Bad leak after ARX
- Thread starter Taylor
- Start date
- Status
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2003
- Messages
- 23,591
Maybe you can put a cork in your rear main seal.
Just trying to get my account deleted here.
Just trying to get my account deleted here.
It has two piece rear main, and yes on these motors the sending unit sprays a lot of oil when it fails. A buddy of mine had this happen while on the highway and lost 1qt/hr. Either way I've already ruled that out, and the filter, and the valve cover. sorry for the lack of info, i have a very busy schedule. I let it idle today after work and let it warm. it was dripping slowly, so i gave it some rpm's and watched the filter and the sending unit, nothing. Then once the oil was warm, I'm assuming, it started pouring even at idle, coming from the transmission bell housing. So unless there is a plug of some sort back there that has failed it has to be the rear main or the pan gasket. II really don't think its the pan gasket b/c I was very careful installing this one, and followed the instructions on applying some RTV on the front and the rear of the gasket. I have replaced manny gaskets and never had a problem. And I highly doubt it was over torqued as it has crush washers to prevent this. But I can always pull out the torque wrench and see bouts what they are at. My only thought is the rear main has trapped some dirt in it, or there is a grove worn into the crank that had gunk sealing it and the ARX cleaned that....
Last edited:
Sounds like a leak under pressure. How did you assemble the seal? Did you use a drop of sealer at the parting line?
Originally Posted By: moribundman
Maybe you can put a cork in your rear main seal.
Maybe you can put a cork in your rear main seal.
I'd be tempted change to a high-mileage oil ASAP to see if you can slow or stop the leak. Maxlife 10w-40 might be a good choice since your in VA which doesn't dip below 0F too often. A little thicker viscosity also might slow the leak a wee bit.
My friend had a problem with his small block chevy once, it was doing the same thing, it seems his breather and PCV were clogged.
The pressure inside the engine was pushing the oil out of his rear main seal.
He put a new breather and PCV on and the leak stopped.
The other reason I say this is because you stated that your oil was black which has me thinking your PCV could be loaded up.
A couple of months ago my Dad called me and said his 1979 Pontiac Bonneville was down 2 quarts of oil, checked his PCV which was clogged and I then put a new 1 on and his oil level is now fine.
The pressure inside the engine was pushing the oil out of his rear main seal.
He put a new breather and PCV on and the leak stopped.
The other reason I say this is because you stated that your oil was black which has me thinking your PCV could be loaded up.
A couple of months ago my Dad called me and said his 1979 Pontiac Bonneville was down 2 quarts of oil, checked his PCV which was clogged and I then put a new 1 on and his oil level is now fine.
On the Jeep 4.0's the rear main's had a tendency to leak as dirt/dust would accumulate on the oil seal and the grinding effect agains the seal would start the leak. I suspect that dirt was dislodged and removed from that area by the AutoRx and you know the rest. AutoRx did it's job really well, just unfortunate it revealed a leak that already existed. As an aside, the mid 90's 4.0's also had a common leak area around the timing cover.
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2002
- Messages
- 39,799
This points to a seal failure (if it is indeed the rear main) ..not just a cleaning up. If this was an existing rear main seal and it did this ..the explanation would be simple. You would wait for the seal to relax and start working again. This is a new seal.
Assuming you don't find some other source, I'd plan on having the pan pulled again and redoing the rear main.
Assuming you don't find some other source, I'd plan on having the pan pulled again and redoing the rear main.
Originally Posted By: moribundman
Just trying to get my account deleted here.
I wish you luck
Just trying to get my account deleted here.
I wish you luck
When you had the pan down was there noticeable amounts of crud hanging around the crank journals? If so may be your seals were running hot and dry. If this was the case then you were operating under the false seal concept. This would be about the first incident that I have heard of whereby the seal became exposed and failed under your cleaning procedure. Or perhaps a bunch of crud found its way under the lip of the seal during the rinse. If so you might have to run another cleaning dose. Although with the rate of leakage, that might not be practicle.
The other side of the coin is that may be the seal will reconform on its own, with more rinsing.
The other side of the coin is that may be the seal will reconform on its own, with more rinsing.
update, wasn't ARXs fault. pan gasket is too long on the rear main "u" part and when installed the gasket moves inwards. didn't have another gasket sitting around so i snipped the "u" off and replaced with gasket maker. Yes, this is temporary. lol. But i'm wondering is the pan was distorted from welding the bung in? I highly doubt it, just throwing it out there. Guess I'll have to get yet another gasket to see. Sorry Frank! thanx for the help guys.
Glad you got that thing figured out! I'm sure you are too.
Glad you have good friends. Nothing worse than frozen knuckles.
So what is the deal with the disappointing crank bearings?
So what is the deal with the disappointing crank bearings?
Frozen knuckles today working on the YJ, wish my pops owned a shop! Mains looked decent Rod bearings are showing copper, or bronze w/e it is. Its been knocking for 40k mi, [censored] I6 4.0 never dies, I have suspected a rod bearing since my bro gave it to me. Now I know....I was going to change them out while I was in there, but I didnt have them on me, and I have a stroker I am going to put together for it anyways. So I figured I let it die and put a fresh one in.
- Status
Similar threads
