12.7 series 60 head gasket oil leak

Discussion in 'Heavy Duty Diesel Truck Mechanics Forum' started by bruce25, Jul 31, 2017.

  1. bruce25

    bruce25 Light Load Member

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    My head gasket has developed a leak up front on both sides and it has been like that for 2 years. Last week my turbo failed got a new one BW 171701 and a new ECM with 500hp program from stock 430hp. And yesterday my head gasket gave out and about half a gallon of oil came out all over the engine on the driver side. Is it possible for just oil to blow threw head gasket or does this scream bigger problems? What could cause this ?
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2017
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  3. GrapeApe

    GrapeApe Road Train Member

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    Oil is fed through head gasket to the front and rear cam caps, so it is very possible. The head needs to come off, that's the only way you can see for sure what other problems you may have. If it's coming from the driver side front or rear, I wouldn't be too worried yet, it could just be the gasket blew at one of the oil passages. A bad scenario is oil got into a cylinder and the hydraulic pressure blew the head gasket.
     
    Heavyd Thanks this.
  4. bruce25

    bruce25 Light Load Member

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    Truck is in the shop they steam cleaned the engine and had the truck run for sometime. They can't replicate the head gasket they said it looked like it came from above head. They said that cam seals are leaking and needs replacing now could cam seals blow so much oil all over the block like that? What i thought was a head gasket leaking from front head corners turns out was cam seals
     
  5. Heavyd

    Heavyd Road Train Member

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    Oil can track in all sorts of weird directions. I would blame cam seals before a head gasket any day.
     
  6. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    There's a lot of oil that collects on top of the head and drains back to the sump from lubricating the top end. I would say it is quite possible. I have seen valve cover gaskets fail and leak oil out quite badly.
     
  7. bruce25

    bruce25 Light Load Member

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    I replaced valve cover seal last year it seems good. It was weird to me that there ware oil on top of intake manifold and little bit on the bottom of valve cover from a headgasket leak . These cam seals started leaking 3 years ago and as time went it got worse and worse where it would leak down to oil pan from both side of the engine in just few days. Will see what they say tomorrow will
    keep an update
     
  8. Fast Track Mechanic

    Fast Track Mechanic Bobtail Member

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    Could also be leaking from the inner timing cover
     
    GrapeApe Thanks this.
  9. GrapeApe

    GrapeApe Road Train Member

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    Very possible, there is an o-ring in there where oil feeds the bull gear, but that leak generally shows on both sides, not just the drivers side.
     
    SAR Thanks this.
  10. bruce25

    bruce25 Light Load Member

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    Quick update and i need some opinions on this. Headgasket isn't leaking they took the truck for a test drive over some mountains and all he could see was little bit of oil out of intake manifold. He thinks that it was do to my old turbo leaking oil but my old turbo only leaked oil out of the back side i checked. My though was could it be that my air compressor is failing as i know it has air line coming from compressor to manifold what do you guys think?
     
  11. Fast Track Mechanic

    Fast Track Mechanic Bobtail Member

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    What exactly do you/ the mechanic mean by a little bit of oil out the intake manifold. Out the manifold where the gasket seals? Or out the manifold where the boost hose connects to it? Or did he take the boost hose off and look inside the manifold and see oil?
     
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