Black Oil coming down from torque converter or engine?

[Schurkey]

Hey guys I took off the intake and sure enough the whole oil leak was coming from the back of the intake manifold.

Gotta say I'm surprised. There should be no oil pressure back there, just oil splash. Gotta be a lot of splash to lose a quart in twenty minutes.

I don't know if my alternator voltage regulator is working can someone tell me what the voltage at the alternator clip connection is?

"Clip connection"? You should be checking at the alternator output stud.

I normally check across the battery terminals with the truck running. You should see 14.5-14.8 volts with it working properly.

Ehhhh...I'd say anything over 14 is adequate. Some regulators top-out at 14.2-ish.

It's at 12.6

HOW are you checking the battery voltage? Engine running?

It's a new alternator too the only thing it could be is the regulator

ABSOLUTELY not correct. There's several things it could be. For the record, the regulator is inside the alternator.

Or a bad battery, corroded connections.

Slipping belt, loose, broken, or corroded wires in the charging system harness.

 

[Hipster]

In the past I've had cork end rail gaskets slip and they leaked like the Valdez.


ok so 14.2-14.5 but not below 14 or over 15. LOL

Ditto on checking at the output.

One should not probe without knowing which wire or terminal does what. If you happen to pass power through the rectifier bassackwards you can blow the diodes in it. Same goes for backfeeding an ecm and ignition modules.

 

[Schurkey]

How would you pass power "backwards" through a rectifier unless you're using more voltage than the rectifier is rated for?

The rectifier works all day at preventing 12--17 volts from going the "wrong way".

 

[Hipster]

How would you pass power "backwards" through a rectifier unless you're using more voltage than the rectifier is rated for?
The rectifier works all day at preventing 12--17 volts from going the "wrong way".

Exactly, , a diode is like a one way gate, but If you ground the input side and power up the output side you blow the diode. My statement was in general practice that it's not a good idea to randomly power up and ground components through a voltmeter especially if you're back probing sockets with plugs still in.. Sending power through the ground side of things is never good. Also Just a general warning to the Op as it seems he doesn't have a lot of experience.

He's unaware the plug that was disconnected contains the 12+ to energize the alternator and the 12v load sensing wire/input and not where or how you test.

 

[magimerlin]

MY point is you don't use the rubber gasket. Lately there lots of newbies coming on here and asking for advice and they don't seem to have much mechanical experience. I was only pointing out what not to so.
There is little difference between RTV and Great stuff. The only advantage is the Great stuff claims immediate return to service and in the application being discussed this is a moot point. Super black has a higher temp range than GS (500 degrees to 450 degrees). GS has a lower temp range than Super black(-75 degrees to -65 degrees)neither is enough to put one above the other. It is all personal preference
The leak is most likely the rear main seal in my opinion.

MY point is.....I fixed it just for you.lol...
I'm 41 years old and have been working on cars since about 10.. so I've seen those rubber gaskets before rtv was the norm. Wow, I feel old now.lol. My body will not let me wrench professionally any longer so I now am the commercial parts sales manager at my parts store. I still see on occasion a small block intake manifold gasket set offered with rubber or cork, for that matter, seals and just a small amount of rtv to cover the corners where it meets the intake side of the heads.

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[evilunclegrimace]

MY point is.....I fixed it just for you.lol...
I'm 41 years old and have been working on cars since about 10.. so I've seen those rubber gaskets before rtv was the norm. Wow, I feel old now.lol. My body will not let me wrench professionally any longer so I now am the commercial parts sales manager at my parts store. I still see on occasion a small block intake manifold gasket set offered with rubber or cork, for that matter, seals and just a small amount of rtv to cover the corners where it meets the intake side of the heads.

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YOU did not fix anything you did how ever offer a possible cause for the leak. I don't believe that the engine in question was leaking a quart in 20 minutes due to the fact that there is no pressure in the manifold seal area. Any oil reaching the back of the intake would be splash oil not pressurized oil.

As far as your experience congratulations on your 30 years worth. I have been working on vehicles longer than you have been alive. I purchased my first GMT 400 in 1988, new off the lot at the dealership that I was employed at when I was 30 years old, I'll be 61 this year.

 

[454cid]

My 454 has rubber end seals. It needs to be replaced again, and I'm unsure what I'll do. The originals didn't seal and the menchainc that replaced it said that GM didn't use any sealer at the corners. He did, and it still leaked... of course he didn't use Loctite on the bolts per GM's specs, either.

 

[454cid]

Hot oil can look like more than it really is because it spreads out so thin. I had a Toyota with a leaking drain plug gasket that looked like it had peed out a quart while I was at the dealer buying a new seal, but I suspect it was much less oil than that, even if it was a lot of oil.

 

[magimerlin]

YOU did not fix anything you did how ever offer a possible cause for the leak. I don't believe that the engine in question was leaking a quart in 20 minutes due to the fact that there is no pressure in the manifold seal area. Any oil reaching the back of the intake would be splash oil not pressurized oil.

As far as your experience congratulations on your 30 years worth. I have been working on vehicles longer than you have been alive. I purchased my first GMT 400 in 1988, new off the lot at the dealership that I was employed at when I was 30 years old, I'll be 61 this year.

Wasn't trying to make this a pissing match but whatever... when I said "I fixed it just for you" if you looked back at my original post I fixed my wording, THAT is what I was referring to fixing just for you. So yes I did fix something, my wording in my original response to the op's post. I only mentioned my experiance as to refference that I have used in the distant past and still see available the rubber and or cork end gaskets. Is it the best way, hell no not by a longshot, but they are still offered even though as you mentioned GM made a bulletin about just using rtv many years ago. And here I thought I was one of the older guys mixed in with these youngins. You've got a couple years on me.. hopefully you've been able to pass the old school processes on to someone that wants to learn them. I've been able to pass a few things on but most kids these days are scared to get into it unless there is a computer in it to diagnose issues for them...lol.. most of them really dont have the common sense for it..

To the op.... glad it got fiqured out. These trucks are sooo much easier to work on then the newer vehicles these days.. lol..

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[xx94Z71xx]

yea i dont know anybody that uses the rubber gaskets anymore. the last felpro intake gasket set i got at local parts store didn't even come with the rubber pieces it came with a tube of black goo. the rubber ones tend to push out when you torque the intake down. i learned the hard way.

i second what merlin said. im a younger guy and its hard to find people who actually work on cars these days. especially in my "millenial" generation. i dislike computers on my vehicles but the tbi system is so archaic and easy to keep running compared to some of the newer vehicles ive had in the past. most younger guys i do know that twist a wrench wont touch a carburetor.