This is a dumb question, but I really don't know.

I peeked into my valve cover, and I expected to see, well, oil in there, instead it seems pretty empty, except for a little sludge and the oil left on the top of the rockers. I am not low on oil, but wanted to know what it should look like when I take that little yellow cap off.

This is an 88 Cherokee Laredo.

Thanks in advance.

 

Oil is pushed into the rockers when it's running. not like the oil pan where it all collected.

 

There are holes in the head where it runs back out/down.

When it's running, there is oil squirting out of the top of the pushrods/rocker arms.

 

Thanks, guys. When it comes to the internals of an engine, well, there I am a noob. lol. That and the jeep hasn't been ran in a couple of weeks, probably why it looks pretty dry. Thanks again, I appreciate the lack of condescending, which I expected, especially since I knew and stated it was a dumb question.

 

I am in the same boat as you, not to familiar with the internals but do know that if you run your engine for a while and then shut it off, the oil quickly drains back to the pan (in a matter of 5 or so minutes I believe it will all be sitting in the pan). But in your case of not running for a couple weeks, that's the only reason it looks dry, cause all the oil has drained back and the top has become dry

 

Makes me think we had a Private the other day filling the engine with oil. This is a 3126a cat engine mind you. bout 100k new well for the Army that is.

I asked him how much the oil does the engine take. He said I don't know just fill it too you see it in the oil fill.

In oil fill he meant valve cover.

Needless to say he did not go home clean that day. Not easy to drain oil out of a Stryker.

 

Yup, when the engine is running, the oil pump scavenges oil from the pan and delivers it to the head where it bathes the cam, rockers, and valve springs and guides with oil. When the engine is off the pump is no longer running and the oil drains back into the pan until next time. There should be a film of oil left on the head internals so that when you restart, there is some protection until the pump gets the oil from the pan back to the head.

This is why most engine wear occurs at start-up and why it's always recommended that you allow your engine to warm up properly before giving it the beans (sorry, I've been watching Top Gear).

 

Ouch! There's 6-8 GALLONS (with over-fill) of oil down the drain. I hope he didn't try starting it like that. I guess he should be thankful it wasn't a Cat C32, which takes 36.5 gallons.

 

Pressurized oil is fed from the oil pump to oil passages/gallerys in the block. This pressurized oil is fed directly to the crankshaft bearings, rod bearings, cam bearings, lifters and thru and out the push rods, to feed the valve train. After pressurized oil passes thru the bearings and thru push rods, it is no longer pressurized and lubrication continues to other moving parts by means of splash and drip.

Don't want to start an oil thread but the main reason for using an oil with a low (or zero) 1st number, is a lower 1st number oil flows quicker at motor start-up than a higher 1st number oil when the oil temp is at any temp below operating temp. Quicker oil flow at start-up thru bearings and on to the top of the motor (valve train) is always better.

 

No problem bud. We gotta learn somehow and no better way of learning than to ask questions you don't know the answer to. Cheers

 

talking about oil...what is your oil pressure supposed to be at when its running, i have a 93 xj. same thing here i can replace parts all day and night but when it comes to internals and trouble shooting my brain sorta just turns into and over ripe tomatoe