Misht have to pull my 1998 12v motor out.

its got a constant dribble like a qrt and hour from the driverside of the timing cover, originally someone, possibly Diamler Chrysler in Spokane since thats where the truck was always serviced squirted and smeared silicone in the leaking area and minimized it. the leak is from the back side of the timing cover between the block and the cover at the bottom corner. It looks like when the KDP got loose that the gasket between the timing cover and the block may have wiggled loose some, that or there has always been a casting flaw but i wont know till i can get that cover off and look(BTW it didnt fall out we tabbed it this weekend and hoped that in the process we would find the leak and be able to fix it.)

Anyone who has had a leak like this or in this area your experiences are welcome




Also everything else around it is dry, so its not the O-ring on the PS pump and its not leaking from anywhere higher like the injection pump or anything like that. its right where the driverside of the cover angle up and away from the block at the bottom.

Anyways to do it, im gonna have to pull the cam, since i dont have the ammenities to pull the gear. And i refuse to pay Imler diesel or anyone else 22-24 hours to pull my engine, and flip it over, and just pull the cam and timing cover to fix that gasket. thats alot of money when i can do the labor

Since i have to pull the cam im almost thinking that i might as well pull the engine, possibly and reseal her, potentially even install a set of marine bowl pistons and a few new bearings on the bottom end. any thoughts or insights here, the leak is bad enough that i cant drive the truck so she is just going to sit all summer till i get to deal with it.

 

It is a shame about the silicone, that will require removal of the front gear case to get it cleaned out, and a new gasket installed. If there was no silicone, this leak can almost always be fixed by just tightening the case to block bolts when you are in there to stake the pin holes.

I would not consider the new pistons or a bearing job unless there is evidence of wear, as you just begin the journey on bench timing the lead in the pump, injector height, and engine timing when you swap pistons.

 

Words of wisdom, you are probably right i am over thinking this one, getting overly ambitious, i have a tendancy to do that.

i appreciated the response in the other thread. i tried to split the two up as they are two seperate but interelated when it comes to thinking about power mods.



i did try tightening the bolts, but i will wrestle the cover back off tonight and give her another go.

 

Loosening the case bolts and squirting in some silicone in-between the case and block is a popular dealer trick, especially if the truck is under warranty.
Friend of mine went back three times before the dealer finally did it right and pulled the case entirely.
You can do it without pulling engine if you want.
Instructions http://www.flex.net/~triplem/new/dowelpin.htm

 

I think i have asked you before where in montana are you at?

I lived the last 7 in missoula, just moved to california last year. Thanks for the link im going to think long and hard on that. sure looks like a viable option