So I'm not sure if anyone has ever seen this or dealt with this before, but I've had a leak from the front end of my engine since I bought the Jeep a few months ago. It was always a small drip or two so I just assumed it was a gasket. I finally ordered the timing chain stuff I needed and when I got my cover off I was greeted with a nice hole worn into it from the fan pulley. Now it seems like the PO knew this was an issue and has since put 3 little washers on each of the fan pulley bolts. So I'm just wondering if I get a new compressor bracket would this solve my issue? Or am I just trying stuff and seeing what works. I'd rather not have to buy another timing chain cover, so if anyone has seen this before and has a fix let me know!


Fan pulley fits perfectly into the slot

Didn't leak a ton because it was high up

 

In my opinion I would just spend the money on a new cover, or see if you can get one from a local junk yard.

I think the only real way to fix that would be to weld it, but being cast aluminum and having decades of oil and everything else on the cover I would worry that welding would be difficult if not impossible.

 

You can buy a new timing cover...but it comes from somewhere in china and the bolt holes are oversized....it took me a week to make little bushings so the bolts would fit snugly without excessive play..better bet is to get one at the junkyard...BUT I have had 4 or 5 XJ 4.0 and have never had a pulley cut into the timing chain cover...something is not right...just can't tell you what it is
I think i wrote down all the pulley numbers on the garage wall during one of my many rebuilds...lets make sure you have the correct pulley in that spot..need a day or so to look it up

 

I had the same problem but was a bad harmonic balancer rubbed a hole so would leak really good . Thought is was the seal. I cleaned the hell out of it many times and used the 2 part JB weld and let it sit and cure for a couple days in the summer. Replaced harmonic and new seal and it,s been good now for over 5 yrs. or more. But make sure is clean ,clean ,toothbrush alcohol ,brake cleaner ,anything you can think of.

 

What year is your XJ and is it the original motor?
Quadratec shows six covers. Looks like the part number on this one matches yours:
https://www.quadratec.com/products/917457_04.htm

 

Yeah I've already ordered all the parts I need for it. I've just never seen another one that had this issue. I'm planning on picking up a new compressor bracket in the morning and getting it put back together. So hopefully that fixes it. It's a 97 country. Original 4.0 yeah.

 

a bad bearing can cause a pulley to wobble and shift. Is the pulley bearing shot?

 

What Rob said. The part number on the pulley matches for the XJ. For it to sit so far back it hits the cover, something else is wrong. Does the shaft wobble at all?

 

Nothing was out of the ordinary as far as I can tell. Maybe the pulley bearing is shot. I've bought a new compressor bracket so I'm gonna swap that on and maybe it'll fix it. I didn't have any squeaking in the belt or anything that would point towards it being out of alignment. Again it could have been that the PO ghetto fixed it enough to not make any noise, but I'm not 100% sure until I can get the parts back on.

 

The fan pulley bearing is replaceable for those interested. Omix-Ada 17104.83. You will need a press or air tools.