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Where in the 4.0L have you had leaks? (not dial up friendly)

Magus2727

Magus2727

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Draper, UT
I am trying to find a leak that is dripping a fair amount of oil (about 1 TBL soon or more).

The leak started about 4-5 weeks ago (having done nothing to the motor to agitate anything). Since I replaced the rear main seal in the spring along with the valve cover gasket and the oil pan gasket I thought the next place would be the oil-filter adapter o-rings. (The rear main, oil pan, and valve cover gasket got replaced by Fel-Pro PermaDry single piece gaskets. I replaced the o-rings last week along with cleaning the adapter it self completely clean inside and out.

I am still getting just as much of a leak now (since doing an oil change while replacing the o-rings, the oil on the drive way is now just cleaner)

I wanted to know what other people have found as leaks (if there can be other leaks) I also think the sending unit or the T that mates the sending unit to the block may be a leak (not sure if it could provide all the oil dripping from the side of the block…)

Thanks for any help.


Looking from above down onto Oil Pressure sending unit:
DSC02115.jpg

Amount of Oil driped:
DSC02109.jpg


I am at work and un-sure if these pictures are actually visable (let me know and I will repost when I get home.

I am going to be using brake cleaner to dry the block off from what oil is already their and trying to find the leak while the motor is running. Does any one have extra tricks on finding oil leaks?
 
Pics work. Looks to me like it's coming out somewhere around the distributor or like you said, the right angle fitting for the oil pressure sender. Good plan on the brake cleaner though I would use simple green and a pressure washer or garden hose - I don't think there are any really sensitive senders or wiring along that section of the block, just keep it away from the valve cover, throttle body, and back of the engine (CPS) and you should be fine.
 
Agree, sender or its right angle adapter, or the distributor would be suspect.

Looking at the spill I would be more suspicious of the distributor which isn't pressurized, than the sender or right angle adapter that are pressurized.
 
what would need to be done for the distributor? I have never heard that going out or being an issue. Is it a gasket or O-ring that would need to be replaced? or the whole distributor?

For the angle adaptor, does it just screw into the block?

Thanks for the above mentioned help!
 
EL-PRO Part # 70051
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1 11/32" OD
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$1.47$0.00$1.47
 
agree it looks like the distributor seal, just verify it. Brake cleaner is a good idea, start it up, let it warm up and then shut it off that should show you where its coming from.

I just put RTV around my worn one, it wasn't leaking i just swapped distributors during an engine swap. I would have replaced it if I had thought to get the part.

Make sure you mark the position of the rotor when you pull it to ensure proper position when reinstalling.
 
After looking at the leak again, I also think it may be your oil pressure sending unit. Mine did leak, and it looked like the adaptor seals when it did. Check that out also, pull the plug and look for oil in it.
 
How extensive of a shange is the distributer? Do I take off the rotor, and cup pull the whole thing out after 1-2 more bolts/nuts pull the old gasket out and reverse the un-install?
 
Actually its only one bolt at the base of the distributor down were it meets the block. There is a bracket that holds the distributor into the block.
Just take the cap off (SP wires don't have to be removed), and using a grease pencil mark the bottom of the rotor were it meets the distributor so you can put it back in accordingly.
Undo the wire harness from the distributor.
Take off the distributor hold down bolt and gently pull the distributor up out of the block. Note that once you remove the distributor that rotor moves, that is because the distributor gear is curved(Don't let the rotor move!). Make a seperate and DISTINCT mark again on the base of the rotor so you know how to align it when you reinstall it.
Replace the gasket and put er back in, making sure that the original marks line up..

Yer done.
 
Last edited:
so I will need to adjust both the heigth and position of the rotor? thats what the two markings are for?
 
No just the position.
You only NEED the first mark, thats where its positioned before removal. The second mark just shows you were the rotor moved to while the distributor is removed. You'll see that when you start to pull out the distributor the rotor will start to move, thats the gear at the bottom of the shaft coming off the other gear. It moves about 1/8 an inch (forget which direction). When you put it back in, as the gears mesh together, the rotor will rotate again back into the direction it came from.

If you make a different mark from the first one, when the distributor is off the gear, it will show you were to position the rotor so when you re-install it, the original marks line back up.
Like I said, you don't need the second mark, but it just makes lining it back up that much easier.
 
Well, the dealer ship has it for $2.50 so I willbe picking that up tonight on my way home and we shall see if that does it.

OOOOoo Ok, i can picture that, the rotor is forced to move due to the gear so by making the second mark if I align it with the second mark it will rotate back to the first mark. otherwise I would have to guess where it should be to light back up with the first mark.
 
is there any advantage to advance the timing while I have the thing out? I guess if I wanted to run premium then i could but would cost more $$ to fill the thing up....

Edit: is there an easy way to find out when I have the distributor out to see if it was that seal? should I condition the seal by having it oil before the install? will the gasket be soaked with oil? looking for any indicator that would let me know if it was the distributor so if its not I can order or get something else to speed up the process so I dont have to wait find out after the jeep gets hot again...
 
?? the computer adjusts the timing even on a 95' OBD I??? I thought that the distributor is gear driven by a fixed gear and with the distibutor getting bolted down to stay in a fix spot the rotory gear can not change...

Edit: SO the only way it could change is either modify the distibuter to allow for the cup/top to rotate or to put the rotor in advanced....
 
Magus2727 said:
?? the computer adjusts the timing even on a 95' OBD I??? I thought that the distributor is gear driven by a fixed gear and with the distibutor getting bolted down to stay in a fix spot the rotory gear can not change...

Edit: SO the only way it could change is either modify the distibuter to allow for the cup/top to rotate or to put the rotor in advanced....
Click to expand...

If you absolutely have to mess with the timing, you might try and modify the OBDI and OBDII CPS/CKP to mimic the Renix High Altitude CPS/CKP.
 
I dont want to cause any more issues then what I currently am working with, so I will leave it be, it was just a thought....
 
Well I replaced the gasket and I think that may have been it... It broke into 2 pices 1 part staying on the block the other on the distributor, and took a razor blade and a wire brush to clean it off. There also was gunk all over the base like none other. the brass holding clip was covered in about 1/8 of grim. So with every thing cleaned up and with a new "gasket" in place, and the drive way cleaned up from the previous oil leaks, we shall see if this fixes it. I hope its the $2 gasket and not the $40 sending unit.

Thanks for all the help!!!
 
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