Oil Leak Question...

[eujamfh]

I have an RV that is on top of a 2002 F550 chasis with a powerstroke powerplant. I just had the oil changed, and have noticed there appears to be asmall leak from the "pan" just aft of the actual oil pan. What is this black tray and where would be the best place to start looking for the leak? It may have been leaking before the oil change...I am not 100% certain.

It is not coming from the oil pan drain plug - that is clean and dry...it is just aft of the pan...any thought?
Cheers,
Matt

[carlopro]

Hey... Just behind the engine oil pan and before the transmission is an inspection plate. This comes down to take out the torque converter nuts if you have to pull the trans. On the bottom of the cover, there is a weep hole. Any oil leak at the top of the motor eventually leaks through the intake valley, down the back of the engine, and through that weep hole. Also, a rear main seal would leak through that hole, but rear main leaks are really uncommon on the 7.3L. I'd take a look up top, around the high pressure oil pump, the two lines that come off of it, and around the charge air cooler pipes. Those are pretty common leak points. Also check around the base of the turbo. If you remove the small cover in front of the fuel filter housing and take a look with a flashlight, you can usually get a pretty good look at what is leaking.

[jwiger]

Originally Posted by eujamfh

..I just had the oil changed, and have noticed there appears to be asmall leak from the "pan" just aft of the actual oil pan...

Originally Posted by carlopro

..Any oil leak at the top of the motor eventually leaks through the intake valley, down the back of the engine, and through that weep hole...

just putting two and two together -- I wonder if the knuckle heads just spilt oil into the lifter valley whn they were adding it.

Eujamfh, did you do the oil change your self? BTW welcome to tyhe site! i hope we help you get this fixed.

[eujamfh]

No I had Ford change it...don't have an area to do the work wher I am living. I was wonding if they spilled and that was what I was seeing...and I am thinking back and believe it was there before this oil change. That said, the first oil change was at Camping world...5k ago, and they certainly are not the best as I found out.....when I bought the unit, six months agop there was no leak...then, I had the oil changed at CW. I noticed a few drops on the spot I park, but I thought it was from the 1994 car I park in the space when we have the RV out...well, after looking that car over, I could not find a leak...so I figured it was a fluke. Then, this time I had the RV, I noticed a quarter size drop under the RV...and there was some reside on that cover and a drop forming at the weep hole as you mentioned above. I wiped it clean, and just drove it 30 miles...and there was no drop, but when I touched the weep hole, I got a little, little bit of oil on my finger. I looked topside but could not see the leak.

It is parked for now, I will check it in a week when I take it out and see if there is more oil accumulated at the weep hole/on the ground. I am hoping that it was simple a sill from one of the oil changes and it will not amount to much...if I find more oil underneath...I will have to bring it back in.
Thanks again,
Matt