Leak rear main seal...

[Bluebird]

Found a spot of oil the size of a $. 50 piece . I have 248K what do you think I should do at this point?



Patrick.

 

[JLEONARD]

Are you sure it's from the rear main and not the crankcase vent tube? Or something else?

Anyway I would consider that only a nuisance leak and probably wouldn't mess with it. Put an oil diaper or piece of cardboard under the truck if it's making a mess.

 

[cerberusiam]

Have a beer and drop a little floor dry there.



Seriously, if that all its I wouldn't worry about it. These engines have so many nuisnace leaks at times that it would drive you crazy trying to address all of them. Are you sure its the rear main and not the vent tube, just a thought.

 

[Tippin Spotted Cow]

The rear valve cover gasket was leaking near the back of the motor and it was dripping down right where the bellhousing bolts up to the engine. Made it look like a rear main leak until I traced it. These motors will run forever, but gaskets don't necessarily have a 250k, 16 year life span. I'm in the process of fixing all my leaks to appease the 'rents. Picture tying a torch to the tail of a dog, letting him loose in a field of dried out hay, then chasing him with a squirt gun trying to put the fires out.



Over just the last year these are the things I've fixed chasing leaks:



Valve cover gaskets

Loose bolts around gear case

Turbo oil return line gasket

Oil pressure sending unit

Vacuum pump gasket





I'm getting closer, but I'm not there yet. I believe my lift pump, or something up there is leaking. Possibly my rear main. I think the bottom of my dipstick tube is leaking (????). Oil pan gasket, possibly. Although it might just seem that way from all the oil all over under there from everything else leaking. My gear case gasket needs to be replaced.



And thats just engine oil leaks. It goes from there. Just throw cardboard under the thing and be done with it.

 

[Bluebird]

Oh, what leak...

Thanks guys, fantastic replies. Got cardboard, I'll have a drink:-laf, and just keep driving. I have done turbo oil return hose, valve cover gaskets with valve adjustment, (uh, 40k ago, oh is that bad), will check all the gaskets and stuff mentioned.



Cheers! Patrick.

 

[PToombs]

Matt, check the tappet cover. That gasket gets brittle and leaks easy. It's not fun to change though. It can be done with out removing the IP, but you'll swear more. Better to pull the IP and drink beer with the time you saved.

 

[Tippin Spotted Cow]

Now it might be my wishful thinking to doubt that you mean the injection pump when you say "ip" but maybe just clarify that you are, in fact, talking about pulling the injection pump. I'm a little afeared of loosing my timing if I pull the injection pump... easy way to keep it?

 

[PToombs]

Yeah, IP means Injection Pump. You gotta Tip less Cow! :-laf It's easy to mark the timing, there are already marks on the case and the pump. Look at the pump mounting ear closest to the battery. There should be a line in the middle of the ear, and a mark on the timing case. If the timing has been moved, the marks will be off. Just make a new mark on the case and tear it apart!

 

[Tippin Spotted Cow]

I'm not worried about the flange to case alignment... can't the gear rotate once you pull it off the case and throw your timing completely out of whack? Then the marks mean nothing... .

 

[PToombs]

Sorry Matt, been busy and haven't been on. I tried to move the gear on a couple diferent ones I had the pump off. No way I could get the gear to skip a tooth in either direction. Some people swear that they had them move. If you don't bang the gear around in there, it will be ok. Just let it set down on the case when you pull the pump.

Good luck Bud!