Oil leaks......................or not?

[pinaplebob]

1051917

Ok noticed today that everywhere I had parked this week that my jeep was marking it's territory. So I actually started paying attention to it and realized that the tiny spots had turned into puddles...or at least bigger spots. About the size of the bottom/top of a popcan.

Well taking it into the shop (buddies heated garage

It's cold here) Cleaned the whole engine with some engine cleaner. I mean that thing is spotless. I drove it around for a couple of hours and nothing. Theres no oil leaking from everywhere. The only spot that I could tell was the head gasket was seeping a little bit.

The main spot where most of the oil was, was around the oil filter. I checked the filter and i could turn it a little bit if I really put my weight into it.

Anyway now to the question...It's like 7 degrees here at night right now, and I'm wondering if maybe I had a seal somewhere that froze or was stiff and let a little oil by. Is that possible?

Second question, anyone know how much the dealership would charge to put a head gasket on a 4.0 ho.

Thanks for any help on the matter...

pinaplebob[addsig]

 

[Jeepr89]

1051920

At the shop I work at with machine shop fees and all it would be about 750-1000 dollars just depending on parts that needed to be replaced and what not. Are you shure it's you're head gasket and not your rear main???[addsig]

 

[pinaplebob]

1051925

I'm not sure what it is? Oil was basically everywhere and all i did was clean it up. And now nothing is leaking. The only thing I noticed was that it looked like the head gasket was seeping. So i'm going to just have to drive it for a while to see if it will leak again.



Thanks

Pinaplebob[addsig]

 

[Bullet3600]

1052009

I just replaced my head gasket on my 4.0 The Head gaket kit cost $48 at auto zone and the job took me 2 days in my garage actual work time about 10 hrs for me. It was more time consuming unbolting everything than actual physical work. Good Luck if you take on the task......Bullet[addsig]

 

[RayOvac]

1052013

I dont know why buy on my 2.5 YJ the oil filter always leaks just a little oil...its happened with every oil filter I have used on it...I've tried just hand tightening it...still leaked. Tighting it a little bit more with a filter wrench..still leaked. It leaks a very small amount though...just a drop every once in a while. BTW I did put oil on the gasket when I put on the new filters. It even happens whenever I get the oil changed at a shop (usually I change it myself).[addsig]

 

[pinaplebob]

1052297

Well after completely cleaning the block and driving it for about 260 miles I checked again and no surprise it's leaking again. It looks to be leaking from the pass side of the engine on the head gasket. Which is really really sad to see as I'm a broke college student. I plan on taking it to a jeep dealership tomorrow to see how much they will charge/screw me. I just bought this jeep a little under three weeks ago. So, yeah it was too cheap for a nice looking/running truck. I know that I can definaltly rule out the gasket that the oil filter sump has, because that is the one spot that doesn't have oil on it right now. I've got 122,000 miles on it.........is it worth fixing? It's the 4.0l ho.



Thanks for the input.[addsig]

 

[MudderChuck]

1052313

Just thinking out loud. But if it was me, and it was leaking on the passengers side, I wouldn´t worry about it to much, unless it was alot of oil. Check the plugs closest to the leak for fouling, have a close look at the cooling system for bubbles or unexplained loss of coolant and run it. If it isn´t already, your rear main bearing seal is probably gonna seep some (most do). Business as usual for the inline six. Re-torquing your head bolts, might help, they sometimes come loose with years of expanding and contracting (normal for Chevys). I know for a fact, the exhaust/intake bolts come loose from time to time and need re-torquing in the Jeep. A little oil seepage, from a motor with a 100+ miles on it is to be expected.

If it doesn´t seem, to be leaking into or out of the cylinders and it´s just seeping a little oil to the outside of the block, Lock Tight makes a product called spray seal. Worth a try, a whole lot cheaper and easier than changing head gaskets.[addsig]

 

[judge09]

1052356

If your mechanically inclined and have to watch your money. Changing a head gasket is not too bad. It took me a few days to do mine but I spent alot of time cleaning and I wasnt in a rush. But its alot better than the $680 I was quoted. [addsig]

 

[pinaplebob]

1052377

Well I made the call to take it in and have the dealership look at it and she what they think. When I told the service writter that I though it was the head gasket, He said "I don't belive it's the head gasket, It takes a lot for them to go out, maybe it's the valve cover or some other small thing you over looked." Which made me feel better. So I guess I'll have to let you guys know how it turns out.



[addsig]

 

[pinaplebob]

1052754

Ok, I got it back from the dealership and it's not as bad as i thought. Yes it is leaking from the head gasket....But the main part of my oil leak is from the mount the holds the oil filter on. It's the gasket between the mount and the gasket. The dealership said that I should just have it changed the next time i get my oil changed. They said they would give me a deal. The head gasket is still leaking, but hardly at all. They told me nothing to worry about. My service writer sugested heavier oil. I've got 5w 30 in it now..he was talking like maybe 10w 30.... Whats everyone else running right now. As of right now I don't have any literature on what is supposed to be run.

Thanks
pinaplebob[addsig]

 

[judge09]

1052785

I always run 10W-30[addsig]

 

[dingus]

1052810

i ran 5w-30 until i noticed my oil leak, but then i switched over to 20w-50 so it would be a little thicker and not run through the leaks so fast (i lost 3 quarts in a month running 5w-30... now it's half that!)[addsig]

 

[pinaplebob]

1052963

hmmm, Well I'll try 10w 30 for right now....20w 50 sounds a little to steep for me.

[addsig]

 

[dingus]

1052985

yeah i just make sure to let it warm up for a few minutes without driving it to get the oil circulated, then i keep it below 3000rpm's for about 15 to 20 minutes after driving.[addsig]

 

[marc]

1053013

put some lucas oil stabilizer in it or some restore, some real good stuff real cheap and its as thick as 90 weight but supposivly protects aginst dry starts and it reconditons everything which might make your head gasket swell up and stop the leak[addsig]

 

[pinaplebob]

1053183

I was actually looking at that stuff on the interent tonight...and I think i'm going to try Lucas my next oil change.

Pinaplebob[addsig]

 

[pinaplebob]

1056774

Ok, Took it back and had the seal changed as well as the oil, the trans fluid and they went and changed the transfer case fluid as well. I'm happy to say that my jeep is leak free and happy. When it gets warm I plan on changing the fluid in the differentals. Thanks for everyone's help.

pinaplebob[addsig]

 

[Tug-n-pull]

1056779

Replaced the rear output seal in my transfer case and changed all the fluids other than differentials as well. Now like you I am leak free as well. What did you put into your transmision, I used the Pennzoil Synromesh and man what a difference in the shifting. good to hear. Tug[addsig]

 

[sudsmaster]

1074726

I had a oil leak and it was from the adapter that your oil filter attaches to, I got the O-rings there were three for 20 bucks took 2 hours to put it due to how tight the bolt was, you need a star head wrench to do it, the oil can actually seep down to the rear main seal and it looks like its leaking there but its really not.[addsig]