RW> Did you try to re-torque the pan bolts? Sometimes they will work loose
RW> enough to allow pressurized (piston blowby) gas to force airborne oil
RW> (crank churned) to blow by the gasket. Be careful, don't overtighten
RW> those
RW> bolts or you'll twist one off. Just snug them up with a 1/4 drive socket.
RW> A 3/8 drive will put too much torque ability in your hands.

No, I have not tried that.  From my fast inspection, it looked like the oil
pan itself was clean.  Just the lower area - between where the motor meets the
transmission.  Just a few drips there when I checked.   
RW> The latter is probably from the low pressur sidee, which has a slip on
RW> hose and a clamp. Check that one. The rest are seated pipe fittings that
RW> may be loose...check those too.

Yes, it doesn't appear to be the power steering pump itself.  It is one of the
hoses, clamps, or the metal line that runs to the steering box.  It has a good
deal of rust on it.

RW> If it's a rear seal, you might be able to re-seal the pan by using one
RW> of the gaskets made for doing such a job. It's all one piece and there is
RW> no gasket alignment problems when you do it. If the rear seal is like the
RW> 87 and newer GM seals, it's a one piece and can be switched by backing
RW> off
RW> the trans and then removing the flywheel to get at it. But, most shops
RW> will remove the trans to do that job.

I have seen high temperature silicon that some people use to seal various
leaks, but I have always thought that to be a kludge.  Leaks have always been
one of my most irritating things to deal with on cars.  It seems all gaskets
eventually give out.

RW> ceiling fan in it and force that heat down the walls in winter.

We have moderate sized ceiling fans in all the upstairs rooms, including the
family room on the first floor with the vaulted ceiling.  We have natural gas
heat, so it isn't too bad.  

My former home didn't have any ceiling fans or lights on the ceiling in the
upstairs when I first bought it.  One of the first things I did was install
ceiling fans in each room.  I had to run power from various places to get them
installed, but it wasn't too bad of a job.

RW> I'd have a professional paint that. You youngsters can have the fun of
RW> climbing tall ladders.
RW> 
RW> My dad at 74yo thought he could use the ladder he had leaning up against
RW> the garage to get over the fence, rather than walk around. He also
RW> thought
RW> he had the strength to do that while he was on the ground and scaled the
RW> ladder while he was upside down, but gravity changed his mind for him and
RW> he landed on his arse under it. That's when he called a roofer and had
RW> them come out and fix his roof. I could just imagine him doing that from
RW> the 3rd story of his house.

I'm not crazy about being on the roof at all.  I'm a major do-it-yourselfer,
but when it comes to the roof, it is worth the money to hire someone.  

This spring, we needed our gutters cleaned.  Even with gutter guards, they
still eventually get clogged up.  I also needed a new lithium battery
installed in my weather station.  I hired someone to do the job.  It was well
worth the money.  Falling off the roof of my house would cause major damage if
not worse.  I'll pass on that one.

- Mark

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