I sent this to you via email but posted here too for the group to read. Also, why havent you joined Socal XJ? we can really help you a lot there. Go to
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and join please. :) itwould be cool to have you there. These guys are the type that would put awhole lift on your jeep for a six pack. We can weld, fabricate, fix, andwheel like you wouldnt believe.KH
A VERY common oil leak comes from the back of the valve cover. It actually drips right where the rear main leaks. The good news is that if its the rear main or the valve cover its an easy fix. The rear main seal is a two piece design that does not require pulling the motor to fix, If the oil pan has never been pulled then the paper gasket from the factory takes a lot of work to clean off. How about you dump and refill your transmission fluid so that it is nice and red like it should be. Use any ATF that says mercon on the bottle. Your transmission pan has a drain plug so its a breeze to do, the pan can stay on. Then you can see if the mess of goo under there is oil or not. Take it to a car wash and pressure wash the underside to clean up a bit. Common 4.0L oil leak sources: The oil filter adapter o ring between the block and the thing that the oil filter screws onto. Rear of the valve cover Oil blowby into air filter box drains through bottom of box. (CCV problems cause this) Rear Main seal also power steering cap pukes fluid when over filled or over heated.
Once I changed my motor mounts and jacked the oil pan with a floor jack to get the new mounts in. I jacked the motor too far and flexed the oil pan enough to deform it near the rear main seal. It then leaked all over and did exactly as yours did. I thought it was the rear main seal but it was just the oil pan gasket. Dont worry, none of these things are a major expense to fix. KH
96 XJ Auto Tranny.. On my way up into the mountains I started getting a lot
> of smoke. Came home looked everything over, thought maybe it was the
> condenser line water getting into the bell houseing, rerouted that, test
> drove, no leak, drove 30 mins, no leak, going back up into the mountains,
> white smoke L I am getting leakage collecting on the bottom of the bell
> housing (then blowing back onto the exaust), it is black, but so is by
> tranny fluid L So I am not sure yet if it is the tranny oil pump seal
> leaking or the rear main.. It is NOT the valve cover, though I have been
> reading on the news group about ccv components causing rear main leakage?
> What is CCV? Any tips on this? Right now my plan of action is to dye the
> engine oil so I can tell if it is oil or tranny fluid leaking, if it is
> tranny fluid then I will take it to a tranny shop to deal with it I guess
> (any suggestions? Poway/San Deigo area), if it is engine oil then I will
> replace the rear main seal, sounds like something I can handle with some
> effort (minimal mechaniching experience). and then change my tranny fluid,
> ugh, it just never ends! My best guess is rear main at this time, as the
> extra oil pressure pulling up that grade might be enough to push the seal > out?
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> Seperate Q... Black/Burnt tranny fluid causes and solutions. 96 XJ Auto
> 3.56 Gearing, 33" Tires, half dozon off road trips.
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> Thanks :)
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> Alon
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