Big Oil leak

Fox213506 · April 28th, 2011, 06:40 PM

1999 Cobra 108550 Miles on her. Owned it for 3 months. Well today i went out, was nice out and decided to go ahead check all my fluids and etc. when i went to check the oil the dipstick came up dry. I immediately looked under the car and sure enough there was oil everywhere. i trace the leak and it looks like its coming from below the headers. Its leaking from the front, back, left, and right of the gasket there. Is there something else that could be leaking besides the gasket? I don't understand how everything below the headers is soaked in oil. I read somewhere that those gasket rarely blow out. I'm a new to these cars any help would be appreciated.

vita · April 28th, 2011, 06:48 PM

Hang tight, Im sure someone can post back with better info then I can give.

As for now, can you get any pics of the leak?

Fox213506 · April 28th, 2011, 08:34 PM

i hope so, with the oil leak being on the lower end of the motor its make me feel like i'm getting ready to spend big money to fix it.

mfj · April 28th, 2011, 09:15 PM

I can't tell you for sure because I don't see the car but a bad header gasket will not cause an oil leak lol

Fox213506 · April 28th, 2011, 09:26 PM

I'm gonna put it on jack stands and top it off with oil and see if i can spot where the leak is. It just seems weird that everything below the headers is covered in oil.

mustang3194 · April 28th, 2011, 09:59 PM

check your oil cooler, pull your oil filter and you should see a rod in there, take the rod out by unscrewing it, there is a o-ring on this that tends to go out, i had the same problem, there is a space that you can place a second o-ring, this is what i did, make sure to get a hydrolic o-ring because the oil will eat the rubber ones from napa or steves ace hardware.

Wich88 · April 29th, 2011, 06:34 AM

I bet its from the oil cooler. It also has a plug in it, when I bought mine it had oil down the drivers side of the block. It was coming from the plug.

Fox213506 · April 29th, 2011, 11:24 AM

I'm kinda hope its the oil cooler at least that would be easy enough to change. But I'm still worried about the fact that the whole bottom of the engine from the headers down has oil on it. In know the oil coolers sometimes leak from that little pinhole but odley enough that was dry.

Can oil cooler leak soak all the bottom of the engine with oil?

mustang3194 · May 1st, 2011, 07:47 PM

yes it can mine did but the pinhole was the source of the leak, it was leaking about a quart on start up. it wasnt just a drip mine ran like a faucet. I cant wait to hear what the problem it, i just encountered the same problem i backed out of the garage and there was a puddle of oil about as 8 inches across.

Fox213506 · June 5th, 2011, 08:18 PM

So i finally took my cobra to a local mechanic and found out my leak might be from valve stem seals gone bad. Im gonna have it tested at an actual Ford dealer since the guy i took it to said he wouldn't work on it (Something about the engine being precision built).
Right now i get a puff of smoke every once in a while from start up, and an oil leak from the headers, but other than that it runs great. So how expensive will it be to replace the seals? And how soon should i replace them?

gdl · June 5th, 2011, 11:36 PM

You definitely need to get a second opinion on that. It sounds like your local mechanic doesn't know anything about these engines. I agree with everyone else, the most likely culprit for a visible leak is the oil cooler. Question, is the visible oil on both sides of the engine or just on the drivers side? If it's only the drivers side then that points even more at it being the oil cooler. The headers themselves normally don't have any oil going through them UNLESS you have either bad valve guides or bad piston rings. Even then, you wouldn't see any indication of it below your headers unless your header gaskets are REALLY bad, but then you'd have a very obvious exhaust leak which you'd hear. You say you get an occasional puff of smoke on startup, which does point to oil going past the valve guides. However, if it's just a small puff and then it stops, it's likely not a very serious problem.

Fox213506 · June 6th, 2011, 08:59 PM

Its leaking everywhere from the headers down can't really pinpoint where its coming from. I guess im gonna take it to a ford dealer and just get it over with. I just know they will try and squeeze as much money as they can out of me. I know nothing about these engines so im lost

. Im used to Z32's.

Uberstang1 · June 7th, 2011, 07:32 AM

Really need to see some pictures, as everyone state the oil cooler sounds to be the culprit and it also a common problem.

April 28th, 2011, 06:40 PM	#1
Fox213506 Newbie 1999 Mustang SVT Cobra Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 12 iTrader: 0 reviews	Big Oil leak 1999 Cobra 108550 Miles on her. Owned it for 3 months. Well today i went out, was nice out and decided to go ahead check all my fluids and etc. when i went to check the oil the dipstick came up dry. I immediately looked under the car and sure enough there was oil everywhere. i trace the leak and it looks like its coming from below the headers. Its leaking from the front, back, left, and right of the gasket there. Is there something else that could be leaking besides the gasket? I don't understand how everything below the headers is soaked in oil. I read somewhere that those gasket rarely blow out. I'm a new to these cars any help would be appreciated.

