Oil Leak issue 5.7 intake manifold - Maybe?

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c713

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Good day to all. I'm new here and glad I found this site.
So a bit about me - I have been in the auto business (family used car lot) since 1983.
Not much has got by me that we haven't been able to figure out but about a year ago I bought a 2016 Ram 1500 Tradesman Short Box 4x4 regular cab with a noisy 5.7.
Most of the noise was the exhaust manifold on the passenger side but we put it in the shop. Removed intake, exhaust manifolds and heads, camshaft and lifters. A couple of the lifters were bad so we did just put in a stock cam and lifters. Had the heads professionally done, all the valves, seats, guides, planed the heads, all new gaskets, new bolts for the exhaust manifolds. Everything went great. Drove it a few months and then noticed a pretty bad oil leak (I will post photos) coming from the passenger side leaking down the back of the engine and pooling on the floor.
Not much that the oil went down a lot but a mess for sure. Now there are no engine lights are on, the truck does not lack performance, starts and runs fine. No issues with driveability but you will see the leak, and I can't figure it out. Took it to a friend that has a shop and he indicated to me that it's coming from the seam of the intake (I believe these are 3 piece intakes pressed together). So I took his advise, found a used intake from an 18, new set of felpro intake gaskets. Installed the intake from the 18 and drove it maybe 5kms maybe not even. Got home and I could smell the oil. Opened the hood, took a look and yep. Seems to be in the same place but a heck of a lot worse. So installed an oil catch can, vented the breather with a K&N filter and still the same. Now just to clarify, there's no issues with start up, performance, no engine lights but this external oil leak. So I have a 3rd used intake to put on but I wanted to share some photos to see if maybe I am missing something. I never thread locked the intake bolts so I will do that next. I took RTV silicone and after thoroughly cleaning the intake I put the silicone on all the seams on the intake. I have another new set of felpro gaskets ready to install but I'll share the photos and hope someone might see something that I am missing. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Just a note: You will see in the photos that the intake gaskets seem to keep the oil from entering the valves. The oil seems to be pooling in the little 'depressions' in the intake by the intake bolts.

Sorry for all the photos. Thanks again

Rob
 

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c713

c713

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I understand. I'll do that in the AM. Are you thinking it could be sleeping by the intake gaskets?
 
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c713

c713

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Thanks for the reply. I cleaned surfaces, checked and all seems level. I have new fel pro gaskets, clean intake. Ready to go. Should I add flange sealant or any other sealant to the rubber gaskets?
 

06 Dodge

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Thanks for the reply. I cleaned surfaces, checked and all seems level. I have new fel pro gaskets, clean intake. Ready to go. Should I add flange sealant or any other sealant to the rubber gaskets?
What size of the feeler gauge did you use to check the surface 0.003 bigger? Also you did check where intake mates to the head to be sure its true? My self have not used sealant but then I also have not had leaks like you are having...
 

crackerjack1957

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More than likely a MDS solenoid under the intake leaking pressurized oil if when you pull intake & there is a puddle of oil under there.
 
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c713

c713

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Hey.. thanks for the messages.. so the day before I installed the intake after thoroughly cleaning the heads and intake. I did add copper gasket maker around the rubber gaskets. installed the oil catch can and vented the breather tube. I have let it sit 24 hours plus now. Changed the oil. Castrol Synthethic 5w20. Today I will drive it and post back. I know it wasn't the MDS solenoid as the oil was at the top of the intake almost. I am positive it was at the seam of the intake. I will post what I find after driving. Torque is 109 inch pounds.. I also put thread locker on the intake bolts. So here's hoping. Will be back later!!!
 

RedSRT4Me

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Hey.. thanks for the messages.. so the day before I installed the intake after thoroughly cleaning the heads and intake. I did add copper gasket maker around the rubber gaskets. installed the oil catch can and vented the breather tube. I have let it sit 24 hours plus now. Changed the oil. Castrol Synthethic 5w20. Today I will drive it and post back. I know it wasn't the MDS solenoid as the oil was at the top of the intake almost. I am positive it was at the seam of the intake. I will post what I find after driving. Torque is 109 inch pounds.. I also put thread locker on the intake bolts. So here's hoping. Will be back later!!!

Ditch the gasket maker.
 

Dusty

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Ditch the gasket maker.
Good advise. I've seen intake seals from other manufacturers and I've yet to see a factory use any sealant on them. Nor have I seen any service manual recommend it. It is possible that chemicals in the sealant may attack the composition of the seal material.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 3 June 2018. Now at 83728 miles
 

Sur5er

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Clean all the bolts, chase the thread bores, use a GOOD torque wrench and follow the torque sequence. I really hope you used Blue Loc Tite!
 
