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If it was me I would take it to a Detroit shop, NOT a Freightliner or KW shop that works on Detroits, but a DETROIT shop, you will know what is what when you begin to look for one.

$5200 sounds steep, but not surprising coming from Prevost.

I’m sorry guys, but my feeling is Prevost takes the piss all the time and knows people who own these things (especially late model ones) have money and they push work that in a lot of cases does not need to be done or could be accomplished for much less.

Is the oil seeping from the back of the valve cover and down around the bellhousing? Is this what they describe? Or is it a rear main leak that would require seperating engine and trans?

I think the oil cooler can easily be replaced if leaking, if oil is leaking from valve cover and getting down around the bellhousing and then the ground that too is an easy fix.

Get a second opinion at a Detroit shop and do not mention what Prevost quoted. My 2 cents.

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Kevin,

I am a little anal about wet spots and air leaks, but sometimes it is far easier on both my wallet and brain to ignore certain things because the return is nowhere near being justified by the investment.

I have a leak (seepage, damp spot, whatever your want to call it) at the rear of the engine that could be a rear bearing seal, a leak in the oil pan seal or maybe something else entirely. It annoys the hell out of me, but the effort and cost to stop it to my way of thinking are not justified. I change oil and lube my coach every 5000 miles. The wet spot is not enough during that interval to even create a drip. It spreads between the pan and bell housing, and it sometimes spreads back along the bottom of the oil pan, but there is never enough leakage to drip. So I grumble about it and clean it up every time I am under the coach and notice it, but since it is not leaving marks on the concrete pads at RV parks I am doing nothing.

But if it was dripping I would be starting the repair by dropping the oil pan and then going from there. I think you have to consider if the leak rises to the level where you are leaving spots on the ground and coating your toad with oil, or if it is so slow it is not doing anything except making your oil pan look oily. The advice to take it to Detroit is good advice.

[Dean]

Ditto what Jon said Kevin, if it’s marking it’s territory on the pavement that’s one thing, but some dampness in certain area’s is not uncommon. I haven’t had one yet that hasn’t had a little dampness at the compressor or bottom of bell housing, but no marks on the ground. Another area where you’re discussing is the speed sensor that allows oil to run down the back side of the engine.

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I would have to guess that I end up with 5 or so drops of oil on the concrete within 24 hours after shutting the bus down. Maybe a drop or two per day while it sits thereafter. It’s never been enough where I’ve had to add any oil between changes, but enough where I have to put cardboard down. Prevost still has my bus so I’ll ask them if they can be more specific. I’m realizing a visit to DD in my future.

[Bryan]

It’s not uncommon for a seep to develop between the bell
housing and the engine block. The bell housing is aluminum and the engine block
is cast iron. The difference in expansion rates contributes to this problem. My
2007 Series 60 with 250,000 miles has the same problem. The engine and
transmission have to be separated and resealed to stop the seep, so that is an expensive repair. I’d consider repairing the valve cover and oil
cooler leak then reexamine the leak at the bell housing. The leak from valve
cover could be running down the back of the engine and making the bell housing
appear worse than it is.

Ken

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At $5200 I would look the other way when I walk by

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As long as Roger is telling us how a used car dealer would handle the problem, I think I would hang a tray of speedy-dri under the leak. Total cost $3 for the cookie tray, $5 for the Speedy-dri and $1 for some baling wire to hold it up under the leak. Total cost $9.

That leaves $5191 to be applied to fuel cost.

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Our new HS-45 had that leak. With our body style power train arrangement the engine must be removed for the repair.

Our engine has been removed and leak repaired , along with a valve adjustment which is so easy to do with engine out.

I did ask if the XLII needed the engine removed to repair the same leak ? No, repair can be done without engine removal.

I spoke to tech directly that did our repair.

[Jerry]

I had a leak from the pan gasket that looked like it was coming out of the bell housing/block area. Very simple and cheap to fix when you do an oil change. I also had the cam gear housing leaking when I had the injectors worked on this past October. They did that when they had everything else apart.

None of these really dripped on the floor…but the breather does. Not much, just enough to notice.

[Chris]

That sounds pretty hilljack, Jon. Then again, I get a little suspicious anytime I look at a car for sale from Tennesee. Bad experience, once upon a time.

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I would have to move out of TN if I did not occasionally offer such redneck advice. But the more I think about it there might be a more elegant way to solve your problem with oil seepage that may be just as effective as a tray filled with cat-litter (Speedy dri).

Have you considered stuffing the space between the oil pan and bell housing with an absorbent material and then with each oil change, change the oil soaked material? I’m thinking specifically of asking Tom to let you use one of his supply of Depends to test the theory.

[john]

I got a big peice of cardboard that slides right under the coach and doesnt cost anything. Oil drops can sometimes look like you have losta gallon when in reality itsa very minor leak. 5200 bucks can get youa lot of cardboard.

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Jon said if that was the same piece of cardboard that was under the Viper, won’t it be oil soaked?

[Jerry]

That was harsh.

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Jeez maybe its not so good that you read my posts. Dont forget you’re coming to my hood LOL Gotta go now gotta go clean the floor. Hey Tommy wanna buy a bird??