7.3 oil dipstick leak?
 

I own a 1995 F-350 7.3 Liter PS, It has 274,000 miles on it. It has developed a leak where the dip stick enters the block. The oil runs down the right side of the block and off the oil pan. My dealer said in order to fix this the oil pan would have to be removed, which they said would require removing the engine! Please advise as to the best solution to this problem. Removing the engine just to gain access to the oil pan seems extreme.
Thanks.

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I thought the dipstick was an o ring seal from the top ... only pushes into the pan hole and held in place with a top bolt somewhere. Although I may be thinking of something else.

I would definetly check it out before I let the dealer touch the truck ! If no one here answers your question , get a second or third opinion from a couple of independent shops . You could always have a "look see" for yourself , maybe the dealer is right or it could be something simple to do . Let us know how you make out .

It is a o-ring seal on dipstick tube. I just fixed mine took about 30 minutes. Any parts or hardware store will have a seal .....

I have found that when you go into the dealership garages you have to walk in there with a mean look in your eye and your shootin hand on the gun ready to draw.
That dipstick tube is probably gonna be a little tuff to get out, wiggle and pull ... it should come out. Look around at the top section of the tube and find the metal flange that a bolt runs thru into the block ... remove the bolt and pull and twist the tube ... to go back together, install new o ring and some motor oil on it and push and twist back into hole, reinstall bolt. Spend the 37 cents to mail the old o ring to the dealer.

Oil leak at dip stick fitting
 

Thanks for the advice everyone. After closer inspection I have found that the dip stick actually enters thru a fitting that goes thru the right side of the oil pan. It seems to be leaking around that fitting. I will get some manuels and see for myself what is involved in replacing the o-ring that seals the fitting against the oil pan walls.

If you have anymore suggestions I would love to hear them.

Thanks again for taking the time to offer assistance.

International offers a kit to repair leaks at the flange seal for the oil gauge tube without removing the pan. I have done several 1st hand and are not that bad of a job to do. You just have to be careful not to drop the inner part into the oil pan or you will be removing the engine and oil pan to get it. I thought i posted the part number on the kit a while back but i will tomorrow again.

Kit to repair oil leak
 

How good a fix is this kit? I think my dealer already tried this fix. I remember when I took the truck in to be repaired they told me this would probably fix it but they just hoped they didn't drop anything in the oil pan (for the very reason you mentioned). It did stop leaking for about a year after they did what they did. I looked at the oil pan closely and it looks as if there is some sort of sealer around the area. I assumed they tried to fix the leak with a Silicon of some kind. Does this sound like what would be done with the kit you are talking about, or was it a make shift fix they came up with. Thanks again for you help.

The kit insists of a gasket and Loctite flange sealer. The kit has only been out for a max of 6 months. Sounds like they just loosened the nut and siliconed and retightned the nut.

sounds like the dealer who "fixed" your truck just pulled out a tube of rtv and used that and didn't do the real fix. because they didn't want to be pulling the motor. i am sure if you are carefull and take your time you can do it.

Dipstick leak
 

There is an o ring on the dipstick. I had to replace mine. you must unbolt the dipstick at the top and fish it out. Put on a new O ring and have a friend hold it when you put it back in the socket behind the starter. :-wink

let me clear things up a little bit. There are 2 o-rings for the level gauge. One is on the tube itself and the other is on the flange piece which is located on the inside of the pan. If the one on the insode of the pan is leaking putting an o-ring on the tube will not correct it. This kit 1846146C91 from International is used to repair a leak at the flange w/o removing the pan.