Rear main seal leak killing starter?

98 cherokee sport with an engine from a 99....
My starter is going out. Sometimes it takes a lot of turning to start (and put puts to idle) and sometimes it doesn't even engage and just whines as it spins. once it starts the engine runs fine and idles fine.

I have a rear main seal leak i havn't addressed and i am wondering if the oil from it getting into the starter could cause this? Anybody have the same problems?

I'll bet it's not a rear main seal leak that's wiping out your starter, but an oil filter adapter seal leak or an oil pressure sending unit leak, since they are above the starter. Pop the hood and have a look around your oil filter just for fun.

X2. Check your OFA o-rings.

Yes. Oil, like some other unpleasant things we've heard of, flows downhill. That's what a plumber told me.

I doubt it, I would just say its your starter. I never had a problem with the starter when that engine was in my old Jeep.

I just got done replacing mine in the parking lot. At least it had the courtesy of finally dying in the parking lot next to a Napa. Took me an hour to pull it, swap it at Napa and reinstall.

I thought I had a bad battery or cables a while back. Upgrading cables had a nice improvment, and the batteyr tested good. It still didn't crank real fast, but it always started. Finally it just went ruh-ruh-ruh and then click-click. I thought it was a dead battery until I realized that the headlights weren't dimming when it was struggling. When I pulled it and tested it on the ground with jumper cables, I found the solenoid wouldn't kick out any more. The motor would sometimes not run either so it probably had bad brushes on top of it. Oh well, it was the original with 228k miles on it so I guess I can't complain too much.

Anyway, I had a leak above my starter, but I don't think it was the cause.

I did have a 95 Jeep that liked to fill the starter solenoid with mud and stop contacting. I had to pull that one and flush it about once a year.

You can also save money by purchasing a starter for an older xj, all you have to do is splice in an "o" connector in place of the clip on one.

Johnnie Walker said:

You can also save money by purchasing a starter for an older xj, all you have to do is splice in an "o" connector in place of the clip on one.

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Meaning the Renix starter is the same as the HO engine starter, just the Renix takes a ring connector versus the HO having a push on connector. Napa charged me $68 for their house brand starter for the 89 MJ.

lawsoncl said:

Meaning the Renix starter is the same as the HO engine starter, just the Renix takes a ring connector versus the HO having a push on connector. Napa charged me $68 for their house brand starter for the 89 MJ.

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Not sure if the huge price difference is at the Renix/HO changeover or later on, but you are right, a 4.0 starter is a 4.0 starter.

rocknxj said:

X2. Check your OFA o-rings.

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Just to be clear, I wasn't suggesting the leaking OFA was the cause of your starter. I was saying it may be the source of your oil leak. Many guys change their RMS and still have a leak. When the starter is soaked in oil, it is likely your OFA.

why not open up your starter and clean the oil out of it, i had oil leaking onto mine when i got it(probly for quite some time befor i got it) and my starter would turn slower and slower over a few days then it wouldnt turn at all, it would need hit with something for it to start again. i finally just took it off, opened it up and cleaned off all the contacts and havent had a problem since

1990heepxj said:

why not open up your starter and clean the oil out of it, i had oil leaking onto mine when i got it(probly for quite some time befor i got it) and my starter would turn slower and slower over a few days then it wouldnt turn at all, it would need hit with something for it to start again. i finally just took it off, opened it up and cleaned off all the contacts and havent had a problem since

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At the same time, replace your oil filter adapter seals before reinstalling the starter.

I'll have to look but i don't think that the oil filters seal is leaking... It's definitly just the rear main. It just blows my mind that this start went... it's less than a year old - then again i did get it from autozone so i guess i shouldn't be quite that surprised... I just don't want to get another one (even though its free warranted crap) and have it go again because of my rear main.... I am trying to avoid doing my rear main this winter if i don't have to.

:huh:

You plan to let it go all winter?

Poor Jeep.

I'd check the OFA too...and the RMS...and the valve cover and fix the culprit(s). But then that's just me, I don't like wasting oil, or starters, or making a mess of my engine and everywhere I park.

Always look for leaks starting at the top. Valve cover can leak, OFAs can leak, and they all end up dripping off the rear main seal area making you think it's the RMS. Remember what the plumber says. .

SqueegieSteve said:

I am trying to avoid doing my rear main this winter if i don't have to.

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Like I told you, should have done it while it was out of the Jeep.

cruiser54 said:

Always look for leaks starting at the top. Valve cover can leak, OFAs can leak, and they all end up dripping off the rear main seal area making you think it's the RMS. Remember what the plumber says. .

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Nope, this is definitely the RMS.

ParadiseXJ said:

:huh:

You plan to let it go all winter?

Poor Jeep.

I'd check the OFA too...and the RMS...and the valve cover and fix the culprit(s). But then that's just me, I don't like wasting oil, or starters, or making a mess of my engine and everywhere I park.

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If you said that, you probably wouldn't like to know how long the RMS has needed to be changed.

cruiser54 said:

At the same time, replace your oil filter adapter seals before reinstalling the starter.

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SqueegieSteve said:

I'll have to look but i don't think that the oil filters seal is leaking...

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Oil Filter Adapter O-ring set. Not just the oil filter seal.

Begster said:

Nope, this is definitely the RMS.

If you said that??, you probably wouldn't like to know how long the RMS has needed to be changed.

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No, really, I would like to know. Seems some guys go for months without changing out a faulty part, or maintaining a system, or fixing a known problem, and then post up "Help, this is my DD I need it tomorrow".

Maintenance, regular, money draining maintenance will keep you old Jeep on the road. IMHO it's much cheaper than a monthly car payment to maintain the dang thing on a regular basis. It's like leaving a dog chained up to a tree in the backyard and wondering why he doesn't like people.