OK, the really experienced guys will get a laugh from this, but hey, you have to start somewhere. My 440 engine (still) runs, but recently it started gushing oil from the rear. I assumed it to be the rear seal, but are there any other sources for a large-scale oil leak like this? OK, the recent small engine fire might have contributed. Some power steering fluid spilled onto the header and vwoooom! Instant inferno, so as I pulled away from the fire with my funnel full of trans fluid, more fliud spilled and the fire got bigger. As I contemplated the firey destruction of my car, garage, house, and face all burning away, I mustered the speed and found good fortune sufficient to extinguish the fire. The blower motor wiring was burned raw and some soot, but otherwise, I thought I got off easy. Then I realized the huge pool of oil. OK, after the laughter, again, the question is, other than the rear seal is there any other source for this amount of oil? The oil sender even if removed could not generate the quantity of oil being lost (about a quart per minute, but only when the engine runs - the leak stops when turned off). I'm just hoping this isn't a cracked block and maybe there's some sort of line to an aftermarket oil cooler - anything other than a cracked block.

 

If the oil leak is a direct result of the fire, happened the first time you started the engine, then it could be the oil pressure sending unit.At 40-60PSI it doesn't take long to dump a good quantity of oil out of the engine. It also doesn't take a lot of oil pumping out to look like a lot of oil. The sending unit could have melted as it is in the area of the fire.It is an easy fix, I would swap out the factory sender and put in an aftermarket mechanical gauge to get a true reading on the oil pressure since you are troubleshooting the problem.You need to locate the area the oil is coming from and go from there. If you have an external oil cooler checking the lines should not be difficult,same if you have a plastic line run to an oil pressure gauge, sending unit is on top of block by the bell housing.

 

My first thought was the oil pressure sending unit. When they leak.... they can leak!

 

Thanks for the advice. I'll check the sending unit and the area above the bell housing. However, as best I can tell the oil is coming from the right side near the head gasket. If it is leaking from the head gasket, that would be a repair beyond my tools and capabilities. I suspect that could be expensive. I really hope it is the cheaper and simpler oil sender situation!