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Oil everywhere

O

OneBadXJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
In the sticks
:helpme:Just recently bought a nice 1991 cherokee with only 126,000 miles on it..Upon inspecting it i knew it needed some oil leaks addressed..I crawled up under the beast yesterday to see what was up and there is oil from the starter all the way past the cross member..The starter motor is covered with oil and the valve cover is leaking bad..The previous owner told me it was the rear main seal..But i think i may be in luck as it looks like the seal from the oil filter unit to the block is leaking otherwise i don't see how the rear main could cover the starter with oil..What size torx bit do i need to remove the oil filter unit from the block?and has anyone else seen one leak this bad?I sure hope thats where it's all coming from..about a quart every 700 miles...Any help appreciated..Thanks. :helpme:
 
Just something else to also look at....

Shortly after buying my '95, I noticed the same thing....oil around the oil filter area. Discovered that it was actually coming from the bottom of the distributor....tiny hole.....and then one day suddenly things got a lot worse.......

Took a 30km drive to a local shopping mall, and when I stopped there......oil everywhere. Mysteriously the dipstick popped out. After some investigation (after a few hours of cleaning) I discovered that the vent pipe between the air filter and valve cover was almost completely blocked. Sorted this out and since then the leaks stopped.
 
Thanks for the info and the links,One other thing i just discovered today that my valve cover is cracked in the rear and thats not good..will have to be replaced..
 
the oil filter neck, the rear main, and the valve cover are your likely suspects.

the filter neck and your cracked valve cover can make quite a mess! hope you got a engine wash equiped car wash close by (dont forget the wd40 and plastic bags)
 
Oil leaks? That's intentional. It's for rust protection :roll:

Also check your transmission lines - they rust out pretty often, and very dirty transmission fluid can look a lot like motor oil when it's coming out of a pinhole on the top of a line, spraying straight up, and dripping down the engine/oil pan.
 
kastein said:
Oil leaks? That's intentional. It's for rust protection :roll:

Also check your transmission lines - they rust out pretty often, and very dirty transmission fluid can look a lot like motor oil when it's coming out of a pinhole on the top of a line, spraying straight up, and dripping down the engine/oil pan.
Click to expand...

Haha right,the same with the power steering lines.
The pressure is so high, you can't see when it is spraying. And it can move through the mainframe and trickle on an unexpected place. :shhh:

'92XJ wim
 
It's all oil as i have verified this by the dipstick..And a good visual look underneath..Man this thing leaks oil bad..I am gonna start with the cracked valve cover and the seal between the oil filter and the block..May also change the o-ring under the distributor...See what all that does...Any ideas on how to get rid of all that old oil and grime off the engine?
 
ahh, I see you have the not so rare "continous oil change" option. Just screw a new filter on now and then and keep her topped off and call it good. Seriously though, good way to find the leak is power wash the crap out of things then run it a while and see what is getting covered first.
 
If you seen how bad this thing leaks i would only have to run it 2 mins and i bet anything its gonna cover everything...It's now leaking a quart a day..Only about 50 miles of driving..It's gotta get fixed and asap..
 
I've had good luck with Just MISTING the engine compartment with a spray bottle of 409/fantastic cleaner or strong mix of Dawn dish soap. Let it set 5-10 minutes then set nozzle on garden hose to LIGHT MIST and rinse good. May take a few repeats to get it clean.

Once the leaks are fixed, then maybe yearly to keep it clean!

(It all gets wet while driving in the rain, so NO strong spraying should be ok.)
 
yeah, don't hose it too hard unless you really like replacing some combination of your CPS, TPS, and various other sensors.

I'd bet that the cracked valve cover and the oil filter adapter/base seal will kill 90% of the leakage. Any remaining leakage is likely a cracked oil sender (that obnoxious sensor right next to the oil filter), an oil pan gasket, a rear main seal, or possibly a bad harmonic balancer eating a trench into the timing chain cover.
 
Update,Took the valve cover off and to my surprize it was not cracked but the gasket was very dry and leaking..I noticed that when i unplugged the pcv there was no change in idle speed..And i unplugged and shook it and it does not rattle..So i will be off to the auto parts store and i am gonna get the valve gasket new pcv and the o rings for the oil filter unit..and the o-ring for the distributor shaft..by the way is that an easy task?looks simple..And whats the best kind of torx bit is best to use to get the oil filter unit loose from the block?..I hope after all of this my oil leaks will be in the past..
 
Last edited:
OneBadXJ said:
Update,Took the valve cover off and to my surprize it was not cracked but the gasket was very dry and leaking..I noticed that when i unplugged the pcv there was no change in idle speed..And i unplugged and shook it and it does not rattle..So i will be off to the auto parts store and i am gonna get the valve gasket new pcv and the o rings for the oil filter unit..and the o-ring for the distributor shaft..by the way is that an easy task?looks simple..And whats the best kind of torx bit is best to use to get the oil filter unit loose from the block?..I hope after all of this my oil leaks will be in the past..
Click to expand...

IF you have a PCV valve someone has modified your XJ, as the XJ uses a CCV system--metered orifice instead of a valve, and there isn't anything to shake and rattle in a CCV system.
 
joe_peters said:
IF you have a PCV valve someone has modified your XJ, as the XJ uses a CCV system--metered orifice instead of a valve, and there isn't anything to shake and rattle in a CCV system.
Click to expand...
Ok,How is this supposed to work as it has full vacum on the rear of the valve cover coming from the intake,And in the front fresh air from the breather what goes in the valve cover in the front that connects it to the breather?Someone has messed with the front of the valve cover and i am not sure it has the right part in it..Thanks
 
The front of the valve cover should just be a grommet w/o anything in it but a hose/tube from the air box supplying filtered fresh air to the crankcase. The rear is a metered orifice--small hole--that tends to plug up. I run a piece of safety wire through mine at every oil change and check the vacuum line and run the wire into the intake to make sure the port is clear.

If you can post a picture of yours that will help.
 
Update.Got the valve cover gasket replaced,And the oil filter O-ring installed..I haven't had a chance to drive it much to see if the leak has slowed any,However i have noticed that it no longer smokes from underneath the hood with the engine hot..I think i also need to replace the distributor gasket,,Is this very tough?Looks simple..And i have tried to post pictures but for some reason it say's i cant..Thanks
 
You can't post attachments (neither can I, attachments aren't allowed in ModTech it seems) - use photobucket.com or imageshack.us to host the image and then put the url it gives you here, with
 
My $400 ride

This is the 91' jeep lerado i picked up..The good no rust at all inside or out,must have been kept clean and in a garage at one point.Motor runs strong,no smoke out the tail pipe.Only has 126,000 miles on it..Just replaced the valve cover gasket and the valve train was amazingly clean..frequent oil changes apparently..Interior is pretty clean and loaded with power windows locks etc..and they all work!!The drivetrain is perfect no noises at all in 2 or 4 wheel drive..Handles like new on the road very solid front end..All bushings etc. seem to be doing there job.Transmission seems strong shifts very smooth.Pulls well on hills.The bad,has been leaking oil from every hole in th block i think.I replaced the valve cover gasket and the oil filter O-Ring..Not sure yet how much that has helped.My leaf springs are worn completely out almost turning down..I traded for a set of 15X8 rims and included a photo maybe someone on here can identify them so i can order the matching center caps..I just plan on a 2 inch lift and fix the oil leaks as i have 4 children on a tight budget,I have a 12 year old that is special needs and it's very expensive provide the care she needs..So the kiddo's must come first.
Here is a direct link i hope it works
http://img27.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=picture013q.jpg
 
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