Weird noise and oil drip...o my!

[Migmeister]

Hey all, as you all have done- I have spent hours reading posts hoping that one will carry the golden nugget I am looking for!
I have developed two things that concern me very much- a louder engine rattle- kinda 'sharper' rattle that comes and goes with varying degrees of throttle. With that comes a oil drip that is probably a drip ever couple seconds when engine is warm. My van is a L400 and I ended up removing the pans and used engine degreaser and a pressure washer to get is as clean as possible. Once the engine was fairly dry, I started the ole girl up and had a look underneath. It was dripping below the main pulley (crankshaft?) but could have been from a bit higher- hard to tell. Didn't seem to be coming from turbo, the belts sure spread the oil around nicely! I had been reading about how our diesel has low sulphur and so an additive was recommended- there seemed to be a common thread to use 2 stroke engine oil so I had over last winter/spring. I assumed that with summer, the diesel would have higher sulphur content so wasn't adding any more 2 stroke. Maybe my seals are dry again? If I had to guess, I would guess a bearing or something...hope not! I also wonder that because I had replaced my belts last fall and wondered if I had over tightened the alternator.
I have added some 2 stroke to my tank and some seal-hydrating stuff to my oil but those are temporary fixes, I still have 15w40 mobile oil right now (non synthetic)
Any help much appreciated!

[jamieboycowtown]

Hi there

My guess based on your description is that you have a busted crankshaft pulley which requires replacement. I had the same symptoms with my L400 earlier this year: a mysterious oil drip accompanied by a new, strong vibration most apparent when stopped at a traffic light or intersection.

I had mine replaced here in Calgary using parts sourced from CC Auto on the Island. Van has been great ever since. Would recommend fixing it sooner than later though as driving with a busted pulley can inflict damage to timing set up (e.g chain, case cover, etc.)

[EricE]

Check the rubber insert on the front of the engine under the valve cover . It's part of the gasket system and is prone to spontaneous leaks. About 35$ for a new gasket kit. The pulleys are available aftermarket on eBay for around 70$ , be aware the newer pulley style requires a different front seal.

[Migmeister]

Thank you for your replies, jamieboycowtown I believe you are correct. I took it to a Philipino mechanic guy who was familiar with these back home. He looked at it and said he was 110% sure it was my crankcase seal. I couldn't entice him to do the work but he said he would help me if needed. I ordered the seal from CC Auto and they recommended replacing the pulley at the same time. They also said to check for wear on the crankshaft...not sure how to do that 'though...
I am awaiting my parts and have seached the threads for a step by step on how to replace this seal but haven't found anything so am going ahead and taking rad off, bumper, etc to get to crank- any hints most appreciated!
Should I be replacing anything else while at this stage?
Thanks again!

[Big-Bird]

Don't waste your time removing the bumper....there's an AC condensor and evap unit that are in front of the radiator behind the front bumper. These would need to be removed which means your AC system would need to be drained and then refilled at a cost of a few hundred dollars. There is enough room once the engine's rad is pulled to get a socket and breaker bar on the crank bolt.

Other things to watch for:

Your transmission has cooling lines that run into the rad.....you'll have to plug these hoses to prevent tranny fluid loss.

Be very careful removing the upper/lower rad hoses and the small overflow tube at the upper rad tank...its very delicate and can be easily cracked or broken.....if you do crack the small connection tube it can't be fixed....many have tried...no-one has admitted to successful a permanent fix when they damaged this tube.

Do not turn the engine to break the crank shaft bolt loose...the engine might start!
Use an impact gun to release it or hold the crank pulley with a spanner wrench...see the PDF engine manual Fig D on page 80.

http://www.delica.ca/manuals/L-400%20Ma ... s/4M40.pdf

The crank pulley is 2 pcs of steel with a dense rubber layer bonded in the middle....the glues will rot and/or the rubber gets weak and the outer pulley portion can't run true /balanced which creates vibrations and noises of various types. if left unchecked the crank pulley will fail and take your radiator with it as it flies apart...and in a few seconds you could have an overheated engine and potentially serious engine damage. Here's a pulley that came apart(left side) and the new one (right). The 'home made tool' (top) is a cheap spanner made with angle metal and some bolts. Used to hold the crank pulley in place to loosen the crank bolt with a ratchet/socket.


As for the damage on the crank that CCA suggested you check for....they were likely referring to the key way slot which ensures the crankshaft and crank pulley turn together. A loose pulley can sometimes cause the keyway to vibrate and make the slot wider like this. Not good for obvious reasons.

[Migmeister]

Darn! I'm basically at the front bracket now! I was wondering on those extra lines, how to move them etc! It must be a real pain to do it from underneath but I'll giver it a go before going further.
I guess I should've asked my questions sooner! How much torque should I put on crank bolt??
Thanks again!

[Migmeister]

One more thing- I'm still taking rad out? Still trying to figure out how to collapse fan shroud with no damage!

[mrdueck]

The fan shroud is 2 piece. Go from underneath and locate the clip/snap in points. It separates fairly intuitively if you have a good light on it. Once the thin bottom piece is off it lifts out the top no problem. Caution on the impact gun suggestion. Bearings don't like that vibration for vary long.

Good Luck!
Rudy (currently in the process of taking the timing cover off to do the chain and guides...uhggg)

[Big-Bird]

For torque specs open the pdf engine manual link in my first post. The specs are there.

Be careful when you extract the old seal not to gouge the timing cover or the machined surface of the crank.shaft.

Apply a thin layer of black RTV silicone on the machined surface for where the crank seal sits. It will ensure a better seal between the seal and the timing cover. I also apply a thin film on the crank shaft before I replace the crank pulley. This is insurance to reduce weeping oil leaks

If the old seal won't come out you may need to pull the timing cover.....which would require lowering the oilpan to get the cover out which means more gaskets.

Take your time installing the new seal. I would use a soft face plastic head mechanics hammer which would help reduce the chance of cracking the timing cover.

[Migmeister]

Thank you big bird and others for your pearls of wisdom...its like you've done this procedure before....!
I have the silicon as suggested and a wrench from Canadian Tire that I hope will hold the pulley- I had tried a air ratchet and it blew up(the ratchet thankfully!) I tried using a prybar on the bumps inside the pulley to keep it from spinning but it had flex so now I will try with the wrench used for Finning fan clutches or something...will see how that goes! The mechanic there suggested throwing some heat on the crankshaft bolt...but that would make it expand no? Which in turn would make it tighter? Is that bolt reverse thread?
Hope to have this all put back and in use for Monday....here's hoping and praying!

[Migmeister]

I got it off! You know the saying, "If all else fails use a bigger..." well in my case it was a 4 foot snipe pipe! I'll try and post a pic of the wrench I borrowed from Canadian Tire- will be great for reattaching new pulley too! Once I took the nut off, the whole thing just slid right off nicely! I'll check for wear but, dare I say it, I don't think it'll be bad. Will put some of that silicon as suggested by Big Bird. Some say locktite for nut but specs say 166 pounds torque...shouldn't need locktite?

[Migmeister]

There is some sort of spacer or dust cover behind the old seal, do I keep this?

[Migmeister]

Nevermind, I believe its an oilslinger....

[Big-Bird]

If your threads were clean after pulling the crank bolt you probably don't need locktite. Using the medium strength stuff would be adequate.

A 4' pipe......tight bolt. wow.

Yes, that piece behind the seal sitting on the crank shaft is the slinger.

[Big-Bird]

Update on your progress? Needs pics too!!!!!