Oil Leaking

[skilew]

I have an older inboard boat with a PCM 351 ford engine with about 800 hrs on it. I noticed the other day that oil is collecting on the top of my intake manifold right below the carburetor but I cannot tell where it is coming from. Could it be blowing by from somewhere or is it leaking?

[jayderwin1]

have you wiped it clean and it still comes back? because those indentions will hold oil, on my 86 where i fogged the engine there are little puddles of oil, but its not a leak.

[ski_king]

I have noticed the same on mine. After running it for a long, hard weekend I find what amounts to a ounce or 2 of oil in the same place. I suspect the intake manifold gasket.
I am just watching it for now, if it gets much worst, I plan on replacing it. Considering it is the only visible oil leak on a 23 year old engine, I consider that not too bad.

[skilew]

I had cleaned top of engine and then the next time I ran the boat I noticed the oil puddle right behind the Carb. Manifold gasket does not appear to be leaking.

[Dan K]

Check your breather hose, comes form the pvc valve on the rocker cover to the carb, This draws oily air from the cranckcase to be burned thru the carb. Mine had a crack from age and leaked a small amount of oil.

[Ric]

maybe valve cover gasket with a slow leak?

[ski_king]

Originally Posted by Ric

maybe valve cover gasket with a slow leak?

Thanks Ric, I bet that is the problem with mine. Although it seems too simple.

[Ric]

Originally Posted by Powerslot82

Thanks Ric, I bet that is the problem with mine. Although it seems too simple.

Let's wait for an answer from Jimn because short of a loose screw on the valve cover or a completely broken gasket, your concern should be that the oil is collecting in the rocker area and not draining back fast enough and that's what's causing the slow leak... Other than that I'd think it's no big deal to fix.