Re: IML: Oil usage theories

["Frederick Joslin" <fljoslin@xxxxxxxx>]

Hi Dan:

One of the oil pressure senders in my LeBaron failed two years ago. It maintained enough integrity to hold the oil at low pressure at idle, but let go with high pressure when running.

As you probably know these senders are behind the valve cover at the top of the engine. The oil flowed down the back of the block and off the transmission and was not very obvious.

This was bad enough to dump a couple of quarts in just a few minutes.

Could you have something like this which in in such a location as to be difficult to see, but to much less of an extent?

----- Original Message -----
From: "Daniel Richardson"
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: IML: Oil usage theories
Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:27:49 -0600


Steve, et al:

I do have some leaks but, the usage seems to be
from driving, not leaking. A few normally
expected drips from a 40+ year old - not
unusual.

As I am a bit nervous about hastening the
demise of the bottom end, I think I will just
continue to add oil for now, maybe 20W50 in the
Summer. She really needs to be completely
rebuilt, but then that drags the tranny in for
a needed overhaul too. See, you guys are great
at spending my money, aren't you! 3K engine +
1K trans, yuck!!

For now, I'm just driving her and having fun!
New tires, wheels, and an entire exhaust
system, are gonna' get my next couple a G's.
I'll let you all know when she blows. (BTW,
anyone have a '65 413 High Performance block
for sale?)

Thanks again, as always, for the advice from
everyone. This is the absolute best resource!

Dan Richardson
300L Family Heirloom




----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve B."
> Dan:
> You probably do need valve seals as most
> engines do at this age, but I don't think
> they are your problem. You've seen the
> Chrysler minivans around town that look like
> mosquito foggers with all the blue smoke
> coming out the back? Well they aren't using
> the kind of oil you are using...
>
> Failed valve seals let the oil in to the
> combustion chamber, if you were actually
> burning that much oil there would be clouds
> of oil behind you and those plugs would have
> been black clumps of goo instead of nice and
> brown.
>> From your description of the plugs it doesn't sound like you are burning
> much/any oil.
>
> You most likely have a leak somewhere. Valve
> cover gaskets (wet oil on the plug threads
> suggest they are leaking), oil pressure
> sending unit, rear main seal... I don't know
> where it is but I don't think it is a valve
> seal problem. Try putting some cardboard
> under the car and rev the engine to hiway rpm
> for a few minutes and see if you can see
> anything leaking.
>
> Steve B.


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Fred Joslin