My truck has been smelling up the garage and pretty much anywhere else I park it! Whenever it gets good and warmed up it gives off a strong oil odor, smells like very old gear oil, like 90 weight that's been setting for years in a differential or something. I parked it in the garage yesterday after driving it about 100 miles and left the door between the garage and the kitchen of our house open. The smell was strong enough that I could smell it all the way in opposite side of the house 15 minutes after parking it. The truck is a 2002 7.3 six speed, 4x4, srw long bed.
What I've done so far is check for any type of oil leak anywhere on engine, nothing. Checked the vent lines for the differentials, replaced o-ring on the valve cover dog house, cleaned the dog house internal foam. I replaced tranny fluid and all the differential fluids also, they needed it anyway and I figured it wouldn't hurt anything. The smell seems to be strongest from under the hood and not from the front or back of truck.
This smell is persistent and is really getting on my nerves, wife doesn't want it in the garage when it's hot, again.
Anyone have an idea where or what the smell is.
Bill

 

Have you looked for turbo seal leak? It could put oil into the hot side of your turbo for a nice raunchy heat burn out the exhaust. Any oil leaking out of your exhaust anywhere or coming out the back end of it?

 

Fuel bowl orings been changed?

 

A fuel leak that leaks on to a hot engine, and right in to the valley, or exhaust manifold will release fumes that give off a very strong odor as well, and in my experience they seem to be stronger than an oil leak on a hot engine.

 

Bill, check fluid levels. That change will pull the hounds in. If your sure it's petro, your dropping a level somewhere.

Clean out the truck and make sure the odor isn't coming from the heaton the floor board. I carry alot of crap in my truck and simply forget. You being in s.cal that would add up in a hurry.

Denny

 

What oil are you running and how many miles are on it? My experience with on open crank case vent is some oils really stink more than others. If yours is stock, it's not really open, but it does route into the filter housing, which could seep out in an enclosed garage.

My advice is, before you pull into the garage next time, pop the hood and pull the oil fill cap off while it's nice and hot. Take a good whiff and determine if it's the same odor you're chasing or if you need to look somewhere other than engine oil.

 

Also worth checking the passenger side fuel line for leakage. There is a clamp near the turbo that rubs through over time. You may be able to see a wet spot down in the valley. Probably more visible if you have a helper key the fuel pump on, but not start the truck. Then the fuel will be pressurized and the leak more obvious. Fuel pump will run for 20 seconds each time you key it on.

 

Thanks for the inputs, I am taking it over to Reno tomorrow about 150 miles round trip so I'll check it out when I get back. It is definitely not fuel and is oil of some type I am smelling. I am and have been running Delo 400LE CJ-4 for a long time now. I used to run Rotella but stopped because it caused a hot oil smell in the cab when the truck had been worked really hard, like towing our 5th. wheel up long steep grades. That smell was oil also but not like the one I am smelling now, it went away when I switched to Delo. I always thought that the Rotella was foaming under heavy loads. This new smell isn't noticeable in the cab, only after shutdown does it show up.
Bill

 

E8 too-ret uscg

Hat's off,

Are you certain that it's oil? The pipe that (down pipe) drops into the drivers side manifold has a history of purging the weld and burning slowly on the firewall matt and the asphalt glue. Trucks have burned up from this.

Just aft of the egr cooler is the 90 elbow leading to that pipe. Inspect your firewall noise filter and see if there's a note. There will be a clamp welded to it at that point of failure.

BTW, you didn't mention checking fluids. Anything alarm you lately having to add that you never worried about before?


Denny

 

There's not an EGR or EGR cooler on the 7.3.

 

Off course, I've been in the 6.4 forum as I own both.

Sorry couldn't help out, by your leave.

Denny

 

BTW, you didn't reply to fluid level chacks or additions with an eyebrow either. Any of that happen?

:')

 

Check your powersteering reservoir cap a bad one can make fluid come out and the fan pushing all the air forces the oil to fall directly on the exhaust manifold. Worth a check.

 

This is a new one. Seems like all the bases are covered. Want to see where this goes. Any gear oil on the front rotors?

 

All fluids are good- engine oil, coolant , power steering (I just flushed it) front and rear differentials, tranny even brake fluid. I had an idea while I was out going over the engine looking for what ever could be causing this smell, I think it started when I replaced the stock air filter setup with the Ford AIS filter. I had the stock filter housing before with a AFE filter never smelled a thing. I also ran the the 6637 for a while but it was a bit to noisy for me. I just wonder if the AIS is causing a air flow restriction putting a vacum on the CCV?? I may just go back to stock and see what happens. I know a lot of people are running the AIS but are they also running a Hydra Chip at 65 hp or more? This truck of mine has done some weird things over the years so I will just have to see I guess.
Bill