Gas engine mechanical help needed on road

[SoonToBeFT]

We are experiencing an oil leak. Lovely gentleman in Great Falls says he couldn't get us properly done and back on the road until Monday at earliest but we have medical appointment in Yuma this upcoming Monday. He is waiting for a seal around the front gasket and oilpan exterior to dry right now and says we should be OK to travel by keeping eye on things.

To that end we will need to find someone with a "Fair" door rate, we are heading south down I15, intending to stop at Pocatello tonight, then on to Mesquite, before heading down towards Yuma for Monday. We are after Yuma heading towards Phoenix, Tucson and then on in to New Mexico to spend some time fishing before, having to be in Las Vegas by 7th June to meet someone.

Can anyone help with recommending a good, reliable quality of work independent maybe that we could contact to hopefully get booked in advance on our route.

So very much appreciated. Need to be able to handle 36ft Workhorse 8.1 Gas Engine Motorhome.

Thanks again in anticipation for a recommendation. We also aren't sure which state would offer the better door/hourly rates being Canadian and we are aware it's not the parts that are going to cost but the labour intensiveness of this type of repair apparently.

STBFT.

[vettenuts]

Can you ask him exactly what is leaking? Have him write it down.

[buzz57]

Sorry I can't help on where to get it fixed, BUT I have had extremely good luck with a leak stopper(assuming it is a seal or gasket). Won't hurt anything to try and may salvage your trip. Wallmart or any automotive supply. It is Lucas oil treatment and stop leak. It has worked for me on a rear main seal, and a harmonic balancer seal. You have nothing to lose and maybe a lot to gain. In Yuma, I found a shop that was very good, but I'm not sure if he works on MH's.
I had an issue last year and he was friendly, good and fixed it quick! Also made fun of my accent!?

[Excesses]

I’m not a mechanic, but from what you have described, it sounds like a main seal. That can be a significant repair cost from my memory with my old Cameros.
Having said that, and assuming from your post that money is tight, I would recommend that you go to a reputable repair shop and pay the going rate. Otherwise, as you know, and I don’t want to sound like your dad (more like your bro) if you go low on this important repair, you may be doing it again.
It has to be done right, eh. Do it once and never worry about it again.

Good luck and (excuse me ) GO JETS GO!!!!

[Stuart W]

Coming from the repair industry, the risk you run when one place diagnoses the concern and then another makes the repairs, is if it doesn’t get fixed after the repair. Shop A said it’s A crank seal , you went to shop B and said you need a crank seal replaced. Works completed and you still have a leak, shop B says it’s not the crank seal because I just replaced it. Now your back at ground zero

[CountryB]

Originally Posted by SoonToBeFT

We are experiencing an oil leak. Lovely gentleman in Great Falls says he couldn't get us properly done and back on the road until Monday at earliest but we have medical appointment in Yuma this upcoming Monday. He is waiting for a seal around the front gasket and oil pan exterior to dry right now and says we should be OK to travel by keeping eye on things.

STBFT.

I don't follow you - it sounds like the repair has been made but you are going to leave the shop early prior to the gasket sealant drying.

The only thing I can think of that takes a little time to dry is RTV sealer - but that will skim-over/dry in an hour or so. There is nothing that takes over night to dry. https://www.permatex.com/products/ad...esive-sealant/

If this is the case there is nothing else to do.
If it leaks because the RTV was not dry and the engine was filled with oil and driven, then you have to "start the repair over".

The problem with RTV (a common gasket material for oil pans and valve covers) is that it won't stick to surfaces with oil on them.

If it does not leak, then you are done. No need to schedule a mechanic unless you find that it is still leaking when you get to your destination.

Also, a front seal and oil pan is not under pressure, so if it is leaking it is not going to come out so fast the engine will burn up. The oil seal and oil pan is "splash lubed" so to speak. You just check your oil level (and look for leaks) every hundred miles or so while on your trip. If your oil gets low, just keep topping it off until you can schedule with a repair shop.

[SoonToBeFT]

Thanks so much to you kind folks for your posts, you've no idea how valued your feedback to us is, so any Q's we should be asking in the morning is so appreciated. Here is where we are at:

We waited 2+ hours after he'd put some type of external sealant, and he felt reasonably confident in our carrying on after an hour. Alas, we only got from MM277 at Great Falls Montana to just south of Helena between MM 172 and 173, and although hubby had checked at a rest area (was closed at gate but we pulled in to check oil anyway), just prior and added more oil, within a very short period after there was a "jingling, like big jailhouse keys noise", so we are now towed back late here to Mechanix Unlimited in Great Falls, awaiting an outcome tomorrow hopefully. The AMA/AAA wanted to take us to Butte or Helena but no one could see us until mid to end late next week at the very very earliest, as well was very disconcerting that they were trying to take us to places that couldn't even handle this MH. So here we sit, grateful to be off the highway right now, just hoping we don't get told we need another new engine. Already had one reconditioned put in at Pocatello in 2013.

Ho hum, the pain we pay (only 5.5hrs from home LOL), for the joy we get some of the times in this RVing lifestyle eh.

So far keeping the premise of "attitude is latitude" so must keep mine, although as many know it's sometimes trying at times!

The invoice from this morning says: Diagnose Oil Leak. Clean front of engine oil pan small leak at front crank seal and front of oil pan Put sealer on front of oil pan to temporarily seal leak added engine oil (we provided as had bought lots).

We noticed small oil leak on Monday evening and added the Lucas equivalent we bought to hopefully seal it (says drive 100+miles for effect), however, we drove from just South of Calgary to Lethbridge Monday night (just under 200kms), then from Lethbridge an hour to border and from Coutts to Great Falls, yesterday Tuesday and then noticed it had just got a little worse, hence ended up with this fix today, and alas when we pulled in due to a noise noticed within an hour a pool now of oil whilst waiting for the tow.

