'88 oil leak (spraying)

[atlantadesignguy]

1054301

Hi. I am looking to replace my '85 which needs more work than I want to do with an '88 cherokee. when i let the engine idle for 5 minutes, i noticed that down towards the right on the drivers side oil being sprayed from somewhere, whether it is leaking and being blown by the fan dunno, but when you look underneath it you can see oil just below where the belts end. hope that makes sense. also, it sometimes will start and sometimes won't, but the guy has a "trick" using a screwdriver on this little box just off the battery. what is that? it is a descent price and the engine itself is relatively clean though it has 173k on it, but the belts, alternator look just about brand new. any thought or comments? all are appreciated.[addsig]

 

[JP]

1054310

I just had that problem in my 95 wrangler... found ice built up in the pcv breater hose going to the airbox, read online that it can be caused by short trips where the condensation in the engine doesn't have a chance to burn off fully and builds up in that tube, I found mine "spraying" out of the dipstick tube, also read that if the oil pressure gets too high, it can blow the front ot rear main seals (sounds like yours) But, if there is excessive moisture, it is probably a cracked head / block. dont know if it gets that cold down in atlanta for ice, but up here in Boston, its been about 10 degrees...
the screwdriver "trick" is probably jumping the starter solenoid contacts to engage the starter. just make sure its in neutral![addsig]

 

[atlantadesignguy]

1054312

it has been cold a few times but definitely no ice build up. it has sat for a month but there are no visible marks of any oil leakage. i thought maybe it was power steering fluid but that resevoir was full. i will look at those issues though, but i am not sure how to tell if it a cracked block. the oil pressure was actually really low as it needs about 3 quarts which was another factor. i think i might get my mechanic to take a quick look at it. thanks for the info and the help.[addsig]

 

[dingus]

1054313

is the little "screwdriver trick" unclipping the fuse box? or getting access to the battery fluid levels... where you add water...?[addsig]

 

[atlantadesignguy]

1054320

not sure as i have never done it, the guy i might buy it from seems to stick it on the ignition coil or whatever the silver box is just off the battery. do you have any thoughts on the spraying oil issue that seems to land on the driver's side front tire, but does not seem to drip anywhere else or when not running?[addsig]

 

[MudDawg]

1054352

The "box" thingie is probably the starter solenoid...either the ignition switch is whacked or the neutral safety switch is whacked.... oil leak "spraying" out on right side?? check the oil pressure sender... kind of obscured beside the passenger side motor mount...only the rear crank seal sees oil pressure... front seal sees only crankcase pressure. if it is blowing out of the dipstick tube...PCV/crankcase ventilation issue...or a major case of ring blow-by..clean around the oil pressure sender..brake cleaner works best... wrap it in paper towels and run the motor for a couple of minutes...check for oil in the towels...the sender is easy to replace...other than that... the oil filter could be leaking but not likely unless it ended up with double gaskets at the last oil change..everything else that sees engine oil pressure is inside the motor...

Dawg



[addsig]

 

[atlantadesignguy]

1054358

thanks for all the replies and will investigate. i just wanted to make sure i was being clear about the "spraying" of the oil. it is not landing on the drivers side tire, it just sprays in that area just inside the tire and under the bumper in a radius of about 10-12" of splatter.[addsig]

 

[dingus]

1054402

how serious of a leak are we talking about here? you adding oil daily?[addsig]

 

[atlantadesignguy]

1054414

actually, i am looking to purchase the cherokee. 173k, 1200 bucks is what he is asking. clean engine for the most part, a bit of oil leaking towards the back just around the valve covers, new alt and belts. needs the ignition stuff checked out. when i checked oil first time i looked at it there was just about nothing on the dipstick. put some in, and it splatters, though i did not notice it until after i turned off the engine and gave the key back, but will be inspecting it again. i wouldn't say it was a lot of oil, but for the 5 minutes i ran it, imagine taking a spray pump full of water and spray it 2x or so on your mirror and you see the amount of fluid, about the same. mechanic will be looking at it before anything is done so i will post his finding(s) if he can see it asap. thanks again for your responses. [addsig]

 

[dingus]

1054417

have the rear main seal carefully inspected for leaks... thats a project taht you don't want to dive into.[addsig]

 

[atlantadesignguy]

1054418

thanks, i will check that. not to sound like a novice, but i am, when you say rear mail seal, is that closer to the front (by the radiator) or closer to the back (by the firewall)... just curious as the oil sprays almost out away from the engine and under the front bumper. thanks again for your help.[addsig]

 

[atlantadesignguy]

