misc problems, knowlage checking

[whyme]

finally got the winch back on my truck and with only minor complications. while i had the tools out i went about checking things over and here is where im at:

the input seal on the winch is leaking kinda bad all of a sudden, wasn't before and i didn't open that side at all. strange but it was sitting on the floor on its side for a week so maybe that had something to do with it. anyway looks like i can do it while its on the truck by removing the PTO drive shaft.

the engine was alarmingly low on oil, i have had an oil drip from the bell housing since i got it and assume its the rear main seal (not ready to get into that, maybe this spring) never been much, teaspoon or so after shutdown. that hasn't changed but i am losing oil somewhere around the injection pump. there seems to be a fitting at the bottom with what looks to be a line coming off to the oil canisters, kinda hope that's it. Are there any known or common areas i should look at? its cramped and hard to tell.

ive also noticed a lot more wetness around the engine compartment and axle near the engine vent tube and im getting smoke from it as well. at night you can see it in front when the headlights are on. seems only when idling but not at start up.

the output seal on the pto has a small drip but that looks easy enough. im of the understanding that the pto is fed off the transmissions fluid, correct? didn't see a fill plug so that's kinda what i figured.

axle seals are ok in the back accept for one, the front boots are leaking what seems to be a combination of gear oil and grease, the axle is a little low on fluid as well so boots and seals.

the strange situation i run into occurred when i removed the fill plugs on the axles, two of them seemed to have a vacuum pressure within. i believe the vents are designed with a check valve to help with contamination but i wanted to be sure. also the gear oil was foamy on top, the oil itself seemed dirty but the viscosity felt ok and didn't show much sign of moister contamination. i had driven the truck about a half hour/ forty five min before so maybe that's why?


search didn't get me the answers i was looking for in all cases and others where just to vague or entirely irrelevant to me. rest assured i did find answers to some other questions. is it just me or is the search kinda fluky lately?


Thank you as always

 

[WillWagner]

If the winch was on the side of the seal, that is most likely the cause of the leak, especially if the winch hasn't been used.

If the rear main leaks, it won't do it sitting sill unless it is a steep angle. The oil level isn't up to the level of the crank. It sits in the sumps of the pan, but that doesn't rule out a rear main, it could be dripping out of the housing just because it is full of oil from a leaking seal while running.

Smoke from the draft tube is normal. There shouldn't be lots of oil running out of it though. A few drops is a normal thing. No pressure, only smoke

PTO is fed lube from the trans.

The FP and drive are lubed from an oil line from the oil rifle to the bottom of the FP drive. These lines get hard, crack and leak. I re did mine in braided SS lines, they scared me!

The vents are just balls in the cups. They are made to vent pressure and keep water out. It's normal to have a bit of vacuum in the diffs, cold when the plugs are removed.

Whew! My fingers are tired!

 

[whyme]

hahaha thank you, fingers crossed that the lines just need replacing. sorry so much at once but i didn't wanna clutter to forum with a bunch of separate posts.

anyone put a catch can on the tube? a lot of tuners and higher performance cars and trucks use them on engine vents and what have you, mind you different application and reasoning but might keep things more tidy.

ill get a few pics to see if its just me or what, the axle is wet below the tube, i don't see it pouring out or anything