2003 Windstar 3.8L SERIOUS BLOW BY and oil leaks!!

[t8ite43]

My intake gasket and possibly my head gaskets are leaking oil pretty bad. I have a lot of blow by. When I take the oil cap off it is smoking, and smells like exhaust. Could this just be a valve issue or are my rings shot? I plan on getting a head kit and replacing all the upper end gaskets. Is there anything else I should do while I have it apart or should I not waste the money on it and consider the engine junk? I just bought the van for $600 so putting another 5 or $600 into it wont kill me...too mush. Money is kind of tight though. I just havent had an issue like this before. I have always done my own mechanic work and have done many head gasket R/R, so the work doesnt bother me. please help me out with any info or insight you might have into this problem, thank you.

[tempfixit]

Originally Posted by t8ite43

My intake gasket and possibly my head gaskets are leaking oil pretty bad. I have a lot of blow by. When I take the oil cap off it is smoking, and smells like exhaust. Could this just be a valve issue or are my rings shot? I plan on getting a head kit and replacing all the upper end gaskets. Is there anything else I should do while I have it apart or should I not waste the money on it and consider the engine junk? I just bought the van for $600 so putting another 5 or $600 into it wont kill me...too mush. Money is kind of tight though. I just havent had an issue like this before. I have always done my own mechanic work and have done many head gasket R/R, so the work doesnt bother me. please help me out with any info or insight you might have into this problem, thank you.

Have the isolator bolts been checked and changed???

I recommend doing a compression test and leak down test before making decisions. When you do a compression test do a dry and wet test. (Wet test is adding a couple of squirts of oil in the clyinder to see if the compression increases from the dry test.)

How many miles on veghicle??

[t8ite43]

No I havent replaced the isolator bolts yet. I also dont believe the guy before me has either. I just bought it this past week knowing the issues and hoping it wouldnt be too bad to fix. It has 180,000 miles on it. I will perform a dry and wet compression test tomorrow and get back to you on the results.
I also am leaking oil out of the throttle body. I took the air cleaner out and close to a half of quart leaked out onto my driveway.
I keep reading that these motors had issues with isolator bolts and egr ports in turn leading to oil consumption in the cylinders? I have had blow by before on a few different cars, but nothing to this extent where it is blowing exhaust gases through the heads! The heads are definitately leaking oil on the outside as well so will need to be replaced soon but if I can fix the internal leaking first so that I can drive it without fouling out my plugs and filling my air filter with oil once a week that would be great. Thank you for your help!!

[t8ite43]

Oh ya, I forgot to mention that my coolant was also low and there are no signs of external leaking. as of yesterday there were no codes coming up but the battery was dead when I picked it up so not all the monitors were active. Im going to drive it around the block a few more times to see if I can get them all on and maybe bring up some codes to aid in diagnostics.....MAYBE!

[tempfixit]

Look at the PCV valve and hoses also.

[t8ite43]

My compression and leak down are within tolerable percentages. My monitors finally came on and low and behold codes 171 & 174! Sooooo am I correct in assuming that the isolator bolts will solve all my issues? (oil leaking into air filter and burning oil in cylinders)... I sure hope so. Rock Auto has the bolts and the entire felpro upper and lower intake kit with 6 double platinum autolites for $120usd including shipping.

[t8ite43]

well, I did the isolator bolts and upper intake gaskets. I just dont see where these bolts would cause oil to fill my plenum? I dont see any pinhole in my valve cover indicating it is the one needing replacement according to TSB 3-16-1. my pcv valve moves freely. Im down to one conclusion...my valve stem seals? Any help would be greatly appreciated. TY

[t8ite43]

I had a friend do the compression test and he said all is within tolerances. Im wondering if he messed up or something. Im going to purchase a tester and do it myself to ensure the results are accurate.

[scubacat]

Did you do the lower intake gaskets as well? That's usually where you'd be losing coolant, and it would surely destroy the engine if it leaks too long into the engine like that. Head gaskets are rarely an issue except for '95 models (unless your engine overheated or something).

[12Ounce]

This engine, by design, is prone to leak in several places. I would suspect the crankcase to be OK if your compression test proves in-spec. That means the pistons, rings, and cyl walls are probably useable "as is".

Expect leaks at the front engine cover gasket and the lower intake manifold gaskets.

I would remove the heads and do a further assessment. Send the heads to a cyl head specialty shop for valve reconditioning and new seals. I would prefer to remove the engine for better access ... to the crank seals for example. But you can do a pretty good job leaving the short block in-place. I would like to, at least, lift the pistons and clean the ring grooves ... but that's just me. You will need to shift the engine over to the left in the engine box ... to get access to the front engine cover. Some folks have lifted the engine a bit to achieve the same thing. I like more work space.

You can do a lot for $600 ... if it does not include labor. Buy the engine gasket set from Rock Auto.