Need help, try to track down possible oil leak (1 Viewer)

[Gunrunner235]

I attached photo of where I am seeing the leak, it drips down from where u bolt the metal lower radiator hose support it seems to be coming from the V groove I circled, I don’t notice anything above it from there, is there anything in that groove that has a gasket? Or is this may be from the upper pan? There was a lot of dried oil I cleaned off. Or possibly what above this spot could be leaking? Tomorrow I’m gonna go around the pan and tighten the bolts I read the torque was 7ft lbs. any help would be appreciated,

 

[Malleus]

Distributor O-ring

 

[BILT4ME]

The primary leaks on the 1FZ-FE are:
Valve Cover
Spark Plug Tube Seals
Distributor O-Ring (Dizzy o-Ring)
Oil pump seal (must also replace the front main seal when fixing this)
PS Hoses
AT hoses

Focus on those. Yes, it's possible that there is an oil leak from the pan there, but that appears to be factory FIPG unless it's been leaking like that for YEARS.

Start with the other stuff and work from the top down.

Pressure wash the areas and see where it's coming from. Maybe do the black light oil additive, then use a black light to trace it after a few miles.

 

[JoeCova]

Hopefully it's not the #1 Oil pan as that will be difficult to remove with the engine in but one point of clarity is that the #1 oil pan bolt torque: 12mm head is 14 ft-lbs, 14mm head 32 ft-lbs. If you are going to start poking around in there, I would get an FSM.

BILT4ME makes a good point about the FIPG, the only thing that gives me pause is that current OEM FIPG is black not grey.

 

[Gunrunner235]

This is on the passengers side of the engine, just a few inches from the crank position sensor. I am having issues with the dizzy ordered a replacement, but u think the O ring leak would get on this side of the motor? It’s not a huge leak, maybe a nickel size drop when I shut down the motor, ya idk if the seal is factory or notice only had the truck since Xmas, just trying to track down little stuff, I have a coolant leak as well, in the same area, but when I washed and degreased the motor I didn’t see oil above this location at least nothing obvious

 

[JoeCova]

This is on the passengers side of the engine, just a few inches from the crank position sensor. I am having issues with the dizzy ordered a replacement, but u think the O ring leak would get on this side of the motor? It’s not a huge leak, maybe a nickel size drop when I shut down the motor, ya idk if the seal is factory or notice only had the truck since Xmas, just trying to track down little stuff, I have a coolant leak as well, in the same area, but when I washed and degreased the motor I didn’t see oil above this location at least nothing obvious

Well the coolant pipe isnt attached correctly and the large radiator hose in the pic doesnt look in the best shape either so that may be where your leaking coolant. That area is heavily gummed up and looks wet.

The only place I can think of that would leak oil in that area (Around the AC Condenser) is the pan or timing chain cover.

 

[Gunrunner235]

The coolant leak is from a little higher up, where the L shaped pipe goes in the motor from the water pump it’s leaking at the bottom of that, that I was able to track down pretty easy, ok. Gonna try and tighten up around there and see. But it is the upper pan, so ya I know it’s a pain to drop. I’m also looking at a single piece oil pan made by a company in Australia.

 

[JoeCova]

The coolant leak is from a little higher up, where the L shaped pipe goes in the motor from the water pump it’s leaking at the bottom of that, that I was able to track down pretty easy, ok. Gonna try and tighten up around there and see. But it is the upper pan, so ya I know it’s a pain to drop. I’m also looking at a single piece oil pan made by a company in Australia.

FYI that angled pipe has 3 rubber orings

 

[Kernal]

Clean off that area and the area above it using both paper towels and solvent (by hand), along with a degreaser, spray it down, let it dry or dry it off with paper towels.

Then start the engine for a few minutes (if that long) and recheck for where the leak starts. Take multiple photos at different angles with flash (will help show the leak or any cracks).

 

[BILT4ME]

This is on the passengers side of the engine, just a few inches from the crank position sensor. I am having issues with the dizzy ordered a replacement, but u think the O ring leak would get on this side of the motor? It’s not a huge leak, maybe a nickel size drop when I shut down the motor, ya idk if the seal is factory or notice only had the truck since Xmas, just trying to track down little stuff, I have a coolant leak as well, in the same area, but when I washed and degreased the motor I didn’t see oil above this location at least nothing obvious

The dizzy o-ring leaks down and drips on the pulleys and belts and then the harmonic balancer slings it everywhere under there. This is what makes it hard to find.

