Any of y'all ever seen this type of oil leak?

[Shotgun Jeremy]

I've had an oil leak I've been trying to track for a while with what limited tools I have access to. I finally got some UV dye and here's what I see - there is definitely a good amount of oil that pretty quickly started leaking down the bell housing and on to the transmission. The area around my distributor is clean, and I've already done my valve cover gaskets last month thinking that was initially the problem.

I'm thinking either head gasket(s) or rear main, but I can't see anything around the head gaskets with my UV light, and I don't see how the rear main would cause it to get wet on the top of the bell housing.

 

[jrbfishn]

Is the oil only on top of the bell housing or on the bottom as well? If it is from the rear main seal, I would think you would have some on the bottom as well.

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[Shotgun Jeremy]

Its kind of all over, but seems to be originating at the top

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[texasnurse]

Oil pressure sensor


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[BRD@66]

for locating oil leaks; clean the area THOROUGHLY all around the leak, not just a small spot. The cases and seals should be looking like new with no dirt or grease on them. Take some spray foot powder and cover the area with a good coat. start the engine and watch the area for any small brown spot in the powder.

 

[rman]

for locating oil leaks; clean the area THOROUGHLY all around the leak, not just a small spot. The cases and seals should be looking like new with no dirt or grease on them. Take some spray foot powder and cover the area with a good coat. start the engine and watch the area for any small brown spot in the powder.

I might try this. I have a drop-a-day leak that I never cared about, but we move to a new house in a month or 2, new neighborhood, etc. No matter where I park it, the leak will be obvious.

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[jrbfishn]

The only sur way I have found to find an oil leak is to clean it. Thoroughly. Oil will blow back from surprising places.
But if it is only on the rear of the motor and above the main seal, I would look at valve cover, distributor and oil sensor as well. 3 of the most common places.

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[Mikewood]

I am going to guess rear main but keep in mind it could be leaking from multiple places and sometimes only leaking from some places while under load.


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[Senor John Seven Six two]

for locating oil leaks; clean the area THOROUGHLY all around the leak, not just a small spot. The cases and seals should be looking like new with no dirt or grease on them. Take some spray foot powder and cover the area with a good coat. start the engine and watch the area for any small brown spot in the powder.

There's actually a name for this called the oil and whiting method, started way back in the day on railroad components eventually the methods got better and today you have what is called by The American society of Non Destructive Testing, the liquid penetrant method.

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

for locating oil leaks; clean the area THOROUGHLY all around the leak, not just a small spot. The cases and seals should be looking like new with no dirt or grease on them. Take some spray foot powder and cover the area with a good coat. start the engine and watch the area for any small brown spot in the powder.

I like that - its similar to how we use dirt to find the leaks on construction equipment. But its not going to work in this case. No room and I physically can't see the top rear of my heads until I start tearing apart the engine (tomorrows job). There's just too much in the way. That's why I opted for the UV dye in this case.

Oil pressure sensor


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The only sur way I have found to find an oil leak is to clean it. Thoroughly. Oil will blow back from surprising places.
But if it is only on the rear of the motor and above the main seal, I would look at valve cover, distributor and oil sensor as well. 3 of the most common places.

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The valve cover gaskets, distributor seal and oil pressure sensor seals were all replaced this year and are still clean. The valve cover gaskets and upper/lower intake gaskets were the first thing I went after with this particular leak. I didn't see anything obvious while in there, but I may have missed it if it were the rear of the heads. I don't know what else it would be that's up high like that unless there's a sensor back there I don't know about.

Or it could be the rear main throwing oil all around in the bell housing...but I'm not sold on that theory just yet.

The pictures are more just to show how limited my visibility is of the engine itself.

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[Shotgun Jeremy]

I am going to guess rear main but keep in mind it could be leaking from multiple places and sometimes only leaking from some places while under load.


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It does seem to leak pretty good simply at idle.

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[texasnurse]

Mechanic friend says it's the rear main; it's a one piece so it can sling oil up there common with vortecs


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[Shotgun Jeremy]

Thank you...that's painful news, but Thank you

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[TxStetson]

My last Vortec 350 had a rear main leak that started like that and then got much more obvious later. I used Lucas oil treatment on it periodically and waited another 100k miles before finally fixing it.

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

Ill try that until I can figure out how to get a cherry picker

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[easy rider]

centrifugal force from the rear main can throw oil most everywhere.

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

Well, I'm almost certain it's not the rear main. I pulled the inspection plate off the bell housing (why didn't I think of that sooner???) and no UV dye is inside. Gotta be the head gasket.

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[robertc1024]

That's fun - not. Bummer.

 

[TxStetson]

Lucas oil treatment makes gaskets and seals swell up. Give it a try. The worst that can happen if you're out $5.

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

That's fun - not. Bummer.

Trust me - its the lesser of two evils. I'll take head gaskets over rear main. I don't have a tranny jack or cherry picker. I DO have a torque wrench and experience doing head gaskets on Caterpillar engines. Not quite as open and easy as a CAT, but it's still better than a rear main.

Lucas oil treatment makes gaskets and seals swell up. Give it a try. The worst that can happen if you're out $5.

I'm getting some tomorrow for sure.

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