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massive oil leak

coltar15

NAXJA Forum User
Location
east coast
Had just added 2 qts to my old 89 4.0 and headed out. Hit the hwy and noticed smoke in my rear view. Had to get 30 miles or so and then back home before I could see what was up. Left rear of the engine was covered in oil and it had blown down onto the exhaust, thus all the smoke. Cleaned it up this morning, ran it but no leak? Cleaned a clogged ccv tube ( modified and made from a brake line), added 3 qts of oil and ran it again. No leak. As fluid runs down hill, is it possible that back pressure forced oil out the filler tube? Valve cover gasket is new and dry but the tops of my plug wires on the last two cylinders were oil coated? Checked the oil filter adapter/plenum and its still dry.Oil pressure sending switch is dry and working properly. Any other thoughts and or suggestions?
Thanks
 
Use this:

And what are you calling "left"? As you look into the engine bay or as you sit in the driver's seat?




I'd be looking up ABOVE first, and VERIFYING the source of the oil leak YOURSELF.

Everybody, who doesn't own or have to pay for or perform your vehicle repairs, loves to poke their noggin UNDER the Jeep and come out bearing the false bad news that your RMS is leaking.

Many mechanics, friends, people on Jeep forums who can’t see your Jeep from where they’re at, and good old Uncle Bob seem to enjoy telling you it’s the rear main seal. Has a catastrophic ring to it, doesn’t it?

A simple leak at the back of the valve cover or other source could produce the same symptoms. You don’t need to be a mechanic to figure this out. If you have good eyesight and a dim flashlight, you’re good to go on your own. Don't jump on the RMS/oil pan gasket bandwagon right off the bat.

Almost any oil leak on your 4.0 is gonna drip from the RMS area for two simple reasons.

First off, the engine sits nose-up and any oil will run back to the RMS area. Secondly, the RMS area is also the lowest point on the engine. Simple physics and the old plumber's adage apply here. "$hit flows downhill".

Valve cover gasket, oil pressure sending unit, oil filter adapter seals and distributor gasket, in that order, have to be eliminated as possibilities first.

Revised 02-26-2013
 
Thanks Cruiser.
Left as in left facing the engine. As in the area behind and below the dizzy, oil filter and adapter. After cleaning everything up around that area yesterday and drying it off, I changed the oil filter, cleamed my modified ccv tube and tossed in 4 quarts of fresh oil. Took it out on the highway for an extended 70 mph run and after 60 mile it was dry. My oil pressure sending unit is registering acurately( or close to) and showing no sings of leakage , so it seems it was a clogged ccv.
 
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