I have a 2002 7.3 PSD. I noticed a leak 2 weeks ago coming from the bottom the the shield between the oilpan and transmission. it seems to drip there. After pulling my camper (10,000 lbs) to a campground I looked again and saw a puddle of oil on top of the motor behind the fuel filter. It seems there is a trench there and it was full of oil. I ended up taking it to a dealer and told them it was on top of the motor. Well they said it was the main seal and replaced that. I dont think it was that at all (800 bucks later) and now I took it back again after driving it and showed then the puddle. I said how does the main seal put oil on top of the motor? I think they screwed up. The service teck just said oil leak on the work order. So if you look under the moter you see oil dripping from the bottom, but its acutally coming from the top. So now I have to take it back in again to et the oil leak fixed on top. Aybody have some insight as to where it is coming from. Only leaks under pressure and while driving, Idling it dosent leak. Thanks Jeff

 

HPOP O-rings would be my guess

 

Any mechanic who has any experience with these trucks should know the first place to look, and that is the turbo pedestal. On the back of the engine, the turbo bolts to a pedestal that's bolted to the engine. The pedestal uses a total of 4 O-rings for the oil inlet and oil return (so the turbo can get oil from the engine). These things are notorious for leaking, and when they do it's at the back of the engine so people immediately think rear main seal.

The other culprit would be the HPOP, but I'd venture to say it's the turbo pedestal in your case. It's an easy fix to do yourself, you just need to be patient with it. I could tell you how to do it step by step if you wanted.. Either way, I would be throwing a fit with the shop that replaced your rear main when it was obviously not necessary.. They should fix this leak for free at this point...

 

I just went thru the same thing! Thought I had a rear main leak at first. Then found the top of the motor was fouling with oil! HPOP? Pedestal? In my case it was the Turbo pedestal. Wished I had checked the torque on the Turbo first thing as I tore it down and they were less than finger tight, about 1 1/2 turns off the bolt head to turbo. Might have found tightning them would of cured the problem?? I still went ahead and rebuilt the EBPV in the pedestal while I had the pedestal off and put in all new O rings. The hardest part is or was? Connecting the EBPV actuating arm! So to pass along the secret told to me! After lots of bad language and thoughts of destruction! Attach the pedestal and torque to specs. Then when you put the turbo on move it to the passenger side to attach the EBPV actuating arm before you set the turbo on the pedestal and torque it down! Took just minutes once I had been passed that info! Hours wasted trying to reach under the turbo and attach the actuating arm. By the way the 10lbs spring test? I originally cheated and just counted the threads of the old one coming off. But decided to do it right and test it anyway! Glad I did! It was a full 3.5 turns on the actuating arm off of the originsal setting! Hope that helps if its a pedestal O ring problem?

Namdrof

 

I have read all the threads on oil leaks but still can not locate mine-- Cleansed the engine and still know luck- Oil collects in the front of the intake just below the fuel filter and then to the back and down. it doesn't leak at idle. I have tightened everything I could find- Does any one have pics of were to look

 

mine was the HPOP the tech said there were 2 o ring that were bad. it would only leak under high pressure when the motor was running like 60 mph or so. it wont leak at idle. That was the dealers first mistake. They let it ran after they thought they fixed it and it didnt leak. So when i took it back to the dealer I told them it was either the HPOP or the turbo pedistal o ring. I got that info here on the forum, and they were right. hope this helps Jeff