LanceD

I have an oil leak on the front of my engine around the A/C compressor and alternator. a search tells me its probably the seal on the front cover. I have a few questions on fixing it.

where do I buy the seal?

what causes the leak?

what else should I do when the front end is all apart?

any special tools needed?

Valv

These are all the symptoms of KDP !!! Get a kit from TST and go for it, they also have instructions on their web site.

Scramblinman

If the KDP has indeed struck, it's a little late for the TST kit.

You need to first identify the source of the leak. Unfortunately, the area described is typically where the timing gear housing gets fractured when the dowel pins comes loose.

Do a search on KDP and look for images showing where the damage occurs and how to look for it.

Hopefully this is not the cause of your leak, but based on the description, it sounds the most plausible.

Other sources might be a failed timing case cover gasket, crank seal, valve cover gasket, or the timing gear case itself having come loose from the block.

Valv

TST kit has the fix and the seal, you will need to open the cover then replace seal, if it's cracked after fixing it you still have to find the pin and add the fix.

Get a kit before opening, you'll be ready for it.

LanceD

its not my KDP, my kdp has been fixed for a long time. what else could cause it? I was thinking too much crankcase pressure pushing out the seal?

JKM

If you have excess base pressure it will also push the dipstick out , so keep an eye on that, that area could be a number of things , the aforementioned timing case fracture, then there is a timing case gasket , cover gasket , and crank seal, I could also see the oil cooler leaking possibly migrate oil into that area , leaking valve covers (the front one) can make a mess as well.

Get down in there with a light and a mirror if needed , and track down the source of the leak , if you can't find it , clean it all off really well, and then run the truck for a few minutes , go for a short drive , whatever makes it leak , and find the source of the leak.

arroyojim

JKM- what do you mean by "excess base pressure"?
thanks

Rare1

As has been reported several times in this forum, tightening the cover screws will sometimes stop a leak.