Hi cherokeeforum,

I am seeing a small oil leak from my 01 XJ.

I don't want to rule out the rear main seal, but the engine was just rebuilt 2k miles ago. I see oil under the starter. Does it mean it is the oil filter seal oring?

From a quick search, it seems like the three main places that leak on the 4.0l is rear main, oil filter seal oring, or the valve gasket.

Any ideas? I'll post a pic when I can. Currently on my phone.

 

Valve cover gasket and oil filter adapter O rings are 2 very common leaking spots. I would venture a guess that it's one of those 2. I would start there.

 

If you raise it & put it on jack stands, & crawl under it, you may find the the fresh oil trail....

And use an inspection mirror to look behind the block below the rear of the valve cover for fresh oil....simple stuff first...

 

Mine leaks about a quart every 2 weeks... Valve cover oil filter adapter and timing chain cover

 

Clean it off and watch for the fresh oil. Oil filter, adapter and pressure sender all drip on to the starter. Pull the plug from the oil pressure sender and see if there is oil inside. It should be dry.

 

Man that would just drive me crazy but I hate oil leaks.

I would clean everything where it could possibly be coming from and then put some baby powder all up in there and then run it and see where it is coming from. When my RMS went out it leaked straight down and not anywhere near the starter.

 

You need to get under there to see if it's the adapter, you might not see it well from above...
OIL FILTER ADAPRER O RINGS http://www.myjeepxj.com/cherokee-rep...filter-adapter And a link with torx.. https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f51/oi...o-ring-127359/

 

it does drive me crazy the whole underside of my jeep Is oily but he Atleast i know it'll be rust free

 

I wanted to add I just did an oil change, so the oil is kind of hard to see in the photos.

I appreciate all your input, thank you guys so much.

-edit pics as promised-

 

mine leaks in all the same places 😅😰 pretty cheap fixes

 

I would start by ruling out the valve cover and the oil filter adapter as they are a lot easier to do than the RMS and also easier to diagnose. If they aren't where most of the leaking is then do your RMS. But since the RMS is a two piece, it will almost always leak some even when it is good. The last time I did my RMS on my old engine, it lasted maybe 4 months before I started to notice a drop every now and again on my driveway. It never got worse than just a drop or two a week but it was always there.

 

timing chain cover gasket is a huge leak out of mine

 

Dress for dirty, with glasses. Preferably, with it running blast it at the car wash. Don't "bead in" anywhere you might force crud in, (like, back off around the valve cover gasket, filler ect) Stay away from the manifolds, the TB and the dizy. Get under there and do a number. Respect the ball-joints, tie rod boots, U-joints. (might be possible to blast in past those seals, you don't want to do that)

You could buy a can of foaming engine degreaser, and hit all sorts of cosmetic areas, inner fenders, firewall, under hood, right in the Mall Wart parking lot. Then when you get to the car wash 10 minutes later, gave her a bath.

Just use common sense, don't bean stuff that looks like it shouldn't be too wet.

Now it's sort of clean. If you even drive two blocks, the oil might be everywhere, and you won't know where it came from. You gotta watch it right away, with good light, to see where it's coming from. If you drive it and let it blow around, you end up right back to where you are now.

We do see oil on, and around the adapter, a very common culprit.

 

i really cant tell. i feel like if it was the valve cover i could see it really easily.

I went wheeling today and when I parked it i checked under to see where the oil was, and the side of my oil pan is also wet with oil.

So I'm currently still hoping its not the rear main, and its the oil filter adapter? is there any way to be sure? really hard to trace

 

Really? I don't even have a gasket on my timing chain cover and it doesn't leak at all.