This pict with stabilizer bar covered in oil, suggest front main seal leaking... Balancer slings it off while engine is running...
Thanks. Everything is wet! The front cover is soaked with oil so i cant be sure if these lower items are the source. The active dripping occurs in the bck of fhe engine on passenger side of the rear face of block. My best guess is that head gaskets are doing it and oil runs down side of block.
If i pull this motor, whats best plan? Are newer version of this motor useable in his car? If not, is a newer short block useable with the old style heads and intake? How hard is it to put a 5.0 in wth retrofitting and misc parts? Would it bolt to my 3 speed?
Thanks. One thing I should add, is that I use only mobil 1 synthetic in motors, and Im suspect that I helped leaks along by doing this. Ive had 2 of these motors back in the old days, and both motors wore out at low miles (80K ish). They all were leakers, but none this bad.
I wouldn't be surprised if you found the intake leaking at the rear end seal. I've see some older 3.8L cars (of all types) leaking from the rear of the intake, in a couple of cases I attributed it to increased backpressure caused by cats becoming obstructed. Be ready for this rabbit hole to go deep.
Interesting thought on the cats. The rear intake seal is seeping a bit as Ive looked back there but it doesnt appear to be losing much as its not all that wer back there. So is this a pretty well know effect of plugged cats (causing oil leaks all over)??
Have an 84 bird, 3.8L, 73K miles. Has developed a significant oil leak. Trouble is eveything is so wet, its hard to tell what is causing mostly. I have done the valve covers, 3x since over 15k miles, both with the rubber gasket, then back to felpro cork. Its not the valve covers. The bell housing, the oil pain, the front cover, all is soaked, but the drips come off the right side of block area, after running down around the starter mounting area and off the edge of cover that seals off the converter area (by the starter). Crossover is getting some drips on it and smoking a bit (hard to tell from all the caked on cooked oil on it). The right side of the block is dirty, but I dont see any significant leak from there in the region that I can see. Itll drip maybe 4-5 drips per minute just idling, more if revved.
Any ideas? Im getting close to saying bye to this car, but this is a spare mess around car, but this oil dripping is just too messy to continue.
Grab a pick and pull $125 sn-95 v-6. Get a f-150 flywheel and clutch kit for a 302. I did my swap for $400 all in for the t-5. You dont need a new crossmember, you dont need a new driveshaft, everything bolts in like factory.
Have you checked the timing chain for play if it's stretch too much will throw the valve timing out enough to lose power,compression test? and how old are your o2 sensors may still be working but get slow at responding changed mine very pleased with the result but never threw a code.
O2 sensors are original. Timing chain is too but I know that both of my 3.8 from back in the day had over 100k on them and we're very worn out motors but ran stronger than this motor which has 70k miles, has no blow by evident in air cleaner housing?".
0-60 in around 10 seconds? Quarter mile in about 17 seconds? Those are the normals for the 3.8 in these cars.
Yes. I am aware but still am pretty sure something is wrong. I had and 84 and an 86 back in the early 90s which I drove gen of thousands of miles and don't recall them being so weak. I've had this car for 3 years but don't drive it much. Maybe I'll time a 0-60 run but I bet it's longer than 10.
