total oil leakage

Hey folks, could use some help here. I finally got the wagon back together and decided to take it for a short test ride. The motor runs like crap, but we'll leave that for another time as a much more pressing matter is at hand here.

About I mile from home was when I noticed the giant cloud of burning oil smoke billowing behind me. A half mile from home is when the oil light came on. I managed to get it back in the garage and it wasn't making any unusually horrible noises. Shut it off and looked underneath, and there's oil dripping from everywhere, and a steady stream of oil that leads all the way back into town. At some point something let loose and began spraying oil everywhere.

I took a look under there, and obviously the oil is leaking from where the oil goes, the oil cooler and oil filter area. Sprayed pretty much everywhere.

I reassembled this thing because it was leaking before I took it all apart. I discovered that the cooler lines and such had been replaced once before, and probably not properly since it was leaking. However I reassembled it based on what I saw, which may not have been correct. I didn't realize that there were replaceable seals on the tube ends and there was a black round gasket with two holes that came with the Fel-Pro set and I only just now realize that it was in there. The black gasket fell out this time, and I can see that it's hard as a rock.

So I have these gaskets from the Fel-Pro set. I ordered new oil cooler seals. I have the service manual on hand to see what parts go where, but I don't know which parts in the gasket set match to the picture.

Obviously I did something wrong, I'm not sure what, aside from failing to change one of the gaskets and replace the oil cooler line seals.

I also would like to know which gaskets from the set I should have used. I used the square-shaped ring gasket and not the o-ring, for instance.

Thanks

I think I will try to answer all of your questions:

Fisrt the small o-rings for the oil cooler lines. I can't remember the o-ring size but I went to Ace hardware and bought them. If the ones in your fel-pro set are the same diameter and thickness as the one that fell out, use those.

As to the black round gasket with two holes that came with the Fel-pro set, this should be the gasket that goes between the actual oil filter cooler housing adapter and the engine block. It needs to be there or it will leak.

As to knowing which gaskets for the set you should have used; I used the square shaped ring gasket from the fel-pro set and it's holding fine for over a year now. Previously I used the round shaped doorman gasket and it lasted the summer. Once the winter time hit it started leaking again.

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Thanks Shawn, that's helpful. As I mentioned in another thread, I did find the problem was due to the stud on the oil filter adapter housing not being threaded in all the way, so the oil cooler lines weren't getting enough force on them to clamp the seal properly. Once I got that buttoned up the leakage there stopped.

Now the only thing leaking oil seems to be the rear main, or it may just be some of the sprayed oil making its way back down. We shall see.

Do youself a favor and get of that adapter and oil lines, they are nothing but a pain. Replace with an adapter from a Caprice, usually a 4.3 engine. I've done it 3 times. It eliminates the problems.

Tom

If it leaks on me again, I think I may just do that- swap that adapter and go without the cooler.