After our 1300 mile round trip to Palmetto Cove, we think we developed a leaking rear main seal. Its dripping slightly out of the hole on the bottom of the bell housing. I haven't started the engine and watched the drip, only noticed it after it sat and not running! Is there a cure other than removal of engine/trans or could it be the result of a possible over fill of oil? There was no oil on back of bus or on nose of trailer that was pulled. The oil level after 600 miles was only a quart low and the bus ran with 55 lbs of oil pressure at 68-70 mph and 18 lbs at idle. There was never any smoke of any kind during the whole trip other than the usual start up belch!
No other cure for the rear main Ace that happens to a 8v92 when they sit and are not used much,try driving it more sometimes they will stop on the own.
good luck
DON't pull your engine to discover that oil was entering the bell from on top and was running down the back side of the engine and out the weep hole. Don't ask me how I know that.
John
Ace as said by Clifford and John both don't jump in with both feet yet!
Didn't you recently have an oil leak up top somewhere? I have seen the oil leaking from the little tube going from the blower snout to the Alt. make people think it was coming out of the bell housing hole before too! It sometimes runs down from the top unseen and drips at the bottom and is quite deceiving!
I'd have John's top guy look it over carefully!
Also as Clifford said sometimes just running it more will "soak" it to where it "swells" back up and seals again.
Good luck and keep us posted! ;)
;D BK ;D
? Wouldn't it have swelled during Ace's 1300 mi. trip? Just curious ??? Also, Ace didn't you mention in the other thread that DD was running a little hotter than usual? Oil maybe thinned out whilst hot? hope it gets sorted. Boy these are like a,who what dunnit mystery novel ;)
Increased pressure in your system can make a difference in the amount of oil leaking from the seal. If, for instance, you added an oil catcher tank with limited venting, that could cause more leakage.
Ed Roelle
Flint, MI
Ace,
There's a really good bus maintenance and repair place in downtown Lakeland. I know them personally and have had work done there. Call me and i'll give you the info.
Actually, with all the money you invested last year, now a radiator, an oil leak on a rear main seal...
Maybe you need a less active driver. Give Susan a shot at it. She probably won't peel out at the lights. ;D ;D
The oil leak is not really a bad leak! After the bus sat with engine NOT running for about 30 minutes, there was a spot on the driveway about 6-8 inches in diameter. I moved the bus, turned it around and shut it down again in it's parking place. I went underneath as far as possible to research where it may have been coming from and it was then I saw it drip, again with engine NOT running, and I waited for the next drip and the next. Each drip took about 30-45 seconds so yes, it's oil but not a lot! After about 30 or so minutes, the oil spot was again about 6-8 inches in diameter. It is coming from the weep hole at the bottom of the bell housing. After about 1 hour, the drip stopped!
The oil leak that was found before the trip was cleaned up and it never returned! Don't know exactly where it was coming from but after pressure washing the engine, I constantly checked for a leak and none was found until I got home! It could be the same culprit only running down a different way since all crud was washed off!
After the long trip, the 8v92 consumed only 2-3 quarts of 40 wt round trip so I don't think the oil leak is a bad one, at this time anyway!
Ace, have you checked the transmission level
good luck
yes the trans fluid level is a-ok!