2004 engine oil leak tracing

[TBirdchris]

My 2004 with 25k miles developed an engine oil oil leak that hangs from the oil drain plug and the oil filter housing. (Valve covers and everything on the top end appears dry) I am thinking it may be coming from the timing chain, lower cover area or the oil filter cast housing. Looks to coming higher than the oil pan, so I am going to rule the pan gasket out for now. Oil drain plug seal was replaced.

Is it common for the oil filter housing to leak and if so would it be the gasket from housing to engine? I would rather change this gasket than dig into the cam chain cover.

Does the engine oil need to be drained before removing the oil filter housing?

Thanks!

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[Jferris149]

I had a similar leak on 2002. It was the timing chain cover. There is no gasket for it just had to use permatex on it.

 

[Earthrider]

Similar issue on my ‘05, found that the O ring on the oil pan drain plug was not changed out by the last oil monkeys. Note, love these guy but often the little stuff is missed.

 

[lkevans]

There is another even crazier leak that comes from the oil line that visits through the intake manifold. There is a thread on that.

 

[Earthrider]

Last thought… Have your mechanic do a dye check if you can’t chase it down.

 

[lkevans]

now that I can reconstruct my thoughts, I had an oil leak that I traced to the valve cover gaskets and the oil pan gasket. But after those repairs, I still had a leak of some sort at the back of the engine that seemed to then drip off of the oil pan. Turned out to be dirty coolant fluid, washing old oil off the engine as it came down. Wound up being a coolant leak, not another oil leak, and that repair required accessing and loosening the intake manifold. Some type of coolant loop goes up in there. Fixed all. Did great for 3 years. Then the oil change folks sent The Weak One to replace and tighten the oil filter back on, so I had a new huge oil leak on the way home, fixed that at home with tightening. So, your oil leak may be like my dirty wash coolant leak, or valve cover, or oil pan, and maybe even The Weak One. I did look at the oil tube area too, but that wasn't and issue on mine.