If you clean it off and find a fresh drip there after a short drive, then maybe that's where it is. It appears to be the upper oil pan. That can be pulled and resealed without pulling the engine, but you will have to disconnect motor mount bolts, and remove your fan shroud so you don't break it while jacking the engine around in there.

 

[Gunrunner235]

So I did a dye test, this is where I located the leak, this is directly behind the water pump. What is this bolt to? Is it the timing chain cover? What suggestions do u have? What is the correct torque for this bolt? Also does this bolt have a washer? This bolt doesn’t appear to have a washer on it. Any info would be helpful. Thanks

 

[Fj80oregon]

Well that is definitely your timing chain cover. Not saying that is your leak. Torquing that bolt will yield no results. If the seal around the cover is compromised then tightening bolts will not solve anything. It’s still hard to tell exactly where your leak is coming from.

 

[Gunrunner235]

Well that is definitely your timing chain cover. Not saying that is your leak. Torquing that bolt will yield no results. If the seal around the cover is compromised then tightening bolts will not solve anything. It’s still hard to tell exactly where your leak is coming from.

Well that’s where the dye starts, from there there is nothing above it, nothing from the valve cover, is this another press fit gasket? From the dizzy o-ring, anywhere else on the front of the motor, I attached a photo where I have some dye here on the side, by what looks like a block off plate. Any help is appreciated or any ideas I can look around again tomorrow, but the majority of oil is right there in that gap behind the water pump

 

[JoeCova]

Well that’s where the dye starts, from there there is nothing above it, nothing from the valve cover, is this another press fit gasket? From the dizzy o-ring, anywhere else on the front of the motor, I attached a photo where I have some dye here on the side, by what looks like a block off plate. Any help is appreciated or any ideas I can look around again tomorrow, but the majority of oil is right there in that gap behind the water pump View attachment 3268403

Yup the top one is the timing cover bolt which means the FIFG behind it is compromised if that's where it is leaking.

The bottom one that looks like a block off plate is the chain tensioner that uses a metal pressure gasket.

You could try replacing the gasket.

 

[Gunrunner235]

Yup the top one is the timing cover bolt which means the FIFG behind it is compromised if that's where it is leaking.

The bottom one that looks like a block off plate is the chain tensioner that uses a metal pressure gasket.

You could try replacing the gasket.

Ok, I’m gonna try n remove the bolt, maybe put a rubber washer or some silicone around the bolt to see maybe if I can control the leak a little better for now, but at least I know where it’s coming from now

 

[Kernal]

Hard to tell from the photos but has that bolt behind the water pump pulley been turned before, any damage to the head (of the bolt) from a socket being put on it??

FWIW I might want to pull the water pump pulley to get a better look in that area, ie: to look for a crack in the cover.

 

[Gunrunner235]

Hard to tell from the photos but has that bolt behind the water pump pulley been turned before, any damage to the head from a socket being put on it??

FWIW I might want to pull the water pump pulley to get a better look in that area, ie: to look for a crack in the cover.

I haven’t pulled the bolt yet, just used the dye kit to see where it’s coming from, if not the bolt the only place a just a tad higher is the chain tensioner that is showing some oil near it, unless it’s leaking from that gasket n trickling down. This all started from a bad dizzy so the truck is still parked at my work. Haven’t had a chance to start tearing stuff apart.

 

[mudgudgeon]

Well that’s where the dye starts, from there there is nothing above it, nothing from the valve cover, is this another press fit gasket? From the dizzy o-ring, anywhere else on the front of the motor, I attached a photo where I have some dye here on the side, by what looks like a block off plate. Any help is appreciated or any ideas I can look around again tomorrow, but the majority of oil is right there in that gap behind the water pump View attachment 3268403

Putting silicone around this stud won't achieve anything. It's a stud in a blind hole with a nut on it.
If oil is leaking here, you'll need to remove the timing chain tensioner, replace the metal gasket, and reinstall the tensioner.

I'd strongly recommend reading the FSM for this process.

FSM can be downloaded from the Resources section from the Ih8mud main menu

 

[Kernal]

Here's a few photos.

First shows the tensioner nuts removed, if you look closely you can see the gasket still in place:

Next is the port with the tensioner removed:

FWIW this is the tensioner:

Here's a photo of the metal gasket:

 

[Gunrunner235]

Already ordered the gasket, FSM doesn’t have jack on the tensioner, uninstall inspect reinstall. The silicone was for the bolt to the right of the water pump to see if the leak was coving from that bolt. Hard to really tell where it’s coming from