I'll introduce myself with a question that is kicking my butt so far. Just bought this truck last week for $1800. 1991, 145K miles, V6, 4wd, great shape........problem is the guy hasn't driven it much at all in the past 2 years and I've got something that I've got to get right.

Can't exactly pinpoint where this is coming from so I need some ideas. Motor runs great but I've got an oil leak come from the front of the motor and it seems to be more towards the driverside. I didn't think the whole deal was the valve cover gaskets but I replaced them anyways on both sides..........well it doesn't seem to have slowed it up any. It is coming down the driver side getting on the alternator bracket and all over everything below that. I'm thinking it could be behind the timing belt cover but I'm not familiar with that area........... Any ideas on what this could be? Common issues? What parts may I need?

It has to run for a while for the oil to start showing and dripping.........well almost pouring..........

Thanks!!

 

i may be wrong, but check the distributor area. i think there is a seal (o-ring?) there.

 

Cam seal or maybe a loose oil filter. Cam seals are cheap. The labor sucks.

Edit- distributor is a good idea too. ^^

 

chime in about this.......

I saw a post (somewhere) about putting talcum powder down to see where the leak originates from because it will leave a trail.

 

Front Crankshaft oil seal, Oil pump gsket, timing cover gasket, distributor. If not those, you could be leaking where the head gasket meets the top of the timing cover.

 

o boy...........well got some places to investigate at least

 

i've got some similar. driver side coming down from the tranny (but tranny is not leaking).

mine drips a little, like a quart every few thousand miles so i'm not too worried. oil is cheap

 

well mine lost 3/4 of a quart or so of motor oil in 65 miles..........not going to work........

 

Spent about 2 hours trying to find the leak Wednesday night..........finally got in the truck and got it up to about 3/4 throttle and held it there......5 seconds later it started pouring out of the front camshaft seal..........fixed it today in about 3.5 hours......so far no leaks.

 

good job

 

Nice work. Did you take any pictures of the process?