Hey everyone, I haven't been on in quite a while but I have a little oil leak problem. It started with what I thought was the rear main seal. I needed to change the converter anyway so when I pulled the converter I put in a new, from Ford, rear main with the wear sleeve. Let the truck run for about 30 min and called it good. The next day I drove to California to pick up a car and on the way back I noticed oil spots on the front of the trailer and the car. When I got back I looked at all of the oil lines thimking that the seals might be leaking, but they weren't. After running the engine while almost sitting on top of it looking down with a flashlight, I found the front timing cover gasket was pushing out oil. It now leaves a 6" - 10" puddle of oil in the driveway after anything but a short drive. How hard is it to replace that gasket? I was told that it involves pulling the engine because of oil pan clearance issues. True? If so does anyone have an easier way? I really don't have the time to do it right now and I'm not in the position to pay someone else either, but it is starting to drop a lot of oil and it's making a huge mess....
Any help would be greatly welcomed.
Thank you all.
Jim

 

Welcome to FTE Jim. I have a feeling it is now what you think. Clean that area very well with simple green or equiv. Let dry, Pull the plastic cover off of the area on top of the fuel filter and HPOP. Crank the truck and look good at the HPOP and lines. I put my money it is something around there.

Let us know.

 

I've never had one apart to know for sure, but I think you are talking about the main oil pump for the engine. It's mounted right on the crankshaft there on the front of the engine. Are all the bolts tight?
If you have to pull it off to replace the gasket, just buy a new pump. They are relatively inexpensive and have a tendancy to wear out after a while. Symptoms would be taking a longer time than normal for oil pressure to build upon startup.

 

Yea, I do need to hit it with the "green" to be sure, but it dosen't look good from the first look. I just hope that if it really is the timing cover seal, there is an eaiser way then pulling the whole front of the truck off to get that really heavy engine out...won't be a fun thing...

 

Jim, Dan may have something there, sounds easier then pulling the engine. I hope its an easy fix like Dan is talking about. If it is something on the HPOP, most of time that is an easy fix.

 

Thanks for the light of hope. I'm going to clean it up today and I'll let you know what it turns out to be.

Thanks again.
Jim

 

Okay, I removed the cover, simple greened everything (engine was kind of dirty anyway) Dried and let dry, even tried to fix my od switch/wire problem in the meantime. I started it up, climbed up my ladder (truck is lifted 6" with 37's) sat on the core support with a flashlight and couldn't find a leak to save my life....Looked for about 10 min. Shut the truck off and put a piece of plywood under the truck and...drip... all I saw was one...then I became angry and confused. the first thought is that the rear main seal is no good or started to leak, but I know that I installed it correctly. Any Ideas?? PLEASE...

 

Help...Guys??

 

Man this is a long shot, but its what i found on my truck last week.

There is a keeper nut over the dipstick flange on the pax side of the oil pan, mine had vidrated about 1/2 turn loose in 260K miles, a quick tighten with a pair of channel locks, and a few shots of degreasercleaned mine up.
Now I know you are thinking that dipstick flange is over the starter, farther back than where my truck is leaking. well yeah it is, but appearantley the oil will drip down on the crossmember, and run forward to the trac bar. How? IDK. but mine did. for a month I looked for an oil leak on the front of my engine (Im OCD about leaks) and finally found it at the dipstick flange.
hope this helps.

 

Thanks, I will check that also. I don't think that I said that it was dripping from behind the back of the oil pan area though. My fault for not being complete. Anyway, it seems to be wet all over the bottom of the sump and also on the back, dr and pass side of the sump. It is starting to coat the underside of the truck as well. It seems like everything leaks and comes down the back of the engine. When the pass side fuel line wore through on the hold down strap it all came down the back side also. So did the fuel bowl seal. Did I not let it run long enough? Or do you think that damned rear main could be the suspect again? I don't really know any good PSD guys around here and the dealer is too expensive. Go figure.. I guess the good news is that it doesnt look like the timing cover gasket is leaking! I had to start parking my truck out on the street because of the mess, but I don't think the neighbors or the city for that fact is going to stand it much longer.

 

Try wedging something under the throttle to hold the rpm up and see if you can see where the leak is coming from. Sometimes the oil pressure must be raised to find the leak.

 

I know you've heard this on here before, but rear main seal leaks are NOT very common. you are only the second person I have ever read about changing one. the other guy that changed his had a lot of crank walk in his and it just wore out the seal.

Also, I was not thinking that the oil was running back on the pan, some how my leak all ran forward and was dripping off the crossmember right under the harmonic balancer.

 

So you don't see any oil in the valley ? How about around the turbo you may need a flashlight and a mirror but check the EBPV actuator and all around the turbo pedestal.

 

Dave, that is what I was thinking also. I guess I didn't say that part when I told him to wash it and look.

I would look like Dave said, under the turbo and pedistal. Those 0-rings are a common problem. You will have to crall on top of the engine with a flashlight to look for a pool of oil. It took me a few days to figure what was leaking on mine.

 

Great, Thanks, I'll try that today. Is that a hard job if it's the problem? Has someone done a write up on it yet? I just like to know what I'd be getting into if it is. I'll run the truck some more today to see if the leak shows itself. I'll let you know what I find.

Thanks again.
Jim