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How much oil leak is too much oil leak?

4K views 26 replies 12 participants last post by  mikewiz38 
#1 ·
Looking for some advice here... I've been busting my back getting my YJ back together for an upcoming 900 mile all together trip. This will be a trip mostly on highway, but then a long drive through the forest with other jeepers. One of the last concerns I have is an oil leak. I'm not sure where it's coming from. I've tried to look around and I can't seem to locate it.

What happens is that every couple of minutes, you smell oil burning. When the car is cool, I can see a drip on the transmission bell housing, and if I look up around the RMS, you can see another oil drip up there, but it's more on the bolt that holds that area in. I believe it's running down from the RMS area to the bottom of the bell housing, then the wind blows the oil drip onto the exhaust back there where it burns off.

When I was filling it, I chanced it and didn't use a funnel and ended up spilling a good amount of oil on the valve cover. I tried to mop it up but it went EVERYWHERE. When I look under the Jeep, you can see oil all the way up on the exhaust manifold in the back down to the oil pan area and pretty much all over on the back of the engine. It's even on the other side by the oil filter and down in the back as well.

When the car is stopped, there's no pool of oil under it the next day. I'm doing a tin foil test tonight to see how much actually drips overnight. I would guess maybe a drop, but I'll find out tomorrow. I jacked it up tonight and let it run for a few minutes and rolled underneath. I couldn't see any drips, sprays, or anything coming from anywhere. I have probably about 400 miles and the oil level is still where it was when I filled it.

I know it's hard to diagnose, but I'm trying to decide if this little oil leak is something acceptable for a 900 mile trip. I want to go, but I don't want to be stranded trying to find a shop to fix an engine. To me, it doesn't sound like it's that big of a deal and it still may be just dripping from when I spilled the oil all over the engine. But I wanted to get the opinion of others here to help me decide if I should take this trip or not. Thanks!
 
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#4 ·
Throw an extra quart in behind the passenger seat, and check the dipstick after you’ve stopped for lunch during the trip.

Jeeps don’t leak, they mark their territory.


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#5 ·
Sounds like a good de-greasing and cleanup would go a long way to help pinpoint the origin.

Wrap the alternator and distributor in plastic bags, use the water soluble spray degreaser (Advance, O'Reilly, Napa all sell it),
let sit and carefully hose off.

Run the engine up to operating temp to dry then the hunt is on.
 
#6 ·
If it starts leaving a mess, then you need too deal with it.

If you're frequently smelling oil smoke, I would consider the valve cover gasket.

Most small leaks that have been around a while are not a threat to reliability on your trip.
 
#7 ·
Thank you all for the responses. I ran to walmart this-morning and bought two cans of gunk engine degreaser. Sprayed everything down and rinsed it per directions. It actually wasn't as messy as I thought it was going to be. So now I can hopefully get a better idea of where maybe this thing is leaking.

And thanks for the recommendation about going / not going. When I checked my foil pan this-morning there was not even a drop on it. It tells me that it's really minor, and I really hope that it's the valve cover gasket. The PO replaced it recently, but who knows... Out of all the gaskets, I would think the valve cover is the easiest to replace. I hope you're right! :)

Thank You!!!
 
#8 ·
I leak about a quart every 2500 miles. Mine is coming from the head gasket leaking a bit on the oil galley/lifter side of the head. It's not enough to make me want to pull the head yet. I get a few drops on the ground everywhere I park overnight. About half dollar sized wet spot but not a puddle. Sounds like you are getting either a small valve cover leak or all that oil you spilled when you refilled is slowly making it's way down.
 
#9 ·
The only small leak that can result in oil smoke is the valve cover. Any other type of leak does not directly hit the manifold, so it would have to be spraying inside the engine compartment to create a burning smell.... and those kinds of leaks would be leaving a mess all over.

A small oil leak (especially one that has been that way for a while) does not generally pose a significant reliability risk.
 
#10 ·
My Jeep doesn't leak any fluids whatsoever. At all. I'm proud of that.

My ten-year-newer Suburban and Ram 2500 both leak, and that annoys me.
 
#14 ·
Check those oil pan bolts for tight. If a couple worked loose and are only finger tight or so, they can just be snugged back up and may just solve your issue.

I don't have the torque specs on your 4.0, not my engine, but it's not much. The YJ FAQs will have the torq value you need, or someone may chime in here, and may save you replacing the gasket and all that. Free, simple check. It's happened before...


edit: Had a minute so...
Oil Pan Mounting Bolts 4.O L

1/4x20 84 inlbs
5/16x18 132 inlbs
Like I said, it's not much.
 
#15 ·
Check those oil pan bolts for tight. If a couple worked loose and are only finger tight or so, they can just be snugged back up and may just solve your issue.

I don't have the torque specs on your 4.0, not my engine, but it's not much. The YJ FAQs will have the torq value you need, or someone may chime in here, and may save you replacing the gasket and all that. Free, simple check. It's happened before...

edit: Had a minute so...
Oil Pan Mounting Bolts 4.O L

1/4x20 84 inlbs
5/16x18 132 inlbs
Like I said, it's not much.
Thanks again for the information. Goofy question, which are the 1/4" bolts and which are the 5/16" bolts? Are the 1/4-20 the ones that are on the side of the oil pan, and the 5/16-18 are the ones that go into the timing chain cover and the ones by the rear main seal?

Thanks!
 
#23 ·
I had a raging oil leak that I couldn't find so I lived with it to the tune of a quart of oil per tank of gas. It wasn't the RMS, it wasn't the VC gasket. I went nuts because I could idle or run it fast in neutral and not a drip. Only under load on the highway and it got sprayed everywhere. I still went on fairly long trips. Nice for the environment I didn't get much loss at trail speeds, only on the highway.

I finally found the leak by accident. I found that the manual fuel pump was starting to go and when I replaced it I saw that the top of the pump to block gasket had about a 1/8 inch piece missing. Once I replace the gasket I had no more leaks.

Look for the unexpected!
 
#25 ·
Hope this makes it online for reply.... my oil leak is a bit more serious, not in that it consumes oil but it creates significant CO blown into the vehicle by the heater fan. Have cleaned engine with little help. A shop put in dye and I made a 1500 mile trip adding one quart. At the other end another shop could find no trace of dye. Either they didn't put enough in to start with or the added quart diluted it, either way, anyone have experience with this type of problem ? where is the oil coming from to be sucked into the heater and vehicle ? 02 Liberty, 6 cal.
 
#26 ·
not in that it consumes oil but it creates significant CO blown into the vehicle by the heater fan. ...At the other end another shop could find no trace of dye. Either they didn't put enough in to start with or the added quart diluted it, either way, anyone have experience with this type of problem ? where is the oil coming from to be sucked into the heater and vehicle ? 02 Liberty, 6 cal.
CO? Cast Off?

Well first off you have posted in an older thread in the YJ Wrangler Technical Forum. Here in our forum the standard recommendation for your symptom would be to buy a 1987-1995 Jeep Wrangler with lower mileage and minimal modifications.

This is where you need to ask that question: https://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f12/#/forums/28

On the other hand, in one of your other posts it concludes by mentioning the rubber boots on a ball joint should be replaced if rusty. I'm not sure you'll get help there, either.

Where are you from? You need a competent mechanic. Someone here might be able to point you to one.
Or like I said get a YJ wrangler and to do some offroad decompression on a regular basis.
 
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