wetness around manifold

[1990CTD]

I noticed on my truck with the hood up and running a wet spot around the manifold where it bolts up to the block. Its only on the back 2. When I rev it up I see a bubbling from in between the manifold and block basically the gasket. What would it be and why?

[m880cummins]

You mean between the head and exhaust manifold? Correct me if I am wrong. Could be a number of things. The back two on mine leaked as well, turned out my drive pressures and higher egts just burned them out.

I would say at the least its the gaskets needing replaced. Worst case, cracked manifold/warped gasket surface. Doesn't explain the wetness though. Can you identify the liquid? Diesel, oil or coolant?

If it is coolant, you might have a crack between the coolant passage and exhaust passage, if diesel, check your injectors, if oil, well that COULD possibly be a HG or piston rings. You have any blow by? Any white or blue smoke? What does your antifreeze and exhaust pipe smell like?

When you dig into it, using the metal gaskets alone is fine but I usually spray a layer of cheap spray paint on them. Once hot, the paint blisters and boils and provides a better seal. Old timers did it on the copper head gaskets. Now there's copper gasket spray from permatex but cheap spray paint works just as well in my opinion.

Good Luck!

Charlie

[1990CTD]

Yes, it is in between the manifold and head. Posibally a gasket cause that's where its coming from. It does have a blue haze when its cold but I haven't used oil. The haze may be from a turned up pump. It white smokes quite a bit when cold then a blue haze. I do have a injector leaking a little fuel and a line leaking a little fuel. But what liquid would be coming out of exhaust?

[DodgeFreak]

are you sure its out of the exhaust and not dripping down on the exhaust and the exhaust leak making it apear to be coming from the inside out??? smell it tell us what it is. if your smell isn't that good taste it..

[bmoeller]

Could have a loose injector squirting fuel, and/or leaky valve cover gaskets.

[Knoberman]

Or valve seals.

[1990CTD]

But should any liquid be going through the manifold? How would I tighten injectors. I do have an injector bubbling aroung the base where it goes into the block. I was gonna stick my finger where its at but after like 1minute of running its too hot. Its not even leaking bad but it bubbles / foams when you rev it up.

[bmoeller]

Need to tighten up the hold down nut. Don't recall off hand what size it is. Can sometimes tighten them up without pulling the high pressure and return fuel lines off and out of the way. If you can't get it with a wrench, you'll have to get a deep well socket on it.

And, as mentioned, bad valve guide seals will make the exhaust ports wet as well. Have to pull the valve spring on the offending cylinder to do that one. Nee to make sure the piston is at TDC before you pop the retainer off of the valve, so you don't drop it down into the hole.

[1990CTD]

Honestly if its not hurting the the motor then I'm gonna look the other way. This is the first diesel I've had/worked on. So I don't know how to do all that. I've had 2 other 12v, but never had to work on them.

[1992gen1_fan]

Are you getting white smoke? If so, it could be an injector sticking open. If the "wetness" is fuel you want to get the injectors fixed. The raw un burned fuel in the cylinders will wash the cylinder walls and thats no good.

[1990CTD]

Yes it white smokes a lot when cold, but I believe white smoke is from the ksb not hooked up when I switched ip. But when the truck is cold I pop the hood and it comes from the gasket on manifold and when I rev it up it bubbles out a dirty yellow color. I stuck a broom back there and let it get on it but I can't tell what it smells like.

[1990CTD]

If there is fuel washing the cylinder walls wouldn't it have fuel in oil? My coolant is good and greens and not low. My oil is not low. It only bubbles/foams when I rev it up. Could it just be fuel? Sorry for all the questions, this is my first 1st Gen.

[1992gen1_fan]

The only time I had fuel coming out of the ex manifold was when the timing slipped on my truck. It smoked lots of white smoke. The oil did'nt get much of a fuel smell but I'm sure fuel did get in the oil. I pulled off the turbo stuck my finger in the manifold, thats how I found out it was fuel. It did'nt have much of a fuel smell when it leaked out the gaskets I guess it evaporated some.

[1990CTD]

I'm really not sure what to do. Its one thing after the other. How do I stop it if it needs to be? I can't tell what it is. Everything smells the same on the motor. It not used oil or coolant so it must be fuel.

[1990CTD]

Did it just white smoke when it was cold? Mine smoked a lot but I hooked up the ksb switch on a toggle, now it just smokes a little then a blue haze.