Old truck engine question

I bought an old grain truck as a spare for harvest. 3208 cat motor and auto tranny. Engine overhauled recently. Ran it half hour and had a big oil puddle under rear of engine. Previous owner felt bad and said I didn't need to take it.Said they ran all harvest last year and never leaked a drop.Said he would have it checked out and fixed and I could make up my mind then. Mechanic told him it needs a bell housing gasket. HELP this caught me off guard. Im no mechanic at all but should a bell housing ever be holding oil. Does automatic tranny change my thinking.

Not familiar with that particular engine and trans but yes some are wet especially common in equipment.

Torque converter?

Also some trucks the bell housing is what actually holds the rear main seal

Maybe you're way ahead of me of this but just to be certain... The "oil" in question is certainly engine oil? Or is it transmission fluid?

The bell housings are interchangeable for different applications, most trucks engines are like this also along with 400 series IH, 436 and 466. Dubuque/Saran JD engines are the same way. They are wet because they seal and support the rear of the engine and hold the rear main seal. The housings are sometimes referred to as SAE 1, 2, 3 and so on if I remember right. Look a little closer to the next truck engines you see. chris

I have the same setup in a Ford L9000 semi. It dribbles oil at the bell housing. I'd say maybe a baseball sized puddle if you let it sit and idle a while (like waiting a while in line at the elevator). It's done that for years. I don't take it more than a couple of hours from the farm so I just check the oil every once in a while. I checked it the other day at 1000 since the change and it was still fine. Other than marking its spot it's been fine.

The automatic is nice for a change. I haven't had any issues with it. I will tell you that 3208 with an automatic can sure be a gutless wonder. Especially when you put about 600 bushels behind it. I usually just pull out of the field, put the hammer down, and let off when I get to the stop sign in town five miles away. Sometimes I can get going over 35 on the hills. God help you if something steps out in front of you because if you stomp on those Ford air brakes you will have a broken neck before your brain ever processes that you stepped too hard.

I wouldn't be scared of it. Like everything, just make sure it's been serviced. The guy sounds pretty conscientious. Mine was a Pepsi truck so service records were available.

The bell housing does not hold oil persay.

The bell housing bolts to the back of the motor with several bolts behind the flywheel.
These bolt holes protrude into the crankcase.
The bolts work loose threw vibration causing the bell housing to move a little.
This in turn damages the gasket and creates a oil leak much like a rear main seal leak.

A few bolts; a gasket; and some loctite will fix it.
Its the labor to get to the bolts that is the killer.

I have seen leak at this point before also. as a last ray of hope, check that it isn't coming from top, in engine valley, & running down the seam between engine/bell housing.

When I worked in the paper mill we would put diapers (absorbent pads) on any overhead equipment that was suspected of dripping oil. The rolls of paper were moved with 50 ton overhead cranes and you can't have oil dripping on white paper! I don't remember who made the pads but I have seen them used for oil spills in the ocean. They are 18 inches square and about 3/8 thick and will absorb oil but not water. You could tie a couple of them under the leak until you have time to fix it right.

Are you sure it is oil not diesel fuel. I have had to change injection pumps on that engine.Pump leaks fuel runs down the valley. Drips on the bell housing and onto the floor.