I have the big oil leak that does not make sense. I was priming the system with just cranking the car with the fuel pump fuse removed and I heard some fluid leaking. I get underneath and see oil dripping down from the oil filter area. It looks like it is leaking at the oil filter adapter. I was using a Moroso sandwich adapter so I removed it and put back the stock unit but the same thing happened. I cleaned it all up and had the wife crank the car while I watched underneath and sure enough oil pours out in between the block and oil filter adapter. It is so bad that you would swear that the O-ring was left out. The manual says 18 ft/lbs for those 1/4" hex head bolts and that is what I did. I don't see any interference with the oil pan and it is the same one I have used before.

I have removed and installed the oil filter adapter many times in the past and never had this problem before. I would not think the machine shop would even touch that area of the block for the rebuild so I would have a hard time thinking they did something.

I tried a different torque wrench and the same thing happens. I looked at the manual again and I am not missing anything. What goes in-between the block and the oil filter adapter is a paper gasket and an 0-ring.

 

I dont know what year your engine is (the filter adapters were different from the earily to later years) but when I put my '94 back together the order I remember putting mine back together like this: Block, paper gasket, oil filter adapter, and then the oil cooler w/ a new o-ring and then the oil filter w. its o-ring... from what you said it sounds like your putting the paper gasket and o-ring on at the same time?? unless im mis reading ya.
I was using part of a Vicotr Reinz gasket set and part of a fel-pro for my build up one thing I noticed is that there was a noticible size difference with the oil cooler o-rings between the sets and the victor set had a couple of different paper gaskets for the filter adapter depending on which type of adaper your using... dont know if my ramblings help or not but its my .02

 

My motor is a 96 and the paper and o-ring go on at the same time as part of the stock oil filter adapter.

All three oil sensors are dry and the space around them. It seems that there is a metal spacer or some sort that is glued to the block from maybe when they pressured checked the block. I only have a picture from when I was clearancing the oil pan when I got it back from the machine shop. From the picture below you can see that. I don't remember what that looked like below before the rebuild. Does this look normal?

 

I found a video I made of the block before I gave the engine to the machine shop and oil filter adapter area looks just like it does in the picture so I am out of ideas.

 

There is an oil passageway port in the block above the oil filter that requires an NPT plug. Do you have a plug installed in that port?

WD

 

It is ALIVE!!

I found an old OEM o-ring and sure enough it is thicker than the aftermarker one and the Moroso unit. Now I have to contact Moroso to find out if they have a thicker o-ring.

Thanks for all the help!!