So, I checked my oil today and it was low on my 1991 f150 300 i6 4x4 single cab long bed. I thought it was strange because I don't remember any stains on the ground under the truck. So I crawled under the truck to find that my driver's side oil pan and steering components were coated with oil. There was also a little bit of oil on the front of the engine. My concerns are, do they make a complete Gasket kit for my truck? How much do they cost(high schooler)? Are they difficult to replace? Does it take a long time to fix(need the truck to get to school Monday)? It figures I would find this today when the forecast for tomorrow is 40mph gusts with subzero temperatures

 

If it's not a horrible leak just check it often and keep it full until the weather is nice. Then clean it up really well and pinpoint the actual leak and change that gasket. Gaskets are cheap but some can be quite time consuming to change. Unless the leak is severe and you are loosing lots of oil I would just roll with it. If you feel so inclined you can re-torque the oil pan bolts to see if that helps DO NOT over tighten, that could make it worse. Sorry I do not know the torque but you can find it in a cheap Haynes manual.

 

I have lost about 1 quart over about 1500 miles. Is that horrible? I may just wait till the weather improves to replace gaskets. I guess I'm just used to seeing very clean engines(father is a certified aircraft mechanic who religiously washes engine bays in vehicle). He used to have basically the same truck I have now except his was a little older, it had granny low instead of overdrive, it was a 2 wheel drive. He said an oil leak like that is normal, but I just can't seem to believe that...

 

I'm an aircraft mechanic too! I don't like oil leaks, but I really don't like fixing them when it's freezing cold outside! I have no choice at work because that is my job and we can't let something go flying if it's leaking. I would say you should be ok to limp it along till nice weather in the spring, just make it routine to check/fill it. That is about the rate my old car leaked for years. I just made sure it didn't get worse (it was the rear main seal on a Northstar v8 which is very common and costly to fix) you will be ok.

 

I have oil all over like that. got it checked out i was told that when my truck sits the seals get cold and shrink. (not sure if i believe him but since the weather got cold it leaks more. (high schooler as well low income)

 

Oil is usually cheaper than repairs. Keep an eye on it, you will be ok

 

not in the long run. i've put a few hundred dollars into oil over the last few years. gaskets and seals are a bit cheaper than that

 

X2. I also crawled under my truck to find some bolts in the oil pan not even finger tight. And one was missing. Fixing that helped a lot, so now I'm losing half a quart every 2,500 miles or so, which isn't bad at all on a 18 year old truck. And yes, oil leaks on any old vehicle is normal.

 

I've used the NAPA UV Dye w/blue light and glasses to locate oil leaks with decent success.

-- Power wash underside of engine @ carwash
-- Add the UV dye
-- Use the blue handheld UV light (looks like a flashlight) with the glasses and you'll find the source of your leak with precision

 

My valve cover is leaking oil getting that taken care of. i would check that