I am a newbie and nobody seems to have any advice or suggestion on other jeep forums!
I have a 1999 Jeep Cherokee Limited 2.5 TD (VM engine)
I have an oil leak coming from the rear of my engine. It leaks whilst I am on the move and for between 5mins and 10mins after I’ve stopped.
It was diagnosed as being the rear main seal but after having had that replaced which involved shaft, gear box, clutch and fly wheel off, and at considerable expense it is still leaking from that area!
Has anyone else experienced this? I am thinking of putting some stop leak in the engine to try and stem it but I know that it’s only a temp fix and I will have to get it fixed in the long run.

I hope I don’t have to get a new engine or rebuild one!!!!
Any suggestions welcome.
Thanks
Jay

 

Could be leaking from the back of the valve cover and escaping detection...this happened on my 4.0...

 

It was my dad's opinion that often a rear main will leak after the RM has worn a bit. The idea being if the shaft moves latterly a little, say .030, it may not seal on the lip. A "seller" might slap in a new rear main to keep it tighty long enough to sell it. The shaft will soon wear into the new seal. Did it stop for a while?

You defiantly want to look at your crankcase venting vs/blow-by. Gas/air pressure in the case can blow oil out anywhere. Little tougher to "power brake" a manual. If you do that and it blows out the oil filler, (cap off) , then you have a issue with gas blowing by your rings. (don't burn up your clutch!)

 

Thanks flinstone, very helpful I shall tell my mechanic. I think i did see it moving excessively when the gearbox was off! It's defo not the valve/rocker cover, that's one of the first things I had replaced.

 

Is your xj standard? I had the same problem after replacing my rear main, I still had a leak going on. I removed the tranny and found out it was my clutch slave cylinder.

 

X2.^^^^

 

No mine is a manual standard 1999 2.5td. It's coming from the back of the engine for sure. We are going to try to replacing the 2 part thrust bearing with a slightly over size one.

 

I want a Diesel

 

I've done a little looken. The 2.2 Diesel sucks I guess. (can't get out of it's own way). The 2.5, OK but the electiecs' get nutty past 96. So a pre 97 2.5..

OP, well, please let us know. I don't know about just changing the rear main bearing. If the crank is "lifted" then bridges the next bearing up the line....flexing would make it crack. You could stand on a broomstick laid across a row of blocks. If you change one end block to a taller one the shaft will flex. metal doesn't like that.

It's a tough game. "I just want to change my rod bearing inserts" "well as long as I'm there I might as well so the mains" "Oh wait, then I need to pull the timing chain/sprocket/cover"....or maybe he's just taking out the lateral play.

 

If it's manual, you should check the clutch slave cylinder.