It feels like everytime I fix an oil leak another decides to develop. Just wondering if there's ever an end to this vicious cycle

 

There is, but it may not be anytime soon. This is one of the things you just have to deal with when owning a 13+ year old truck. Luckily my only oil leak is on the pedestal which I am about to swap out soon.

 

Thank you for the reassurance. I've taken care of the pedestal, sealed my hpop only to have it blow up on me 3 months later, and now I believe my driver side valve cover is leaking. Are the valve covers fairly common leaks?

 

If it's leaking, it's not out.
I don't leave oil stains, but I do have some very minute leaks all over. Tends to cling to the top of my front axle and steering parts.

 

I'm not leaving puddles, just a couple drips every night. I'm praying it's not the EBPV since I just had the turbo out about 2 months ago. Kinda hoping it's just the valve cover gasket or some loose valve cover bolts.

 

Just get new OEM ones from RiffRaff or something and swap them out. Clean things up a bit while your in there if it needs it. I plan to do all sorts of things to my truck in a couple of weeks and plan to remove and clean just about everything I can.

 

Unfortunately for me it's my everyday driver so I don't have the opportunity to rip it apart and clean everything properly. I have to do it in steps. I just hosed down the oil valley and noticed that the drain was really clogged. My hpop blew up a few weeks ago and made quite the mess. Is it possible that the excess oil is still dripping off?

 

I'm in the same boat. I just clean the area around whatever breaks while I'm in there. Every time I clean I get several days of drips from the cleaner doing it's job as it migrates around the engine bay.
PS I also found out that foaming grill cleaner from Depot works way better than the engine degreaser. Plus I picked up an entire case of the stuff on sale for .94/can.

 

I'll definitely have to try that grill cleaner, it beats buying engine degreaser for a few bucks a can. So in your opinion do you think that my truck could still dripping oil from when the hpop exploded? I'm thinking since the drain was clogged the oil was struggling to drain

 

165K and no leaks knock on wood. My Chevy 3500 van started leaking bad around 65K, resealed the whole top end and stopped most of it but the multi-piece oil pan drips a little now.

 

There should be ZERO reason for your valve cover to leak unless the bolts are missing or wayyyyy loose. My engine hasn't leaked in a few years since I replaced all the seals and o-rings on top of the motor, rebuilt the oil cooler and upgraded to the Melling LPOP. Been super clean ever since.

 

I have (just bought) with 188k with no leaks (so far), but I live in a rural, heavy farming community and 7.3s are everywhere. When my buddies (mostly farmers and Vetanarians) visit me, oil stains are usually in drive way when they leave. My best friend (farmer and vet) has six 7.3s and they all leak. He won't drive anything else. His wife drives an excursion (we go to Key west 2 times a year) that has 355k miles. It leaks and he has cardboard underneath in carport. His Vet. Truck has around 400k and it leaks. His farm trucks all leak oil and diesel, etc. He has added some injectors, BUT, they all still running!

I love this truck! Leaking is like arthritis or dirty underwear: It's old... going to happen.

 

I got it here in CO at Depot. It's their store brand. Look on the clearance shelves.

 

It took me several years of leak chasing to have a dry valley. My engine doesn't drip anymore, but the right side of my front axle has a drip that seems to be getting worse. It's always something.

 

Stinky's engine valley looks more like the Sahara desert, and he could park for a week on bed sheets- leaving nothing but dusty tire prints. As soon as I find a leak, I fix it - but that may be the only good luck I've had with this truck.

Oh great.... Now I have to knock on wood, throw salt over my shoulder, turn three times, and spit.