Oil Leaks

[Jocko_51_B3B]

These are the oil leaks I've had so far and what I did to stop them. Here's my list so far...

1. Copper gasket under T-handle on bypass oil filter canister. This one was the messiest. Started the engine. The gasket was bad and it blew oil all over the place. Fix was easy. Replaced the gasket.

2. Oil pan cork gasket. Small puddle kept forming on the floor. Oil pan bolts weren't tight enough. Tightened all the bolts.

3. Brass fittings on bypass oil filter lines. Again, small puddle on the floor. This one was easy to spot but a small pain to fix. Removed the filter canister and lines. Wrapped the brass fitting threads with three or four turns of yellow teflon tape. The yellow tape is hydrocarbon resistant. White teflon tape won't last. That's why the fittings leaked in the first place.

4. Oil pan rear felt seal. The felt gasket gets soaked and leaks a few drops when the engine is running. I might live with this one for a while. The only fix I can see is to remove the oil pan and replace the felt gasket. For now I'll just check my oil level frequently.

Edited July 23, 2023 by Jocko_51_B3B
shorten it up

[JBNeal]

additional information - oil pan felt seal

[John-T-53]

On 7/23/2023 at 4:39 AM, Jocko_51_B3B said:

These are the oil leaks I've had so far and what I did to stop them. Here's my list so far...

1. Copper gasket under T-handle on bypass oil filter canister. This one was the messiest. Started the engine. The gasket was bad and it blew oil all over the place. Fix was easy. Replaced the gasket.

2. Oil pan cork gasket. Small puddle kept forming on the floor. Oil pan bolts weren't tight enough. Tightened all the bolts.

3. Brass fittings on bypass oil filter lines. Again, small puddle on the floor. This one was easy to spot but a small pain to fix. Removed the filter canister and lines. Wrapped the brass fitting threads with three or four turns of yellow teflon tape. The yellow tape is hydrocarbon resistant. White teflon tape won't last. That's why the fittings leaked in the first place.

4. Oil pan rear felt seal. The felt gasket gets soaked and leaks a few drops when the engine is running. I might live with this one for a while. The only fix I can see is to remove the oil pan and replace the felt gasket. For now I'll just check my oil level frequently.

 

 

3. Teflon tape or any thread sealant only works on the pipe threads between the brass fitting and the block or canister. Otherwise, the flare fittings between the brass fittings and the lines don't need any sealant. 

 

4. The felt is not a gasket, more of a "diaper" to catch leaks from the leaking main seal. When the felt is soaked, it does no good. The rear main seal may need replacement, and if the crank is grooved or otherwise worn where the seal rides, then it will always leak moderately. Only way to fix that is to weld the crank.

[Jocko_51_B3B]

I placed the tape on the threads only as you mentioned. I agree about the crank. I'm having the truck put up on a lift this week to double check the area where the seal rides.

[Jocko_51_B3B]

The problem turned out to be a tiny oil leak from the brass fitting on the bottom of the oil canister. The rear main seal is OK. Re-did the oil canister brass fittings and no more oil leak. I found out it's possible to reach five out of six rear main seal bolts from under the truck. The top one I can't reach but for good measure I tightened down on the five.