The engine has had a seeping of oil from the front where I've been watching it around the water pump gasket. At first I thought it was the valve cover gasket but just at the front which seemed weird since that's the easiest part to make sure there's a good clean seal. I replaced the valve cover gasket (twice) & it was still seeping oil from somewhere at the front of the engine. I cleaned & drove, cleaned & drove and decided the fan was blowing oil mist in the air up to the valve cover gasket area & it wasn't leaking from there.

So I concentrated on really watching the water pump gasket area and trying to decide if it's just from there or the timing gasket area also. I really don't want to tear apart the same area twice but at the same time I don't have days in a row that I can leave the truck half torn apart.

On top of the little tiny seeping oil issue around the gasket it seemed for weeks that the truck was burning a little oil when my kid drove it but not when I did. I thought maybe because he does 70mph (and up I presume), takes off HARD from lights, etc., and I toot along at 55-60 max & pretty much "drive like I'm 80" so he says. Then I started driving it 100% and him not at all. And what do you know? It seems to be burning oil when I drive it, too.

Burning or leaking?!

I thought, Damn, I should have done the rings while i was doing the head gasket, UGH. Well, fine, I'll just drive it easy & watch the seeping from the gasket I thought I was so smart (not). I've been watching the oil level, making sure the coolant level stays good, etc. and all has been well until today.

Started the truck up and a BUNCH of steam came out of the tail. Granted, it's a lot cooler now than it has been in months but still, it pissed me off of course & scared me to death. I pulled over at my first stop 2 miles from home, shut her down & was happy she ran fine up to the 40mph zones.

I pulled the cap and dammit there was a bit of air or water in the oil because there was a single damn grey swirl in my nice black oil ... not brown, but either air bubbles or moisture. Again, definitely no brown in there at all, no milky color at all. Well shit now what? Still gotta pick up the kid. I drove about 4 miles in 35mph & red lights & about 4 miles at 50mph on the freeway, pulled off where I had to pick up my kid from work & shut her off... looked under hte oil cap, NO air, no moisture, pure black, no swirls, zero discoloration. AND she ran fine the whole way there & back with no steam or smoke or anything weird. All temps stayed good, and I was watching my mirrors for the tailpipe to emit smoke or steam more than I was watching the road, and there was nothing to see.

There WAS a tiny bit of steam, like that rises from hot coffee in the morning, though coming out when I took the oil cap off after the first 10 miles or so. Normal? Hell if I know I don't usually open it hot. Hm.

OK I take the freeway home thinking not much RPM difference between 35-40mph and 50-55mph. Get home, pull the cap, no swirl. Can't recall if there was steam or not I was just too happy no swirls.

I looked around and saw more moisture than normal around one area of that water pump gasket and figure i best change that before I drive her again anywhere at all. Scared the gasket will deteriorate completely & I'll just dump all the oil out.

WHICH leads to my crazy girl question of the week: how on earth am I leaking oil out of a water pump gasket??? What am I missing???

I didn't pull the coolant cap off yet today since I've been home but let me promise 100% I've been checking the water overflow, pulling the cap off the radiator, watching the bottom of the oil cap & the end of the dipstick religiously every day or every other day at the most, and have seen zero water in the oil or oil in the water.

So ehm, what do you guys think is going on???