Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Can't find oil leak?

[Beach]

I came home fri night after work to find a trail of oil up the driveway and the whole underneath of my truck dripping oil. It was even in the driverside wheel wells and down the side and tailgate. I have good oil pressure and oil is full. I've degreased it twice to find the leak, and it dripped a little last night, but I can't find where it's coming from. I'm thinking maybe the overflow tube on the front of the motor. It had a drip on it, but I'm not 100% sure. The bottle is off it btw. Last time I changed the oil, I over filled it a little, which I don't think would hurt it. I've done it before and never had this happen. I also drove from Wisc. to Minnesota back to IL. , last week and it was fine. It has never done this in the 5 years I've had this truck. What could this be? Thanks.

 

[FourBarR]

KDP . check the front timing gear cover, if the dowl pin has come out it can crack or break a hole in the cover. Lots of info on this problem ,do a search on KDP .

 

[Beach]

I thought that only effected 12v trucks?

 

[FourBarR]

Not so there are reports on the site of trucks from 98. 5 thru 2001 with this problem. If the dowel comes you may luck out by having the dowel get thrown out thru the case or fall into the oil pan. worst case it gets into the gear train and causes major engine damage. Had mine done when problem first appeared. Cummins changed the case to prevent this from happening . Problem is they did not keep a record of the serial numbers when the change was made. Hope this helps. Do a search and you will find lots of info on KDP or Killer Dowel Pin.

 

[jhoughton]

Had a similar thing happen. Are you sure it's oil and not possibly fuel. My number 6 injector tube was not completly tight and I had fuel from the engine all the way to the rear of the truck only on the drivers side. Truck was on a cross country trip and had to locate and fix it in a parking lot. If it is fuel and the injector tube it's an 18mm wrench. Stubby wrench works best but hard to get it tight. May also be the fuel return T on the back of the engine. This could explain why there is no oil loss indicated. Also check you power steering resevoir level.

 

[Beach]

I'm pretty sure it was oil. It smelled like oil and was black. The only place I can think is the oil overflow tube on the front of the motor. It kind of looks like it might have followed the frame as it ran down. I've been driving it since it happened and it is bone dry underneath now. I got a few drips sat night but that was it. I'm so stumped. I'm afraid it's going to happen again. If it was the overflow, what could have caused it to do this. This has never happened before. I usually drive normal. I occasionally turn my box all the way up and beat on it for fun, and it's never done it then. As far as the KDP mentioned, the timing cover up front is intact, and I changed the oil yesterday. I have the exact amount in it this time, not too much. I'm keeping a close eye on it every time I stop, I look it over. I'm still open to any suggestions. Thanks.

 

[BHaden]

Bad gasket or loose bolt on the left side pushrod/lifter cover??

 

[Beach]

Where exactly do I find that area. Eveything has been dry now since sat. Odd!

 

[BHaden]

Mine is a 95 so access may be different, but it's a sheet metal stamping that runs front to rear right behind the FI pump . It's about 20-22" long by 4-5" high. The crank case breather tube is attached to the rear of it. Five or six bolts down the center seal it by putting pressure on the perimeter gasket. My gasket was hard as a rock. The gasket is cheap, but on the 95 it's a bear to change.

 

[B.G. Smith]

You didn't happen to do a steep downhill before this happened???? bg

 

[hbowers]

I saw that happen once. it was an 01 and he or someone had overfilled the crankcase.

it blew oil all over everything, but quit leaking after that.

 

[JDriscoll]

My 02 will do the same thing everytime I go down a steep hill. I just removed the bottle and rerouted the hose to the frame and plan on keeping a close eye on the oil level while off roading.

 

[monkeyman]

If your tappet cover has original gasket, its bad! A bear to change! leaks oil all over the place and hard to see. If there is oil all over bolts on oil pan, that can be fixed by taking three bolts out at a time, clean hole and bolt with brake clean, coat threads of bolt with RTV silicone and thread back. leave dry over night.
Rick

 

[Beach]

The under side of my truck and motor are still bone dry. I think I had a little too much oil in it. But why would it puke out after I had been home a week after a 1400 mile road trip? Weird! Thanks again for the advise.

 

[KKohagen]

The steep downhill sounds to me like a possible culprit. I recently changed out the seal between the vacuum pump and the power steering pump using the kit from Geno's.
A few month's ago I had my truck up on a rack getting new tires and looked up on the driver's side directly under the vacuum pump. Sure enough I saw an oil drop coming from the power steering shaft that would then fall down. I could then follow this all the way down to the frame and side of the engine. I had found the mysterious leak.
I do not have the bottle on my truck I installed the EnviroGuard and all of the leaks for a while had stopped. Then I got a mysterious leak and could not track it down. Until it got up on the rack.
Hope this helps give you some more places to look. Good Luck.

 

[TRoe]

When my truck recently had BD twins installed (at BD as I live 10 minutes away), it turns out that engines with a few miles on them have leakier rings and hardened gaskets that don't like the increased crankcase pressure. The increased boost pushed passed the rings and pushed out a bit of the gasket between the timing gear case and the block. After a trip to San Fran to pick up a buddies '69 Dart, the sides of my formerly white truck had little streaks of oil down the side from blasting up the mountain passes at 80 mph. Yet very little oil seemed to be lost when looking at the dipstick. And yes, changing that gasket lists at 16 hours of labour. Sorry bout that.