Im considering buying a used 1996 diesel but notice a small leak that looks like it might be coming from under where the injectors are bolted on.
Drips down on to the power steering pump. Also maybe oil pan leaks.
In one hour the drip on the pavement was about the size of a quarter.
Truck runs good on test drive decent power. Needs alignment.
Are these a big deal for semi skilled DYI guys?
Is this typical? Any ideas would help.

 

thats not an oil leak, thats automatic rust prevention at least thats my story.... you say its dripping down on the PS pump, so that means its coming from somewhere around the injection pump, the injectors are on the other side of the head, most common is the valve cover gaskets (very easy to change) but there is a oil feed line on the back of the injection pump that could also be the cause, or somethin on the injection pump itself, most things on the 12v cummins are very easy for a DIY person, good luck and welcom to the forum

 

Would it be ok to power wash the oil and grime off to check more closely?
Also on the front end lots of people are saying ball joints are a common thin to go bad.
Are ball joints a DIY fix? Oh BTW the truck has 240k and a rebuilt trans 25k ago.
No beauty queen but seems to run good.

 

washing wont hurt a thing, ball joints are a common wear point on any vehical, just jack the tires up off the ground, grab the bottom of the tire and push/pull, to see if they are ok, the steering joints and track bar should also be checked, with weight on the tires, start engine and have someone rock the steering wheel back an forth, while you check all the joints for movement

 

Ball joints are the thing that can be real easy, and can also be real hard. An air impact make them much easier to replace but yes if your mechanically inclinded there are a DIY afternoon job. You can use the factory manual on this forum to help you through it. As for the oil leak, couple things to look at. If its by the PS pump, it could be the seal between the vacuum pump and the powersteering pump which is about a $10 part and will take a few hours to get to and replace, maybe more. The tappet cover on the side of the block could also be a leaker, and thats a lot more invovled to replace as the injection pump has to come off. Vavle covers as stated are also a common leak point. As far as the oil pan goes, youll need to loosen the motor mounts and raise the engine in order to change the gasket with teh motor in the truck

 

Thanks for the input guys. Not much of an oil spot the last few days.
Still leaking a little though.