My 1981 2wd truck has been leaking oil for some time and now I want to fix the leak but am having a hard time identifying where the oil is coming from.
I read so much here about the front seal leaking but it doesn’t look like oil is coming from behind the harmonic balancer, I would expect to see oil and oil build up in the area between the balancer and the oil pump, right?
It looks like the oil is coming from above the oil pump. I am just not sure what I should do.
Suggestion, what have you done?

 

any pics?
always helpful.

 

step one when I do something like this is some aerosol engine degreaser/cleaner. like 4 cans of the stuff. go to a self serve car wash and unload a couple cans in there and go to town with the water.

That being said, my paint is pretty crappy and I detailed cars for a while. Just don't spray things like seals/gaskets, electrical areas(dist, coil) or the intake real hard. you don't want to put a puddle of water in your intake or anything.

After that watch closely for the leak

 

I sprayed and cleaned today, will check tomorrow and everyday after to see if I can find it.

 

exactly ...

clean the engine first ... and then keep an eye on it


.

 

i'd bet is the timing chain cover.

Al

 

let us know how it goes. FYI, there are leak finding kits where you put flourecent dye into your fluids and get out a black light to track them. Ingeious idea for small leaks I think but kind of overblown

 

The oil is coming from your exhaust manifold.












































Seriously, how could anyone on an online forum possibly know where the oil leak on YOUR truck is coming from. Scuba, I feel your pain brother.

 

Looks like the oil is comming from where the fuel pump bolts to the engine. There are two bolts holding the fuel pump on and there is what looks like a black plastic spacer between the fule pump and engine.

When I can I will look in the book and see if there is a gasket there or maybe just needs some gasget seal.

Might be an easy one!

 

join the club... my 81 leaks like a siv too.

 

Hey, I'm in that club too! Mine is from all the blowby (I think)

 

There is a replaceable gasket at the fuel pump. But if the oil is coming out of the weep hole in the bottom of the fuel pump, time for a new pump. One of the diaphrams is bad and if oil is getting out, there's a possibility that some fuel is getting in the crankcase.