Tdub8

So about a week ago i discovered a large puddle of oil and coolant. Originally i thought the oil pan was leaking from how the oil was dripping from there. But as i got to cleaning up i tightend the oil pan bolts and put oil in and it slowed the leak down but it is still leaking somewhere above the pan. I tried to get some pictures to help.

Pictures are bad but...
in the center you can see anti freeze.
from bottom

in the center you can barely see a drop of oil.. its hard to see because its shiny from the flash light
from bottom

in the center there is anti freeze.
from top

NickMiller

That's the same issue i'm having w/ my 88 3.0, but I' know for a fact the coolant is coming from a leaky radiator (being rebuilt soon)... As for the oil leak, it's a guess and check thing. My oil seemed to be coming from the oil pan, but I have a feeling that's just where it pools and drips from, not where the leak is... My leak has been a steady one since the last time it dropped really cold last night and I think it messed with the oil filter seal since that's where it seems to be coming from. I'm gonna try replacing that along with all new oil after cleaning up what I can to try and see where the leak is from.

Tdub8

My real problem is i am at school and a long ways away from home so i am limited to the tools i have and what i can do. I really don't want to go to a repair shop since i have have to pay for school. So what can i do to at least find where it is leaking from?

rworegon

Clean off the grease/grime and then look carefully for the source. Could be the water pump, a hose, crank or cam seals for oil....several options.

Tdub8

Well I went to O'reilly's and picked up some degreaser and a mirror on a telescopic handle. Got everything as clean as I could and started looking with the mirror... since I had to drive from the car wash I was kind of hard to see exactly where the oil and everything was coming from but I used some towels to clean the new stuff off the best I could then I started my truck and let it run while I looked around after about 2 minutes oil started really dripping and I shut off my truck and used the mirror by the timing belt and found that for sure the oil is coming from what I believe is the oil pump... it is leaking from it directly above the oil pan and pooling there like NickMiller said. So can anyone reassure me that it is the oil pump? As for the coolant leak I found that by pure luck, when I was laying on my back looking up as it was running I spotted a little shiny green drop coming from the top of the engine across from the top of the fan. I think this is the thermostat? So now I have to find a way to get the oil pump out and replace the seal I’m assuming and seal the thermostat. So that is where I am at now.

rworegon

Tdub8, the oil pump does not need to come out to replace the seal. It often replaced when the timing belt is done.

That upper water outlet is a known leak point. There is FIPG/RTV that makes the seal and when it goes....leak, leak.

Use the FSM (Factory Service Manual) link in my sig and grab a FSM closest to your rig. It will help a bunch.

Tdub8

Thanks a bunch that looks like it will help me a lot!

rworegon

There are plenty of 3.0 timing belt threads here that will help too. They will pop up in search.

Tdub8

rworegon, so you are saying i can change the oil seal without pulling the front diff and oil pan?

Tdub8

Haha every time i crawl under my truck i just can't wait to sas it... this would be so much easier, at least with head clearance! lol

Tdub8

Well today i took my truck into a shop that does free estimates and they found 3 oil leaks...
The oil pan gasket, rear main seal (im pretty sure its leaking out of the front lol), and the rear diff and they told me i should get my brakes done and battery service... Hmm pretty sure i oly asked them to look for an oil leak from the engine... Any way i got the estimate and they want almost $2000 for the work... I looked at the guy and laughed and took my keys and left. So now i have to figure out how to fix this leak with out any tools.

BTW i fixed the water outlet leak... Only needed to be resealed.

Tdub8

Well went home for thanks giving. Drove my truck and stopped every hour or so to check the oil and didn't leak as much as i had expected it would. Any way my dad and i replaced the main oil seal and the leak is gone! We had discovered that the oil had been getting carried up and thrown around by the timing belt. Luckly for me the total project cost about 6 bucks and around 3 hours of work haha.

rworegon

Nice job getting both the water and oil leak fixed! Seems the diagnosis in post 5 and 6 was good on both items.

Hey, sorry...somehow I never got back to the 9/25 question you asked. But, now you know the answer to share with others.

TNRabbit

EXCELLENT~ Congratulations!