bradleyheathhays

Chasing down an oil leak on the left side somewhere. Replaced the valve cover gasket with a Felpro but I'm afraid there's still some oil coming from somewhere. So now (as starting has been a problem, due to oil leak?) I'm removing and cleaning out my starter with some brake cleaner, as well as replacing the oil filter adapter gasket.

Any advice? Never done this before so I'm all ears.

Thanks

EZEARL

Got two saved up so far for when I tackle mine.

http://www.yuccaman.com/jeep/filter.html

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f13/o...my-way-231507/

mycherokee

I have a 99 and it drips every hour so I have a rapid oil leak. I have purchased a new gasket for the oil filter and am planning to just tackle the valve cover gasket at the same time and hope that together the leak will be fixed or be very minimal. Other than those 2 places there are only 2 other places, oil pan or rear main seal. For the majority its 1 of the 4 most of the time. So with the oil filter adapter is it easier to remove from underneath? It seems to be and (may sound dumb) do I need to drain the oil prior to removing? I had thought about during an oil change ill replace both gaskets and then see what happens. But if it still leaks I don't want to waste my money on an oil replacement if its the rear main or somewhere else. Tips suggestions?

EZEARL

Also check your distributor gasket for a leak.

RTorrez1

Before I tackle that job I would clean everything really good and see if that is where it is coming from. It can also come from the oil sending unit and like EZEARL said it can come from the distributor.

JackJare9455

best advice, research it, a lot of hints and tips have been posted.. especially for removing the bolt for the adapter..

and degrease the heck out of the engine... buy a couple cans of engine degrease, and go to town!

ksrummel

Check the oil sending unit as well as the hex shaped bolt that it screws into. Mines leaking from the hex shaped bolt

bradleyheathhays

Far as the oil leak is concerned I've been informed it could also be coming from my distributor gasket, as well as both/either the oil sending unit and the hex shapped nut it screws into. I don't have any experience with the oil sending unit yet, but since I'm gonna have the starter and oil filter adapter off at the same time should I go ahead and get into the oil sending unit then? Does removing the starter and filter adapter make getting to the oil sending unit any easier?

EZEARL

You need find the leaks yourself really. Get couple cans of carb cleaner and clean the whole area where the leak/leaks could be coming from. Run/drive it and keep an eye on it. That oil sending unit sits on top the adapter. It's very susceptable to damage (oil filter changing for instance) or just cracking from age. Oil under pressure plus being moved by forced air while driving can coat alot of area. I wouldn't get into replacing things without know for certain,if possible,what needs replaced.

bradleyheathhays

Did the starter clean out and filter adapter gasket swap out today. Starter was absolutely filled with crap and oil. Took it completely apart, spent a can and a half on it and reinstalled. The solvent sprayed out all the good grease in the planetary gear housing so I slopped in some red moly grease the guy at O'Reilly's suggested and closed it up.

After having done the job now I'm not sure if the filter adapter seal was leaking or not. Once I got in there I couldn't tell any direct line of heavier leakage below the adapter. The recently changed valve cover gasket was leaking down the entire side of the motor so if the adapter seal was leaking it may have been camouflaged. Still had drops of oil on my pan a couple days after changing out that valve cover gasket so I figured go ahead and get at the filter adapter seal since the starter was going to be off anyway. Either way it's done and the starter's in a used but very clean condition now so hopefully everything will go ok. Got a good bit of the motor cleaned off too so if the leak continues I'll be able to isolate it a little more efficiently next time.

This tool helped out a lot on the filter adapter.



Not sure if it's common but it's W1319 at O'Reilly's, ten bucks. With PB put on yesterday the T-60 in there and a 2 ft pipe had the big bolt on the adapter moving the first time I heaved on it. Well worth it.

If anyone has the torque specs for the 2 bolts securing the starter I'd be obliged.

skife

Tight

JackJare9455

exact same tool i used, i went from the bottom with a deep well socket and some extensions to create a cheater pipe... worked like a charm..

cruiser54

So the starter clean out went well? Good results?

Ever read this little deal on oil leaks that I wrote?




I'd be looking up ABOVE first, and VERIFYING the source of the oil leak YOURSELF.

Everybody, who doesn't own or have to pay for or perform your vehicle repairs, loves to poke their noggin UNDER the Jeep and come out bearing the false bad news that your RMS is leaking.

Many mechanics, friends, people on Jeep forums who can’t see your Jeep from where they’re at, and good old Uncle Bob seem to enjoy telling you it’s the rear main seal. Has a catastrophic ring to it, doesn’t it?

A simple leak at the back of the valve cover or other source could produce the same symptoms. You don’t need to be a mechanic to figure this out. If you have good eyesight and a dim flashlight, you’re good to go on your own. Don't jump on the RMS/oil pan gasket bandwagon right off the bat.

Almost any oil leak on your 4.0 is gonna drip from the RMS area for two simple reasons.

First off, the engine sits nose-up and any oil will run back to the RMS area. Secondly, the RMS area is also the lowest point on the engine. Simple physics and the old plumber's adage apply here. "$hit flows downhill".

Valve cover gasket, oil pressure sending unit, oil filter adapter seals and distributor gasket, in that order, have to be eliminated as possibilities first.

Revised 02-26-2013

bradleyheathhays

Excellent yes thanks cruiser. Ideally I would've liked to have studied the leak over maybe a week with cleaning off the motor and studying where it first appeared again. But honestly I don't think I could've gotten to all the places I would have needed to without taking some of these parts out. So in the end I suppose I was destined to solve this thing only by jumping in. But yes most def I'll keep that top down protocol in mind next time I get a leak.