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Oil Pan/Oil leak mystery

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Old 11-15-12, 09:04 PM
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NC Oil Pan/Oil leak mystery

So I just bought my FC (1988 Vert) its a stock 13b na with headers and exhaust.
The car is slammed on poweredbymaxx coilovers. I mean i ripped the bottom of my bumper off backing down off two by fours. Today I was driving through my neighborhood at night to get some stuff from autozone and I hit a nice sized dip (around 30mph) I couldnt see. I scraped fairly hard and it got me slightly worried. I pull into autozone, i start pulling into a spot (its on an incline) and then I started scraping. So i decided just to back into the spot behind me. Which I proceeded to do. After parking I crawled out and smelled fresh oil. I looked down and spotted a trail of oil starting exactly where i just drove and backed into. I checked under the car and couldn't really spot a leak or anything too bad. But it still kinda seemed like I could've cracked my oil pan. I ran inside and grabbed a guy I know that works there. We peeked under with flashlights and couldn't spot like a dripping or leaking. Checked my oil and it was low. I believe I checked it that day and it was near full earlier. Im not 100%. I bought three quarts and we dumped all 3 in. I was under checking for leaks as he was pouring. No drips no nothing. The level was full. I then started it and it still didnt leak, so I drove home quick. I parked on a silver tarp and pushed it onto some two by fours. Still couldn't fit my jack under it so i did a visual inspection best I could and still not leaking and oil level is full. I squeezed a little tray under as best I could to stop the leak if there was one. I checked again in about 15 mins. Still nothing, still full. I've been to afraid to start it again for fear of damaging it. Is there anything else this could be besides an oil pan? Maybe something that only leaks after like its really warmed up? If i had cracked my oil pan wouldn't I have been able to see it drip and wouldn't my oil light have came on? Any ideas? (It might not be cracked or a problem considering its staying full now and i cant spot any dripping. Also the bay seems normal.) The guy said the car before me parked there had a REally bad oil leak so it mightve been that. What do you guys think?
Old 11-16-12, 10:30 AM
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The oil cooler has a thermostat that bypasses the cooler if the oil isn't up to temp yet. You might have damaged the cooler, but the thermostat is keeping the leak "blocked off" and it won't leak until it warms up again. Have some oil just in case and run the car up to temp and look for drips.

Other than that, I can't imagine why there would be such a serious intermittent leak.
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