I have a 2007 2.3l XL and have had moisture in the area by the oil pan and around the hose pictured below since I bought my truck. Recently however it has started to occasionally drip signifying that the problem is slowly getting worse. It has not leaked enough to lower my oil level yet. I know that this area is where the rear main seal is and after consulting some of my co-workers at Jack Williams tire we believe it is probably the cause. The leak starts on the top passengers side of the bell housing under the rubber Ford peephole shown in the picture below. Just trying to get as many opinions as possible before tackling this job. Do you guys agree it is most likely the rear main leaking?

ForumRunner_20170303_140445.jpg



ForumRunner_20170303_140420.jpg

By the way only has 43k, and I baby the shit out of it so no matter what I plan on fixing it, here's a pic.

ForumRunner_20170303_142816.jpg

I have gone ahead and had the rear main seal replaced at the ford dealer. After replacing it, they said they think something else is leaking from higher up. Sure enough 4 days later it started to leak again, so I took it back in and they said they would need to remove the intake manifold to diagnose the cause and that it appeared to be coming from the back of the engine. What specific things could be the cause and what should I check/replace first?

Quote:The leak starts on the top passengers side of the bell housing under the rubber Ford peephole shown in the picture below.

If the leak starts at the TOP of the bellhousing, then for the rear main seal to be the problem, the laws of gravity must be suspended. Liquids flow downhill. I see no way a rear main leak can cause problems at the top of the bell.
I would have suspected the cam cover gasket. They are notable for leaking. I would have suggested replacing the cam cover gasket with the premium after-market offerings made of rubber(more or less). The rubber will not compress and seep like the cork factory gasket.
I could not tell what from where in the pics, but will mention the cam cover as one, and the only other oil 'thing' is the sending unit or switch on the side of the cylinder head, drivers side, rearward. The switch has a bakelite(?) or composite piece that can come loose from the metal housing, and allow seepage. I would expect it to drip down the side of the engine. It has one wire. Nearby, lower and a bit more forward, is the sending unit for the temperature gauge if you want to know. It also has only one wire.
Unless you ordered the rear main seal replacement, "do this", the service writer & tech should have noted that the leakage was from 'higher up', and suggested the other part replacement rather than the coslty rear main. Rear main seals are unlikely leak sources currently.
tom

EDIT: Got my engines mixed. The 07 2.3 is DOHC, but the same thing applies, gravity will cause leaks to seep down, and that was the point. The DOHC does not have the same type gasket as the older, and holds off leaking until the rubber/plastic gets old and stiff/brittle. Then it will start to seep. The Lima has/had cork gaskets that leaked a bit sooner, in my experience. tom

I had an oil leak that "looked" like it was a possible rear main seal leak. I wasn't too keen on taking on that task and decided to do it later. However, my intake manifold with the IMRC flaps was making a lot of racket at the
time and so I replaced it AND at the same time replaced the valve cover/cam cover gasket and sparkplug tube gaskets. And now, no more oil leak.

__________________
2003 Ranger XL | 2.3L | 2wd | 5spd manual | standard cab | short bed | 112" wheel base | 3.73 rear (open diff) | no power windows or locks but at least it's got A/C!

Thanks for the replies, I have now gone ahead and replaced the valve cover gasket and intake manifold gasket myself ( hell of a job I never want to do again ). We diagnosed that the back if the valve cover gasket was the most likely culprit. I did not notice any more leaks while in there and am hoping this will finally resolve my issues. Has been about 24 hrs and have driven about 30 miles without it leaking, how long should i continue to be worried about the vale cover gasket leaking again due to recent replacement?

jm:how long should i continue to be worried about the vale cover gasket leaking again due to recent replacement?

About two minutes. There are more important things in life, and this is a minor inconvenience at most. If you cleaned well, and installed carefully, it should be leak-free for quite a while. If there was oil in the spark plug wells, I'd consider replacing the boots, and if the PCV shows any sign of being gummed, I'd replace the PCV valve, likely with OEM. If the valve gums, it can pressurize your crankcase. Now, what do your worry about? Boots? Valves? Seals? ... You can't win. Something called entropy is on your tail, following you around until you quit moving. Worry about other things...
tom

Haha very true, seems to have sealed well but it must have only been part of the leak as it is still leaking a little but less than before. I have replaced enough shit and torn it apart enough for now though and think unless there is anything simple to try I will let it go for now.