Hi everyone,

My 84 300SD is now leaking diesel fuel from right above the oil pan on the passenger side. The fuel leaks out of what appears to be a bolt joining the top half of the oil pan to lower half of the crankcase. The fuel drips down onto the oil pan and then drips off onto now newspaper I put there. It's a pretty steady drip.

See the attached pictures. On the left of the picture you see the engine mount. On the bottom is the top of the oil pan. You should easily see that bolt/nut and the fuel collecting on the end. I shined a flashlight up there, so that's also what you see.

Any ideas? Is this something I can fix or leave to my mechanic?

Thanks in advance.

Bud

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Hummmm...I dont know of any fuel lines on the passenger side. Non on my 240Ds anyway. I would clean the engine real good and see if that helps to track it down.

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

I would look at all the injectors and lines between them really good for a leak, maybe it's managing to run around the engine somehow to get over there. I don't think that there are any fuel lines over there so cleaning and tracing it back to it's source is your best bet.

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1985 300D Turbo ~225k
2000 F350 (Powerstroke) 4X4, SWB, CC, SRW, 6spd ~148k
1999 International 4900, DT466e (250hp/660 ft/lbs), Allison MD3060 ~73k

They make a fuel additive that will glow under the presence of ultraviolet light. You can use this to find leak.

Here is what I found at JC Whitney after doing a google search.

__________________
"Know other lessons I need to learn? TELL me. Tired of learning'em the hard way".

Glow Plug Wait: [i} Time of silence in homage Rudolph Diesel. Longer you own a diesel. more honor you give". [/i]

Life; SNAFU Situation Normal All Fouled Up, & FUBAR: Fouled Up Beyond All Repair

-Now: Snafued Jeep TJ w/OM617 2Be daily driver & building SS M1079 w/Ambo boxed /live in Adv. Truck, Diesel KLR conversion
-Sold 62 UNIMOG Camper w/617 Turbo, 85 300SD

Maybe add a quart of red ATF to help you see the leak. Caould maybe also feed out of a temporary tank of red dyed (not highway taxed) fuel to see a better leak trail.

Good luck.

__________________
"Know other lessons I need to learn? TELL me. Tired of learning'em the hard way".

Glow Plug Wait: [i} Time of silence in homage Rudolph Diesel. Longer you own a diesel. more honor you give". [/i]

Life; SNAFU Situation Normal All Fouled Up, & FUBAR: Fouled Up Beyond All Repair

-Now: Snafued Jeep TJ w/OM617 2Be daily driver & building SS M1079 w/Ambo boxed /live in Adv. Truck, Diesel KLR conversion
-Sold 62 UNIMOG Camper w/617 Turbo, 85 300SD

Your fuel filter assembly is leaking. Fuel runs down the block and around the pan, I suppose.

There is no other source of fuel anywhere, the actual leak must be on the driver's side.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Peter--that's exactly what I thought, but checked both the fuel filter and prefilter--both basically dry.

It looked as if the diesel was coming from one of those bolts, but that makes no sense.

I will REALLY check all 5 injectors and lines to them as well as the bypass/return line.

Will also inspect the fuel filter again very well.

Maybe this is out of the question, but are you sure it's diesel? I've see cars with crankcases full of coolant from bad head leaks. Is it leaking all the time, or just when it's running? Shouldn't leak when it's not running, not for long anyway. Good luck!

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Ash Peltier - tools, truck, tales
---------510-331-4118-----------
1982 240D - (272,000)
1998 Honda VTR1000F(RT) Superhawk Freeway (58,000) "Madrid"
1996 Toyota T100 4x4 (84,000) "Mary Kay"

I first thought it was a coolant leak. But it has the unmistakable diesel smell and is oily to the touch. Coolant wouldn't be oily, right? Besides, quite a bit has come out over the last 72 hours or so and until I discovered the problem, the car ran cool as always..