Not much going on with the Jeep unfortunately. I had to replace the engine in my other project car twice, and that obviously took a lot of my wrenching time over the past few months. With gas prices having gone crazy since then, I haven't been driving this as much as I'd like. I was hoping to take it to the paint shop, but it's sprung a pretty substantial oil leak and I don't really want them having to deal with that. It's dripping down the back of the oil pan and front dust cover of the transmission, which could really be from just about anywhere. So, I've decided to try to address it from the top down, front to back, and most expensive to least.

I checked the valve cover first, everything immediately under it is dry.

Second, everyone's favorite seal to remove, the oil filter adapter housing. I'm pretty sure this has leaked since day 1 despite using Mopar seals for only this one location. Thankfully this didn't take the strength of Thor as I had previously replaced it on the engine stand.



I did take the chance to upgrade my toolbox and bought some long handle box end wrenches for more leverage on the T60 bit than my normal wrench set.



I also snugged up the oil pan bolts, just to try a free fix.

Ever since the manual swap, the transfer case cable shifter hasn't quite been adjusted right. I couldn't just yank it back into 4 full time, as the detents had shifted enough that I would begin shifting into t-case neutral. It was a frustrating process but I got the shifter cable adjusted, and now it has a hard stop right at 4 full time, and shifts cleanly into all other ranges.

While I was under the thing knocking out projects, I finally installed some new rivnuts into the manual transmission crossmember and mounted my transfer case skid again.



I need to go get these parts dirty! I still haven't been off roading after the manual swap.

 

Unfortunately the leak remains, and several drops of oil are under my Jeep in the parking lot at work this morning. Seems like I'm going to be replacing a rear main seal here soon, joy.

 

I had a shop replace the rear main and oil pan gasket about seven years ago and it leaves its mark all the time these days - I too need to get under there and redo that job.

Are you in NC? If so - Uwharrie trip!? I want to take my "little Jeep" there this year again.

 

That definitely would be a good experience! I've got a packed summer and am currently closing on a house, so it may be hard to find the time, but let me know if you go! I've only driven a manual off road for less than an hour in my friends TJ. I could definitely use some pointers from someone more experienced in working a clutch, brake, and gas pedal all together on the rocks.

I needed to get a few small parts for my various project cars, so I made a quick visit to the junkyard. For my XJ, I needed a rear wiper switch. It would not function on the constant wiper setting, so I had to squirt wiper fluid every time I wanted to clear the rear window.



I saw a few other good Jeep parts, unfortunately they were all on WJs - Yet another NP242HD in a stock WJ, and one WJ with a long arm kit (along with a regular NP242J behind a 4.7 V8). I already have two NP242HDs, so I don't feel the need to spend $120 to have a third 80 lb garage ornament in the hopes it will sell, or in case I destroy two other transfer cases. They seem to be a lot less rare than the internet would have you believe.

Maybe one day I'll find a built XJ in the yard and be able to grab decent parts beside lunchbox lockers and janky diamond plate bumpers.

 

Have you ever considered a coolant filter setup to deal with the constantly contaminated system?

 

When I installed this engine in 2021, I had given it a deep interior clean and scrub, and ran a large coolant filter on it for a whole summer. I wasn't really impressed with what it caught - I think the larger canister filters just don't flow enough to keep a lot of the crap suspended in the coolant. Captain Jerry - '99 Restoration/Modification - Page 3 - Jeep Cherokee Forum I gave the setup to a friend, and I am pretty sure it's a coolant filter for his CNC machine now.

This summer I am planning to do another Thermocure treatment. I'm hoping that a more frequent coolant change will keep it from getting so bad again and I won't need to keep flushing it. At some point it will rust a hole in the block if I don't get this under control!