I think I'm going to move this to the technical section...

So I called John. I had to. My truck took a ˟˟˟˟˟...

around 1:45, I dropped my gf off at work and drove around 12 miles to Des Moines where I have my trailer in storage. I've been trying to sell it to put some money for minor truck maintenance stuff, but it also uses wheel ramps as fenders. I thought I would get the front end off the ground and spend the fair-weathered afternoon digging around the bottom of the truck, tightening bolts and trying to pinpoint an oil leak or two. Well I got the ramps out and well I went to place them in front of my wheels, I was greeted not only by some oil on the ground, but alot of it. Now, I had been parked more than five minutes and this pool of oil was about the size of a basketball. WTF.

So before I started this 12 mile drive, I had put a quart of oil in to bring the level back up to acceptable. I could tell this leaking oil was the same fresh oil, as not only the pool on the ground was relatively fresh, but it had gotten everywhere on the left side of the truck (left being passenger, I was facing the truck at this time.) Inside the engine bay, it had gotten as far as the top of the pass. wheel well as most everything below that, and because I was driving, it had been slung most of the way toward the back of the truck, coating the undercarriage and driveline.

Now had this oil been slung about more in the engine bay, I would have thought my Front Main Seal had finally gone. It however was dry (had it failed, it would have slung oil onto the fan blades and been thrown everywhere. This was not like that. Oil was strictly being directly thrown, but to figure out from where, I had to clean it up a bit and start it, hoping I could watch a trickle from somewhere. Trickle? Yeah right...

Full on stream of oil is more like it. When running, I could literally watch a stream of oil, perhaps 1mm in diameter, spew out from behind a cover. Now, I didn't take pictures so I can't verify, but I feel it was from behind my T-chain cover. I was coming from between a cover and the block itself, that's why I say T-chain cover. Either way, f***... Just then, the owner of the storage unit drives by in his golf-cart and berates me for working on my vehicle. "Just checking an oil leak" I say. "Didn't want it to break down in your parking lot." He harumphed and told me to make it quick, eyeballed the oil slick on the ground, and shook his head while he drove away.

So I did the best I could, dumped a 5quart jug into the oil-fill opening and kept my rpm's low, hoping to getting home. Well, I got closer to home. About 2 miles down the road, the engine starts becoming slightly more audible. I let the revs down a little and it goes away, so I knew I needed to get it off the road. I was on a freeway and there was an exit about 1/2 miles ahead. I essentially idled in gear, down the hill (no throttle with a downhill coast.) I should've just pulled over. On the offramp, the engine started making a little more noise, and when pulled out of gear at the stop sign, it wanted to die. I turned right and put it in 1st to gain a bit of momentum so as to get away from the intersection. After about 50 feet, I got way too scared to do that anymore, so I pulled it into neutral and it died. Just died. Rolled to a stop in front of some business that didn't have a no parking sign. I got out and popped the hood. Again, oil only on the left side (passenger) of things. Checked the dipstick: TOTALLY DRY! I had just put 5 ˟˟˟˟˟˟˟ quarts in this thing! I added the last single quart of oil I have stashed in my truck, just hoping I haven't seized anything. After letting it set for a few minutes (and cool down), I crank it over. It sounds, with a little noise on throttle, but ran on all 4 cylinders. Hopped out quick to look for that oil stream, and sure enough, there it was, but bigger (thicker stream.)

F***.

So, taking the advice of numerous people, I called John at Auburn Car Repair (this step actually took a while, as I hadn't saved the number from his and I's pm conversation, and when I called 411, they buggered it up twice.) He remembered me from our brief online talk, and recommended a tow shop. I called numerous times, no reply. Called John again. He apologized and gave me his second recommendation. Called with no response. Called John again. He apologized, again! He said he would even come get me if he weren't so busy, but instead he put me on hold while he himself called around to find a tow-shop for me. Hooked me up with someone who answered their phone, I talked with them arranged the retrieval, and here I am today.

Drinking the remnants of last nights beer while looking at my FSM and at new trucks, all at the same time!

Damnit. I hope I didn't eff up my engine. I was brand new in December...

-Worried little Chris