Someone mentioned to us about checking Crankcase valve plugged and back pressure? We will bring this up, anything else you can suggest we asked be checked to try and ensure we cover all basis to avoid any further incidents on this trip are so very very much appreciated.

Have a great rest of the night.

STBFT.

[BrianGlenn]

Repairs on the road always beat you down mentally; in contrast to the excitement of heading out on a holiday.

It sounds like you are concerned about the oil leak, to the point where you are worried it is going to damage the engine. Personally an oil leak is usually always less than a quart (litre for us Canadians) between gas fill ups. I had many engines with oil leaks that the old joke "fill it up and check the gas" was highly applicable.


You don't say if the recent "jingle like a big jailhouse key noise" caused the engine to set a code (flashing check engine light, or even solid check engine light) or if the engine stalled or lost power. Maybe you could shed some light on that....

If the engine still has oil level on the dipstick, runs, no check engine lights on dash. Does not overheat - then drive it and watch the oil pressure and level.

Tomorrow get the mechanic to check his oil leak repair job to see if it's still holding, check for any set engine codes (OBD2 code reader), check/measure oil pressure at startup and operating temperature (idle and cruise rpm). Then take off to Yuma.

My thoughts.
Brian

Edit: the crankcase positive back pressure - in technical terms refers to the PCV valve, Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve. It relieves positive crankcase pressure caused by blow by gases (that escapes around the piston rings/seals) and directs it back to the intake system. When it fails you "may" get a positive pressure in the crankcase/oil pan area and "force"oil out the gaskets/seals. Hope this helps.

[thedjjack]

More details about the jailhouse key sound??

If you blew an main seal on the highway and drained the pan you would have oil all down the under carriage and up the back end of the RV... And you would have got a no oil pressure light..

(the day I was bringing our RV home a 1200km trip we blew an oil cooler line... I saw the oil pressure dancing, smelled oil burning and shut it down in time - but huge oil mess)

More details please...

[SoonToBeFT]

Thanks Jack. We had the low oil pressure gauge come on and off once during the 100 mile trip yesterday (didn't stay on after stopped climbing small hill), and hubby stopped Rest area immediately after that and topped up the oil with 3 quarts. Was about 20/30 miles further on the jail house keys noise started (not as harsh as the time we needed a new engine when it sounded like he'd ran over a bunch of shopping carts in 2013), hence we immediately shut down engine and called AAA and are here waiting to go in now.

Gotta get hotel for tonight, hoping get us back on road tomorrow, but something in my stomach telling me there's more to this maybe now, and it could be middle next week if it's an engine issue caused by this all. We'll see what he has to say later on today. In meantime, please any other questions we should ask about other parts to try ensure we don't have any further breakdowns after this all done here and we leave so very very much appreciated.

Thanks again, and Brian PCV valve I'm going to ask. Gotta go they need us outta here now.

Also yes the check engine light came on split seconds before we stopped with the jingle keys.

STBFT.

[twinboat]

Unfourtantly, you may have done some serious internal engine damage.

Oil lubracates AND cools the moving parts inside the engine. When low on oil, the cooling effect is lessened and if climbing a hill, that's when it needs it the most.

That, along with the loss of oil pressure under load, spells disaster.

I hope I'm wrong.

[TonyMac]

You'll be driving right past me in Utah. I use Charlie's Service in Sunset, Utah for motorhome mechanical stuff Charlie's Service Napa AutoCare and RV Service Center- Sunset, Utah You can see them from I15 on the west side of the interstate.


Few miles further down the road is Egan Automotive in Kaysville Utah, they do my automotive mechanical and can do Motorhomes, he'd be my standby. He's a bit further off the Interstate, but still less than a mile. SERVICES & PRICES - Egan Auto Repair


Both seem very meticulous and very professional. Not cheap, but reasonable for sure.

[SoonToBeFT]

Thanks for that Tony, we will be sure to log for the future. Alas, we are stuck here in Great Falls right now. Engine supposedly ordered yesterday and on it's way but ETA is for next Thursday (a week) because it is coming from the East Coast.

Looks like we are here for 2 weeks from what we've been told. Kindly they've agreed for now to put us up dry camping in their back lot to save on being in a hotel longer than absolutely necessary. When they pull her in the workshop to take out the engine and reinstall the new one we'll have to move to a hotel for two or three nights I'm guessing :(

For sure a very good exercise in preserving water usage and holding tank space LOL.

Of course last evening here it snowed (and boy has it snowed) and temps dropped to uncomfortable levels, so our pipes are still winterized and we're doing the longer than we anticipated initially when we left home water canister refills. Apparently we've got another cold one today and then it's supposed to warm up. Luckily we have Mr Buddy on board as well a full tank of propane when we started this.

As we always say "it's a pain in the proverbial, but as long as we've got each other we can get through this". No point getting up tight (as frustrating as it is) when it's beyond our control.

What's so frustrating the most is that this is the second time, last replacement engine was in 2013 and we did less than 30,000 miles on her. We keep an eye on our oil and have oil services done regularly etc so we are wondering why, unless the last install wasn't done properly, or in a way that made it suspceptible to failure over time??? Not being mechanical in mind, we naturally wonder.

[Excesses]

Sorry to hear that guys. Every owners worst nightmare.

The previous rebuilt lasted just 30K? Have you tried screaming in that direction? We would be livid.

Perhaps you could let us know what company the previous rebuild engine came from so that we all don’t make the same mistake?

What warranty is available on the new engine? Are there break in procedures specified?

Having said all that, your attitude is admirable. Good on you.