Been dripping oil lately, so finally got around to giving it a thorough check underneath.

Had recently put in a new VC gasket and Oil pan gasket. Valve cover is bone dry...that WAS my issue before. Now can't tell if its the oil filter adapter, the oil pan gasket, rear main seal or what.

I re-tightened the bolts (not too much) on the oil pan. Some of them were moist. Definitely saw a fresh drop on the oil filter adapter, and everything under it is wet. So I would think that's the culprit, but the oil pan gasket looks funny on the back side, and I feel like I might have screwed it up putting it in. Attached pic looking up rear of pan towards main seal.

Oil drips from the plug and the front end of the tranny. Put cardboard under it and cleaned it up down there. Will check in morning to see what's up. Meanwhile, does this look normal to you?

 

Also have a good amount of blue sticking out front, but think its normal because of the way it fits on there.

 

Oil filter adapter seals and distributor gasket can cause exactly what you're seeing.

Just do the OFA seals and be done with that.

 

Is it normal to see some of the gasket sticking out like that though?

 

Looks like someone used blue RTV on it at one time.

I wrote this for situations as these.




I'd be looking up ABOVE first, and VERIFYING the source of the oil leak YOURSELF.

Everybody, who doesn't own or have to pay for or perform your vehicle repairs, loves to poke their noggin UNDER the Jeep and come out bearing the false bad news that your RMS is leaking.

Many mechanics, friends, people on Jeep forums who can’t see your Jeep from where they’re at, and good old Uncle Bob seem to enjoy telling you it’s the rear main seal. Has a catastrophic ring to it, doesn’t it?

A simple leak at the back of the valve cover or other source could produce the same symptoms. You don’t need to be a mechanic to figure this out. If you have good eyesight and a dim flashlight, you’re good to go on your own. Don't jump on the RMS/oil pan gasket bandwagon right off the bat.

Almost any oil leak on your 4.0 is gonna drip from the RMS area for two simple reasons.

First off, the engine sits nose-up and any oil will run back to the RMS area. Secondly, the RMS area is also the lowest point on the engine. Simple physics and the old plumber's adage apply here. "$hit flows downhill".

Valve cover gasket, oil pressure sending unit, oil filter adapter seals and distributor gasket, in that order, have to be eliminated as possibilities first.

Revised 02-26-2013

 

That blue is the Felpro gasket though, and I feel like it shouldn't be poking out like tha

 

Gotcha. I'd still begin up above. Seen way too many misdiagnosed oil pan and rear main seals. Lotsa work if you're wrong........