I've been looking at the service guides, trying to explain away an oil leak.

This week has been single digit nights, monte sat for 4 days.
Drove 20 miles no problem,
Drove 30 miles to work and back yesterday, drove to and almost home today. on the way the oil light started to flicker.
I didn't think mutch of it because when I ran too thin oil a few years back, it did that.
Today was in 4x4 in snow for hat 30 miles.
first long 4x4 run in a long time. it's been in and out for a few 100' at a time in the last few weeks.
Got to my Dads, went to go get lunch, got out on the way to look at a car (in the snow) and my engine was ratling like crazy, no oil light... Ooops than an oil light. Shut down, check the stick, no oil... oil is all on my skid plates.
Run back to Dads, try to look, added 5q, ran it.. saw some spits near the power steering pump and the main pulley.
It's 23 degrees, 2pm when it happened, I can't wrench it myself so I check the oil, 1qt high and drive 4 miles to my dads buddy's garage, I lost 3 qt on the way.

Could this be a loose something on the oil pump? Donno, it's in the garage thawing, I'll go see at 08:30 tomorrow.

WOrst of all... I started a new job... after 7 months of being unemployed and 2500 miles away from my kids YESTERDAY.

Anyone? (Frank) gonna tell me it's nothing and no wories? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/barf.gif" alt="" />

Hang in there Joe. I lost an oil sender and most oil once...the engine lived.
Is it a high pressure spit???
Check :
Oil sender, plastic could crack.
oil cooler hoses?(doubt that really)
is oil filter tight?
gasket between filter adapter and oil pump.
gasket between oil pump and block.
Main crank seal popped out or cracked.

Whatever it is, you're going to have to find it or quit driving the truck.

Fill it with oil, crank it and watch for where it's leaking. It could be as simple as a ruptured oil filter or broken oil sender - or as messy as a rusted oil pan or a completely blown main seal or even a blown head gasket.

The cam seals in front are a possibility as are the plug seals at the rear of the heads. There are two pipe plugs in the oil gallery at the front and rear of the engine, but they aren't likely culprits. There's also a pipe plug on the driver side under the A/C compressor that plugs the oil gallery.

Check the area in front of the engine, on both sides and underneath. Pay particular attention to the joint between the rear of the engine and the transmission bellhousing. Look around the dipstick where it goes into the block. Once you find out the general area, you can home in on the source of the leak.

Frank

been here, done this... check your oil cooler lines. those pressure fittings go bad over time and they even work loose. i replaced my cooler lines a few years back, when they went bad the pressure could force several quarts out in a matter of a run to the grocery store.

I learned the best way to find oil leaks was advice from FastEddy. Coat the area with babypowder, start the engine and check for new wetspots in the powder. Also, removing skidplates would help you in your search.

My guess,front crank seal.My first gen1 3.0 blew two seals a few years back.First one was while running 15-40 oil with temparature at -15f.A year later wife ran the kids to school at -22f with 5-30 conventional oil lost 3qts in two miles.Front seal is on oil pump,small seal suseptable to blowing with thick oil.Installed second seal on that Monty with indian head sealant on outer surface and ran semi synthetic oil especially in winter never failed again.My LWB I drive now i've done the same with new seal and run 5-40 Shaeffers synthetic in the winter.6000 miles since October only down 1/2 qrt pretty good for 183k.

Well, Dad and I took it over to a local side-job mechanic he used to brawl with. He said the same things, I'm hoping it's a cam seal, that would kindof make sence but won't see anything until the thing is half stripped down ayway. It only just hapened so it hasn't gone far, just a sucky time for this to hit the fan. Like I said to him.. it's not that it's an old truck, considering the rear end on his truck locked up with less than 10k on it... or that I could have been hit and rolled Eeeh... I need a beer LOL.

Good luck, and let us know what it turned out to be. I've had the passenger side cam seal leak the most on my old '92, with the oil cooler lines, the oil pressure switch, and a hard/old front crank seal coming in behind the cam seal for a close second. Any of them can make a mess, but with the cam seals behind the timing belt covers, most of the mess is contained a bit as the oil leaks downward and out of the covers at the bottom.
Oil cooler hoses were the sneakiest, didn't leak all the time, and with enough air blowing around the engine while driving, left oil residue kind of all over at the lower passenger side of the engine until I finally got around to fixing it. Never had a gusher of a leak yet on the old engine, but my rear cam cover seals will now need to be replaced this year before they make it to that category. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

Joe, a heads up,, I had the cam seal pressed in 'too far' on the divers side. The inner seal lip might slide beyond the sealing surface on the camshaft. It looks like the same thing is possible on the passenger side cam seal. Also look for wear marks. Mine has lines cut in the camshafts pretty bad. Another reason not to place them exactly in the same spot. I'm talking difference in distance by a hair. Even better , if yours are similar shape, there's a camshaft repair sleve avaiable.
Of coarse as, I'm sure somebody will point out clearer than I can explain , it's risky cause the seal could pop out.