Oil showing above Headlights

[The Hornet]

I have done some heavy mileage over the last 2 weeks with the engine running for 3-4 hours at a time, high speed on motorways and A&B road conditions and the truck has not faltered. There are no rough running-idling, starting, driving problems.

I now have oil spray showing underneath on the front edge of the bonnet, where the support stay connects in to place, the sill above both headlights and a small patch leaked on to the bumper on the drivers side. Previously I only had a show above the headlight on the passenger side.
I can't see where it is coming from as there's nothing obvious.
Has anyone else experienced this or know what it is or causes it? Should I be worried?

Thanks for any advice/help.

[marky]

Is it the ATF cooling pipes from your Gearbox leaking?

[The Hornet]

I don't think so, looks like engine oil. It's jet black.

[slim]

may be a split breather pipe??

[MattF]

The first question is, which oil/fluid level is dropping?

[BUSHWHACKER]

Could be the front seal on the crankshaft is leaking.

[The Hornet]

I put a little in the engine, checked after doing a thousand miles and it was down 3-4 mm on the stick. Which was much better than I expected.

[MattF]

Are the rubber air hoses intact? No noticeable runs along pipes, hoses, wires?

[The Hornet]

Thanks fellas. I'll check your suggestions and let you know.

Simon

[The Hornet]

I have had a look and am still none the wiser, definitely not the crank seal. I need to take the grille and batteries off and check behind as it looks like it's coming from behind them.

[BUSHWHACKER]

Could be the fluid from your viscous fan then.

[JimL]

How about the air pipes from the filter to the turbo, and those elbows at the turbo, plenty of jet black oil mist in there just dying to find a crack to spray out through, or the camcover-to-air-intake breather pipe either.

Or the viscous fan coupling, maybe its leaking oil.

Or power steering fluid?

Or the oil feed to the alternator loose?

Pics!


**edit** Bushwhacked on the viscous fan fluid suggestion! Have to type faster

[TonyN]

**edit** Bushwhacked on the viscous fan fluid suggestion! Have to type faster

You'll never do it, Vince has 101 answers programmed on hotkeys on his PC,

Ctrl+Alt+1 for viscous fans, Ctrl+Alt+2 for steering stops, Ctrl+Alt+3 for fault codes, etc,etc.........

[BUSHWHACKER]

It's easy, just swallow a packet of Pro-plus, washed down with a couple of cans of Red Bull, and you can type with your eyeballs!