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c713

c713

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Hey. So here I an back with an update. As stated above. I sealed all the seams in the 3rd intake that I have now where it's been pressed together at the time of manufacture. I used new gaskets, copper gasket maker, and made sure the MDS solenoid wasn't leaking. I changed the oil. Castrol full synthetic 5w20 and a Castrol synthetic oil filter. Torqued the intake bolts down to 9 ft-lbs. I let the truck sit all weekend. Today started it up inside a warm garage and drove 6km
to my shop. Drove the truck in, opened the hood, and checked and found the exact same issue in the same spot. I have provided photos. So at the shop, I cleaned it the best I could with brake clean and then took some shop paper towels and rolled them in a long tube shape and laid it against the intake and on the head where you can see it between the intake and the valve cover gasket. Then I took metal duct tape and taped down the paper towel so that would be under the the tape and nothing could escape upwards. We drove about 10 km back home and went in the garage and had a look and no oil on top of the metal tape. I took (the metal tape) it off and the paper towel was saturated with oil.
So am I thinking it could be the valve cover? I was thinking of cleaning the area again with brake clean and taking some copper gasket maker and just putting it along the edge of the valve cover where it meets the head. Letting it dry and then drive and see. As a temp fix to verify it's the valve cover? If I did this it would or should leak less if nothing at all? Unless anyone else has any ideas?

*** could it leak oil up thru the fuel injector? that being said I have used 3 different fuel injectors in this spot where it is leaking ***

Thanks for all the help.
Please see photos.
 

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Wild one

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Hey. So here I an back with an update. As stated above. I sealed all the seams in the 3rd intake that I have now where it's been pressed together at the time of manufacture. I used new gaskets, copper gasket maker, and made sure the MDS solenoid wasn't leaking. I changed the oil. Castrol full synthetic 5w20 and a Castrol synthetic oil filter. Torqued the intake bolts down to 9 ft-lbs. I let the truck sit all weekend. Today started it up inside a warm garage and drove 6km
to my shop. Drove the truck in, opened the hood, and checked and found the exact same issue in the same spot. I have provided photos. So at the shop, I cleaned it the best I could with brake clean and then took some shop paper towels and rolled them in a long tube shape and laid it against the intake and on the head where you can see it between the intake and the valve cover gasket. Then I took metal duct tape and taped down the paper towel so that would be under the the tape and nothing could escape upwards. We drove about 10 km back home and went in the garage and had a look and no oil on top of the metal tape. I took (the metal tape) it off and the paper towel was saturated with oil.
So am I thinking it could be the valve cover? I was thinking of cleaning the area again with brake clean and taking some copper gasket maker and just putting it along the edge of the valve cover where it meets the head. Letting it dry and then drive and see. As a temp fix to verify it's the valve cover? If I did this it would or should leak less if nothing at all? Unless anyone else has any ideas?

*** could it leak oil up thru the fuel injector? that being said I have used 3 different fuel injectors in this spot where it is leaking ***

Thanks for all the help.
Please see photos.
Instead of gooping everything up with gasket maker,i'd pull the valve covers and put all new gaskets/seals in them.I'd also run it through your local coin-op carwash,and wash the hell out of the top of the engine before pulling the valve covers.Take a Safeway bag or something with you and throw it over the alternator if you're worried about it,but i've never worried about the alternator on my vehicles and i wash the hell out of them under the hood on a weekly basis.
 

EdGs

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Are you absolutely sure that one of the MDS solenoids or the oil control valve isn't leaking?

Oil is pressurized at those points and would not take but a slightly damaged o-ring to leak a bunch.

I hope you get it figured out.
 
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c713

c713

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Hey. Thanks for the quick replies. So good idea as to wash the engine and put new valve covers. Like I said before, we have been in the business many years, so washing the engine I can do at the shop not problem! Thats one stepl
As for the solenoids, for sure not leaking. When I had the intake off they were dry. The oil under the intake leaked by the side where I have shown in the photos. In regards to the oil control valve, was dry there also. I'm getting this oil only in the same spot as I have with the 2 previous intakes. Between cylinders 4 & 6 and to be quite honest, it looks like it's leaking from the injector, but by covering up the head that I stated above, it didn't come up to the injector. I have ran this truck at an idle, I have had my son put it in gear, brake on and rev the truck and do not see an oil leak. Only when we drive it and stop the oil leak shows. It's very frustrating to say the least. Thanks for your help and if any more ideas please let me know!

And thanks to everyone who is replying, I do not intend to ignore you just has been very frustrating and having a heck of a time figuring this out.
 

RedSRT4Me

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Use only Mopar gaskets. Felpro sucks IMO. They always leaked for anybody I knew who used them.

Being that changing the gaskets is a pain I'll take the advise and eat the $10 bucks the fel pro cost. Doing it once with proper tools/equipment is what I'm all about.
Thanks for the advise.
 
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c713

c713

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Being that changing the gaskets is a pain I'll take the advise and eat the $10 bucks the fel pro cost. Doing it once with proper tools/equipment is what I'm all about.
Thanks for the advise.


So you think use Mopar gaskets for the valve covers?
 

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