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86-95 Trucks & 4Runners 2nd/3rd gen pickups, and 1st/2nd gen 4Runners with IFS

What could be leaking oil from the top passenger side of my motor?

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Old Jul 19, 2011 | 10:01 AM
  #1  
skoti89's Avatar
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From: Carson City
What could be leaking oil from the top passenger side of my motor?

I went for a weekend up to colorado. Truck did great, 23+ MPGs. Everything was fine up there, no leaking at all. But I drove the 200 miles back straight and didnt stop to check any oil or gas up.

I get in my driveway and oil is dripping off every spot on my front suspension and even flung all the way back to my gas tank from the the wind I assume.

I popped my hood and there is oil every where. Mostly on the intake side of my motor between the efi manifold and the valve cover was drenched. It even flew up all over my hood. The oil on the hood was also 75 percent on the intake(passenger) side, a little bit back also.

The first culprit I assumed was the valve cover gasket. I took the valve cover off, the gasket was intact, the was a little bit of sludge build up on the intake side. I looked around and can't see any thing leaking.

Is there any thing else that I might be missing? I know there is that tube in the intake side of the block that goes into the timing cover, but is that coolant or oil? I lost alot of oil and I hope I didnt do any damage, there was just a drop on my dipstick. I am going to do the valve cover gasket and the half moon grommets again and see if this solves it. The intake side of the rim of the head(were the valve cover gasket meets) also had some sludge, maybe the gasket wasnt mating with the head properly?

Thanks, any thoughts and input appreciated
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Old Jul 19, 2011 | 11:04 AM
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From: Broken Arrow, OK
my first suggestion would be degrease the crap out of it(make sure the Valve cover is back on).
Fill it back up and add some UV dye(available at any auto parts store) then go drive it for 10-15 minutes. bring it into the garage with a blacklight and start looking for the dye. if the garage lights are off it will help. if you don't see anything drive it for a day or two then check again. do this until you find the leak.

The goal is to catch it before the dye ends up everywhere under the hood.
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Old Jul 19, 2011 | 02:22 PM
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skoti89's Avatar
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From: Carson City
stuff isnt super expensive is it? does it usually come with a black light?
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Old Jul 19, 2011 | 02:38 PM
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From: Central FL
Originally Posted by skoti89
stuff isnt super expensive is it? does it usually come with a black light?
Ha! If it did I'd buy it just for the light!
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Old Jul 19, 2011 | 03:56 PM
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From: Cohutta (near Dalton) Georgia
the oil filter? or the headgasket
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Old Jul 19, 2011 | 04:37 PM
  #6  
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From: Carson City
the motor seems to be running good and no coolant oil mix. I checked because I was afraid it might be the headgasket
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Old Jul 19, 2011 | 05:01 PM
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From: Broken Arrow, OK
It won't come with a light but a blacklight bulb for your drop light won't be that expensive. And the dye is pretty cheap.
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