Oil leak rear of a 302

[Higgybulin]

I know this is a common occurrence on the 302's but looking for some input. I'm sure the trans(T5) is coming out anyways but it's not the back of the intake, not the valve covers and not the pcv. It's also not slinging around in the bellhousing. I've attached a picture. The motor has been together for months and been started a few times here and there but yesterday we ran it for 15-20 minutes. Found the puddle a few hours later. I am figuring I didn't seal one of the flywheel bolts completely.
Thoughts...
Higgy
195412

[PG_Cobra]

Either the rear main seal, the gasket, or the flywheel bolts.

If its a new seal the spring may have popped off during install.
If you have a multi part gasket it could be leaking there.
The flywheel bolts need thread sealant renewed after each use. The holes they bolt into on the crank go right though and can form a leak apth

I just redid the rear end seal on my 302 while I had it apart from the transmission.
I sleeved the crank and fitted a Fel Pro seal and installed with a one piece Fel Pro gasket to the oil pan.
Added thread sealant to the flywheel bolts, (in my case flex-plate bolts for my AOD).

Make sure you have the oil pan supporting strips bolted up against the pan for even pressure along the gasket, Also, even with the one piece gasket you need a dab of sealant against the block in the corners by the end cap.

[Norm B]

Most likely leaking from the spots already mentioned but, there is one more location that the 302 is known for. The rear main bearing cap needs to have sealant between it and the block.

Norm

[Higgybulin]

All good points. If the oil was leaking from crank seal or rear main bearing, would some of the oil not end up on the forward facing side of the flywheel? In the pic you can see that the oil is in behind the flywheel and has a distinct pattern from a drip and nothing from it spinning off the flywheel. This is why I was thinking flywheel bolts.

[narly1]

Also make sure that your PCV house is in order and that you don't have a situation whereby excessive blow-by is pressurizing the inside of the crankcase and forcing oil out.

Earl

[gbranham]

Put some dye in the oil, run it a bit, let it leak, then hit it with a black light to see where the leak is coming from. If you're lucky, it's coming from somewhere up high, and you won't have to pull the tranny. Worth a shot, regardless.

[Bob Cowan]

Every leak on a Windsor Ford shows up first on that exact spot. It doesn't seem to matter where the leak is, that's where it shows up. It could be coming from the front cover, oil pan, or even the fuel pump boss.

Since the engine is new and clean, it should be fairly easy to find the leak. Sprinkle baby powder or corn starch around the engine. Start in the obvious place, close to where you can see the oil. And then follow it to it's source.

Fluorescence stain works fairly well, too. But only after the engine has been running a short while.

If all that fails, take it to a shop that has a smoke machine. They'll inject a petroleum based smoke into the engine. Where the smoke leaks out is where the oil is leaking out.