Installing the Heath PMD Isolator and transmission fluid leak question

[emt_hound]

Hi, Everybody!

The hardest part of trying to restore a vehicle when you're deployed overseas is the length of time you have to wait between when you place an order for a part and when you receive it. The second hardest part is making absolutely sure you've ordered the correct part. Nothing makes a day go from sunny to crummy like opening up a box and finding something incompatible with your vehicle.

With that in mind, I carefully selected and ordered the Heath PMD isolator kit back before Christmas in the hopes that it would cure the Blazer's no-start woes. This is also part of a larger effort to replace and/or restore everything that's near the end of its servicible life. For example, the serpentine belt is actually in tatters (never seen one this bad and not broken) and the oil is at least five years old...possibly older. The air filter was from 2002 and the original PMD is actually the original Stanadyne (to its credit, it made it 90k).

My ability to diagnose is extremely limited by the fact that the truck is sitting on the side of a public street and my tool box is limited to a set of pliars, a set of wrenches, and a set of sockets. So...I decided back in December that the symptoms prior to it completely failing to start sounded like PMD failure and I decided to go ahead and swap it out.

Anyway, I received the Heath kit last week. It looks very nice: D-Tech PMD pre-mounted on a 1/4" thick sheet of brass. Four 15mm bolts sit in three inch bolt-mounts to extend the brass heat-sink away from the skid plate. I was eager to install it right away but it has been freezing cold outside and raining cats and dogs for two weeks straight. Finally, today we had an intersection of sunshine, warm-ish weather, and me with a free weekend.

I pulled the four bolts holding the skid plate up and removed it completely for ease of work. I used the pre-printed template on the Heath box to mark my drill-points. The instructions say to use a 7/16" drill bit. Unfortunately, I was only able to borrow a small electric drill with a 1/4" drill bit. I solved this problem by rounding the heck out of my initial 1/4" holes until the bolts barely squeezed through.

I mounted the PMD Isolator onto the skid plate and reinstalled the skid plate on the Blazer. I threaded the harness through the hole beneath the radiator and up through the open space next to the driver-side battery. There are no wire coat hangers around here and I was a bit stuck as to how I was going to get the harness up off the ground (as well as how I was going to fish out the original PMD's connector). Fortunately, the local trash heap is only a few blocks away. After digging around the garbage for a few minutes (yes, it's as gross as it sounds), I found a length of chicken wire. A few snips with the pliars and I had a suitable guide-wire.

I was able to use needle-nose pliars to disengage the original PMD connector. I also got lucky on my first try at grabbing it with the same pliars. There was just enough play to bring it into view. The Heath connector clipped right into it and I tucked the whole mess back in the original spot. Obviously, I left the original PMD mounted on the side of the fuel injection pump. I'm not even sure how'd I go about removing that with what few tools I have.

I stole some zip-ties from the guys at work and carefully ziptied the harness out of the way of the belt and fan.

I'd love to test it out and tell you the truck's running...but I can't. I have two dead batteries and no way to replace them. I'm still waiting on the battery tender I ordered. I'm hoping I can rehab the batteries with a little trickle charge. :)

During my clean up, I decided to check out the oily mess that was coating the oil sump. When I first spotted it, I assumed it was most likely oil leaking from a crack in the pan or from a stripped out plug. However, the truck's been parked for six weeks and the mess still looks wet and actively leaking.

I'm going to try to post a picture here: http://www.thedieselpageforums.com/photopost/data/500/medium/TrannyFluidOnOilSump.JPG

Anyway, I crawled over to take a peak. The entire bottom of the sump and the surrounding area is wet with oil...but not engine oil. It's pale pink and slippery...so I'm assuming its transmission fluid.

The area around the transmission pan is dry as a bone, so I'm a little perplexed. Is there anything carrying transmission fluid that hangs over or near enough to the oil pan to leak onto it like this? I'm hoping to dry it all up tomorrow and (hopefully) spot the leak. It's definitely still dripping as there is now a stain on the pavement.

I doubt there's anything I'll be able to do about it until I get the Blazer States-side, but I'd like to know what I have on my hands.

[racer55]

The trans cooler lines are routed along the passengers side of the oil pan,they could be leaking at any point between the rad(or external cooler in front of the rad)to back behind the engine where they enter the trans.
gravity will make the oil find the lowest point to drip from and that is normally going to be the engine oil pan or the cooler lines mount at the oil pan to block bolt(s).

The power steering cooler could be another source for the fluid also and would be more on the drivers side,the mess fronm that is normally more wind swept from driving and since yours has been sitting is less likely.

You will need to get the engine running to check fluid levels properly and maybe even see the leak as it occurs under slight pressure.

After looking at the picture,I notice that the front yoke on the transfer case is damp also in the vicinity of the moisture on the oil pan,the t-case is filled with atf also and the seal behind the yoke could be the source of the leak,provided that the truck was recently towed into the position it now sits?

[emt_hound]

Racer55, thanks for the info.

I spent the better part of the afternoon with a bottle of Greased Lightning and a roll of papertowels trying to cut through 17 years worth of crud on the oil sump and the transmission. I managed to get a surprising amount off.

I haven't entirely ruled out a transmission fluid leak, but the majority of the wetness appears to be dripping down onto the trans cooler lines from the passenger side of the bottom of the engine. It looks like either old transmission fluid or (more likely) relatively fresh oil. Very light and pinkish-brown.

Now here's the mystery: I know the 15W40 in this engine is several years old. It's black as night and slightly gritty coming out of the dipstick. I've ruled out brake fluid and coolant...so is there another fluid I'm missing? Why would I be finding fresh (or, at least, fresh-er) oil?

[racer55]

Re-read the last paragraph in my previous post.
I think the source could be the transfer case front seal leaking and being thrown against the oil pan from the front driveshaft?

[emt_hound]

Well, it's definitely oil coming from somewhere on the bottom of the engine. After extensive clean up, I'm pretty sure the transfer case's front seal solid.

Best I can tell, it's dripping off the engine and then getting flung onto the sump and transmission. Given the archaeological eras of oil that I had to scrape my way through, I'm guess it's been leaking for several years.

Now, to find the source. :)

Actually, my next step is to rehab the batteries. Still haven't gotten my battery tender in the mail, but I've scrounged up an old battery charger from where I work. It was discontinued years ago, covered in rust, and beat to heck, but the guys swear it works. I'll be connecting it today and giving each battery a six-hour charge.

Then, with any luck, I'll be able to turn-over the engine and get this thing off the street!

[emt_hound]

Well, managed to grab an hour tonight so I reinstalled the two batteries I'd been carefully recharging. Bled the fuel system at the fuel filter and it started right up. First time since it died on me back in early December. So, chalk one up for PMD failure and Heath's PMD Isolator kit.

Even the neighbors came out to watch. They've been sick of looking at this thing stuck on the street. I immediately backed it up onto my little postage stamp of property where I can now really go to work on it (time and weather permitting).

I was so excited that I decided I'd take advantage and change out the oil. I can tell you I've got leaks all over the place. Oil dripping from the top of the sump...as well as tranny fluid where the transmission mates to the engine (I think). Sheesh.

Anyway, got the oil plug out. Drained probably five quarts. The oil filter...well, first let me say that I really hate where it's located. Second, it's been on there for about five years. I torqued and twisted and totally deformed the can but the darn thing hasn't budged. I'm going to go back through the forums and read what others have done with this issue. I don't have access to much beyond basic tools. This may be a problem. :)

Still, I'm just happy she started at all.