Gotta an oil leak-need some suggestions

[driverno8]

I have this stupid oil leak that's now gotten worse since I changed my oil last week. (thinner oil = easier to get by I guess) It's coming from drivers side towards the back. It pretty much covers my starter, then runs down and drips off the bottom of my bell housing. I took out my fender-well liner and coated everything with simple green, spray washed the whole area nice and good. Drove her for a day, hoping I'd be able to see where it was coming from. Well the drip is back and and I don't know what else to look for. It drips if I'm parked on level ground or on an incline in the drive way. I think it leaks a bit while driving because I have some faint spots on the rear end. Here's the area it's coming from. (based on the oily grimey stuff). From the fuel filter back. Drivers side. There looks to be like some sort of splash or wetness on the rail, so from there down. Pan bolt seam dry (and are tight) I can shine a flashlight in the area and see the block. It's dry. So is the head and intake. Valve cover isn't leaking either. There's only a few things in that area that carry oil right? My breather hose is covered in it. Yet when I stick my finger up in the bottom of it, it appears dry, so I don't think that's it. Also, where my dipstick goes into the block is dry, so that's not it. The fuel filter is covered in it. And so is some sort of cooler thingy that has transmission lines going to it. (sorry I don't know what it is) I thought it was one of those rubber hoses, but it looks like they carry anti-freeze (what is this thing anyway?) What else could it be? Any thoughts or ideas to go look for? It's definantly oil that's dripping. And it's driving me insane. Thanks in advance.

-Matt

 

[steved]

Sounds like the valve cover??



steved

 

[Diesel Nut]

I am thinking there is an oil cooler on that side of the engine and maybe thats what it is. Transmission lines should go to a cooler in the front for better airflow.

 

[driverno8]

I was thinking it's an oil cooler too. But if I follow the lines coming in and out of it they go to the front of the engine and to the transmission. But there's also 2 soft lines (rubber) that go in and out of it as well. One comes right out of the side of the block (drivers side) and into this cooler thing. The other comes (or goes) around from the back of the engine. Here's the kicker. When I loosened the clamp, radiator fluid came out of it. Or at least that's what it looked like (blueish watery). The whole thing is about the size of a box of girl scout cookies and has fines on it like a radiator. Obviously it's some sort of cooler, maybe an auxilary cooler for the transmission? I really don't know.



I'll look at the valve cover again. But when I had it off for the injector install, a few weeks ago, I didn't notice anything unusual. Yea, there was some oil grimey stuff on the injector lines back there (5 & 6) and on the rail. But the way the gasket was looking didn't give me any indication that that's what was leaking.

 

[steved]

Internal (heat exchanger) transmission cooler is on the passenger's side under the turbo, the external cooler is next to the condensor near the rad...



Oil cooler is more or less internal behind the oil filter, again passenger side.



There is nothing at the back of the driver's side rear. Any other guesses??



steved

 

[cerberusiam]

The whole thing is about the size of a box of girl scout cookies and has fines on it like a radiator

That would be the transmission fluid-to-fluid warmer/cooler that used to be under the turbo. Cute little thang ain't it? :-laf



If the fuel filter is covered and its oil start looking at the CP3. There is plastic cap on the radiator side of the IP housing that will break and/or come loose and spew oil around. Also check the CP3 and make sure it isn't coming out of the weep hole on it.

 

[JHardwick]

Check your power steering fluid level too, I know it's red, but mine blows caps right off it!

 

[driverno8]

Thanks for the suggestion everyone. I'm going to dig around more this weekend. I know it's no the CP3 and the spots on the ground are definantly oil. I'll find it I'm sure. Thanks again.