April 28th, 2011, 09:15 PM	#4
mfj Banned 2001 Cobra Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Hot Town, AZ Posts: 416 iTrader: 0 reviews	I can't tell you for sure because I don't see the car but a bad header gasket will not cause an oil leak lol __________________ 2001 Cobra- Stroked/Poked/Cammed/Blown 1996 Cobra- CF Clutch/STS/Lowered/CAI- otherwise stock... The daily driver... [SIZE="5"][B][COLOR="Blue"]MM Cobra Club #3.4[/COLOR][/B][/SIZE] [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

April 28th, 2011, 09:59 PM	#6
mustang3194 Regular 1996 Mustang Cobra Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Dubuque, IA Posts: 113 Blog Entries: 1 iTrader: 0 reviews	check your oil cooler, pull your oil filter and you should see a rod in there, take the rod out by unscrewing it, there is a o-ring on this that tends to go out, i had the same problem, there is a space that you can place a second o-ring, this is what i did, make sure to get a hydrolic o-ring because the oil will eat the rubber ones from napa or steves ace hardware. __________________ 95 Mustang swapped to a 96 Cobra Drivetrain

April 29th, 2011, 06:34 AM	#7
Wich88 Regular 1997 SVT Cobra Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: GBT, Michigan Posts: 488 iTrader: 0 reviews	I bet its from the oil cooler. It also has a plug in it, when I bought mine it had oil down the drivers side of the block. It was coming from the plug. __________________ MM Cobra member #89 MGW Shifter, 3.73's, Moser axles,UPR upper and lower control arms, MSD COILS, Flowmasters 40's, Cobra R's wrapped with Nitto's,

May 1st, 2011, 07:47 PM	#9
mustang3194 Regular 1996 Mustang Cobra Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Dubuque, IA Posts: 113 Blog Entries: 1 iTrader: 0 reviews	yes it can mine did but the pinhole was the source of the leak, it was leaking about a quart on start up. it wasnt just a drip mine ran like a faucet. I cant wait to hear what the problem it, i just encountered the same problem i backed out of the garage and there was a puddle of oil about as 8 inches across. __________________ 95 Mustang swapped to a 96 Cobra Drivetrain

April 28th, 2011, 08:34 PM	#3
Fox213506 Newbie 1999 Mustang SVT Cobra Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 12 iTrader: 0 reviews	i hope so, with the oil leak being on the lower end of the motor its make me feel like i'm getting ready to spend big money to fix it.

April 28th, 2011, 09:26 PM	#5
Fox213506 Newbie 1999 Mustang SVT Cobra Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 12 iTrader: 0 reviews	I'm gonna put it on jack stands and top it off with oil and see if i can spot where the leak is. It just seems weird that everything below the headers is covered in oil.

April 29th, 2011, 11:24 AM	#8
Fox213506 Newbie 1999 Mustang SVT Cobra Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 12 iTrader: 0 reviews	I'm kinda hope its the oil cooler at least that would be easy enough to change. But I'm still worried about the fact that the whole bottom of the engine from the headers down has oil on it. In know the oil coolers sometimes leak from that little pinhole but odley enough that was dry. Can oil cooler leak soak all the bottom of the engine with oil?

June 5th, 2011, 08:18 PM	#10
Fox213506 Newbie 1999 Mustang SVT Cobra Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 12 iTrader: 0 reviews	So i finally took my cobra to a local mechanic and found out my leak might be from valve stem seals gone bad. Im gonna have it tested at an actual Ford dealer since the guy i took it to said he wouldn't work on it (Something about the engine being precision built). Right now i get a puff of smoke every once in a while from start up, and an oil leak from the headers, but other than that it runs great. So how expensive will it be to replace the seals? And how soon should i replace them?

June 5th, 2011, 11:36 PM	#11
gdl Regular 99 Cobra, 03 Mach1, 07 CS Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Grapevine, TX Posts: 372 iTrader: 0 reviews	You definitely need to get a second opinion on that. It sounds like your local mechanic doesn't know anything about these engines. I agree with everyone else, the most likely culprit for a visible leak is the oil cooler. Question, is the visible oil on both sides of the engine or just on the drivers side? If it's only the drivers side then that points even more at it being the oil cooler. The headers themselves normally don't have any oil going through them UNLESS you have either bad valve guides or bad piston rings. Even then, you wouldn't see any indication of it below your headers unless your header gaskets are REALLY bad, but then you'd have a very obvious exhaust leak which you'd hear. You say you get an occasional puff of smoke on startup, which does point to oil going past the valve guides. However, if it's just a small puff and then it stops, it's likely not a very serious problem. __________________ 2007 Redfire California Special http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x...n/2007GTCS.jpg 2003 Dark Shadow Grey Mach 1 http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x...born/Mach1.jpg 1999 Black Cobra Vert

June 6th, 2011, 08:59 PM	#12
Fox213506 Newbie 1999 Mustang SVT Cobra Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 12 iTrader: 0 reviews	Its leaking everywhere from the headers down can't really pinpoint where its coming from. I guess im gonna take it to a ford dealer and just get it over with. I just know they will try and squeeze as much money as they can out of me. I know nothing about these engines so im lost. Im used to Z32's.

June 7th, 2011, 07:32 AM	#13
Uberstang1 Regular 1997 Mustang GT Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Wilkes-Barre PA Posts: 71 iTrader: 0 reviews	Really need to see some pictures, as everyone state the oil cooler sounds to be the culprit and it also a common problem. __________________ 97 GT, 4v swap,procharged,longtubes,tubular front suspension, team z rear suspension,4.10s moser 31s, to much to list.

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