Drain plug leaking

T

t bell

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Memphis, TN

• Nov 20, 2003

• #1

My oil drain plug is leaking on my '91 4.0L. I bought a new one, thinking it would come like my wife's TJ which has a rubber coated bolt. I bought thin plastic washers and it still leaks. My wife's TJ has a rubber coated bolt. I have tried rubber o-ring gaskets but they fail after they get brittle. Anybody else have this problem?

 

K

kevin s

NAXJA Forum User

Location

cincinnati, ohio

• Nov 20, 2003

• #2

Try a crushable copper ring gasket. That's what my '84 Renault Encore used. No, really. It fit my '87 XJ also if I remember right. Similar to a spark plug washer. Maybe your stealership still has a few laying around. Don't know about yours.

 

8Mud

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Central Germany

• Nov 20, 2003

• #3

I´ve been wrapping mine in teflon plumbers tape for 30 years. Thin at the beginning, getting thicker towards the head. Wrap in kind of a cone configuration, four or five turns. Never have to worry about removing the threads with the plug.
People say it will plug up the pickup screen, or get into the oil passages. I´ve looked through the crude in the pick-up screen and whats laying in the bottom of the pan and never found any teflon tape, found more than a few chunks of silicon though, grit,carbon flakes, some metal and gum. Guess enough teflon tape, never got in there to be noticeable, or came out with the oil change.

 

L

Lou

NAXJA Forum User

Location

ToronNo/Hamilton

• Nov 20, 2003

• #4

Are you sure that it's the drain plug that's leaking?

For the longest time I thought mine was leaking as well--not so.

The oil that has leaked out from all the other places(valve cover, oil pan gasket, filter mount, etc) tends to collect in that spot making it look like it's the plug that's leaking.

BTW...I've had good success with nylon(?) washers.

 

T

t bell

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Memphis, TN

• Nov 20, 2003

• #5

Don't know if I would want to try the teflon tap. I Crushable copper ring gasket? Hmm. The nylon works huh? I thought about that but didn't think it was pliable enough. I'll try that on my next oil change. Also, I am pretty certain that it is coming from the drain plug. I don't have any other leaks.

 

P

pancake

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Seattle, WA

• Nov 20, 2003

• #6

Could you not go to the stealership and buy the drain bolt from the newer models with the rubber already? I would assume they would fit.

 

T

t bell

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Memphis, TN

• Nov 20, 2003

• #7

Different size. The later ones are larger. 5/8" comes to memory. Can't remember what size mine is 9/16" comes to mind, also.

 

1

19XJ96

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Aviano, Italy

• Nov 20, 2003

• #8

I also thought mine was leaking from the drain plug. Tried washers and teflon tape, but then realized that my leak was coming from the oil filter adapter. Changed the o-rings and all was well. I swore it was the drain plug because every time I looked down there oil was coming off the plug.

 

B

bchulett

NAXJA Member #999

Location

Southern California

• Nov 21, 2003

• #9

Try using the OEM plug that comes with the flat steel washer ... mine is metric.

Without my knowledge, Oil Can Henry swapped my OEM plug out with a plug that has some sort of washerless molded hard rubber formed to the bolt ... the damned thing leaked oil all over my driveway when I got home. I had to drain it and put the OEM plug with the steel washer back in.

I carry OEM spare washers with me and have them replaced every time I get the oil changed.

 

R

Runnin'OnEmpty

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Southeast USA

• Nov 21, 2003

• #10

Take a look at this:
Oil Drain Valve
You can get a discount of 15% if you use the code SVC5; good until 12-31-03.

 

T

t bell

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Memphis, TN

• Nov 21, 2003

• #11

19XJ96 said:

I also thought mine was leaking from the drain plug. Tried washers and teflon tape, but then realized that my leak was coming from the oil filter adapter. Changed the o-rings and all was well. I swore it was the drain plug because every time I looked down there oil was coming off the plug.

Click to expand...

This oil filter adapter, is that the thing that has the oil filter mounted upside down. That is the way mine is mounted and I noticed some are mounted the other way. I don't see any oil leaking around this thing but from the side, I can see that oil is above the drain plug on the side of the oil pan. Meaning that the oil is dripping onto it somewhere. But now the big question is where. I will get some degreaser and clean all the old oil up so I can see new leaking oil. What fun. Thanks guys.