulled the tranny and all I could see was oil coming from the drivers side corner of the engine. Actually in that head gasket area and down the bell housing mounting flange of the tranny.

Funny thing just hit me as I write this---oil most generally leaks and goes downward, thanks to gravity. My guess is that the head gasket is leaking. Oil travels down onto the bell housing and follows around and down on the floor.

Just kind of strange to me that a head gasket would do this---wonder if this is common on this engine after a few years and miles.

Buzz

The cam gets its oil via an oil passage in the back of the block and head. Right where you say your leak is. In that same area the oil pressure sending unit is there too. You have a few possibilities.

1) The sending unit is leaking

2) The valve cover gasket is leaking. The cam throws oil like crazy. The oil ports are right in the cam. I won't talk about when I left the cover off and started the engine. About 20ft worth of oil in all directions.

3)The head gasket is leaking oil from that passage