Oil Leaking from Distributor and Starter on '89 YJ

The rear main seal isn't that likely. Check behind the valve cover. Give it a good wipe then come back a day later and check. The I6 is notorious for leaking at the back of the valve cover and doing a damn good impression of a rear main leak.

Doung thanx. I read all about the back of the valve cover deal and went through all that already. And from what I understand, that would have the oil showing up near the rear of the oil pan which it's not.

And I wiped everything down and then let the engine run without driving so I didn't confuse things with oil being blown back. It seems to seep straight out of the little hole in the bottom of the started and under the lower mounting bolt.

As far as the distributor. I thought that there shouldn't be oil coming up that shaft at all unless the seals on the oil pump were shot.

Bill

I seems to ooze straight down DougW wrote:

I've got an oil drip that travels down the valve cover and runs down the side of the engine. Fix it every now and then with some cleaner and a skim coat of rtv. One of these days I'll actually re-do the gasket.

Might want to drop the starter and have a look. One of those bolts might be like my old chevy and actually go into the block enough to weep oil.

Plus you would be able to see the flywheel and check if it has oil buildup.

Bushings in the distributor shaft are supposed to keep the oil out. Not that it couldn't be the oil pump seals, but usually bad pump seals = low oil pressure. There is another seal that is part of the distributor just between the oil pump and the camshaft pump gear.