Hard to find oil or fuel leak?

[Bigburban]

Just leaks enough to be annoying! Always around the starter and passenger side of the tranny dust cover. I have done the following....Replaced all the return lines on that side with the good stuff, new filter manager, tighten all the fuel lines, return lines to and from ip behind filter no fluid what so ever in the engine valley... only has 25k on the injectors and I checked them as well when I did the return lines. Any hidden lines? Any ideas? Does it look like oil or diesel? Posssible that the fuel lines that run behind the engine are leaking? I can't find it!:mad2: Yes I have a tranny leak but its not that fluid (bad seal where the gear shaft goes in)

 

[ak diesel driver]

rear main slinging some oil around maybe?

 

[hereismylife]

Can you get more pics

 

[Crankme69]

rear main slinging some oil around maybe?

X2

 

[Bigburban]

more pics

 

[chevyCowboy]

looks like oil to me. try and give a feel around the valve cover in the back mine leaked there really bad couldnt find it till i pulled the motor (for other reasons)

 

[Bigburban]

Yea I was leaning toward the rear main but the oil is only on one side thought if it was the rear main it would be on both sides? I will check the valve cover today on that side to see.

 

[Turbine Doc]

You K2500 or C2500 ? If K look close at the 4x4 adapter when the o rings in it age, they get hard and no longer seal, then the front drive shaft gets dripped on and it slings it around to indiscriminate areas under hood making it hard to troubleshoot/diagnose

 

[Bigburban]

K2500 Checked that and no oil dripping from the adapter either I am gonna replace the cooler lines on the drivers side so it will get a new seal kit as well. This seems to only be on the pass.side and by the starter.

 

[Turbine Doc]

When you replace oil lines with new "kit" ones; the 4x4 adapter will have to come off and front drive shaft so you can work the elbows into the block, IIRC top elbow goes on 1st and you may have to grind down the back edge of the adapter to get clearance for the elbows.

Pass side by starter only "normal oil potential" that side is turbo supply & drain check those.

Valve covers good ???

Where is OPS on the 96? back of engine or in "valley" under intake, those can weep oil with age as well when plastic bodies get hard the crack and seep oil.

You also said possibly fuel, check jumper return lines, especially if cloth braid type, I've had a few of those leak before and the cloth braid hides the leaking rubber under the braid.

 

[Bigburban]

When you replace oil lines with new "kit" ones; the 4x4 adapter will have to come off and front drive shaft so you can work the elbows into the block, IIRC top elbow goes on 1st and you may have to grind down the back edge of the adapter to get clearance for the elbows.

Pass side by starter only "normal oil potential" that side is turbo supply & drain check those.

Valve covers good ???

Where is OPS on the 96? back of engine or in "valley" under intake, those can weep oil with age as well when plastic bodies get hard the crack and seep oil.

You also said possibly fuel, check jumper return lines, especially if cloth braid type, I've had a few of those leak before and the cloth braid hides the leaking rubber under the braid.

Replace all return lines last month thought it was the problem, put new gasket on the turbo drain pipe and where it returns in the block, replaced ops on back of engine last month then took it off and replaced it again to make sure, valve covers I will check those almost dread it if it is valve covers....pita! Would rear main only get oil on one side?

 

[robzombie4551]

If it were a rear main it would leak out the hole at the bottom of the cover dead center. If the back of the block is wet 80% chance the V/C is leaking. If down low only pull insp. cover, it only takes a couple minutes. If rear main is leaking the whole back side of cover will be covered in oil, which by the way will sling it on the starter and make it look like a V/C leak. But if the block is dry it's a main seal. Atleast thats my bet W/O looking at it myself. I hope it's the V/C it's easier than doing the rear main.

 

[Bigburban]

If it were a rear main it would leak out the hole at the bottom of the cover dead center. If the back of the block is wet 80% chance the V/C is leaking. If down low only pull insp. cover, it only takes a couple minutes. If rear main is leaking the whole back side of cover will be covered in oil, which by the way will sling it on the starter and make it look like a V/C leak. But if the block is dry it's a main seal. Atleast thats my bet W/O looking at it myself. I hope it's the V/C it's easier than doing the rear main.

In the 3rd pic you can see the inspection cover where it mounts to the tranny housing it seems to be coming from between the cover and housing and yes some does leak out of the drip hole. I can not get the inspection cover off with out taking the cross over off..... wish I had my own lift! I checked the back of the block and I do have a little oil around the valve cover but not enough to cause what you see in the pic so I am thinking I have a bad rear main and that just a big bummer! Anything else to check before I dive into a major repair?

 

[robzombie4551]

It could also be the oil pan gasket but I doubt it. The only way to be sure is to power wash it,let it dry and then look for the wet spot [oil]. She is a heavy truck right? all kidding aside you can pinpoint it before it gets slung around again.

In the pics it looks like it is coming from the rear main, and the confirmation of you saying that it is coming out the insp. cover hole almost confirms it.

Good luck tracking it down and let us know what you find.

 

[STEVE53]

I had the same problem, starter was covered with oil with a large puddle on the ground. When I changed my injectors and installed my turbo-back exhaust I resealed the pass. valve cover and no more leaky.

Steve