where do i look? no oil no real mess but some and maybe some antifreeze

[papason]

so got out of my favorite car yet. 94 pickup 22re 197,000.
smelled something that got my attention but I am in a hurry. kinda smelled like antifreeze but not really. maybe heard a sizzle, maybe. ran inside a building for a minute and came back and looked it over and saw nothing. hurried home drove fine. crawled under found some spots wet mostly oil, one place was water or antifreeze another oil spot was real wet like oily water. and no oil on the stick. antifreeze level was maybe a tad low but water in the bucket but not much.

so with better inspection after cooling there was oil drops but not much for losing it all and there wasnt any tracks on blow off or anything. looked around with flashlight and don't see any evidence. pulled off the oil cap and and that small pool was really wet seeming like it was water with oil in it. pulled a couople plugs and they look great.
it is not normal for this to use oil in any meaningful amount between changes. I filled it up with oil and ran it then drove it a couple miles and not seeing leaks. This is not a clean engine for sure, like when changing oil and it spills clean up if any is not very thorough. There is a spot on the drivers side hub under the brakes that is dark and felt greasy but again not enough and not sure if that hasnt been there a long time. most of it is not the drivers side top or bottom but some on passenger side as well.

So where do I look?

[fourwd1]

You could do a compression test on each cylinder, and a leak down/pressure test on the cooling system. Diagnostic tests like that may point you in a direction.

[papason]

Thank you I was literally just thinking on that.
but then remembered all the oil was gone. Not sure exactly when it was last checked but not long enough to slowly be consumed. it never burns any oil really you know in between changes it still pretty much up there.

[fourwd1]

If oil is disappearing, it's either a leak or burning (maybe a little of both making it almost undetectable). If you don't notice it you're not likely to check the level often, then when you do it's low

[papason]

This is apparently the source of my leak. what is it called? can I just replace the rubber part?

Thanks

[papason]

see the picture I posted after your reply. this seem to leak. not sure what it is can you help?

[Stealthee]

That's an AC hose.

[fourwd1]

Originally Posted by Stealthee

That's an AC hose.

Or maybe the hi pressure side of the Power Steering, or to trans or Oil Cooler, hard to tell from the angle of the pic.

If it's AC hose, well your AC wouldn't work, does it ? Also the refrigerant in the AC would just evaporate, not drip.

[papason]

definitely not A/c or tranny. thinking oil cooler and wondered of power steering but I cant find one like this when I look them up. looked for diagrams of this motor nothing good yet.
it is a long sucker. comes out of a pump? and eventually, if I followed it right into the steering box? and two rubber sections on it.

[papason]

thanks for helping but a/c is the one thing I am certain it isnt.

[fourwd1]

The PS high pressure line would go from the PS pump to the steering gear.
The return hose from steering gear back to the pump reservoir is a low pressure hose.

[papason]

Thats what it looks like I dont know. would that line go out towards the grill and loop around?
but it doesn't look like PS fluid, looks like oil to me. PS was low too but the oil was out and I see nothing else so far. but I miss things right in front of me all the time. whatever it is, when I look up parts either nothing or something that looks different.

[papason]

added pressure to my parts search and the power steering hose came up. Got the part now need a crows foot.

[fourwd1]

Check a local auto parts store or Harbor Freight for a crows foot set