lgoodson@pacbell.net

After sitting all night I don't see any sign of an ongoing leak, just some residule oil but I have not started it up yet. I've got to put the starter back in and start it up and see what happens.

Yes. ALso I noticed the is oil running along the head gasket. I am thinking it is coming fro the front somewhere and running back towoard the rear before streming down. I have the starter out now so I can't start it up although the big puddle was while the car was sitting up on jacks and not running. The leak right now seems to be slight. Maybe it is just residule oil after having had the valve cover off for a few weeks. Oil could have migrated down to the head gasket and now is making its way toward the rear. If so, this puddleing should end. I don't know! Thanks for the help

04 Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel, 80 to 100 miles a day. 18 to 19 mpg 75Z in thr garage undergoing some change. It use to be my Daily.

THis leak seems to be coming down from the head at spark plug # 6. Its a thin thread down behind the starter and forms on the widened block flange before moving down and dropping off at the bellhousing lowest point. I have put a new MSA valve cover gasket on it (no gasket sealing material)and I believe the bolts are tight enough but checking the rear I feel a little bit of oil there but can't see a trail down. Can the head leak oil and how do I check for it? The engine is fine and doesn't appear to have a head problem. Thank for any help.

Well this morning I checked the leak and it was there. As I said, I cleaned the area real well. The oil was coming down from under the starter and collection on the wider part of the block that jutts out under the starter.It wasn't coming from along the block horizontally. Definitely coming down from higher up. So I pulled the starter too get a better look. What I saw was a little trailer streaming down the side of the block from Spark plug #6 to that projection that I mentioned. I can see it because of the trail it left. I had just painted the block so I could see it clearly. The streamer was very light though but that has to be where all the oil is coming from. What I can't see is where it is coming from,Valve cover or maybe the head Can you get oil leaks from the head or maybe something at the front of the engine that runs back along the head gasket before runing down behind the starter. I do not know of any problems with the head gasket or the engine. Nothing to suspect.

As I said, I did not replace the 2 side seals and didn't pull the main cap. Should I have ?. Just replace the round main rear seal

Yea, I retightened those Valve cover bolts. The have to be 7 to 10 lbs of torque. Any thoughts on the main seals I talked about?

Comletely dry around the plug. Nothing coming from the front. Just right below the starter dripping from the rear engine plate

That was my point. No oil in the engine and I still have the leak. When I had the trans out, I also had the Valve cover off. I cleaned every thing from the valve cover to the bottom of the engine with rags. Didn't use degreaser as the car was apart and in my garage but I thought I had it pretty clean. Getting oil to the top of the engine is no problem when you fill the crank case. There seems to be some oil around the brand new Valve cover gasket. Just a little glissening. Maybe it is seeping. Anyway I cleaned the bottom of the engine real good tonight and we'll see in the morning. I changed the large rear main seal but I didn't change the two side seals as I was told that no one changes those unless they are tearing down the engine, What do you think? Still the engine has only been started twice now for maybe 45 seconds each time.

I agree, sounds like lifter/tappet noise or somethin else in the valve train. I had a bunch of noise like that and it turned out to be that the rocker guide/lash pad on number 11 had flown off. If the valve adjustment was loose the you could have lost a few of them. Pull the cover and take a look.

Help! I have had a leak for some time now. A first I thought it was the oil pan so I replaced the gasket. Used a lot of Permatex. Didn't want any more leaks. But I still had a leak at the rear of the engine exclusively. So I figured that it must be the rear main so I pulled the trans and flywheel and replace the large "3 inch" rear main seal. The old one came out easily, like it was loose and the knew one went in hard. Tapped it in with a PVC sleeve. I put it all back together and let it sit for a week or so up on jacks. Now at this point there is no oil in the engine or trans. Everything is bone dry inside but on the outside the is still leaking from somewhere. Mind you that I cleaned every thing real well before putting it back together. So I put oil and trans fluid into it and it continued to leak. The car had not yet even been started after reassembly. I was hopping that there was just some residule oil coming down from somewhere but the puddle is to big for that. After sitting for a couple of weeks still up on jacks there is probably 2 or 3 tablespoons on the drip pan. I change the valve cover gasket, no help, still a leaken. What the H___L could be going on. I can't stand oil leaks. Thank for any help, I need it

Where,pray tell, do you get a Weber/TWM Big Throat TB?

Do you have any pictures of a Jim Cook Car? I don't have any idea what that would be so I can't say if I would be interested

Gollum, That was a geat post. A lot of info and in a real consise manner. I wish more were this good, Thanks