SpeedCrazy

Morning Fellas, Its been a while.

My 94 PU has been running like a champ for the last 40,000 miles or so but I'm starting to have some issues outside of my experience.

About two weeks ago I was rolling about 40 when my oil pressure dumped and the check engine light came on. I figured oil pump and limped her home and parked her till I had time to deal with it.
My first step was to check the oil, I changed it about 1000 miles ago, but when I checked I was below the low dash. So I checked the filter and drain bolt were snug and filled her. The check engine light didn't come on when I cranked her up, so I went for a short drive. The oil pressure now rides right around the low mark never quite reaching the middle mark. It's never run particularly high but, the sudden loss of pressure and oil I had has me a little worried.
I did all of that initial maintenance in the dark, and when I checked before my next drive (in the daylight this time) I noticed that there was oil everywhere in the engine bay. Which to me says it's blowing in the fan. Where should I be investigating? My old man said head gasket but I don't see anything that looks like a leak on the front of the head.
I've been bumming rides for about a week now so I need to figure this out.

Oh and I should note that I filled up with gas on that test drive and calculated that my mpg had dropped from an average of 19-20 to 13. So whatever happened probably started a while before the sudden drop.

Any and all suggestions appreciated,

C

old87yota

The oil pump does not really create oil pressure, rather the pump just creates oil flow.

Oil pressure is created by resistance to flow through the bearing clearances and oil passages in the engine.

How much oil did you have to add to bring the level up to full? You could have ran the engine out of oil if you had to add a lot of oil.

To find out where the oil leak is coming from, clean all of the oil off of the engine so you can clearly see the leak.

It might be worth it to change the oil and check the old oil for any metal shavings (sparkles when you shine a flashlight through the oil).

Any coolant and oil mixing?

At this point, I would check the oil pressure with a mechanical gauge and get a reading.

I would also run a compression test if you have a compression tester gauge handy.

If the check engine light comes back on, check for codes.

Co_94_PU

iTrader: (-1)

Blocked passage or excessive blow-by plus misadjusted/stuck pressure relief valve will pump oil right out the front seal.. ?

Almost anything leaking at the front will wind up getting slung around by the belts and pulley system. You'll have to get it clean and dry to find the leaks regardless.

shooter86314

I didn't plan to hijack this thread, but my situation seems very similar.
(Yesterday,I smelled something burning and checked the oil pressure gage, which indicated no pressure. I stopped along the highway. On a downgrade, the dipstick didn't touch the oil. I added a quart of oil: the dipstick just barely touched the oil. A tow truck took us home. I added another quart, which brought the level to full.)
I lost about two quarts of oil over a short period (since my gas fill last week): oil splattered, mostly toward battery and hood. I have removed the valve cover, and I will install a new gasket soon.
I replaced the PCV valve. The old one was a bit sticky. I started the engine and idled for a minute. I didn't notice any more leaks or spray. I removed the valve cover to check blockage of path of blowby gasses thru the valve cover to PCV tube. Two small chunks of gasket material fell out. I blasted compressed air into the PCV hole and could feel slight flow at the rear of the internal plate of the valve cover.( to be continued)

My question for SpeedCrazy is this. What are the ramifications of oil blowing out thru front seal? Do I need a new front seal?

scope103

Like he said: you DON'T know that oil came through the front seal. Get it cleaned up first; sparkling clean, good enough to eat off of it. (Use spray-on engine degreaser and a garden hose.) Run it, then look for your leak.

shooter86314

The oil is dripping from the front main seal.
ed. 10-9:
The mechanic replaced the front crankshaft seal and the oil pump seal. Leaking has stopped.