Oil leaking '88 TC

[VicCrownVic]

I've never known that thing to need a special socket. I've just gone through the socket rack until something fit it. I couldn't tell you what that was, but it was not anything specially designed for sensors.

You mean those SOBs at AZ lied to me! *GASP* NEVER! At least it wasn't the AZ that I normally go to...
I could have sworn that my dad had used a regular socket when he changed one before, had I been changing the thing at his place he would have told me that.

I plead ignorance, but where exactly is this oil presure sensor?

It's just forward from the oil filter and has a wire connected to it.

[Ike Clanton]

Well, just got around to replacing my oil pressure switch and removing my little doohickey that split the pressure port so I could have the switch and a gauge together. The engine definitely has good oil pressure at all times so I just took the gauge out entirely and for good.

We just got a DIY auto shop here with lifts and tools and all that crap and it's wonderful. I don't need tools, but I was a mechanic at one time and I've suuure missed having a lift all these years since I changed jobs. It was great to have my own car up on one again.

Couldn't quite tell if the pressure switch was leaking, but it sure looked like one part of the plastic was dipped down a bit and there was oil right there, and no dirt at all on that spot. Should be able to tell within a week if it is really not leaking, I guess.

A regular 26mm socket works fine on the switch.

[85crownHPP]

If oil is pooled up in that upper part of the timing cover, all that leaves is the lower intake - if you are sure its not dizzy o-ring or VC gaskets.
The lower intakes are notorious for leaking out the backside too, so you might fix more leaks than you know if you do that.

The timing cover isn't too hard to do - you will need a bolt-puller rig to get the balancer off. Also an impact gun is great to get the crank bolt out - it can be tricky to hold the crank to use a breaker/ratchet on it. I was able to hold one of the 'nubs' on the balancer of the 5.8L Bronco I just did with a 13/16" wrench to get 90ft/lbs BACK on it, but breaking it loose might be tricky like that.

Removing the timing cover does disturb the oil pan gasket, but when you buy the gasket set they give you everything you need. You just cut the pan gasket off flush to the block and piece it back together with what they give you (and some silicone in the corners). Mine had a nice rubber piece that pops in the groove in the round part of the cover, with little notches to tuck into the cover and merge with the 2 cork pieces they give you. You also get a new front crank seal - this gets R&Red just like a wheel hub or axle seal, but you have to me more careful since you are working with an aluminum cover.

Fair warning, the cover-to-block gasket is usually very crusty and glued in place... you will spend a lot of time cursing a scraping all that old gasket off if you don't have a power tool with a surface prep disc to use. I had the luxury, and I was still cursing just scraping the big chunks off!

[Ike Clanton]

If oil is pooled up in that upper part of the timing cover, all that leaves is the lower intake - if you are sure its not dizzy o-ring or VC gaskets.
The lower intakes are notorious for leaking out the backside too, so you might fix more leaks than you know if you do that.

The timing cover isn't too hard to do - you will need a bolt-puller rig to get the balancer off. Also an impact gun is great to get the crank bolt out - it can be tricky to hold the crank to use a breaker/ratchet on it. I was able to hold one of the 'nubs' on the balancer of the 5.8L Bronco I just did with a 13/16" wrench to get 90ft/lbs BACK on it, but breaking it loose might be tricky like that.

Removing the timing cover does disturb the oil pan gasket, but when you buy the gasket set they give you everything you need. You just cut the pan gasket off flush to the block and piece it back together with what they give you (and some silicone in the corners). Mine had a nice rubber piece that pops in the groove in the round part of the cover, with little notches to tuck into the cover and merge with the 2 cork pieces they give you. You also get a new front crank seal - this gets R&Red just like a wheel hub or axle seal, but you have to me more careful since you are working with an aluminum cover.

Fair warning, the cover-to-block gasket is usually very crusty and glued in place... you will spend a lot of time cursing a scraping all that old gasket off if you don't have a power tool with a surface prep disc to use. I had the luxury, and I was still cursing just scraping the big chunks off!

Groovy, thanks for the info. After replacing the sender, the leak seems to have slowed and even possibly stopped. I'm going to give it this week and then I'll throw it back in the air to see what it's doing again.

[Ike Clanton]

FYI, replacing the sender did the trick.

Now I just need to see where I'm leaking transmission fluid on the passenger side of tranny itself. I'd guess the cooler lines?

[sly]

probably the lines. check the fittings to make sure they're actually fitted and not loose.

[gadget73]

could be. There are quick connects back there where the lines go in. The fittings fail and cause it to dump fluid. They can be a bit of a pain in the ass to get released. There is a tool for releasing them, but the lines tend to stick in the fittings. If yours has plastic visible around the steel line where it goes into the nut, its the quick connect type. If no plastic, then its just a flare fitting. They did quit using those things at some point, but I don't know exactly when.