oil in distributer?

89 xj 4.0 98,000 miles (i don't go anywhere) Laredo aw4 Renix
Started running rough intermittently and I decided to pull the distributer cap, even though I'd just tuned it up 2 months ago. Found oil in the top of the distributer. Sucked it out with a wet vac, cleaned up the rotor and put it back together. My son had changed the oil and the filter was loose so I tightened it up and figured that was the problem. Ran great for a while and started bucking so I pulled the cap again to find oil again! My mechanic thought there was some sort of gasket in the distributer that had failed. Any clues?

The problem is simple. You are getting blowby and it is not being vented correctly. There is a tube from the valve cover over to the air box that plugs up. Sometimes you may have to pull the valve cover and clean it out.

Easy fix to replace the CCV tubing and hoses. Some NAPA outlets even have these Echlin parts in stock.

NAPA/ECHLIN P/N:

715-1365 $7.69

715-1366 $18.99

715-1367 $18.99 (one is the air filter side, and the other is the valve cover side).
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To add to this, with such low milage does it ever get warmed up ? If not then you end up with a lot of condensation in the block, this mixes with the oil, unburned gas and creates sludge. For a quick solution that should be done before you do the lines take it to a mechanic you trust that has one of the oil flushing machines and have the motor cleaned out, do the oil change and replace the lines that otto posted. It's also recommended you pull the valve cover and give that a really good cleaning. If you do it yourself have a shop vac handy and work the shop vac around the top of the head once the valve cover is off to remove sludge that has broken loose, you don't want those big chunks getting down into the oil pan where they can block the oil pickup. If you are really industrious while the cover is off take a plastic scraper and the shop vac and work them together to scrape the sludge off from the valve train area, then soak the valve cover in gas, kero, some kind of solvent but don't destroy the rubber grommets when doing this unless you pick up some new ones first.
For long term and the short times you seem to run it, I'd make a habit of running up to Abay for breakfast weekly on sat's or sundays to allow the engine to get warm and cook off the moisture on the interstate.
I have a similar problem with my wifes Oldsmobile, she drives 5 miles to work and 5 miles home, I try to take it out weekly where I can run it for more than an hour and it has kept the oil much cleaner.

When I first got my 90 4l it was pumping oil into the air box under hard acceleration. There is an intake vacuum tube that goes from the back of the valve cover to the intake manifold. According to what the FSM says this is a 'metered' vacuum leak that sucks in blowby from the valve cover. Mine was plugged solid from carbon formation. Personally I had some left over 1/4" hose and just cut it to size. The other problem as mentioned above is the hose that goes to the air box. Under moderate to hard acceleration on a higher mileage engine the blowby is simply too much for that 'metered' intake leak to handle. Therefore, I have left this hose pointing to the ground as a vent. I've tried those mini 3/8" inlet air filters and the oil vapor just condenses into the filter media creating a nasty mess.

Slo-Sho said:

When I first got my 90 4l it was pumping oil into the air box under hard acceleration. There is an intake vacuum tube that goes from the back of the valve cover to the intake manifold. According to what the FSM says this is a 'metered' vacuum leak that sucks in blowby from the valve cover. Mine was plugged solid from carbon formation. Personally I had some left over 1/4" hose and just cut it to size. The other problem as mentioned above is the hose that goes to the air box. Under moderate to hard acceleration on a higher mileage engine the blowby is simply too much for that 'metered' intake leak to handle. Therefore, I have left this hose pointing to the ground as a vent. I've tried those mini 3/8" inlet air filters and the oil vapor just condenses into the filter media creating a nasty mess.

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Pull your valve cover and scrape the sludge off the top of the head, then you can trim that valve assembly that sticks down 1/8" so it it up and out of the oil and does not suck it up.

davehoose said:

silly question, but it there a pcv valve in the front of the valve cover??

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NO. Just a 90*fitting.
Wayne

I had a similar problem the CCV was clogged so the oil vapors were coming out from the dipstick tube onto the distributors I hope this is your problem very easy fix

Wayne Sihler said:

NO. Just a 90*fitting.
Wayne

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Well I broke the 90 degree fitting as i pulled off the hose, it was extremely brittle! Anyone know if this is a parts place replacement or if i'm stuck going to a junk yard? Is it held in from the inside of the valve cover?

davehoose said:

Well I broke the 90 degree fitting as i pulled off the hose, it was extremely brittle! Anyone know if this is a parts place replacement or if i'm stuck going to a junk yard? Is it held in from the inside of the valve cover?

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I think its just a bulge on the fitting,I also broke the fitting as well as the Rubber/plastic grommet thingy-- the heat must do something to the rubber.
I got a new one at the dealer,they are closer to me than the junk yard.A junk yard part probably wont be any better than what you have.
Wayne

NAPA has the hose that make up the harness. About $20. Search this site for part numbers, or go to www.napaonline.com