Doubleajaybrock

How much of a ***** is it? Is it worth the $550 to send it to someone else?

Cherockee

It's not fun, but very possible by any backyard mechanic.

If your vehicle is lifted it will make it easier. Drop the oil pan (so you'll need that gasket kit too), take off the bearing cap, take the old seal out and put the new one in.

As wether it's worth it would depend on how deep your pockets are. $500 sounds like a lot to me, but I've very poor. But you would get the added benifit that if it leaks you can always take it back to them and make them fix it.

KD3NE

Thinking about this myself for my 95.

Been reading up on it and the warnings associated with it.

If you do it yourself PAY ATTENTION to the Oil Pump, Oil Pump pickup tube.

There is a WARNING about that in the factory service manual from what I read.

On another thread/forum I read where a guy paid a dealer $525 to do his and them might have messed it up. He lost oil pressure and valve train got real noisy.

On that same thread another poster who did it himself, had the same problem. He had to go back in and discovered the oil pickup tube was not properly secured.

I plan on doing mine this spring. I'll ride it up on ramps about 7" high ( all 4 wheels ) to make it easier to work on.

Rmart30

Not worth it for me.....

Is yours lifted or stock ? If stock or small lift. Remove tires, take off calipers and hang up out of way, disconnect shocks , jack up body and put jackstands directly behind lower control arm mounts on rail and let front diff droop down as far as it will go. That will give you more room to remove the pan.

When you go to push out the rear main part thats in the block be sure to not use anything sharp. It takes very little to gouge the seal surface and ruin it.

jeep bandit

you can't drive it up to do the seal. You need to have the axle droop as much as you can. So you need to jack it up high, then put jackstands near the rockers on each side.

As for the op, it really all depends. I am 15 and very mechanically inclined and have done engine work, but I did mine, and there is still a small leak. But I think $500 is way to much.

Shaggimo

If you're lifted more than 3 inches, there's no need for a jack, you can sneak the pan out while the jeep sits securely on all fours. Not worth $500 to me, just follow proper torque recomondation on cap replacement, and be sure not to contaminate the bearing or surface.

HCCAFan

If I had a bunch of money, I'd pay someone. Think it took me 3-4 hours with a lift, total. I have had the oil pan off in a home garage before and I'd gladly pay 550 before dealing with that messy horse**** again.

Irongrave

i'm planning on doing mine this spring or summer when i get some time. also going to get a new pan as well.

89cherokeeXJ

It's so simple very easy. Takes 5 min when oil pan is down and with a lifted jeep past 32s

2Evil4U

"So simple" "5 minutes" is probably understating the task a bit.

It is not difficult. But, if you don't have decent tools or will be working in the dirt and not at least on asphalt, I'd leave it to a pro.

At a minimum you need a torque wrench to reinstall the rear bearing cap. You can make it easier to remove the old upper seal piece by removing the stud girdle and loosening all of the main cap bolts.

$500 is about 4 hours of shop time plus parts. Sounds about right to me.

89cherokeeXJ

You remove one cap,push the old seal out with a screwdriver and coat the new one with oil push up threw then torque cap back down. It's a two piece seal that's how its easy I know I wouldn't pay some guy 550 for something that takes maybe 30 min. U need a socket set and a.torque wrench maybe replace the oil pan gasket while your under there. Just trying to help its your decision

89cherokeeXJ

I only had to remove rear main cap.

5-90

I've done several.

It's much easier with 3" or more of lift - as mentioned, you don't even need a jack. The sump will slip right out from between the front axle and block with that much space.

If you're not lifted, jack the front end up to full droop and at least 1" under the wheels - if you end up needing more space, the OEM tyre-changing jack between the axle tube and frame rail can get that for you.

If you have a choice, get the later (1996-up) oil sump gasket - it's one-piece moulded rubber, and you won't have to fight the individual pieces.

Make sure to soak the new seal in clean oil before you put it in - I usually pour some oil into a bowl before I start and drop the seal in to soak while I'm working.

Replacement Screws: if you lose any, the smaller screws are 1/4"x20x1/2", and the larger ones are 5/16"-18x3/4".

DO NOT DISLODGE THE OIL PUMP! If you do, you'll have to re-prime it (more of a pain in the **** than anything difficult, but you'll have to remove the dizzy to do it.) Just leave those two screws alone, and you'll be fine.

You'll need something to push the upper half of the seal loose - I like to use a short bit of brass rod (about 3/16"-1/4"OD) and tap it gently with a softer hammer (wood, rawhide, brass, lead - I've got them all.) That way, you won't scuff the sealing surface of the crankshaft. The new half should slip right in, just make sure you get it in the right way around (open side of the "V" facing into the engine assembly.) Get it backwards, and you'll be doing the job again in about an hour just to turn it around.

While you've got the rear main cap off, use your thumbnail to "scrape" the sealing surface of the crankshaft to check for any groove in the sealing surface. If there's a groove, you'll have to pull the crank to put a "Sleeve & Seal" on it - replacing just the seal won't cut it.

It's not an overly difficult job - expect it to take a long afternoon (if you're not mechanically experienced,) but I can get it done in the driveway in about three hours or so...

HCCAFan

One cap if you don't have the brace. Pushing it out with a screw driver is bad advice as you may scratch the mating surface. Not to mention they very often require someone turning the crank with a breaker bar while you push on the seal to get the seal in and out.

Also, you coat one side of the seal with oil and the other side with soap.

Might take 30 minutes if you half *** the whole job, have all the tools, don't clean anything and blaze through it like you have done it before.

Sidewinder69

I did mine on a lift and it took me about 3 hours. The hardest part was getting the pan out. Removing the actual rear cap and replacing the seal took maybe 20 min at the most.

If you end up doing it remember to keep that bearing clean you don't want any grit ending up between it and the crank.