I am a proud new owner of 99 dodge ram 4x4 2500 quad cab 24 valve. Truck has 212k on it. service records reflect all maintenance was done on time valve adjustments and oil changes etc and the previous owner was a very meticulous person and never cheaped out on repairs. when the trans went at 18ok he dropped like 7k on the best available ats trans he could afford. I am a new dodge/cummins owner but have owned 2 diesels in the past. a ford 7.3td and old gmc 6.5td.

I find a small amount of oil underneath the drivers side area every time I go to start the truck. It's a small amount but the whole left side of the engine and suspension is filthy with oil. I expect this has been going on a while. It is there every time I stop and start the truck even for a few minutes while on the street.
Previous owner says it was coming from the crank case.
I read about leaky breathers which is normal but I'm a little concerned since it is a new to me truck and I'm concerned of possible larger problems. Should I be?

MY CONCERNS
1)is there a way to stop this so it doesn't spray everywhere?
2)does my truck even have one of those canisters?
3)Is this in any way a sign that the engine is on it's way out or weakening?

Thank you to all for any and all assistance in advance.

 

all the cummins do it also you should have a canister the engine is fine dont worry

 

my 99 didnt have a canister on the blow by. u can route it to the back of the motor and it will keep the motor cleaner.

 

ok I'll find out if there is one or not tonight.
Also if there isn't a canister, how can I make one?
If there is one than why is it still leaking all over the place? what do I nee to do to stop this, what type of maintenance? Thanks for addressing my main issue, that I don't have a 7k paperweight on my hands

 

There is a oil breather vent bomb in the aftermarket 5.9.This will show you how to vent it under the truck.

 

done this on a buddys truck, i took a peice of rubber hose, and a couple home made metal adapters and hose clamps, hooked it to the end of the crank case blow by vent, and run it to the back of the motor, and turned it down, and got about 4 inches hanging straight down. his was leaking bad and the fan would blow it all over the rest of the motor. it made the motor look alot better and keeps it all cleaner

 

Ok I looked at the mod psoted in this forum. I do not see a catch container at the end of the breather extension? Does this just mean that the oil leak will be routed somewhere else or am I missing something? I do not want to have any oil on the ground at all, does this mod accomplish that? If it doesn't what does?
Also a diesel mechanic said this was a sign that you are losing compression, is this true?

 

it doesnt stop it, it moves it past the motor but it does not drip no where near what it did, and will keep the motor clean. it doesnt mean ur motor is losing compression. the 24 valves were notorious for this

 

Thanks for the clarification, that being said, can I just put some type of bottle on the end and empty it out from time to time? Is there another mod or an aftermarket kit I can buy to do this? Oil on the driveway is one of my pet peeves I need to eliminate it at all costs. Thanks in advance

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Any more comments????? Thanks guys. Like I said looking to elminate leak entirely.

 

Likely everyone said above. Normal.

I just posted in another post about this issue. There is no real issue here. If you want to spend $$ and get the relocate kit from Cummins.