My '95 7.3 has quite a leak coming from the bottom. I can't tell where exactly, and I spent quite a bit of time trying today. It's dripping down from somewhere above, and then dropping from the bottom of the starter where it connects to the engine. I'm guessing that it's either coming from a seal in the HPOP, or my rear main seal, and I'm not sure which. Has anyone else had a leak that was visible there? I'm sorta out of ideas of where to try to look next.


It doesn't smell like the ATF in my ZF-5, and it doesn't smell like diesel. It feels, looks, and smells like engine oil....


Thanks everyone.

 

I would check the rear oil rail plug on the rear end of the head. If you don't have oil in the valley and it's coming from somewhere up top then I would check that first. It looks like a disk about 2" in diameter with a 1/2" square recess in the center. They are cheap and new ones come with a new blue rubber O-ring. Good luck.

Vince

 

I doubt it's the rear main. They aren't known for leaking in these trucks.

If it were the HPOP you would have oil pooling in the valley between the heads.

My guess is that it is either one of the aforementioned oil rail plugs or a leak from the turbo pedestal. Those leaks can be really hard to see, but the fact that you say it is dripping off the starter would have me looking first at the plugs. If you just reach back behind the head, you'll feel them.

 

Thought about the HPOP being further forward when I went through again. I had just basically eliminated everything else I could think of. I'm not getting oil in the valley, really, which almost assuredly eliminates HPOP, like you said. I found the plug on riffraff, so I'll order it after I verify that it is the problem. Are they as much of a pig to change out as I'm assuming they will be?


Thanks, guys.

 

The blue arrow points to the oil rail plug.....

 

Thanks, Bill. That helps quite a bit.

 

Oh, and I realized I hadn't put up any pictures of this thing yet.


The goofy "Brush guard" was a previous owner job. it will cease to exist soon, and the lights will be put on a headache rack that'll be put on soon. I'm also going to be moving it to a smaller tire shortly. The ones it has now are way too big, and rub during turns.

 

That's a nice clean straight looking truck. I think the lights would be ok on the right light bar. But yea that one looks pretty goofy

 

Good looking OBS!

 

I'm debating a big, heavy bumper that I custom make after I get the D60 front put in. It's definitely coming along.

 

Build your own bumper...Keep that truck straight. Its hard to find a truck that straight anymore! Great looking rig.

I'd put my money on pedestal orings.

 

Oh my, thats gorgeous!! Seeing that makes me miss driving my truck, but theres no way I'm driving it in this salty frozen tundra here.

I agree with these guys, they have you pointed in the right direction.

 

I'm gonna check the pedestal, and the plugs tomorrow when I get off of work. I've got new o rings for the pedestal that were in another gasket set I picked up previously. We'll see where it goes from there.





If it's the plug on the rail, will it be possible to replace it with the engine in the pickup? With where the plug is, I honestly can't tell. I'll know better when I look it over tomorrow.

 

Yeah, you can get to them with a 1/2" drive ratchet. Just put the ratchet right in the square hole on the plug. Keep in mind though, when you remove that plug, there is going to be a LOT of oil run out of the head and down the back of the engine and bell housing. You're gonna have a mess to clean up, and it is gonna take quite a bit of cranking to get the engine started again, so don't freak out when it doesn't start LOL! Crank on it in 10-15 second bursts, then wait 3 or 4 minutes for the starter to cool down. Then repeat. It will take a lot of cranking to get oil back in the heads and all the air out of the HPO system, Once it does start it's gonna run like crap for a little while until all the air gets worked out. About 50 miles of driving and it should be fine. This is all assuming that the leak ends up being the oil galley plug of course LOL!

 

Oh, and VERY nice looking truck too by the way!