Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Oil Leak

[arollan]

Yes I know diesels are supposed to leak but...



I have a rediculus leak that I attribute in part to the front crank seal being on its last legs as well as the timing cover gasket poking out the inside corner of the cover (right around the injection pump). Dodge says they want 14+ hours of labor at god knows what rate to replace this gasket. I agree it is a job since you have to pull the camshaft, but please... My question is this, can I cheat and pull that cover far enough away from the motor with OUT removing the camshaft to slip a new gasket in, and yes I know it would have to be cut to pass around the camshaft (the slice could be at the top of the cover so oil is not always sitting on the gap plus a little gasket maker never hurts. As of right now the temp fix is permatex on the ouside of the case were the case cover sits against the block... works pretty well for 6-8 months until the oil wins the battle. I would keep up the fight that way, however, like I said earlier, the crank seal is leaking.



Plan B. If I get responses back saying the cover doesn't move as much as I want it to, does anyone have a Dodge special part kit for holding the cam journals up off the cam to remove it. Seems silly to have to pay full price for a kit I will use once, if that.



If anyone has done this job, is it as much of a pain as the technicians say it is?

 

[REFLOYD]

you can use wooden dowels to hold the lifters up off of the cam. as for if it will pull out far enough i do not know but i read somewhere on here not too long ago that it could be done.

 

[tgrfan2]

Mine is in the shop for a similar oil leak, 3K GSK, adjust valves and timing. It appears most of my leak is the front seal and cover. I decided to fix that now and see how bad the other leak is. My tech says 4 hrs for that leak and 16 hrs for the whole enchilada! I went by the shop this PM. The old KDP was out about 3/16 at 190K. I am lucky since my techs engine(1997) is sitting in the shop with a cracked housing with many less miles.

 

[WDaniels]

arollan,

I have made a lifter setup that will lift the lifters off of the cam and will not drop them even if they are hit with an atom bomb. Let me know if you want a set cause I have to make a couple more. I gave Piers, who was up here last summer one to test in his business but he hasn't gotten back to me yet. I'll call him and see how it went. Just pm me and I'll see what I can scare up.

WD

 

[surfbeetle]

Where else can it leak from the front of the engine? We did the KDP last year and its not leaking on the cover, but now my truck has begun to mark it's spot just like my air cooled volkswagen. I think I read about the vacuum pump leaking, is this a common occurrence?

 

[trucknut]

Timing pin

Have you checked the timing pin on the back side of the cam gear case?

The pin has an "O" ring around it. The first time my 98 had the timing set--- this pin leak until I changed the timing pin "O" ring.



I have read that tightening the bolts that hold the back of the cam gear case to the block can help with leaking. These bolts tend to get loose on the older motors. (99 and down). This is alot easier than having to pull the cam, if it works!!!

 

[GAmes]

I have read that tightening the bolts that hold the back of the cam gear case to the block can help with leaking. These bolts tend to get loose on the older motors. (99 and down). This is alot easier than having to pull the cam, if it works!!!

Problem is, the bolt heads are behind the gears, not just the cam gear, the injector pump gear also. I took my front cover off one time thinking I could tighten the bolts. Not happenin'

 

[Dieseldemon]

There are only 5 bolts behind the cover 3 behind the cam gear 1 at the dowell pin and 1 above the oil pump the 1 at the dowell pin and the 1 above the oil pump is the two you have to worry about falling out and doing damage to the drive gears if the ones behind the cam gear fall out they will fall into the pan and will not hurt anything tighten the one by the oil pump when you fix the dowell pin.

Hope this helps

 

[GAmes]

I just had this leak fixed, so maybe this will help arollan and others. There is a mounting bolt near the rear of the injection pump that supports the weight. Mine was missing and I believe that the weight of the pump twisted the gear case enough to allow oil to get by the gasket. If you read this arollan, I'd be interested to know if my theory holds water.



Gary