Ben-88Comanche Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Ok so the plan was to wait for a few weeks then change the rear main seal/valve cover gasket to try and fix my oil leak, but now its gotten worse When I'm driving as soon as i slow down to astop, the oil pressure drops to zero. I can also smell oil from INSIDE THE CAB when this happens. The oil on the bottom of the engine I think is just running down, not a rear main leak. THere is oil all over the valve cover gasket, but it seems like its just dripping from the oil cap Cap doesnt feel tight, when i got the truck it had an aftermarket cap on it that i thought leaked, so i took this stock one off my parts manche and figured it was better. Could all this be coming from the oil cap? WHen you take the oil cap off there is a little smoke from the inside of the engine, not sure if thats normal or not Not really sure if i should go ahead and change the valve cover gasket and see if anything happens? The amount of leaking oil is scaring me :roll: and when I stopped at the dump today there was smoke coming out the crack where the hood meets the fenders. Any help would be great, I have to drive it to work in a few, ill just go as easy on it as possible... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenosha Warrior Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 If I ram on the brakes, mine will puff a bit of oilsmoke from the few drips that meet the exhaust crossover pipe under where my rear main is leaking. The oilsmoke will go backwards and up through the engine bay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben-88Comanche Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 hmm Yea i just went and checked it some more, i guess not as much oil is leaking as i thought, because i was on full saturday, and I'm barely below it now. Coulda just been timing when some oil dripped on the exaust to make the smoke, which scared me haha. Ill prolly just go ahead and change the valve cover gasket this weekend, then the oil pan gasket + rear main in a few weeks unless anyone has any other suggestions. I played around with the oil cap, it is tight where stuff shouldnt leak out of it, but seems like thats where the leak is coming from, maybe i should just go pick up a new one and see what happens? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicofuentes0224 Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Ben, change the valve cover gasket. It's cheap, (make sure you get a good gasket) I think i read a lot of people have used cork and RTV, don't quote me though. Either search or ask what they used. I bet ya 75% of your problems go away just doing that. My truck also leaks a little oil from the cap. Don't know why. I've tried three differnt caps, all new. I guess the hole just got bigger over time. Maybe we could find a cap with a thicker seal or maybe it's just time to put a new valve cover on. Anyway, change the gasket and clean the area real well with a degreaser. I used brake cleaner when the engine was hot cuz the grime just melts away and evaporates with the heat. Don't believe the rear main seal leak yet. Four differnt mechanics told me mine needed replaced and it ended up being that oil was leaking right outta the back of the valve cover gasket, dripping down the engine, hitting my downpipe, causing a mess, and that smoke your describing. Once I cleaned it up really well back there and kept wiping it off all of a sudden my "rear main seal leak" went away. Good luck. Ps. How much oil are you losing? PSS. Don't use the brake cleaner idea unless you ask a profesional first. I don't know if it's safe. I just use it cuz I hate scrubbing and I have no patience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtdesigns Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Ben, change the valve cover gasket. It's cheap, (make sure you get a good gasket) I think i read a lot of people have used cork and RTV, don't quote me though. Either search or ask what they used. I bet ya 75% of your problems go away just doing that. My truck also leaks a little oil from the cap. Don't know why. I've tried three differnt caps, all new. I guess the hole just got bigger over time. Maybe we could find a cap with a thicker seal or maybe it's just time to put a new valve cover on. Anyway, change the gasket and clean the area real well with a degreaser. I used brake cleaner when the engine was hot cuz the grime just melts away and evaporates with the heat. Don't believe the rear main seal leak yet. Four differnt mechanics told me mine needed replaced and it ended up being that oil was leaking right outta the back of the valve cover gasket, dripping down the engine, hitting my downpipe, causing a mess, and that smoke your describing. Once I cleaned it up really well back there and kept wiping it off all of a sudden my "rear main seal leak" went away. Good luck. Ps. How much oil are you losing? PSS. Don't use the brake cleaner idea unless you ask a profesional first. I don't know if it's safe. I just use it cuz I hate scrubbing and I have no patience. Careful with that Way, brake clearer works good and will take off more then just grime, but paint, and might melt some plastics and rubbers..(not the prevention kind,, I know you all to well :D ) Another thing is thats stuff is very flammable, so don't use it when your engine is running, and disco your batt.. just to be on the safe side... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicofuentes0224 Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Ben, change the valve cover gasket. It's cheap, (make sure you get a good gasket) I think i read a lot of people have used cork and RTV, don't quote me though. Either search or ask what they used. I bet ya 75% of your problems go away just doing that. My truck also leaks a little oil from the cap. Don't know why. I've tried three differnt caps, all new. I guess the hole just got bigger over time. Maybe we could find a cap with a thicker seal or maybe it's just time to put a new valve cover on. Anyway, change the gasket and clean the area real well with a degreaser. I used brake cleaner when the engine was hot cuz the grime just melts away and evaporates with the heat. Don't believe the rear main seal leak yet. Four differnt mechanics told me mine needed replaced and it ended up being that oil was leaking right outta the back of the valve cover gasket, dripping down the engine, hitting my downpipe, causing a mess, and that smoke your describing. Once I cleaned it up really well back there and kept wiping it off all of a sudden my "rear main seal leak" went away. Good luck. Ps. How much oil are you losing? PSS. Don't use the brake cleaner idea unless you ask a profesional first. I don't know if it's safe. I just use it cuz I hate scrubbing and I have no patience. Careful with that Way, brake clearer works good and will take off more then just grime, but paint, and might melt some plastics and rubbers..(not the prevention kind,, I know you all to well :D ) Another thing is thats stuff is very flammable, so don't use it when your engine is running, and disco your batt.. just to be on the safe side... Exactly what JT said, I know, that's why I put a disclaimer on the bottom. It'll melt the rubber and plastic too. Just keep it all covered up. Only use it on the metal. You know what, better yet. Don't even use it. Get some degreaser, a tooth brush and a couple old rags you lazy @$$ :rotfl2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben-88Comanche Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 I thought I was leaking around a quart a month, but last time i put oil in i needed 2 quarts, so it mustve been more then that. I bought a rubber valve cover gasket a while ago, cost like 40 bucks, supposed to last forever. I have thought it was the valve cover too since day one, but people keep telling me otherwise, and they probably know more then i do. This weekend hopefully Ill have time to change it (covering all weekend for a buddy at work) And see what happens from there. Thanks for all the replies so fast, i figured no one would even read this befor i left for work haha. Gonna head there now, ill check how the oil looks when i get there Something else that might provide clues, oil ONLY leaks when the truck is running. If i let it sit for a week no oil will leak out, just while its running and immediately when i shut it off (oil dripping down after it already leaked i would guess) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicofuentes0224 Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Sorry to hi-joke your thread Ben. Hey J, way is actually spelled guey. Yoo no what I mean ese. I didn't want any of those East LA cholos reading this post and making fun of us for incorrect spelling and gramatical errors. Us homeys gotta stick toogether men. :rotf: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtdesigns Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Sorry to hi-joke your thread Ben. Hey J, way is actually spelled guey. Yoo no what I mean ese. I didn't want any of those East LA cholos reading this post and making fun of us for incorrect spelling and gramatical errors. Us homeys gotta stick toogether men. :rotf: lol... ?but,, you knew what I said, si?,, so its all bien,, To the op clean your engine bay first then change the gAskEt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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