1054518

so it turns out to be a small hole in the timing chain cover and the oil is spraying/leaking from there, and that to me is about a 600-800 job to replace the cover, the timing chain while your there, the front seal, and go ahead and do the harmonic balancer as well. he wanted 1200 but now i might give him 300 since the rest of the jeep is in relatively descent condition. i love my mechanic friends.[addsig]

 

[dingus]

1054520

you can't just put a little weld over it? or some epoxy/jb-weld?...[addsig]

 

[atlantadesignguy]

1054522

someone else in atlanta told me the same thing and had the same thing happen on his '88 where the chain stretched and wore the whole in. but i will, if i buy it, just go ahead and get a bunch of work done while the engine is worked on since the labor is the costly thing usually, and there are a lot of parts that can be replaced ie front and rear mail seals, new oil pan, timing chain, cover, harmonic balance and so on just to be on the safe side.[addsig]

 

[dingus]

1054524

so if you're gonna dump all that money into parts on your old motor (4.0 right?)... why not just drop in a new 4.0 high output motor with less miles? especially if you're getting labor at a discounted price...[addsig]

 

[atlantadesignguy]

1054603

yeah, there is a visible hole about the size of a dime/nickel in the timing chain cover. so from what i have heard i am considering using the jb weld on it to see if that fixes it for awhile since i have heard a lot of positive comments on this kind of "fix". if i get it i will keep all updated and try and do before and after photos of it for those who are interested. thanks for your response.[addsig]

 

[dingus]

1054607

while the JB - weld is a good temp-fix... you are ignoring a major problem that is underlying the hole... i asked a mechanic friend of mine, and here's what he said (read the convo, i'm 'dingus84')

dingus84: some guy just asked me:
dingus84: so it turns out to be a small hole in the timing chain cover and the oil is spraying/leaking from there...
dingus84: can he use JB-Weld to cover the hole?
dingus84: jeep 4.0 I-6 motor...
Toyotaman42: THE WHOLE FROM INSIDE TO OUT
dingus84: fill it with JB-weld?
Toyotaman42: SOMETHING LIKE A BOLT IS COMING UNDONE
Toyotaman42: GEAR BOLTS
dingus84: yeah
Toyotaman42: TENSIONER
dingus84: hole is about the size of a penny
Toyotaman42: BOLTS
Toyotaman42: SO IS A BOLT
dingus84: lol
dingus84: you think a bolt shot out then?
Toyotaman42: CAN YOU SEE IN THERE?
Toyotaman42: YES
dingus84: its some guy from over the internet... i have no idea...
Toyotaman42: HOLES JUST DON'T HAPPEN
Toyotaman42: LOL
dingus84: lol[addsig]

 

[atlantadesignguy]

1054609

our guess was that over time the timing chain stretched which caused the hole in the cover. one chat with someone who has the same year used the weld and it has gone strong with no issues for 60k so i am just seeking opinions, but i appreciate the responses and the help.[addsig]

 

[vfrf2]

1054616

This is a somewhat related, but unrelated story that may be of some help to others...I had a similiar problem with oil spewing from somewhere with my 85 XJ with the 2.8 GM V6 in it. I replaced the valve cover gaskets on it, only to have the problem continue. In order to keep from using up a lot of bandwidth, I'll keep this short and provide you with a link below so you check it on your own.

If anyone else has a 2.8 V6 in yours, you might want to check out the O-ring that seals your distributor. According to a site that I found that is geared for S10 owners who have a bit of knowlege about these engines say it's a common problem. After I replaced my distributors O-ring, the leaking/spraying problem stopped.

Here is a link so that you can get some more information on this at a more specialized site, not taking anything away from anyone here...but...these guys know the GM 2.8's a little better. Starting about 1/2 way down the postings you will see the info on the distributor O-ring, hope it helps:

http://forums.s-series.org/viewtopic.php?t=12396

viffer...



edited by: vfrf2, Feb 11, 2003 - 05:36 AM[addsig]

 

[RayOvac]

1054622

Yeah man obviously there is an underlying problem. As dingus' friend said, "Holes just don't happen." If it were me I would replace the timing cover and inspect and replace if necessary the timing gears and chain....they aren't really that expensive. Also I would inspect/replace the seals while I was in the neighborhood. Sealing it up with JB will stop the oil leak but will not solve whatever made the hole and the problem may return. The engine may be FUBAR though if it has been ran much with low or no oil in it (bearing oil starvation). You said the dipstick was dry when you checked the oil. But hey for $300 (if you can get it for that) its not a bad find...I just wouldn't expect the engine to last much if it has been ran without oil very much.[addsig]