I've done some searching, but couldn't quite find a definitive answer.

I have something leaking off the back of the block, passenger side. It's soaking the starter and dripping from the inspection cover and the crosspipe. My initial thought is that it's fuel for a few reasons: The fluid is thin and mostly clear, so that rules out oil. The fluid doesn't smell sweet and my radiator is full to the brim, so I believe that rules out coolant (which is good because I know head gasket leaks in this area are pretty common).

The back story is that the truck sprung a couple of leaks on a 600+ mile trip while hauling a couple of motorcycles. I noticed them about 300 miles in. One was a leaking clutch slave cylinder, which has since been fixed. The smell coming through the vents when you first fire it up is definitely petroleum-based, but it almost smells like brake fluid. I dunno. Maybe my nose isn't tuned into diesel yet. Or maybe it's residual from the clutch slave.

I know leaks in this area can really be tough to diagnose since everything in the valley pan leaks down to here, but the return lines look bone dry (re-did them a couple months back with one of typefour's kits). The valley looks nice and dry, too, although tracking stuff under the turbo does get kinda tough.

My thought is to re-do any other soft lines I didn't do when I did the return lines, but I don't know what diameters I need, lengths, specific type of fuel line, etc. Hopefully while doing all this, something will become obvious. Some advice here would be most appreciated.

The truck runs perfectly fine otherwise. Any ideas?

Mike

 

Is it hard to start when it sets? Could be o-rings of top of the injectors for the return lines.

Chet

 

Not in the slightest. Aside from the occasional smell and the drips underneath, you'd never know anything was going on.

Mike

 

hey iv got the same problem Mike,since installing the banks.
mines for sure oil though.now if i had only payed attention to turbo threads earlier i would have known to punch open the oil drain more.now iv got to remove the cold side and go digging lol.
not sure what your finding over there that's clear if the return lines are dry.it smells like diesel or it doesn't lol.if it's fuel,you'll know it.open up your water drain for a sec and get some diesel on your finger.if it's not a match,then were probably having the same issue.
i didn't have any problem either until i started working the truck.
oh yeah,i gotta let Eaton know this in his install thread.

 

UPDATE

I got some time to crawl around under the truck this morning. It's definitely diesel, just can't figure out from where. The back side of the engine is soaked, but the return caps all look dry (just did them a couple months back with one of typefour's kits). I used a bit of leftover hose from the return kit to redo the line from the rear-most return cap on the driver's side to the brass nipple under the turbo since the piece that was there was long enough to be rubbing up against the turbo housing.

I'd like to replace the soft line(s) that I didn't replace with the return kit. That would include the soft line that goes from the rear-most passenger side cap, around the air inlet (re-routed for the Banks, I think) and to the brass connector under the turbo on the driver's side. I'd also like to replace the line that runs from that brass piece down the firewall and back to the selector valve. The hard plastic portion looks fine, though. Any ideas of line IDs, or where to get good diesel-rated stuff?

Mike

 

check your fuel filter very closely.
i chased a leak for 6 months, thinking it was a valve cover gasket.
one day i had the engine running with the truck sitting just a bit tilted to the driver side down, and noticed a drop fall off the filter housing. it had been dripping onto the inside of the valve cover and running back along the engine, then down the bellhousing.
but it also blew back along the outside of the valve cover, making me think it was the cover leaking.

a simple new fuel filter replacement, and no more leaks now.

 

Looks like I may have fixed it by just replacing that one piece. No drips after a 20 minute drive.

Mike