Oil dripping around starter

[Ricko1966]

I don't bring them to the maximum mark,anywhere between the maximum mark and the minimum! mark is considered good. Running them in the middle to low side helps keep windage down,I run on the low side, its a little racer trick to free up a couple of horse power. If your engine uses oil you will need to check it more often.

 

[Ricko1966]

Good point on the valve covers. I bought the correct valve covers for the year engine. They have 2 ports- actually three- one for PCV, one for breather and one for oil fill cap. There was a plug in the one for breather, I had to remove the plug and put in a grommet, then the breather. There are no leaks around the valve covers. I was thorough when I installed them, taking my time and cleaning all around them, making sure they seated properly on the gaskets, etc.

Yeah, the shop may have based the labor on an 87. When I brought it to them I pointed out that the engine may not be an 87 due to the heads/valve covers. I had not done research on the block VIN until after that. When I brought I back and they put a new oil pan on, they got the correct oil pan for an 74, I did ask them about that.

Not venting valve covers correctly, doesn't just cause valve cover leaks,it causes leaks everywhere and anywhere,the crankcase pressure looks for the easiest path to vent its self,so what ever is the weakest gasket or seal is where it's going to go. Not saying this for you specifically,stating it for anyone that reads this and doesn't realize the engine has to be vented.

 

[JT58]

Never mind how much oil you actually poured in.. "5/8 the way up the stick" doesn't tell us anything about the actual oil level.. The dip stick is calibrated to indicate oil level.. Upper most mark indicates the full mark.. Next mark down is the "one qt low" mark.. Proper amount of oil is anything between these 2 marks..

The proper way to add oil after an oil change: Fill the oil filter and install it.. Add the remainder of 4 qts oil.. Start the engine and let it run a few minutes.. Shut it off and read the level on the stick.. Add just enough oil to bring the level to the aforementioned FULL mark.. Close the hood, you're done.....

Working on vehicles for over 45 years I know this. But what if the dip stick is incorrect and you add too much or not enough oil? I was asking about the proper amount of oil for a 74 5.7- is it 5 quarts or 6? I found so much wrong with this truck that I had to fix from people that did not know what they were doing- over tightened fasteners, stripped threads, twisted fuel line, I could go on and on.

BTW my 2022 Bronco has a dip stick/capacity issue- there are pages and pages about it on the forum. Initial fill is way over the dipstick full mark, yet capacity is supposed to be 7 quarts. Then Ford went back and forth between 7 quarts and 6 for capacity in following up and that the dipstick might also be wrong. It was never resolved to this day that I am aware.

 

[Bextreme04]

Working on vehicles for over 45 years I know this. But what if the dip stick is incorrect and you add too much or not enough oil? I was asking about the proper amount of oil for a 74 5.7- is it 5 quarts or 6? I found so much wrong with this truck that I had to fix from people that did not know what they were doing- over tightened fasteners, stripped threads, twisted fuel line, I could go on and on.

BTW my 2022 Bronco has a dip stick/capacity issue- there are pages and pages about it on the forum. Initial fill is way over the dipstick full mark, yet capacity is supposed to be 7 quarts. Then Ford went back and forth between 7 quarts and 6 for capacity in following up and that the dipstick might also be wrong. It was never resolved to this day that I am aware.

It depends on the oil pan installed. Standard is a 5 quart pan plus whatever is in the oil filter. Usually ~5.5-6 quarts total. You can check the dipstick level by looking at where the marks are on the dipstick when it is installed in the tube and the oil pan is removed. You can absolutely replace the 2-piece rear main without touching the trans and transfer case(and in fact removing those won't help you anyways unless you are removing the mains and the crankshaft as well. Changing the rear main on a 4wd truck is super easy, you basically just remove the oil pan, remove the oil pump and rear main cap, then push on one side of the seal that goes up and around the crankshaft. That will push it around enough to grab the old seal and pull it out. The new rear main seal will come with a little piece of hard plastic that you can use to fish the new seal in without cutting the seal or removing the crankshaft. It's probably a 1-2 hour job if you have a lift and maybe 3-4 hours on your back in the garage with a few cold ones being consumed.

 

[Copymutt]

Another paid for itself use for an inspection camera.

5 Best Inspection Cameras - Mar. 2024 - BestReviews

 

[RustyPile]

Working on vehicles for over 45 years I know this. But what if the dip stick is incorrect and you add too much or not enough oil? I was asking about the proper amount of oil for a 74 5.7- is it 5 quarts or 6? I found so much wrong with this truck that I had to fix from people that did not know what they were doing- over tightened fasteners, stripped threads, twisted fuel line, I could go on and on.

BTW my 2022 Bronco has a dip stick/capacity issue- there are pages and pages about it on the forum. Initial fill is way over the dipstick full mark, yet capacity is supposed to be 7 quarts. Then Ford went back and forth between 7 quarts and 6 for capacity in following up and that the dipstick might also be wrong. It was never resolved to this day that I am aware.

