Leak?

[Serbonze]

Thanks, I’ll check this morning. I can get OCD about the TJ. Then again, I like working on it and so I’m always looking for an excuse to learn some new procedure and get after it. Lots to give thanks for! Almost Thanksgiving.

I totally get it! It definitely bothered me that it was leaking oil!

 

[CodaMan]

Really? Bobthetj03 thought it was a good possibility. I don’t know much about engines. I’m learning. I guess all I can do is check as best I can, hard to see everything.

A head gasket is a possibility, but it is by far the most difficult to change and the most expensive if you're not doing it yourself. Because of that I would really try to eliminate the RMS and the valve cover gasket from the equation.

 

[JMT]

A head gasket is a possibility, but it is by far the most difficult to change and the most expensive if you're not doing it yourself. Because of that I would really try to eliminate the RMS and the valve cover gasket from the equation.

I'm probably using the wrong term. I'm talking about the valve head cover where your PCV valves are on top of your engine. If I'm saying it wrong by referring to it as a head gasket, sorry! Like this one

https://www.autozone.com/internal-e...3116!&ef_id=VeW2UAAABFC33pWF:20171121223901:s

 

[CodaMan]

I'm probably using the wrong term. I'm talking about the valve head cover where your PCV valves are on top of your engine. If I'm saying it wrong by referring to it as a head gasket, sorry! Like this one

https://www.autozone.com/internal-e...3116!&ef_id=VeW2UAAABFC33pWF:20171121223901:s

Yes, you are using the wrong term. A head gasket is a totally different thing. You are referencing a valve cover gasket.

 

[Squatch]

I'm probably using the wrong term. I'm talking about the valve head cover where your PCV valves are on top of your engine. If I'm saying it wrong by referring to it as a head gasket, sorry! Like this one

https://www.autozone.com/internal-e...3116!&ef_id=VeW2UAAABFC33pWF:20171121223901:s

That's the valve cover (sheet metal material), which is bolted down to the head (cast iron piece that the spark plugs are mounted to). A valve cover gasket is a DYI job for someone even remotely mechanically inclined. A head gasket replacement, which is the gasket sandwiched between the head and the engine block, is far more involved. Totally doable, but lots more involved (technical) and lots more work.

 

[bobthetj03]

Also sometimes referenced as a "rocker cover".

 

[JMT]

Yes, you are using the wrong term. A head gasket is a totally different thing. You are referencing a valve cover gasket.

Thanks for straightening me out.

 

[dan lee]

Looks like a rear main seal to me, I just had a shop do it for around $450, (1 year warranty) that's with a new oil pan...looks like you could use one. I also purchased the 9th degree skid plate for my oil pan, all my damage was done by previous owner when the jeep was stock height. It has a 3 " lift and 1.25 body lift now for a little more clearance.

 

[Mike_H]

Having just done this repair on an 04, both the video that @JMT posted and the How-To guide so a slightly different RMS than what I found. The difference is in the lower half of the seal. There are two "legs" if you will on the lower seal on EVERY guide I've seen. When I opened mine up, the legs are no longer present. The upper and lower seal halves are identical. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures, but here is a pic of the seal from Amazon...I'll update the "how-to" as well.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C2E7SM/?tag=wranglerorg-20

 

[CodaMan]

A few months ago I asked @Chris if he could update his RMS Replacement How-To Guide for that reason since I ran into the same problem ... he did.

 

[cliffish]

Until drops hit the floor i am not doing it...unless there is a reason to drop my oil pan, I would do it then.

 

[JeepNWilly]

Until drops hit the floor i am not doing it...unless there is a reason to drop my oil pan, I would do it then.

RMS leak is one of those things that will happen lol mine leaked while it was still under warranty. Leaked some time after that again and I replaced it myself. maybe about 4 years ago it started leaking again. Not worrying about it until the leak gets to be too much lol.

I should make a sticker that says something like this
"RMS Leak ... It's a Jeep Thing You Wouldn't Understand"

 

[dangjalopy]

IMO unless you are losing so much oil that you can read the word "add" (between oil changes that is) you don't need to change it. I have no place to change mine and do not want to pay someone so if mine were to start leaking I wouldn't replace my RMS until it was leaking too much. It's not hard but would prefer to lift it off the ground to do it. I live in an apartment so I am kind of stuck at the moment.

 

[bobthetj03]

Make sure your valve cover isn't also leaking. That could mimic a RMS leak. Mine has been leaking ever so slowly for years.

 

[greenliftedtj97]

what did you hit with the oil pan?

 

[CodaMan]

Make sure your valve cover isn't also leaking. That could mimic a RMS leak. Mine has been leaking ever so slowly for years.

I'm going to change mine here in the next couple of weeks, hopefully that takes care of my leak, if not RMS change time

 

[Gizmo]

I got lucky mine was the valve cover and once I removed the motor mount lift it stopped so I really got lucky

 

[TJ2]

I got lucky mine was the valve cover and once I removed the motor mount lift it stopped so I really got lucky

Gizmo, that is when you just jinxed it !!!

 

[Gizmo]

Wouldn't doubt that . I have been on a roll lately , heater core, evaporator, dryer/accumulator job I just did had more things go wrong than probably everyone I have done my whole life combined .