thetopbanana Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 My truck is leaking oil, bad. It's leaking down the front of the plate that covers the clutch, and it isn't leaking at the head or valve cover. This would leave the rear main seal as the most likely culprit, right? How difficult is it to do a rear main on one of these trucks? I know I'm going to have to drop the transmission and transfer case, but what is involved in actually changing the seal itself? Are there any special tools needed, anything like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 You do NOT have to drop the tranny. The 4.0L rear main seal is in two halves, upper and lower. You have to drop the oil pan, and getting that out with the engine in the vehicle is a bit difficult if your truck isn't lifted, but it can be done. Once the pan is off, you remove the rear main bearing cap. The lower half of the seal comes with it. The upper half is in a groove in the block. You take a length of BRASS (not steel) rod 1/8" or 3/16" diameter and use that to punch the old seal half out. You may need to loosen the other main bearing caps (but not remove, just loosen) to allow it to move more easily. Then oil up the new seal and slide it into place, replace the rear bearing cap, retorque all the bearing caps, and replace the oil pan. Jeep changed the oil pan gasket in 1995 to a one-piece design that's MUCH easier to install than the older 4-piece design. Forget what the kid at Pep Boys tells you his computer says, the new gasket CAN be used on the older engines, and it makes life a LOT easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted January 16, 2006 Share Posted January 16, 2006 check the oil filter adapter. Mine leaked, and I could have SWORN it was the rear main. Degreased the engine and found it coming from the adapter. $5 worht of o rings and an hour later it was fixed. A word of warning, that torx bolt is a bear to get off. I was afraid of breaing it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88Sport_Truck Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 ok...i have an 88 sport truck with an inline 6 5 speed manual and it seems to leak around the valve cover but i replaced the seal and it still leaks down the back of my engine not anywhere around the oil filter but it possibly could be the rear main thats what a few people have told me but I'm not sure everyone i have talked to about it has told me that that engine had a TON of problems with a leak......mine wouldnt bother me except that it comes down on my exhaust pipe and smokes......I'm thinking about runin a single straight under my bed it would be nice if someone could help me with my lil oil prob...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 if it was a rear main seal I doubt it would leak up the engine block. Check to see if your valve cover is warped. Even if you replace the gasket, if the cover is warped it may not seal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 My oil leak situation waas similar. Best thing to do is to thouroughly clean the engine with degreaser, and let it dry. Then start the engine and let it run, varing the speed to simulate running down the road. After you have done this you mihgt be suprised where the leaks are coming from. mine happened to be a distributor gasket that was spraying oil up the side of the block, then leaking down the rear. Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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