I'll respond to your second paragraph.. This is a Square Body forum.. I'm not an administrator, so I don't make the rules nor enforce them, only suggest. There is a forum on this site called "Other Vehicles". I'd suggest you post that information there to get a more thorough response...

Now about your question about how much oil to put in that '74.. I stick by what I posted previously. If your stick is incorrect, if you start with 4 qts as I suggested and then finish up with a 5th quart, at best you'll have the correct amount of oil.. At worst, you'll be ~ a quart low, which is also just fine....

 

[Ricko1966]

Your question about oil level isn't as simple as you think it should be. You ask what if the dipsticks wrong? Cool, what if the oil pump pickup is wrong for your pan? I wouldn't start looking for what ifs unless you want to pull everything apart and verify what you actually have Lots of what ifs are possible but not probable. I'd put 5 quarts in it and call it a day

 

[SquareRoot]

I had the exact same issue when I bought my truck. It had a brand new GM crate motor in it with an Edelbrock manifold and carb which I assume the PO installed. It was the China wall that was leaking. Ran down the seam of the block/bell housing straight into the starter motor. You would swear the oil was leaking from the starter, lol. It ended up contaminating the starter solenoid contacts when I finally figured it out. Might be worth a look.

 

[JT58]

I had the exact same issue when I bought my truck. It had a brand new GM crate motor in it with an Edelbrock manifold and carb which I assume the PO installed. It was the China wall that was leaking. Ran down the seam of the block/bell housing straight into the starter motor. You would swear the oil was leaking from the starter, lol. It ended up contaminating the starter solenoid contacts when I finally figured it out. Might be worth a look.

Hi can you clarify what the leak actually was?

Update.....I brought the truck to my local good shop that works pretty much on trucks. They said they had a camera and checked out the rear main....not leaking, all dry around it. So they said they saw oil coming down from the right rear back of the valve cover. They replaced the valve cover gaskets. They used cork gaskets. I had just replaced the gaskets although I used rubber gaskets. The engine has cast heads and supposedly should use cork gaskets? I did not find any leaks around the valve covers when I did the gaskets initially. Anyway I paid a good amount of $$$, drove the truck home- 6 miles and sure enough the next morning a small puddle of oil on the floor, coming from the same spot- looks like the starter is leaking oil- drips around the starter bolts. Around the valve cover is dry, I can find no trace of oil running down. Around the oil pan appears dry. So is it the rear main? I called the shop and or course they want to look at it again......I guess I could try and replace the oil pan gasket and rear main myself.....not sure what to do or what else it could possibly be.

 

[SquareRoot]

Hi can you clarify what the leak actually was?

Update.....I brought the truck to my local good shop that works pretty much on trucks. They said they had a camera and checked out the rear main....not leaking, all dry around it. So they said they saw oil coming down from the right rear back of the valve cover. They replaced the valve cover gaskets. They used cork gaskets. I had just replaced the gaskets although I used rubber gaskets. The engine has cast heads and supposedly should use cork gaskets? I did not find any leaks around the valve covers when I did the gaskets initially. Anyway I paid a good amount of $$$, drove the truck home- 6 miles and sure enough the next morning a small puddle of oil on the floor, coming from the same spot- looks like the starter is leaking oil- drips around the starter bolts. Around the valve cover is dry, I can find no trace of oil running down. Around the oil pan appears dry. So is it the rear main? I called the shop and or course they want to look at it again......I guess I could try and replace the oil pan gasket and rear main myself.....not sure what to do or what else it could possibly be.

Rear seal on the intake manifold. It may have a gasket or it may only have rtv.

 

[JT58]

I found the source of the leak. It is leaking at the back of the oil pan around the arch. I pulled the inspection cover and the oils lines were dripping straight down it. So I left the cover off drove it around, then I could see the lines going down the back of the pan. The rear main does not appear to be leaking. So I am thinking to replace the oil pan gasket. Get the one piece and do the dab of Silicone in the corners. Any suggestions or other issues I might encounter if I do the job myself?

 

[Rusty Nail]

I'm puttin my bet on the distributor seal.

 

[JT58]

The leak was a cracked oil pan- where the bulge is for the dip stick. The mounting hole for the screw was very close to the bulge and the original installing shop used a hex head bolt that cut into the oil pan when they tightened it. The oil leaked out above the pan on the ledge and ran down to the starter. A second shop discovered this only after re-installing the same pan on with a new one piece gasket. It's unfortunate they didn't discover this issue before they put the same cracked pan back on. It took the shop 3 weeks to do this and after they asked me if I wanted them to order a new oil pan and they would install it again. I said no, 3 week wait is way too long and who knows how much longer it would have taken them to get and install a new pan. So, I ordered a new oil pan myself, got it in 3 days and installed it myself the following weekend. I used a socket head cap screw for the hole near the oil pan dip stick bulge instead of a hex head. Everything went great, oil leak completely fixed now. It seems if I want any work done right on this truck I have to do it myself.