Ugh... Time to get icky!

[black roadster]

My truck has a pretty good oil leak. The previous owner (my brother) never cleaned the engine or was very meticulous about maintinance and it has 170k on it. The price was right though.

I cleaned the top with engine cleaner but today, I get to jack the bad boy up, break out the Simple Green, and start scrubbing so as I can find the leak on the bottom end.

Any advice?

[David Crisford]

I've always used a car wash for cleaning the engine bay and underneath. You may have to sit there a while to let the exhaust and such cool down a little but the engine cleaner works pretty good.
Take a big baggie and some rubber bands to cover the distributor, alternator.....and wear the crappiest clothes you have, goggles if you got em!
Plastic sheet for the seat for the drive home.
If you don't get all wet it won't be clean!!

David

[onething]

Car wash

I took my ramps and drove the van up on them to get a better angle and more room. It was also a good time to buy a flip up face shield and I wore an old rain suit I had.

[POS Racing]

Car wash

I took my ramps and drove the van up on them to get a better angle and more room. It was also a good time to buy a flip up face shield and I wore an old rain suit I had.

Yep I too have done the onething method!

I now have my own pressure washer, and I'm not afraid to use it!

[black roadster]

Well I found the culprit or culprits I hope!

The oil drain plug was loose.

The other culprit appears to be the rear of the valve cover gasket. Got a new one from O'Reilly. Cleaning up the gasket mating surfaces and will reinstall in the morning.

I know I was leaking in two known spots. The whole bottom of the motor was gunky. The bottom of the Power Steering pump was wet as well. I suspect a leaky front crank seal also but hopefully that can wait. The loose drain plug and the VC seem to be the most active. I guess that's what you get after 170k miles.

Intersting note: The 2.4 4cyl Nissan motor in my truck, same as in the 240SX IIRC, has a timing chain, not a timing belt. Any idea on when that needs to be changed and how to do it?

[channelmaniac]

Dunno about the Nissan chain, but on the old V8s we'd change them when they'd stretch and make noise... or when we found plastic pieces in the oil - DOH! Those nasty OEM nylon toothed gears were a PITA.
You can always remove the cover and check for play in the chain.

RJ