My 300d is leaking too much oil

[123mike]

I have an 83 turbo engine. The turbo oil return seal is shot . I Gunked it and alcholed it and filled it is with gasket glue. It is not leaking any more. My bottom oil pan is soaked with oil. Is there something above leaking or is it the lower seal. I ask this because I have a damper mount that prevents me from dropping oil pan. Maybe I can saw off. Advice? Thanks Mike

It's a 1980 chassis with 1983 engine

[Diesel911]

All personal opinions.

I can't remember any damper that keeps the lower steel oil pan from coming off. Not that I am saying you need to remove the steel pan.

There is the turbo drain with the bottom grommet and O-ring that can lea bad. There is also a 1/4-inch tubing that runs from the Beather/oil Seperator in the air filter housing and ends up between the block and turbo drain.

Both ends of that have to be over their nipples and the O-rings need to be good.

Somewhere mid-way is a clamp that bolts onto the metal bracing under the turbocharger. It is held one of 2 ways. One is a Sheetmetal clamp with a rubber sleeve and the other way is a piece of steel welded to the tubing.

On the one when the rubber sleeve disappears the clamp rubs a hole in the tube. On the other one the welded area can crack. Either case can cause an oil leak.

The tubing from the transmission to the radiator uses similar Sheetmetal clamps with a rubber tube and the rubber on those can disappear and rub a hole into the transmission tubing also leaking oil.

The steel oil pan gasket can also leak.

The valve cover gasket can cause a leak and the oil can rundown.

Best to degrease the engine and find where the leak is.

[123mike]

In the picture, the damper mount is almost pressing the oil pan. Months ago , I spent hours getting the turbo oil drain tube off. Only to fail at getting the bottom half of the seal out. I just loaded the top side around the drain tube with gasket maker. I'm feeling more keen on sawzawing that damper bracket away. I'll give it a good Gunk spray. Mike

[jagboy69]

I've seen that clamp chaff through that metal pipe. It's known as an adel clamp and are available on amazon or fleabay. Search adel clamp and you'll see lots of options. You can get them vinyl wrapped and in about 10 different flavors of rubber depending on application. The black works pretty good for oily crap.

fwiw, I've never solved any problem with gasket goop. Find the problem, do it right, use correct parts and you won't be back in there for another 20years.

[Diesel911]

Originally Posted by 123mike

In the picture, the damper mount is almost pressing the oil pan. Months ago , I spent hours getting the turbo oil drain tube off. Only to fail at getting the bottom half of the seal out. I just loaded the top side around the drain tube with gasket maker. I'm feeling more keen on sawzawing that damper bracket away. I'll give it a good Gunk spray. Mike

If by damper you are meaning the motor mounts maybe your motor mounts are collapsed, and you need new ones.

If you are fooling around with a rotted-out grommet pieces of it will likely fall into the oil pan and you would need to get that out.

I remember putting the lower turbo drain tube and grommet in with the pan off from below. However, it was so long ago I cannot do any step-by-step description.
What I can remember is I had the grommet on the skinny part of the tubing I stuck the tube in from the top working the grommet in place but when it cam time to push the larger end of the tube with the O-ring up into the grommet I did that from below and used a socket to push it up from below. Everything was lubed with STP.

[Skid Row Joe]

You've got to start with a cleaned engine to deduce where it's leaking oil from.

[123mike]

Update. It turns out that the leak was fuel from the 3/8 inch fuel return. I'm not sure what the correct size is. 3/8 is a little too big. It's not all dry and cracked so it's working ok.

[jagboy69]

Try 5/16" hose. That's what I find fits the best on this metric stuff.

[Junkman]

Originally Posted by jagboy69

Try 5/16" hose. That's what I find fits the best on this metric stuff.

and NAPA has 1/8" line that works better than OE for the small return lines from the injectors.

[123mike]

Update. Changed oil pan gasket today. Maybe it will slow the pollution. So much oil all over under side I can't pin point leak

[Alec300SD]

Apply ZEP Heavy-Duty Citrus Degreaser full strength (with a manual pump garden sprayer) to your engine.
Both are available at your local Home Depot.
Try to avoid electrical connectios
Rinse with a gentle stream of water from the garden hose.

May take a couple of applications, but it will safely remove accumulated oily grunge.

[123mike]

Update. Still dripping. Pulled off the air filter.looked around. Maybe the air cleaner oil drain is leaking behind the turbo oil drain..
Smathered the fitting with form a gasket rtv. Maybe it will reduce the oil slick. Would blow by pressure be an issue?

[qualified-merc]

I have had two 1984 300D turbos....both oil leakers. I spent about $1,000 with various repair shops to get the oil leaks fixed on one of the cars.....it still leaked oil although there was a dramatically reduction.


Kent over at you know where .com has quite a few videos on how to repair the various oil leaks on OM617 diesel engines. I do not like a leaky engine, never have and never will. Plus, Kent says an engine that leaks considerable oil is not a good thing. I agree.


It takes patience to repair these oil leaks but I believe it is worth the time and trouble to make the repairs.

[123mike]

I think we made progress. DIESEL911 mentioned the air cleaner oil return behind the turbo oil oil drain. I gooped it with gasket maker and my leak is just one drop now . 90% reduction. I guess the o ring in there is bad. Some day I'll figure out how to pull that drain pipe and fix it. Thanks everyone. MIKE