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vibration dampener is wearing it's way through the timing cover! (92 XJ 4.0)

Hi folks; started noticing an oil leak this week and went in to take a look. I've discovered a condition that's puzzling and I can't find anyone else on this list or the web describing something similar, so here goes:

the vibration dampener appears to have moved rearward and is cutting a groove into the timing cover. the oil is leaking down around the dampener at a reasonable rate while the engine is running. I've never had the timing cover off before so I'm not super familiar with the layout in there - but I do have the shop manual.

So, the only puller I had laying around was a 3 jaw type - got it on to the dampener and managed to pull the outer pulley donut off without the middle piece of the dampener budging. Oops - didn't realize they were constructed that way - so I'm off to get a proper balancer puller today (and, I guess, a new dampener at the junkyard).

But what I realized was that, actually, it was that outer donut of metal that I managed to pull off that had actually worked it's way rearward and was cutting the groove into the timing cover. What caused this? I looked at the TSBs this morning and noticed one about the power steering pulley being misaligned - I'm in town and not near the vehicle but is this the sort of effect that condition would have?

Oddly - I replaced my water pump last year that had a failed bearing and a similar issue - the pulled had worn a groove into the housing. Is there something else here I'm not considering that could be causing the belt to "push" these pulleys rearward?

Is this oil seal what I should be looking at replacing? is it possible to do without the "special tools" mentioned in the manual?

Finally - in the last year I notice an intermittent, loud clank-clank- clank at idle, especially when the idle drops too low for a period (it's an older truck and I live in the jungle). It goes right away at

1000+ rpms and there's no noticeable effect on performance so I wrote it off as a loose heat shield sorta thing but now I'm wondering if it might be related (loose pulley key or something?) or if I should be otherwise worried about it.... .

thanks in advance!

elijah

Reply to
elijahs
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Seems to be a common way for the virbration damper to fail.

the oil is leaking down around the

Did the seal fail or did the damper rub a hole through the cover ?

Most likely cause, poor construction.

I looked at the TSBs this morning and noticed one about

No. The power steering pulley would probably cause the belt to jump off or wear funny.

The damper failed, get a new one.

Is it leaking ? If it were mine I would replace the seal now, while it is all apart.

is it

Don't know, don't have a manual to look at. Usually all you need is something to pry the old seal out with and I always ued a large socket, same size as the seal, to drive the new one in with.

That's usually the noise that the damper makes when it fails like it did. I think when you replace the damper the noise will be gone.

It goes right away at

You can start with the belts off, but with the damper still on, and see if it makes any noise.

Reply to
Mike

Awesome, thanks Mike!

Reply to
elijahs

I'm with Mike on this one - a new damper, not a junkyard one. They fail with age.

Hope this is helpful.

PoD

Reply to
Paul of Dayton

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