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Posted By Discussion Topic: 59AB engine oil leak on 40 Ford Coup -- page: 1 2     Dick 08-13-2021 @ 5:34 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 23 Joined: Oct 2009 My 59 AB engine performs and runs great after solving the condensor issue. Now I want to tackle the usual oil leak that I have been told is probably caused from the car sitting too long prior to me obtaining it. I have driven it over8,000 miles and tried a lot of things including running Rotella and Lucas oil stabilizer. We think it is the rear main seal. I have heard there may be a way to install a new seal without pulling the engine. Any advice and tips will be appreciated. I run the diaper and it works well but my leak is just worse than it should be. Dick McSpadden ford38v8 08-13-2021 @ 7:29 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2758 Joined: Oct 2009 Dick, to help determine if your engine’s oil leakage is normal or abnormal, please answer the following questions: What oil weight are you using now, and how long have you been using it? Do you have an oil filter installed? Exactly how much oil do you put in, including the oil in your oil filter if you do have one? Is the car normally parked on level ground, and if not, is it parked uphill or downhill? Is the leakage measurable, is there a catch pan underneath? Do you add oil between changes? Is all the leakage from the hole with the hanging cotterpin at the bottom of the clutch cover? Alan Dick 08-14-2021 @ 12:06 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 23 Joined: Oct 2009 Reply to Alan: She’ll Rotello 15-40 Lucas stabilizer No oil filter 4 quarts to fill line on dipstick Always parked level ground Leak could be measurable, at present Iuse the “diaper” but I will put a bucket under and measure it. Mostly dripping from cotter pin. Change oil at 2000 and due mostly to leak add 1qt est ever 600 miles. Not smoking or fouling plugs. ford38v8 08-14-2021 @ 1:11 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2758 Joined: Oct 2009 Dick, I was hoping for a clue to indicate something other than the seal. Not. Can't help you on the seal, but about the lack of smoke, any smoke from oil burning would be white, contrary to what one would think to be black, which is from a rich mixture. 600 miles/quart is a lot. Have you done a compression test? How about blowby? How many miles on the engine? If you go to the trouble of changing the rear seal, you might also consider a ring/valve job while you're at it. These old engines are not like the modern in that they rarely get up to 100k miles before needing a rebuild. If you have the space and the mechanical aptitude, a ring/valve job can be done at home. Alan carcrazy 08-14-2021 @ 3:35 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1650 Joined: Oct 2009 I would not change the rear oil seal for a leak of 1 quart per 600 miles. Many old engines with some miles on them will use that much oil or more. I know the leak is an annoyance. If you just place a cookie pan under the engine when the car is parked in the garage it will minimize complaints from your lady. For oil try using a conventional straight SAE 30 Weight Detergent oil with a ZDDP additive to reduce valvetrain wear. The 30 weight has greater viscosity than the multi-grade you are currently using and should considerably reduce the amount of oil leaked. Dick 08-14-2021 @ 4:26 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 23 Joined: Oct 2009 Thanks for the advice guys. The engine had 231 miles on it when I got the car.. It has 8,785 miles on it now. The fine old fellow who did a good amateur restoration on the Coup passed away and the Car sat in a barn for 3 years. It has leaked ever since I Acquired it and after flying my 1950 Navion for 40 years , I just can’t stand oil leaks. Also leaking a quart every 600 miles is just too much as Alan said. I had to be a little handy to fly that Navion for all those years but at 83, just don’t trust my mechanical skills so much anymore but I still fly. It is not a “Dearborn candidate by any means but I drive it and it is a crowd pleaser. I was hoping to be able to have a seal installed without pulling the engine, if I have to do that, I will take the advice to do the other work mentioned. Thanks for the advice JayChicago 08-16-2021 @ 7:52 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 480 Joined: Jan 2016 Carcrazy, I don’t understand this: “The 30 weight has greater viscosity than the multi-grade you are currently using and should considerably reduce the amount of oil leaked. “ He is using 15-40 with stabilizer added. I would think straight 30 weight oil would have greater viscosity only when cold, which is a small fraction of the running/leaking time. len47merc 08-16-2021 @ 11:18 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1165 Joined: Oct 2013 Bob, if I placed a cookie pan under the cotter pin on the '47 I can absolutely assure you that would not minimize complaints from my Lady! The opposite maybe! Steve carcrazy 08-16-2021 @ 12:15 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1650 Joined: Oct 2009 A multi-grade oil does not get thicker as the temperature increases! It thins out less than a single weight motor oil would as it heats up. The base weight oil for a 15-40 weight oil is SAE 15. The straight SAE 30 oil will not leak from the engine as readily as will a multi-grade. ford38v8 08-16-2021 @ 1:01 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2758 Joined: Oct 2009 Dick, with only a couple hundred miles on the engine, it would have been you to break it in. If not fully broken in with a break in oil, the rings would not seat. Do a compression check to verify ring seating. A warm engine with oil squirted in the plug holes will test higher compression than dry if rings are faulty. Compare readings wet/dry on all cylinders. Alan

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