Why is oil dripping around starter?

[Diverjer]

I noticed a few drops of oil on garage floor which hasn't happen  before, this is what I found.  I only changed the oil in this once and never noticed how small the starter is, that is small for a V8 5.3, but things are different these days.    It's really cheaper for me to take the truck into dealer and get oil change and then they also wash it.   

 

Anyway here is a picture, where is this oil coming from?  Thought maybe rear main, but would thing that would be oil dripping from bottom of flywheel casing.  This starter is up higher.   Valve cover doesn't look like leaking.   For now cleaned it up and will watch.   Almost look likes oil coming from that hole in starter and notice starter has tape across bottom, weird or maybe normal?  Could get some dye in the oil and trace it better, some people don't seem to like oil dye, don't know why.

 

 

 

Edited February 13, 2022 by Diverjer

[CamGTP]

Hard to say for sure. These trucks can also leak from the oil pan. The pan is a two piece design and only uses RTV to seal it to the bottom of the engine.

[Diverjer]

Someone tried to tell me crankshaft sensor, but they just pick up something spinning on flywheel and not going to be in oil.   Cleaned it all up and drove only a few miles and checked it out and looked like oil coming from behind that black plate below starter that covers flywheel.  Makes me think maybe rear main and only 70,000 miles with oil changes every 6,000.  Should last lots longer than that.  Will have to have someone else fix that, not something I can do anymore.

[Diverjer]

Don't think rear main, loosen that black cover on bottom and slid it around, it is all dry inside that bell housing and flywheel.  Not oil pan as it is lower than starter and clean anyway. 

Checked out with light and mirror and even pulled out my digital endoscope camera and looked around.   Check the oil to see if it was low, which I doubted as only found a couple drops on floor.   Anyway, it was a half inch above the full mark.   I take it to the GM dealer as they give me a good price, cheaper than I can but oil and filter plus they wash it.   But they shouldn't fill it up that high.  I checked after they serviced it, but oil was so clean I just couldn't tell, but thought it was above full back then, which was September.   Guess I am a little OCD I always double check that they fill it and no leaks.  Guess I will wait until it gets worse?  

Edited February 14, 2022 by Diverjer

[Black02Silverado]

Looks like valve cover or even oil pressure sensor.  My rear main on my 2002 5.3 was leaking and the starter was dry. 

[Diverjer]

If what I found on google search is right Silverado 2014 5.3 oil pressure sensor is on top of engine front right below air manifold intake.  Wouldn't think it could get from there down to starter, but I could pull that big cover off and look.   I did more checking today and everything in bell housing looks clean, loosen up black cover under starter and pulled it out to look back in there, all dry.  Even got out digital endoscope camera and looked around.   Haven't really got good look at back of valve cover, will see if I can get to it tomorrow.  About due for oil change, might ask them to just check it out and see what they say.  This is a nice dealership is very small town of maybe 2500 people, they treat everyone well, can't afford to get folks upset when in a small town like that. 

[Black02Silverado]

18 minutes ago, Diverjer said:

If what I found on google search is right Silverado 2014 5.3 oil pressure sensor is on top of engine front right below air manifold intake.  Wouldn't think it could get from there down to starter, but I could pull that big cover off and look.   I did more checking today and everything in bell housing looks clean, loosen up black cover under starter and pulled it out to look back in there, all dry.  Even got out digital endoscope camera and looked around.   Haven't really got good look at back of valve cover, will see if I can get to it tomorrow.  About due for oil change, might ask them to just check it out and see what they say.  This is a nice dealership is very small town of maybe 2500 people, they treat everyone well, can't afford to get folks upset when in a small town like that. 

They will probably put die in and ask to come back after a few miles to see where it is coming from.

[shakenfake]

Here is a good idea. Put the truck up on jackstands to where it is angled like 35 degrees, maybe a little more or less, leave it there for an evening or a couple days if possible. If you are leaking oil while it is off then I would say that it is a rear main seal or you could at least discount the pressure sensor and valve covers.

 

I have seen more than a few trucks with oil on the starter for a rear main as well as a bone dry bellhousing.

[Diverjer]

That sounds like something I could do alright, I even have a concrete slab I could use that is almost that much, or at lease use it and have to jack it up less. 

 

I did drain some oil out so it wasn't overfilled.  It was a half inch over the full mark , I used a big measuring cup I use for filling mowers with oil to drain it in.  I drained right at 20 oz of oil out before it measured full on dipstick.  I took about three shots at it before getting it down to full on dipstick.  This is my first Chevy truck since my old 1971 3/4 ton.  This dip stick was driving me crazy!   I used the side with all the crisscross to measure with, but I expected the back side to be the same- and it wasn't.  The back smooth side of dipstick was about a 1/8 higher that  crisscross side.  After all those measurement I must have stuck in in there several different ways and it was always a little higher on smooth side.  Kind of makes sense as no way that dipstick is going in there completely vertical.  I bet I measured 8 times and decided that just the way it must work.  Now I think I will get some dye and put in.  Having 20 oz doesn't seem like a lot over, but now it is right at the top of crisscross.  

Edited February 15, 2022 by Diverjer

[Diverjer]

I did check out the oil pressure sensor and it couldn't be cleaner.  Anyway from internet searches that is where they said 2014 Silverado oil pressure sensor was located.   Also played around with that dipstick measuring oil.  Notice a black dot on one side of yellow handle of dipstick.  If it's up position (point toward engine) when all the way in engine oil pan, then crisscross side is lowest measurement and right on full, smooth side above full about 1/8 inch.  If black dot on bottom when all way in engine oil pan then the crisscross is higher and smooth side is right at the full.

 

Put dye in and got black light working which will make that dye show up.  Now need to put some miles on it.   Couple spots look like dye under black light, but they were there prior to dye and are a hard substance like dried gasket material or something.   When leak shows up it will be wet around bolts on starter.   Weep hole is clean no oil around it.

Edited February 16, 2022 by Diverjer

[Stevienotawonder]

So did you ever find the leak

[Diverjer]

Not yet, It has been snowing here and haven't got a real good look. Did look some and got face full of slush from road, However seen enough that no oil dripping off starter bolts yet like in first picture. But haven't put 50 miles on it either, have looked from top side with black light and haven't seen any signs of oil.

[Diverjer]

Well after a little over 100 miles, one little drop oil on starter, right on back in middle not on bolts like in picture.  Starter does look wet like oil ran around it and gather in that one drip.   What really makes me mad is that I don't see any trace of the dye- even using black light.   Decided to pull out dipstick and let it drip and that also doesn't show any dye.  Maybe it takes more than one bottle?   It doesn't say on the 1 oz bottle how much it takes.  I used something called Leak Finder Oil-Based Detection Dye Fluoresces yellow/green LF2001.    About time for oil change I will ask dealer if they can tell where it's leaking.  It is not the weep hole at bell housing, that is dry.  You can see from pic that it on that side above starter.  My guess would be valve cover. 

Edited March 1, 2022 by Diverjer

[Diverjer]

I did get both valve covers replaced, but only put 175 miles on truck since getting it done.   Cleaned bottom of starter off when I got it home from having valve covers replaced.   No oil on garage floor yet, but looked under there tonight and one small drop of oil hanging off starter and looked a little wet around bolts but no drips.  Hoping that is just old oil prior to valve cover replacement.  Does look cleaner up above where I seen oil earlier.   Mechanic I took it to had a better light to see dye and was sure leak was from the one valve cover on passenger side, still had him change both sides.  I have know him since around 2012 and always does me right, hope he wasn't wrong this time.  Guess we will see in time.

[Diverjer]

Everything still clean, it was the valve cover gasket.