• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Long trip oil issue. Where is it coming from?

W

WrenchedXJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Fuquay Varina, NC
This has been happening on my recent camping trips. Around town, I am not having any issues. When traveling to the beach for a beach camping trip or to the mountains(both 2 hour trips), the jeep will be fine at first, but after about an hour of speeds between 60-70, I'll notice a lot of smoke out the rear and the smell of oil through my speed holes in my floor. My back hatch will be covered in particularized oil as well. I'll pull over, look under, there will be oil dripping on my front dif, and the majority dripping from the bellhousing. First concern with the smoke was a blown ring. When I did my rebuild, I checked compression, and all were in spec. Smoke is coming from oil dripping on my exhaust, I assume the layer of rust preventative on my fiberglass back hatch is just the oil dripping, hitting the air, and rolling up. The only thing I can think of is the 70mph trips where im running 2750rpms for 2 hours, the oil pressure builds up and blows past the rear main. Would my assumptions be correct?
 
This happened to me too, but only once. Sittign in hot traffic for two hours, it happened when traffic cleared up and i was runing for a bout 5 mins at 70mph. Pulled over after seeing huge plumes of smoke. Let it cool down and prepared for a RMS repair. I never got around to it and it never happened again, so I don't know what it is, just wanted to let you know I had the same problem.
 
bdahlg said:
This happened to me too, but only once. Sittign in hot traffic for two hours, it happened when traffic cleared up and i was runing for a bout 5 mins at 70mph. Pulled over after seeing huge plumes of smoke. Let it cool down and prepared for a RMS repair. I never got around to it and it never happened again, so I don't know what it is, just wanted to let you know I had the same problem.
Click to expand...

I've had this happen as well. Haven't seen it since I did a RMS, but I've still got oil leaks (however i've given up on fixing them...tired of going around and around with it).

To the OP - Degrease it well, top to bottom. Get behind the valve cover, around the distributor gasket, oil pan gasket and RMS areas nice and clean. Once you've done that, take it around town for a while and see if you can see where it's leaking out of. Chances are it's still leaking around town, just the slower speeds and lower RPM's aren't forcing it out and back as quick as on the highway. If you don't see much from around town, take it on a couple of highway trips and then try to see where exactly it's coming from.
 
The jeep is my play toy, so I dont drive it all that much. When I do, its to the local trails where it doesnt get up past 50mph. It didnt happen the first time I went to the beach, but did happen the last time I went to the trails in the mountains. Figured it was just a valve cover leak, which was fixed when I did my top end rebuild. I also did notice my oil filler cap is a little loose, but cannot imagine, THAT much oil coming out of it. OFA isn't leaking at all which is surprising.
 
Mine also has done the same thing.After a day running around in the mtns also. But I have a good RMS maybe a bad oilfilter adapter seal not t0o bad of a leak. 93 with 150K on the odo. Could this be blowby? It stopped after a 5 minute rest stop.
Ron
 
check the airbox. Mine sucked a quart of oil into the airbox and it went all over last time it was on the highway. PEsky CCV system.
 
If you have an auto tranny, it could be that the tranny is getting too hot and puking fluid out the vent tube.
 
87manche said:
check the airbox. Mine sucked a quart of oil into the airbox and it went all over last time it was on the highway. PEsky CCV system.
Click to expand...

Be sure your CCV system is not obstructed, melted, broken, disconnected, has poor fitting valve cover grommets, that the nipple on the intake isn't crudded up.
 
If you have an auto tranny, it could be that the tranny is getting too hot and puking fluid out the vent tube.
Click to expand...

Now this is very possible and might be adding to the oil smoke screen. I definitely can tell oil is coming from somewhere though. Its definitely a burning Rotella smell coming out.

For the CCV system, a little bit gets tossed on the filter, I have no clue how to fix it, I've replaced the hoses, applied pressure through the rest of the system. The top end is completely rebuild. Im close to going to the JY and getting a newer cherokee valve cover. IIRC Jeep fixed the issue of the CCV in the later years by shortening the pickup tubes, please someone confirm.

OFA is good, tight and leakfree. Im going to replace the RMS, the oil pan gasket, and possibly the valve cover if someone can confirm the above. I'll see if that helps. Another Carolina Beach trip is coming up.
 
Its renix. 89 with 235k. :D I had also read that there was a way to shorten the vent tubes. Unfortunately after I did my top end. The valve cover at the it is 10 bucks. The newer style have the screw in type filler caps don't they? This will solve the problem of oil coming out the filler hole to. That was at least my thought process. I know I will fail at completely fixing the leaks, but if I can minimize them, I and the neighbors will be much happier.
 
I did the writeup on shortening the vent tubes and adding holes further up on them.

But if your air filter isn't that saturated, I would suspect oil may be coming from somewhere else, like the trans?

If the trans fluid is old, of overfull, it could be foaming out the dipstick tube. Look near the area that the trans dipstick tube slides together with an o-ring.
 
the_weirdo said:
If you have an auto tranny, it could be that the tranny is getting too hot and puking fluid out the vent tube.
Click to expand...

Yup, I had this exact thing happen on my way to Moab for the Fall Fling in '08. Only did it twice. First time in the Cajon Pass, which freaked me out because I was thinking RMS.

But it stopped smoking and didn't happen again til I was on I-70 in Utah. When I got to Moab, our resident expert MJR said that this was a very common occurrence on XJs.
 
johnnyc said:
...When I got to Moab, our resident expert MJR said that this was a very common occurrence on XJs.
Click to expand...

It's a common occurence to randomly blow oil past the RMS? That's quite an odd thing! Did he give an explanation or was he just talking?

Mine still has not done this any other time, just that once. I literally saw oil comin out of the RMS and dripping on the ground so I know it was that. But it never did it again so I didn't bother since I have not been losing any oil.
 
bdahlg said:
It's a common occurence to randomly blow oil past the RMS? That's quite an odd thing! Did he give an explanation or was he just talking?

Mine still has not done this any other time, just that once. I literally saw oil comin out of the RMS and dripping on the ground so I know it was that. But it never did it again so I didn't bother since I have not been losing any oil.
Click to expand...

No, it's a common occurrence for tranny fluid to come out the vent tube and onto the exhaust. Read what I had quoted. The subject was the vent tube and that's what I responded to.
 
johnnyc said:
No, it's a common occurrence for tranny fluid to come out the vent tube and onto the exhaust.
Click to expand...

Oh. word. My fault, had an egocentric moment
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
Oil leak.
2
Replies
38
Views
6K
Bmfinney
B
B
New smoke from the tail pipe
Replies
2
Views
1K
cruiser54
C
B
LOUD horn noise from roof (video)?
Replies
3
Views
1K
RCP Phx
R
J
2001 XJ Random Vacuum Leak Issue with Smoke Test Result...Need Advice
Replies
5
Views
2K
90xj06
9
M
The Infamous Oil Filter Adapter
2 3
Replies
46
Views
8K
Bent
Bent
Back
Top