Okay. My brain hurts and Im frustrated because I cannot figure this out. So I created an account and decided to reach out to fellow XJ friends with the same mutual love/hate relationship of their Jeeps.

2 days ago, I buttoned up the bell house bolts, and plugged everything back up after installing a new Torque Converter and Flexplate and I drove an hour and a half back home, and not a problem in sight. Then today, I started to notice a hesitation from idle to first gear, and then as I was driving to lunch, I noticed I was driving at higher RPM's for longer because it was taking it longer to shift into over drive. Then when I stopped at a red light, smoke started pouring from under the chassis. So I pulled over and a consistent drip of maybe oil, or trans fluid, (Looked darker than trans fluid, but didnt smell like oil really) was dripping on the exhaust. I brought it home, wiped everything down. Check my fluid levels----Which the oil was a tad low, but the trans stick was pretty much not reading anything. I started it, drove it for about 2 min, brought it back and it had a trail of fluid from the begging to end of my driveway.

I have made sure all my bolts, Coolant lines, connections, starter, inspection plate, dipstick, etc, are all tight.

Before I did the FP, and the TQ, I replaced the oil pump, new gasket, and tightened the bolts appropriately.

The only two things I have found that seem to be even the slightest bit odd is that, on the front of the oil pan, 3 of the 4 bolts where loose, So I tightened those. And noticed that the dipstick for the trans stick was bent and not all the way pushed back together.

Now some of you may be thinking, well duh, you are low on trans fluid. Okay. Fair. I thought the same thing, and still do. But when I checked the fluid level hot, It was little above the max level. So now, Im back to square one trying to figure out the location of my leak. Any ideas??

It only leaks under pressure. No check Engine light, no temp gauge or oil gauge increase.

The leak is coming from somewhere on the passenger side. There is spew all over the Starter, bottom of the oil filter, that side of the bell housing, exhaust, etc.

Ive heard, Rear Main seal, or Valve Cover gasket. If I only had a say in what broke and what didn't....

 

Is it oil, or transmission fluid? If it is oil, the rear main and valve cover are possiblities, but another is that the oil filter adpater may have sprung a leak and the oil is getting blown back. The oil pan gasket didnt shift on you during install, did it? If it is transmission fluid, check the lines for any signs of a leak. Wipe everything down and check it next trip.

 

Thanks for lending a hand, fb97xj1!

Thats one of the thing I'm having trouble with. It looks like oil, dark brownish, but it smells more like trans fluid. It's viscosity is very fluid, almost water like.

Ill check around the Oil Filter assembly, didn't even think of that! Thanks!