Big oil leak at start - then fine.

[mandodave]

This has only happened maybe 5 times over the past couple months. After starting the bus cold a bunch of oil will barf out and drip off the end of the oil filter.

This is on a 2L -- My question is-- it possible the the Oil Pressure Relief Valve is stuck and creates too much pressure and forces the oil out -- After the that the oil warms up a little and flows fine. Again this has only happened intermittently and only when cold -- otherwise it does not leak nor have excess oil usage.

I have not yet determined where the leak is coming from - when the "barfing" occurs i have not been able to find a source


Thanks
David

[SGKent]

yes or you have too thick an oil. Is your oil pump stock?
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[mandodave]

Yes, stock Oil Pump.

I picked up a new piston and spring. Are there any obvious ways to see that it was sticking? Other than replacing it and not having the problem anymore?

[busdaddy]

Sometimes the wear pattern on the sides of the plunger can tell a story, or if it's hard to remove that's a fairly definitive sign.


What weight oil are you using?
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[mandodave]

Thanks.

20 .50 right now. prior was Mobil 1 5- 30 - Had the leak with both

[SGKent]

just be aware that some plungers are slotted and some are not. You need the kind for that engine, and where it goes in the engine.

The filter type should have a bypass in it if the pressure across the filter is too high which it can be when the oil is cold. There is also a bypass in the filter mount but it is too small if the filter lacks a high pressure bypass. Essentially when oil is too thick to get past the filter element - rather than rupture it or swell the can, the bypass in the oil filter opens.
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[mandodave]

Thank you all for your responses. I will report back when 8 replace it.

[busdaddy]

Another thing to look at is the sealing surface where the filter mounts, sometimes the old gasket (flat o ring) comes out of the filter and sticks to the base, that's one place where two stacked on top of each other isn't good.
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[Amskeptic]

[aeromech]

I wouldn’t just buy a plunger and spring to install without measuring to make sure that the plunger and bore have the right “fit”
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[Wildthings]

I would suspect a failed oil pressure switch, it could blow apart at any moment.

[mandodave]

It ended up being the oil cooler seals. Thank you all

[74 Thing]

Do you have photos of the seals? Were they torn or just hard and leaking?

[mandodave]

It was not cracked at all. Pretty stiff - Misshapen and a collection of goop in it. The other was just more stiff than I expected

[Wildthings]

Looks like someone didn't get it installed correctly. Not a good place to use any kind of goop.

Wonder if someone tried to reuse an old seal and used goop to try to get it to seal again?

[orwell84]

Nice to find a smoking gun like that anytime you have an oil leak...

[mandodave]

Yep. Nothing worse than thinking you found the leak.