Oil leak repair Options

[FJ1200]

Greetings,

Fairly new to the forums and owner of a 1972 teener. I bought the car last spring with a slightly hot rodded 2.0 and a side shift conversion. The true upside is ZERO rust, I have a lift and have inspected every inch of the car.

The issue I have is that the oil filter flange is leaking badly (1qt/20 miles). Upon inspection it appears that the upper nut can not be removed without removing the oil cooler. I have new oil cooler seals and the oil filter flange gasket coming from Auto Atlanta. Question is, has anyone ever removed the filter flange in the car? I really would rather not perform an engine drop this week, but I will if needed.

Just a little background, until 5 yrs ago I was an Audi dealer shop foreman for 25 years. As a result the nuts and bolts don't bother me at all. It is more current time constraints and the want to drive the car.

Thanks,

Daniel

[Morrie]

Rather than create a new thread, I am going to jump on an oil leak thread that is already out there that is in the same vein.

I've pulled the drivetrain to do some leak repair. I know I need to do pushrod tube seals and valve cover gaskets. I assumed I had oil galley plugs leaking and possibly oil cooler, so I pulled the shroud.

I have not cleaned the case, so the oil you see there is as it was when I pulled the fan housing. I see greasy engine but not the heavy dripping I see on the ground. I do see oil dripping off the filter bottom in the car and now seeing the top I see oil pooled on top of the filter stand. I do not see indications of oil coming from the cooler or cooler seals, the oil pressure sender, the oil filler box, etc.... (yes, the copious amounts of sealant used is cringe worthy and not my doing)

I have thoughts of stuck oil pressure relief valve, crack, warp, or defect in the filter stand, or filters that just don't seal. Has anyone seen this and root caused it?