[batarchangel]

Ok so everytime I change my oil within the month, Ive got roughly 1.5-2 quarts that drains and the rest is burning and or leaking. Ive attached some pictures. Looks almost like where the oil gauge connects is leaking, but also from the front of the motor too, right around the oil pan gasket at the front of the crank.


Theres more pictures as well but it will only let me upload 5.

Now my rear chunk issue. Some of you may know my previous threads about a rotating vibration, I finally tracked it down to the rear end. My guess is the chunk is going bad. This car is my daily driver and I drive 80+ miles roundtrip daily. Usually on the interstate at speeds of 70+. Until yesterday, the noise and vibration has been there since i bought the car back in september, but has now got to the point where I went out of my way last night and took backroads home, took an extra 45 minutes. The grinding roaring noise is very bad now and the car shakes hard when you let off the accelerator. The chunk has been leaking, noticable by the oil spots left on the ground wherever I park, Ive been keeping a close eye on the fluid level and keeping it where it should be, Yesterday I emptied the chunk out and refilled it and issue seems even worse. My question is how difficult is it to remove and rebuild this thing or am I better of just buying another one? From what Ive seen it doesnt look to hard, Im just kind of stumped on the setting the backlash.

 

[batarchangel]

Ohh and the oil filter was clean, no oil on it, thats after two days of driving. I also might add that upon checking the oil about 2 weeks, when I pulled the dipstick, the tube came out with it. I bout a whole other tube and replace it, but everytime I put the dipstick in, its hitting the crank, you can hear it when you start the motor, ticking against it. I know this cant be good, so I took an old dipstick and just broke it short and use it to keep the tube closed

 

[Bad69cat]

Sounds like you have a few thigs going on - on the oil side of things the replacement dipstick tube may be to long of a dipstick...? Was it the same as th eold one...? Also it's not uncommon for the front and or rear seals to leak oil on these. It's not a fun job to replace them when the motor is in....but doable.

Rebuilding rearends is pretty difficult to get them set up right - even if you have the correct tools, guages, etc to do it. I'd look for a good or professionally rebuilt one and swap it or have yours done by a reputable shop (hard to find one that does it anymore).

 

[batarchangel]

Whats the best was to track down this oil leak? Take it to a wash and spray it down then look? Any ideas?

 

[woodsnake]

From the front of the motor, it looks pretty clean. My first thought was oil sending unit, but I see it is plumbed for an actual gauge. Next place to look is the rear of the intake manifold. and also the valve cover gaskets. Are you sure of the volume of oil, you are losing? 1 1/2 -2 qts is kind of a lot, in my mind, especially for highway miles. If this is your only commute-able car, you may want to find a friend for a few weeks, this could be pretty involved. If you are losing that much oil from valve guides/ valves, the heads need to come off. In addition to the fact that your rear end seems to be going, I would suggest buying a donor car, if you want to keep the cougar. I'm seeing an overdrive trans/5.0L swap in your near future.
Donor:
http://nashville.craigslist.org/cto/3091019822.html

http://nashville.craigslist.org/cto/3100310862.html

http://nashville.craigslist.org/cto/3092561899.html
Not a lot of cars under 2K in your neck of the woods.
These would all make good donors though. While you have them out, replace som common failure items, like the timing gear set, oil pump, and oil pump driver shaft.
Engine and truck four speed?
http://nashville.craigslist.org/pts/3105871881.html

http://nashville.craigslist.org/pts/3092179047.html
Rebuilt engine..
http://nashville.craigslist.org/pts/3066255388.html
Five speed, while you are at it?
http://nashville.craigslist.org/ptd/3061084346.html

http://nashville.craigslist.org/ptd/3047200086.html

http://nashville.craigslist.org/pts/3087066088.html

http://nashville.craigslist.org/pts/3076114820.html

http://nashville.craigslist.org/pts/3032381786.html

Lots of options....

 

[Bad69cat]

IF your oil leak is external - you could try and wash it all down or better yet have it steam-cleaned. Then run it (don't drive it) and see where things seems to ooze out. The problem with driving it - is that little dribble looks like big dribbles and blow all over the place and you can't tell where it came from. If you are burning it in the cylinders a quick check of the plugs will tell you that

 

[batarchangel]

The leak is coming from the oil filter and the drain plug on the pan. Found out today. Also I have another question about this rear end issue. So I took the drive shaft off and the u joints were bad. Replaced them and my vibration is still there yet minimal. I grabbed the pinion yoke to shake.n see if there was play maybe a bad bearing. But none. Also noticed that when I had the car in neutral and turned the wheels. I had very little if any at all movement from the drive shaft. I thought by turning the wheels the drive shaft should rotate. I re installed the shaft and put her in gear on stands to look for anything odd but nothing at all. Everything seemed fine. Until around 50-60+ mph same as driving. I get the vibration

 

[Bad69cat]

Try putting a bunch of weight in the trunk and see if anything changes.....also you may want to have the drive shaft checked for balance - they usually have a weight or 2 along the sides for balance, if you lost one somehow I could see that causing you grief.

 

[Royce Peterson]

The engine and transmission mounts may be damaged by all the oil leakage. If so they can make the engine sit out of alignment with the rear axle. This will cause a constant vibration that will destroy the universal joints again soon.

Inspect them for condition.

 

[batarchangel]

Well i just bought a 3rd member and im going to replace the one thats in it, after looking further, it appears to be the original. My only question is are my axles 28 or 31 spline.

 

[Royce Peterson]

They are 28 spline if they are the original ones. Mercury only supplied 31 spline axles if the car came originally with the 427 or 428CJ in 1968 - 70, or the Boss 302 in 1969 - 70.

Well i just bought a 3rd member and im going to replace the one thats in it, after looking further, it appears to be the original. My only question is are my axles 28 or 31 spline.

 

[70XR7]

I to had on oil leak from the front. It turned out to be my timing chain cover gasket. I changed my oil pan and pan gasket and resealed the oil sending unit. Then finally looked at the timing cover and the lower section of gasket was completly gone. I already had the oil pan and was doing that.
Just something to look at if your not sure it's the drain plug and oil filter.