First, I have been searching and reading for hours. That doesn't mean I didn't miss something, but trust me, I've looked. Second, I really appreciate all of the awesome contributors that make this site such a great resource. I've been using it for three years now and pretty much never have to ask questions as all of the information is here. Third, she's an '05 (6.0) with about 130,000 miles.

I have an engine oil leak that is dripping about one drop per second from the rear passenger side of the motor, right where it meets the tranny. I've read the threads about common leaks and I'm somewhat mechanically inclined (although most of my experience comes from helicopters). While I've had a hard time getting a clear view of the Crankshaft Position Sensor, it appears that the leak is originating on the top of the motor and seeping down the back right. The CPS seems to be further forward than any of the oil.

There is oil all over the deck behind the oil filter. The EOT is wet, but does not seem to be visibly leaking and certainly not at the rate of the leak I'm looking for. The same seems to be true for the gasket under the oil filter housing. The CAC tube going into the turbo is not wet. So, I'm thinking that either the turbo is leaking or the oil return line from the turbo is leaking. I can't get an inspection mirror in there to save my life and I don't know a lot about turbo chargers other than the simple principals of operation.

My questions are:

1. Does anyone see anything obvious that I'm missing?

2. Any suggestions on leak checking this area? Where to start, likely problems on an '05?

Thanks in advance for any input. I've been fighting with this thing all day and I'm running out of daylight and patience.

 

You are probably gonna have to clean the valley between the heads really good with a degreaser and try to pin the leak down that way. You have named all of the usual suspects but the leak is not a big one so this is what you are gonna have to do to find the source.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. Is it safe to just flood the area with engine degreaser? I've tried isopropyl alcohol, but she's filthy. She was like that when I got her and I've never had a leak, so the hard to reach places like that probably haven't been clean since the original owner bought it.

 

Simple Green or Purple Power and soak it and rinse it off.

Many are afraid of pressure washers (I'm not) but a good soak and garden hose will do the trick.

I would throw out the turbo drain tube or HPOP gasket as culprits as well.

Josh

 

oil sending unit, pull the connector off and see if its full of oil

 

Moe beat me to it this time.

 

Okay,

I went back out there and the alcohol had dried the area up enough to be able to see fresh oil so I started her up. I was immediately able to see oil flowing from underneath the filter housing toward the back of the motor. In the middle of the picture below you can see the black line of oil. Unfortunately, it's originating too far forward for me to see. I've never pulled the filter housing, so I don't know what's under there. A storm just blew in, so my troubleshooting is on hold. Any ideas as to where the oil might come from if it's originating to the right of where you can see it in this photo?

Thanks again for the help!

 

There is an o-ring under the filter housing where it bolts to the filter base. Check the screws to see if they're loose. Page 25: Lubrication System TOP PICTURE OF THE THREE

 

You know. I actually repaired a very similar leak to what you have in your photo. Oil was leaking under pressure the moment the engine was fired up. Long story short, replacing the oil cooler (along with EGR cooler as a "while I'm in there" type thing) repaired the issue. I don't usually like throwing parts at vehicles, but in this particular case oil was leaking out at such a high rate that getting a visual of the exact source without disassembly would've been impossible. Surmising all possible sources within that general area led me to replace the oil cooler along with the housing (and ALL gaskets).

 

Thanks everyone. Fingers crossed that torquing the screws saves me the hassle.

 

I believe that it was the gasket between the filter housing and the oil cooler. I replaced it, it leaked, I put a little more torque on the bolts and it appears to have stopped leaking. This is certainly why torque wrenches exist, but I didn't like them on helicopters, so it's really tough to get me to use one on a truck.

Thanks again for the help. I also did the blue spring upgrade in the process and since I was removing the filter housing I didn't have to pull the air cleaner, the CAC tube or the radiator hose.

I'll check back in if it starts leaking again, at which point I guess it's time for a new oil cooler. You guys are great.

 

Mental Note: do not fly in a helicopter anytime soon.

Josh

 

Hahaha! Second that!

 

Okay, so leak is not gone. I think it appeared to be fixed at first because the oil was cool and the cooler was empty. Once it warmed up and ran for a bit, the leak returned (then the starter quit, then the batteries were dead). It seems apparent that the leak is the oil cooler (unless anyone has a better idea, which I would LOVE right now).

So, I'm about to sell this truck (not because of the issues, because I need a more practical daily driver and blah blah blah). It's only got $130,000 miles on it. If I were keeping it, I would be inclined to do an EGR delete, install an upgraded oil cooler and (obviously) buy a Scan Gauge 2 for it. It's been my experience that you don't ever get your money back on aftermarket upgrades, so I'm trying to figure out the best plan.

It seems like I'm looking at spending at least a day removing and reinstalling or replacing the oil cooler. I have a reasonable set of hand tools, but I don't have a shop or anything like that. Because of the time investment, I'm not comfortable with just replacing the gasket under the cooler. I can't afford to do that and have it leak again. My question now is: what's the best option to really eliminate this leak without dumping a ton of money and time into it? Should I "service" the stock cooler? Should I replace it with an OEM unit? I'm not into selling junk cars, I want to properly fix it, but I'm not going to spend unnecessary money upgrading a truck I'll never drive again for buyers who won't pay for it.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Doug

 

Why are you wanting to replace the cooler?

The oil cooler is BELOW the oil filter cover (although mounted to it). And the oil filter is split into 2 pieces with both sealed with an o-ring. The upper is taken care of with the intake in place no issue.

If the bottom o-ring needs replaced then the turbo and intake need removed.

Josh