Modoc Guy builds a Jeep

[Modoc Guy]

Hello all!

Well, I’ve got all my parts to start on replacing the oil pan gasket and the RMS. Now all I need is the want-to’s to get started on doing it!

Just haven’t been fired up about wrenching on the ol’ Jeep lately. First, it was too damn hot!!

And now that we’ve got a little cooler weather, I went and lost my damn wallet and I’m spending my time trying to replace the contents and dealing with credit cards and banks! What a PITA!!

Hopefully my pissy attitude will subside, and I’ll knuckle down and get ‘er done!

 

[bobthetj03]

I put losing a wallet right up there with losing your cell phone. Both a PITA! Sorry for your troubles. I've had the same lack of motivation to work on my POS. Once you get in there and start the work, maybe you'll have a better feeling about the ole Jeep.

 

[lowranger]

Hello all!

Well, I’ve got all my parts to start on replacing the oil pan gasket and the RMS. Now all I need is the want-to’s to get started on doing it!

Just haven’t been fired up about wrenching on the ol’ Jeep lately. First, it was too damn hot!!

And now that we’ve got a little cooler weather, I went and lost my damn wallet and I’m spending my time trying to replace the contents and dealing with credit cards and banks! What a PITA!!

Hopefully my pissy attitude will subside, and I’ll knuckle down and get ‘er done!

Sorry to hear about loosing your wallet, what a PITA to have to go through all that with the credit cards, banks and drivers license.
It is warming up over there. We went to Cold Springs Station in our SxS in May, and it was already starting to warm up.
I haven't showed much Jeep much love lately, but I did put a new battery in it about a month ago so I can drive it.

 

[Modoc Guy]

Well, finally got off my rear end and got started with the RMS and oil pan gasket.

Figured I’d just start with draining the oil and getting some Kroil on all the exhaust nuts and bolts.

Warmed it up after breakfast, after that it was too hot to touch for a while. But it cooled down quickly with the swamp cooler pointed at it!

Got the oil and filter out of it, moved that out of the way and started soaking the exhaust fasteners with Kroil.
Usually that stuff works pretty quickly, so I started working the Cat flange bolts back and forth and wham, they were off!

Then I tried the small Cat flanges under the intake, and they loosened easily and came right apart! So, damn, I might as well start working on the oil pan.

Once I moved the starter out of the way, I had all the bolts out of it and ready to come down in no time!

I was surprised it went so smoothly and quickly. And it’s so nice to just be able to get all that stuff out without f-ing around!

What other vehicle’s oil pan comes out so easily!!

So I stopped taking stuff apart, and started cleaning stuff up. Got the gasket out and the surface wiped down, got all the fasteners de-greased, and bottled up the waste oil and called it a day.

Topped it all off with some Mexican food and a beer!

So tomorrow I’ll finish cleaning up the gasket area on the block and the pan, then I’ll get the girdle off the bearing caps and get the rear main cap out.

Then I guess the real fun starts! Then I’ll see how difficult fishing that upper seal in place without damaging it is!

I’d love to be able to get this thing back together tomorrow. Certainly came apart faster than I expected!

Who knows, maybe I’ll get lucky!

 

[lowranger]

Good luck tomorrow, hope it goes as easy as it did today.

 

[Mike_H]

Well, finally got off my rear end and got started with the RMS and oil pan gasket.

Figured I’d just start with draining the oil and getting some Kroil on all the exhaust nuts and bolts.

Warmed it up after breakfast, after that it was too hot to touch for a while. But it cooled down quickly with the swamp cooler pointed at it!

Got the oil and filter out of it, moved that out of the way and started soaking the exhaust fasteners with Kroil.
Usually that stuff works pretty quickly, so I started working the Cat flange bolts back and forth and wham, they were off!

Then I tried the small Cat flanges under the intake, and they loosened easily and came right apart! So, damn, I might as well start working on the oil pan.

Once I moved the starter out of the way, I had all the bolts out of it and ready to come down in no time!

I was surprised it went so smoothly and quickly. And it’s so nice to just be able to get all that stuff out without f-ing around!

