Technical Possible bad head gasket? Please help

I've got a 65 Ranchero with a 200 and I've been getting leaking of oil on the driver side between the block and head. The car still runs strong but it's been starting to miss especially after its warmed up. I've got the milky oil in the cap but not the dipstick. It's not putting out white smoke either. Any ideas what this is?

 

Head gasket.

 

Probably head gasket rusted out. The milky cap could be from short trips and not getting the oil up to temp.

 

Have you tried re torqueing the head bolts?

 

The oil to the rockers comes up buy the drivers rear head bolt.

 

Clearly if Oil is coming out between the head and block the Gasket has failed. Fix it before you have a bigger issue. The leak is just it's way of warning you a bigger problem is on it's way.
The Wizzard

 

After long trips the milky stuff ain't there but it starts missing a bunch.

 

No not yet. I stopped driving it while I'm trying to figure out what to do. My dad and I are figuring the bolts near the back on that side may be loose.

 

But the thing I'm trying to figure is what caused it to go. The car sat for awhile (1500 miles in 3 years and unknown before that) now it's my daily driver. I don't race it or anything. I've had to put 3 different carbs on it but that's good now.

 

Does that mean the bolt could be bad? Or the gasket could have gone on that side? Or what?

 

It means that there is pressurized oil in that area, that might be leaking. If the leak you're seeing is somewhere else, then it is probably not actually oil.

Pictures always help folks who are trying to help you. Post a few.

 

I'd pull the valve cover and inspect the bolt and torque the head bolt first.

 

OK, Some times we just don't know why. Maybe before you had it the Anti-Freeze was way week meaning more water content. Heck, maybe no Anti-Freeze at all Factory head gasket is Tin clad on both sides of gasket material. Water and tin and age. Guess what. So if the gasket is leaking right at a head bolt of course the bolt will be loose. Not because the bolt came loose but because the Gasket material is no longer there. Yes you can tighten the bolt more but that won't replace the missing gasket. Another issue that may have something to do with it is water jacket shape around that specific spot. So I doubt the Bolt itself failed. The gasket is like a fuse. It let's go to protect the hard parts.
My advice is go replace the gasket and keep driving your car.
The Wizzard

 

^^^ I couldn't agree more. Trying to "band-aid" something like this usually leads to trouble.

 

Pull the valve cover. See if head needs to be Re-torqued. Plan to change the head gasket. Easy peasy...

 

Sounds like good advice. Thanks man. I feel a lot better. This is my first car and I've had it since September so I was starting to get real worried but I'm good, thanks

 

Let me just add this, and it's just my opinion. You have 2 machined surfaces sealed with a Gasket. The Gasket is apx. 1/16" thick. It appears that you have a damaged Gasket now and that means some of that 1/16" material is gone. If you re torque the head and it happens to re seal that means you have caused the head to Flex enough to fill the missing material. Add motor running temps and now when you go in to actually fix the problem you also get to have the head re surfaced, while doing that you will also get to do a valve touch up at the least. No quality shop would surface the head without taking it all apart. Currently if you just go in and clean things up it will only cost ya for the Gaskets. I myself would not walk over and grab my Torque Wrench. Your call.

 

yep, post some pics - a ride rarely used can have basic failures like this just like one that has a lot more miles - best to bite the bullet and repair it correctly now - with valve job have hardened valve seats installed while having other head work done - always tough to spend money on stuff that you did not plan on - but, reliability & safety always at top of the important list

 

Might also do a compression test, and carefully inspect the spark plugs.

We have no idea if the engine is all original, or been rebuilt, etc.

 

Oh totally, I'm not touching those bolts unless I'm taking them off. The valves and everything look real good. I'll post some picutes in a minute.

 

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How can I do a compression test?

 

Looks like someone did the head (probably got a valve job) some time in recent history. I am guessing that because the head has been cleaned to bare metal, and the rest of the engine hasn't.

Hard to tell what you are talking about with the oil leaking between head and block...there's oil everywhere....

You use a compression tester to do a compression test. Since you don't know what it is, that would probably require spending money to buy equipment.

It's pretty difficult to diagnose a car over the internet...

 

With the inline 6 that you have,they will weep a bit of coolant or oil at that point.The OEM head gasket is a stamped steel piece.They are no longer available altho,you might get lucky and fine a NOS piece.If you have to get a new gasket,it might be wise to get the head milled a bit to make up the difference in thickness between the two to keep the compression up to the factory specks.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

I am not sure you don't have a leaking valve cover. That motor has been recently worked on. The inside is spotless. No sludge build up. I can't tell from your pics where the oil leak is coming from as there is oil all over the place. I notice it has a chrome valve cover. OEM or after aftermarket??? The first thing I would do is clean that thing off all oil. Then I would look for an OEM valve cover and install that with a new gasket. Now you should be able to see if it's leaking from the valve cover or the head gasket.

I think it's the valve cover by the quantity of oil I see.

 

Alright, I'll look into that. So should the compression be fine, does that mean the head gasket is fine?

 

First we need to confirm just where the oil is coming from. It may look like the head....but it could be the valve cover or somewhere else. Take a closer look. Sometimes it's hard to find a leak and it may not be where you think it is. Sometimes where it shows...is not where it is. Unless of course it's obvious.
Check the plugs. There are charts that show what to look for in inspecting plugs.

Do a compression check.
Check the coolant. A very subtle check is while cool, take a whif of the coolant. It should Not smell like gasoline. Look for oil in the coolant. Rev the engine with the cap off. If the coolant erupts out like a volcano....a blown gasket is pressurizing the coolant system.
Do all these checks to confirm.

I see you posted photos.......

Hard to tell...it could be valve covers. That side seems to be the low side. There is a sender there..... could from there too. The oil could be running the seam of the gasket and leaking from somewhere else.
Look at the rust and oil on the valve cover gasket surface at the rear left above and in front of the rear spark plug....Bingo!
I would clean this up really really well to confirm the leak. That and the other checks should tell the tale.

Two things here...
1.Dirty fuel from a bad tank. A bad tank will drive you nuts, go through and ruin carburetors and fuel pumps like crap through a goose.
2. Ford Loadamatic!!!
The Distributors and Carburetors were matched pairs. The distributor is vacuum advance only. As the engine warms the advance demand changes. If this system is not working correctly, the vacuum hooked up wrong, advance mechanism faulty or the wrong combo of Distributor and Carburetor is use it will miss at speed.

A hand held gauge, some simply press into the sparkplug hole, others screw in with a fitting and hose....or you could have it done.
This may not be as bad as you think.

 

Not necessarily....but the results can tell you about other things, besides the head gasket. If it's running rough, it's good to figure out if there are any serious mechanical problems with the engine before you get too far along with replacing parts in the hope of making it run right.