I need emotional help!

[Reddrig]

So I've been fixing leaks since I acquired my rig. Did the inner seals on front axle which stopped that problem, tightened up the Transfer Case to tranny which seems to have cured small leak at rear of tranny. Did the rear main seal, new oil pan.

So I'm still left with what appears to be a small leak which looks like a rear main. I have a quarter size puddle after driving. I also changed the valve covers, no leak their. I actually re did the rear main again, and the same situation.

HERE'S MY QUESTION.

should I be content with this very small leak or should I continue to pull my hair out and problem solve a very minor leak? This is a 1972 Jeep after all. Would you older Jeep owners be content with this very small leak or would you continue to pull stuff apart? Give me your thoughts.

 

[pierrednepr]

Hi,

I'm not a shrink nor a bartender but since I acquire my 66, I had to fix...

1- The rear pinion seal (dropped 1/2 a liter of oil overnight after filling the rear diff) now its down to 1/2 tea spoon after a long drive.

2- Adjusted my valves then the cover gasket was leaking bad - change that

3- Now I'm dealing with a front T-90 seal leak - a lot of work for the little $5 felt seal.

I don't mind a few drop here and there below the jeep but not a 2 to 3 inch puddle below the bell housing after a long drive or enough oil leaking to contaminate the clutch.

Next will be the Transfer Case rear seal... that's leaking a bit but its not showing in my garage because the oil then to stay in the parking brake.


Hope this make you feel better!

Pierre

 

[Petescj]

I don't care for leaks but yours sounds rather small. I'm fighting strand leak and will have the automatic down for a 3rd time soon. I won't quit I had the same problem with a 360 awhile back but the leak was worse. A friend of mine told me to put a small dab of silicone on each one of the "feet" on the rear main seal. It solved my leak. If you haven't used that method I'd say it's worth a try. If you did I could live with a leak that size.

 

[Hedgehog]

Lets see ..... Last spring (over a year ago) my '75 hit my driveway for the first time. Major work began and it was another 8 months before it moved under it's own power. Replaced the engine, rebuilt Transmission , new gaskets in the Transfer Case . All work lovingly done, all work stress free. No oil leaks, for almost a year, no oil leaks. But all it needed was a little time, now I have a drip drop leak from the Transfer Case . EEERRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrr, every time I see it my hand automaticly does the "JUST SHOOT ME IN THE HEAD", movement. ..... Dude, I feel your pain! I hope it's not really a rear main leak. I say, drive the darned thing until the clutch goes. It may never have any trouble.

 

[Old Dog]

My cj is determined to mark his territory As soon as I fix one leak it leaks somewhere else, but never more than one place at a time, and the next one won't begin till I fix the leaking one.
I've had a small leak at my diff. cover for almost a year now, I don't want to fix it though as the next leak will probably be bigger.

 

[Reddrig]

It sounds like this is just part of ownership. I guess I'll just monitor and keep chasing problems as they become larger or bigger than I can emotionally deal with.

Hedgehog, I thought I finally had this think completely buttoned up after the last main seal replacement, and then it reared its ugly head again. When I looked under the rig and saw that drip on the bottom of the case, I almost cried, no kidding. I guess it's all part of owning a 42 year old jeep.

 

[tarry99]

So I've been fixing leaks since I acquired my rig. Did the inner seals on front axle which stopped that problem, tightened up the Transfer Case to tranny which seems to have cured small leak at rear of tranny. Did the rear main seal, new oil pan.

So I'm still left with what appears to be a small leak which looks like a rear main. I have a quarter size puddle after driving. I also changed the valve covers, no leak their. I actually re did the rear main again, and the same situation.

HERE'S MY QUESTION.

should I be content with this very small leak or should I continue to pull my hair out and problem solve a very minor leak? This is a 1972 Jeep after all. Would you older Jeep owners be content with this very small leak or would you continue to pull stuff apart? Give me your thoughts.

Sometimes just replacing the seal will not fix the problem especially on an old vehicle..........as the seal gets old it becomes hard and will wear a slight grove in the opposite sealing surface and of course start leaking.....on the yoke or crankshaft ETC:
The only way to fix this is to use a seal saver......which is a very thin sleeve that slips over that seal area and creates a new surface for the new seal to run on, or sometimes a new seal is offered that is offset by a slight amount that allows the wiper on the new seal to wipe in a new area offset by the design of the seal...........or you replace the part............that is the only options you have on old seals............look at both parts or your wasting your time!

 

[Hedgehog]

Tarry - I'm sure you are right in some cases, but I think we are lamenting about the traveling leak, you know the one that goes away, just to reapear somewhere else.

 

[hole]

I've found the darnest things that leak slightly and find their way to the back of the block to make it seem like a rear main. Until I went with the $45 Fel-Pro blue valve cover gasket I always had some level of leakage with black rubber or cork. Distributor and oil pressure switch seeps and also runs to rear just to help with the confusion.

 

[mtnwhlr]

My cj is determined to mark his territory

Old Jeeps just mark their territory. The are a lot like a alpha male dog.