oil leak help!!!

[hambone726]

Alright guys here is my problem. My 78 CJ5 is leaking oil at the rate of 3 quarts a day. It doesnt seem to leak when its at an idle. I have replaced the rear main seal and the pan gasket but neither have fixed the problem. My engine is coated with oil down the passenger side of the block, all over the starter, firewall, and everything underneath is covered as well. My PCV valves seem to be functioning properly. I removed them from the valve cover with the engine running and both are drawing a vaccum. This is my first Jeep and im completely out of ideas. Any suggestions??

 

[CJ]

Sound like the typical valve cover leak - you really need to degrease the engine completely and the do some short road tests. Unless you do that all we can give you are guesses...

 

[hambone726]

Sound like the typical valve cover leak - you really need to degrease the engine completely and the do some short road tests. Unless you do that all we can give you are guesses...

Well in that case i will go spray it off right now. The problem im going to have is still identifying the leak. As i stated previously evrything from the passenger side back gets coated and it only leaks when im driving. Any ideas on a remedy to that problem?

 

[IOPort51]

drive a mile, kilometer, and check the oil. You just have to catch it when it first starts. If a mile is too far try 1/2mile and so on.

Well in that case i will go spray it off right now. The problem im going to have is still identifying the leak. As i stated previously evrything from the passenger side back gets coated and it only leaks when im driving. Any ideas on a remedy to that problem?

 

[hambone726]

drive a mile, kilometer, and check the oil. You just have to catch it when it first starts. If a mile is too far try 1/2mile and so on.

Yeah i thought about that after i posted the reply...thus the reason he suggested short road tests lol

 

[jasonmark1993]

Man that is an awful lot of oil.

Might try revving the engine up by hand at the carb and see if you see oil start to spray.

3 quarts is like you lost an oil galley plug or something. Or a piece of the valve cover gasket came all the way out.

 

[hambone726]

Man that is an awful lot of oil.

Might try revving the engine up by hand at the carb and see if you see oil start to spray.

3 quarts is like you lost an oil galley plug or something. Or a piece of the valve cover gasket came all the way out.

I am in the process of changing the valve cover gasket right now...there actually isnt a gasket there. it was sealed with a black liquid gasket. i figured since it was a $7 job i might as well just change it. I am going to let it sit overnight and see if that solves the problem. Someone else suggested a galley plug as well. if this doesnt work its time to drop the Transmission ...

 

[jasonmark1993]

Pretty sure you got it right there man.

 

[hambone726]

Pretty sure you got it right there man.

I hope so because i have dropped $250 in oil in the past month. There is a sludge build up in the rear of the valve cover. That same sludge is down the engine block and built up on my starter...

 

[pc79cj5]

could be the front seal

 

[jasonmark1993]

could be the front seal

I was concerned about that is well. Def. would fit in with revving it up causing the oil leak to increase. Having a rtv only valve cover gasket would do that too though

Make sure you check the oil drain back while you are in there. If the drain gets blocked the oil backs up in the valve cover and can make a small leak a major one.

 

[bondo258]

A few more suggestions in case you haven't licked this yet. Spent a lot of time on my passenger side this weekend. Gave me time to think.

"Double gasket" the oil filter? (old one didn't come off when changed)

Oil plug under dizzy on filter boss.

Maybe even the Dizzy gasket.

Fuel pump gasket.

 

[hambone726]

A few more suggestions in case you haven't licked this yet. Spent a lot of time on my passenger side this weekend. Gave me time to think.

"Double gasket" the oil filter? (old one didn't come off when changed)

Oil plug under dizzy on filter boss.

Maybe even the Dizzy gasket.

Fuel pump gasket.

I actually did get it figured out yesterday. I replaced the valve cover gasket over the weekend anf made a rookie mistake by overtightening and splitting the cork gasket. After losing almost all of my oil i replaced the gasket again and havent lost a drop since. The oil was leaking from the rear of the valve cover and over the back of the block making me think it was the rear main seal. I learned a valuable lesson...always start with the cheapest components first. It was a $10 fix $300 later...Thank you for all of your help guys!

 

[mtnwhlr]

Glad to hear you got it fixed