Must be the year of head gaskets, because mines leaking as well, but im trying to hold off a little longer so I can be without the truck for a time.

 

But I'm not sure if I'm leaking from another spot in the front as well?

There is a plug that is underneath the thermostat housing that seems to be wet, even after driving a while. I know it's leaking above it, but that evaporates during the drive, while from the plug down, it doesn't. I can't tell if there is coolant leaking from the waterpump as well. I wipe it clean, start the truck, and I can see coolant coming up around between the pump and block, but that could be trapped coolant that is coming up between the two due to the engine vibration.

On top of this, I wiped the area down last night, and when I went for a drive and came home, checked again, and it seems like I have a oily film that was sitting of the housing of the water pump? Not much, but not green like coolant. Could I be getting some oil to come out from the head as well where it is leaking coolant? Is there a oil gallery there? (Passenger from)

No oil in coolant, no coolant in oil either (just did oil change sunday)  

The gear case is wet with both oil and coolant below the water pump, and seems I'm leaking a little oil on from the gear case  next to where the fan bolts to the block...

I went through some of the bolts on the gear case and found a least one that was very loose, so maybe that's contributes to some of my oil leaking issues

Well I'm hoping som RTV will be enough for now. I dont really have the time or place to tear the whole front of the motor down, nor the confidence really, especially pulling the cam out. And being without my truck isn't an option either atm. But if it doesn't work, only one choice left...

 

Plus a head gasket leak that will have to be addressed sooner or later....

 

But I saw from others who were leaking from. The same place same the same thing about the gasket, it some how gets pulled inwards and then they develop a leak. 

I think if you clean it really good with carb cleaner and blow it dry then get some of that rtv in the gap as far as you can, it should be good. It may last for years who knows. I had rtv in my head stud for 7 years to keep oil from coming out, finally changed the Head gasket few years back when it started dumping oil out. 

I sealed the outside of mine with the gray stuff and it has held just fine. Get it clean and oil free and it should work fine. Oil free is a must for the silicone to stick.

Would the ultra black rtv work just as good? Or just the ultra grey?

I am not sure what the difference between the 2 are.  But I would think most any good sealant would work.

Edited July 16, 20213 yr by dripley

I would use the ultra gray.  I've made an oil pan gasket for a Mitsubishi truck with the gray.  The owner sold the truck 5 years after I rebuilt the engine and it didn't leak a drop.  Do like dripley said and GET IT CLEAN ; the sealant will no stick to metal contaminated with oil.  Clean with mineral spirits then spray with brake cleaner.

Ultra black is a good sealant that I use as a thin coating on certain gaskets.

10 hours ago, Alexio Auditore said:

Would the ultra black rtv work just as good? Or just the ultra grey?

I've had good luck with both

7 hours ago, IBMobile said:

Clean with mineral spirits then spray with brake cleaner.

 

Hoping to learn, why this particular combo?

Does it have to do with the different formulas of brake cleaner? (acetone, chlorinated, non-chlorinated)

9 hours ago, IBMobile said:

Clean with mineral spirits then spray with brake cleaner.

 

2 hours ago, Silverwolf2691 said:

Hoping to learn, why this particular combo?

 

Mineral Spirits will remove most of the heavy oils. Then the brake clean will remove the last of the oily residue and dry quickly and be ready for silicone and will now bond with the metals. Brake clean is about the only solvent that will dry without leaving any oil residue. 

37 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Brake clean is about the only solvent that will dry without leaving any oil residue. 

 

Well consumer level... at work we have ultrasonic cleaners filled with a solvent called 3m-hfe-72de (I think) that will leave a part dry dry once the fluid evaporates. I think you are supposed to vapor degrease with it but we end up dunking the parts for the ultrasonic treatment. Works better than brake clean. But don't put plastic near it, it will try to pull the oil out of the plastic. Would love some for home but it evaporates faster than acetone, and costs $5000/55gal drum.. Oh and it pulls all the oil out of your skin and nails if you get some on you.

 

We need it so strong because we test valves on a couple different fluids then offset the pressures and flows for the customers application/fluid. Some fluids don't like others. Think dexcool and green coolant, but with hydraulic systems.  

2 minutes ago, Silverwolf2691 said:

Oh and it pulls all the oil out of your skin and nails if you get some on you.

 

So does carburetor cleaner, brake cleaner, acetone, MEK, you name it. It will dry your skin and nails out. One of the leading causes of cracked nails and super dry skin. 

1 hour ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Mineral Spirits will remove most of the heavy oils. Then the brake clean will remove the last of the oily residue and dry quickly and be ready for silicone and will now bond with the metals. Brake clean is about the only solvent that will dry without leaving any oil residue.

What he said.

 

3 hours ago, Silverwolf2691 said:

Does it have to do with the different formulas of brake cleaner? (acetone, chlorinated, non-chlorinated)

The only legal spray brake cleaner in California is non-chlorinated.

So I got to sealing it this weekend, and so far, it is holding. Crazy how much oil was sputtering out of there, enough to leave  decent size spots on the ground. If it starts leaking again, I'll take the water pump and fan off to get at it better, because those things were a hassle to get around. 

 

Does the fan come off easily by just removing the 5 bolts that hold the bracket to the block?

3 hours ago, Alexio Auditore said:

 

Does the fan come off easily by just removing the 5 bolts that hold the bracket to the block?

 

Except for the one bolt pretty much under the edge of the fan pulley that i couldnt get any wrench on until i bought one and modified it, yeah thats all it is. If you take the fan and pulley off of the mount, no issues with access.

I removed mine like that once but dont remember much difficulty with it.

Thanks for everyone's help. I'm hoping this will buy me a few years, maybe even more. The head should hopefully be the next big thing to be done.

The only thing I can think of what's happening is timing case bolts may be getting lose, so it may be a good idea to get it all fixed sooner than later. Kdp is bad but any bolt that hold the case on can also work it selves out and do damage, I don't think it's as common but probably happened to someone. No need to be scared right now, I'm sure it'll be fine for a while but if was me I'd get all the parts lined up and do it right. It kinda contradicts what I said earlier about using rtv and be fine for years, just thinking out loud here. Who knows maybe it was just a piece of gasket that blew out and everything else is fine. 

11 hours ago, Dieselfuture said:

The only thing I can think of what's happening is timing case bolts may be getting lose, so it may be a good idea to get it all fixed sooner than later. Kdp is bad but any bolt that hold the case on can also work it selves out and do damage, I don't think it's as common but probably happened to someone.

 

Since my gear case is weeping behind the case and below the VP44. I pull the front cover off and tighten all the bolts I could reach and slowed the weep to near nothing. The only thing it cost was a tube a grey RTV silicone and a front crank seal. Dig in and clean the block and gear case good before starting. Then do a front cover reseal and while open just tight everything up the best you can.