t0ked
Member
- Joined
- November 28, 2011
- Messages
- 35
- Reaction score
- 1
- City, State
- NYC
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2006 Explorer V8 AWD
So I've posted here before about loss of engine power and loud engine roaring. Lately I've been getting a faint whiff of a burning rubber smell, too. I had been looking at my exhaust half expecting to see the blue smoke, sure signs my trans was kicking the bucket.
After some trouble shooting, my mechanic and I determined it was a faulty fan clutch. Replacing that definitely seemed to fix the roaring issue and extremely crappy gas mileage (10-12mpg before, and now 15-17). While under the car, noticed a lot of oil seepage near the rear main seal. Ok, I thought, will need to save up and tackle that seal job. Upon further inspection, the fluid wasn't ATF but motor oil. And it was all over the rear of the engine bay and firewall. (the burning smell was motor oil dripping on the exhaust and cats, most likely what caused it's failure and those damn engine codes earlier this year). We traced it up and it led to a full on hole in the passenger side valve cover near the firewall. Apparently it had been rubbing up against the heater core line running right next to it. For how long, I can't say. But long enough to have worn the metal thin on the valve cover. It gave way and cracked fully open.
I replaced the valve cover and pulled out the heater core pipe a bit so or would completely clear the engine. The trans, it turned out, was completely fine.
One more thing in a line of ridiculous fixes for this truck.
After some trouble shooting, my mechanic and I determined it was a faulty fan clutch. Replacing that definitely seemed to fix the roaring issue and extremely crappy gas mileage (10-12mpg before, and now 15-17). While under the car, noticed a lot of oil seepage near the rear main seal. Ok, I thought, will need to save up and tackle that seal job. Upon further inspection, the fluid wasn't ATF but motor oil. And it was all over the rear of the engine bay and firewall. (the burning smell was motor oil dripping on the exhaust and cats, most likely what caused it's failure and those damn engine codes earlier this year). We traced it up and it led to a full on hole in the passenger side valve cover near the firewall. Apparently it had been rubbing up against the heater core line running right next to it. For how long, I can't say. But long enough to have worn the metal thin on the valve cover. It gave way and cracked fully open.
I replaced the valve cover and pulled out the heater core pipe a bit so or would completely clear the engine. The trans, it turned out, was completely fine.
One more thing in a line of ridiculous fixes for this truck.
