Leaks you cant understand where from.

[Jeepernaut]

So my rig finally had some loving since it was bought. I replaced the RMS, oil pan, valve cover, waterpump housing, radiator, thermostat, slave and master cylinder, clutch, and spark plugs. It has been leaking for a few hundred thousand miles and was really due. Well after replacing all the fun stuff and adding my 15w-40 Rotella, I cleaned up my mess and hit the road. For the first week I was getting a drip from the bell housing to which I chalked it up to residual. I went back under the rig after a month and noticed a small dipping still from the bell housing. I searched and searched but I could not trace the leak. Well last week after checking all the gaskets again I decided to clean the engine since the jeep has been leaking for 10 years and had about an inch of sludge all over the sides. What I realized was that the small drip was coming from the back of the valve cover where oil had accumulated and was basically just slowing rolling down the back of the engine. After cleaning all the drips were gone!

I just wanted to throw this out there for any of you fixing leaks. I have never cleaned my engine and finally learned my lesson. If you change a seal or gasket, clean your engine in order to eliminate false diag. and some piece of mind!

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Make sure your PCV or CCV system is working properly to avoid building crankcase pressure that will blow gaskets/seals.

 

[JPNinPA]

So it was oil kit water dripping? I didn't get that till the last sentence. Or was there more?


JPNinPA
Using Jeepz.com app

 

[Jeepernaut]

sorry for the weak explanation, basically my rig has about 15 years of accumulated oil sludge covering the engine and sensors. My RMS, Oil pan and valve cover have been leaking for around 200k miles. I decided to replace all three at around the same time. After replacement I was getting a light to medium drip coming off the bell housing (which usually indicates a RMS of lower leak). I looked for a while to locate the source, but couldnt locate it. Finally a light went off and I decided to steam clean the engine. After doing this, we found a ton of residual oil, most likely from the valve cover, that was being trapped behind the engine. When it was being driven the oil was warming up enough and flowing down. After the cleaning there was no more leaking! My advice is since oil seems to like to hid on these, that it is advisable to rule out residual "false" leaks, and help prevent a misdiagnosis. I was also talking to another jeeper who said his did the same thing for around 10k miles until he cleaned it up.