Lift pump output olive or o-ring?

Jason1377

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The engine oil is still mid way on dipstick (checked cold) with no fuel smell, so there's no fuel contamination. The oil wiped from the dipstick tends to smell like fast food french fries, imo. LOL

I guess I will just keep an eye on it for now since it's not a major leak and I don't know what fluid it is. I may try to capture raw drips into a container with a paper towel inside so I can try to determine if its fuel or coolant.


Stop eating fast food ;Pokeyour vehicle probably does not need it serious note maybe the leak fixed itself.
 

Cubey

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Stop eating fast food ;Pokeyour vehicle probably does not need it serious note maybe the leak fixed itself.

I eat fast food maybe 2-3 times year. :p

I doubt it fixed itself. I haven't driven any since I spotted it. It's been 3+ months since the thermostat was done, but it's possible the gasket has formed a leak recently or one of the bolts has worked loose.

I haven't seen drips under that area until yesterday, so it's gotta be something new. I have a power steering leak but that's way on the other side and that's red transmission fluid, so I know it's not from that.
 

Cubey

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Ok, I think it's coolant. Fresh drips seem to have no diesel smell from what I can tell and it's quire yellow/gold.

I see no obvious leaks anywhere though.. Only place it could be is the back side of the gasket for the thermostat. The front side looks dry. All hose connections look fine too. No hoses seem to be chaffing that might have caused a hole.

The overflow bottle was about 3/4 gallon low. It's VERY hard to see unless you put a small flashlight like the often free HFT one down into the bottle through the filler neck. I will have to see how fast it drops. I might need to retorque the bolts for the outlet pipe from the thermostat, if nothing else.
 

Cubey

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Ok, 100% confirmed it's diesel. When idling, it drips. Holding a paper towel under to catch, it smells of diesel. No color on a white paper towel though so without the smell, it would be hard to tell.

I can see it dripping from the upper part of the fuel pump, above the fuel line connections. It's dripping down from the bottom of the widest round part.

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Where is the lift pump's weep hole? Still no fuel getting in the crankcase [yet].
 
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IDIBRONCO

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I can see it dripping from the upper part of the fuel pump, above the fuel line connections. It's dripping down from the bottom of the widest round part.
The fuel pump on my 1981 F150 with a 302 started leaking at this spot too. I could look at it from the top (which you can't) and see fuel sitting on the top of this area. You can look at your picture and see a slight lip where the two halves are joined together. I just bypassed the mechanical pump and ran my emergency backup electric pump until it lost a head gasket. It sure improved my fuel mileage.
 

Cubey

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The fuel pump on my 1981 F150 with a 302 started leaking at this spot too. I could look at it from the top (which you can't) and see fuel sitting on the top of this area. You can look at your picture and see a slight lip where the two halves are joined together. I just bypassed the mechanical pump and ran my emergency backup electric pump until it lost a head gasket. It sure improved my fuel mileage.

It's so strange. And my memory is so bad... earlier i retightened the short lift pump supply hose, but i cant remember if i saw the dripping before or after. It might have been before.

This evening i see no drips on the ground and it's not all sloppy wet down there.

What, was it the lift pump supply hose leaking and somehow going UP and dripping back down? Maybe it was pooling up higher and engine idling made it come down? Very strange indeed! I mean, the fan and airflow when driving could be pushing it upward but yeah, it's really strange. No better way to put it.
 

Thewespaul

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It’s leaking from the weep hole through the diaphragm. I’ll dig up a pump and post the location.
 

Cubey

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Thanks. I hope it holds out for another 430 miles. Then I can park it until I replace it with either a Facet electric or a Carter mechanical pump.

Right now, I only have easy access to horrible quality retail parts store mechanical pumps that are often broken right out of the box.

I guess I will go buy one to carry with me until I get to my mom's house. That way if I find fuel in oil suddenly, I can change it. If i don't use it, i can return it to a store there. The oil level is pretty steady, only going down very slightly.
 
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Cubey

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Snagged a Delpi MF0050 at AutoZone since it was the way and they had one in stock. That model is 5/5 stars on 3 Crapazon reviews, so at least it might not be garbage if I have to put it on suddenly in the next couple weeks/430 miles. It will get returned within 30 days if I don't need it.
 

Cubey

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The dripping isn't as bad since I retightened the hose clamps on the short hose at the pump. There's no constant drip at idle like I was seeing. Still no oil contamination.

I wonder if clamps were actually the problem. I will still change the pump in a couple weeks, it's cheap enough.

There's still a drip or two on the ground after being parked a while, but I wonder how much is residual from before. Maybe it's still seeping out a hose connection too. Might have to change that hose again too while the pump is off.
 
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Cubey

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Found this big wet spot this morning. The front was pointed downhill slightly overnight (about 4pm to 10am).

It started fine with no stalling, so I doubt air is getting in. The way the sun was shining, I saw a drip hanging off of the vac pump.

Where could fuel be coming from above the lift pump? The top of the vac pump is dry but not down lower.

Still feels oily and smells of diesel. Maybe the drip from the vac pump is a red herring. Maybe it leaks/weeps worse from the tank supply depending on the pump's lever position?

Oil still uncontaminated.

Sticking my finger in the opening to feel the thermostat housing on the lowest point by the gasket, it's moist and very filthy. Another red herring? Its so filthy, I can't tell if its coolant or diesel. Diesel blowing up there when driving by the road draft/fan?

It's very mysterious!

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