Hi, my van is a 08, 1500, 4.3 with about 218K, I’m developing a small engine oil leak that makes it way to the front right corner of the trans, and drips from there. A mechanic friend recommended and put the engine oil dye in the crankcase. Drive the truck for a couple hundred miles, then using a black light apparently the origin oil the leak can be found. Hope this works, has anyone here used that method for finding leaks? I won’t be in that mileage range for about 2 or 3 weeks. I’ve had a trans shop check the transmission, they said the leak is not transmission oil, and I have changed the valve cover gaskets. When changing the VC gaskets I did see some wetness at the back of the intake manifold, but with the fan shroud up front, cannot see the front of the intake manifold at all. I have a feeling it will be the intake manifold gaskets, question is, what should be done to the fuel induction system, with the manifold off the engine?

 

With a CH-47 oil leaks shouldn't be a surprise. I've not heard of dyed oil, so I don't know. If the leak is suffecient to cause you a concern, it should be visible just looking underneath it. I guess the best is to determine that it is engine oil, sniff test will tell you if it is transmission or engine oil.

 

Ha Ha, 10-4 on the Chinook, lots of hydraulic oil, (and transmission oil for the forward, combining, engines, and aft transmissions) luckily mine was fairly tight. I think the oil is being pushed to the rear of the motor. There's just a lot of stuff, mainly the upper and lower fan shrouds to get an eyeball on the front of the motor. The mechanic said he has a camera to snake in there with the black light.

 

dye works well but you will need uv glasses and black light.

oil leaks will flow down and back...so find the highest most forward point of the leak and its probably the point of origin. If everything is oil covered making it to hard to tell the source...wash everything off and test drive again.