Advice on changing out oil adapter gasket and cleaning out starter on a '96 XJ

Chasing down an oil leak on the left side somewhere. Replaced the valve cover gasket with a Felpro but I'm afraid there's still some oil coming from somewhere. So now (as starting has been a problem, due to oil leak?) I'm removing and cleaning out my starter with some brake cleaner, as well as replacing the oil filter adapter gasket.

Any advice? Never done this before so I'm all ears.

Thanks

I am not sure if it is the same setup as my 97 but I had a really hard time breaking the bolt loose that holds the filter housing in place. I just could not get any leverage on the small wrench and I could only fit a small crescent wrench in there. I had to add a piece of pipe to the wrench then it came right off. I spent a while trying to break it free before adding the pipe and wish I just had jumped right to that.

I've had to fix a leaking oil filter adapter twice. I used a t60 to take the bolt. I got a new gasket from a variety pack I got at oreillys. It's pretty easy once you get the bolt loose. I used a t60 hex bit that I removed from a socket housing and a large wrench to break it loose.

I wasn't able to use a ratchet and the T-60 bit because of limited clearance. Instead I used a serpentine belt tensioner tool which is typically a 1"x18" flat bar with a 3/8" square socket head. Looks like:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/oes-25149?seid=srese1&gclid=CJOwnZq_hr4CFak7Mgod_W4A2Q

I did it from below.

Far as the oil leak is concerned I've been informed it could also be coming from my distributor gasket, as well as both/either the oil sending unit and the hex shapped nut it screws into. I don't have any experience with the oil sending unit yet, but since I'm gonna have the starter and oil filter adapter off at the same time should I go ahead and get into the oil sending unit then? Does removing the starter and filter adapter make getting to the oil sending unit any easier?

The OFA, distributor, and pressure sender are all on the right hand side.

The pressure sender on my '98 is right above the oil filter and is easily removed.

I am making 2 more of my custom OFA wrenches this week, I could make three. But I'm not sure if your Jeep has the T60 torx bolt. Not sure what year they stopped using the hex.

I only charge the cost of the torx bit and shipping if you need one.

From what I understand, the best place to get the o-rings for the OFA is the dealer. They are cheap and they are factory...

Did the starter clean out and filter adapter gasket swap out today. Starter was absolutely filled with crap and oil. Took it completely apart, spent a can and a half on it and reinstalled. The solvent sprayed out all the good grease in the planetary gear housing so I slopped in some red moly grease the guy at O'Reilly's suggested and closed it up.

After having done the job now I'm not sure if the filter adapter seal was leaking or not. Once I got in there I couldn't tell any direct line of heavier leakage below the adapter. The recently changed valve cover gasket was leaking down the entire side of the motor so if the adapter seal was leaking it may have been camouflaged. Still had drops of oil on my pan a couple days after changing out that valve cover gasket so I figured go ahead and get at the filter adapter seal since the starter was going to be off anyway. Either way it's done and the starter's in a used but very clean condition now so hopefully everything will go ok. Got a good bit of the motor cleaned off too so if the leak continues I'll be able to isolate it a little more efficiently next time.

This tool helped out a lot on the filter adapter.



Not sure if it's common but it's W1319 at O'Reilly's, ten bucks. With PB put on yesterday the T-60 in there and a 2 ft pipe had the big bolt on the adapter moving the first time I heaved on it. Well worth it.

If anyone has the torque specs for the 2 bolts securing the starter I'd be obliged.