What other vehicle’s oil pan comes out so easily!!

So I stopped taking stuff apart, and started cleaning stuff up. Got the gasket out and the surface wiped down, got all the fasteners de-greased, and bottled up the waste oil and called it a day.

Topped it all off with some Mexican food and a beer!

So tomorrow I’ll finish cleaning up the gasket area on the block and the pan, then I’ll get the girdle off the bearing caps and get the rear main cap out.

Then I guess the real fun starts! Then I’ll see how difficult fishing that upper seal in place without damaging it is!

I’d love to be able to get this thing back together tomorrow. Certainly came apart faster than I expected!

Who knows, maybe I’ll get lucky!

The seals are cheap enough, get an extra to have on hand, just in case.

 

[Modoc Guy]

Taking a lunch break, or more of a drink break so I don’t dehydrate! Even with the swamp cooler, it’s still freakin hot in my garage!

Spent the morning cleaning the oil pan and the block faces. Pretty easy, just tedious. And looked up all the torque data too, wanna have that at my fingertips for the assembly.

Got the main cap off, and the seal actually still LOOKS good, both sides do. I was kinda thinking I’d see something that would indicate that the seal was leaking. But that would be too easy!

Had a little problem getting the upper seal out of the block. I figured if I just pushed on the end, it would just slide and rotate right out. Not a chance! I even tapped on the end of the seal with a long drift and mallet, wouldn’t budge!

Then I’m thinking, what the hell! It should no way be stuck at all!

Now, I just by chance was working on the passenger side end of the seal, and after all that screwing around, I thought I ought to try the other side before I get all worried or worked up.

And damned if it didn’t just slide right out, easy as you please!!

OK, now a quick bite of lunch, and maybe a little Glenlivet to lubricate the old mechanic!

 

[Modoc Guy]

Alright! Got it done! Worked until 8:30, but all I need to do now is start it up and check for leaks.

Didn’t want this to drag on until tomorrow, so I kept on assembling until I ran out of parts to put back on!

The upper RMS actually went pretty smoothly once I figured out how to push it into the slot. My large forceps let me grab and push like my fingers couldn’t!

I put the anaerobic sealer on the cap, and silicone in the sharp corners before I placed the gasket. Then I hung the pan off those cool little plastic pins and bolted it up.

Gonna let it sit overnight then start it in the morning, give the silicone a chance to set up.

Bought a tube of the quick set silicone online, and when I went to use it, the whole thing was set up hard!
Now I want my money back! Luckily I had some Dow and that should work fine. It’s just not quick set type.

Only thing left was the head pipe, and it went up quickly using my floor jack

Everything actually went together fairly easily. Only thing that gave me trouble was fishing the bolts back into the Cat flanges up under the intake. They were a pain!

Glad I finally got that done, but I found the next thing I’ve got to take care of, unfortunately.
Reached up into the timing cover to see how loose the timing chain was when the pan was out, and damn! That thing’s loose as a goose!

Guess I’ll start collecting parts!

 

[Modoc Guy]

Well, bad news, it’s still leaking!

Not much, but any amount’s too much as far as I’m concerned! And I’m pretty sure it’s my fault, but I’m not touching it again until the next oil change!

And it’s actually easy enough to do, and now that I’m an old hand at it, it should go much faster next go round.

Live and learn I guess!

 

[bobthetj03]

Well, bad news, it’s still leaking!

Not much, but any amount’s too much as far as I’m concerned! And I’m pretty sure it’s my fault, but I’m not touching it again until the next oil change!

And it’s actually easy enough to do, and now that I’m an old hand at it, it should go much faster next go round.

Live and learn I guess!

I had a mildly irritating RMS leak for years, then I replaced the valve cover gasket and my RMS leak dried up.

 

[Rickyd]

Well, bad news, it’s still leaking!

Not much, but any amount’s too much as far as I’m concerned! And I’m pretty sure it’s my fault, but I’m not touching it again until the next oil change!

And it’s actually easy enough to do, and now that I’m an old hand at it, it should go much faster next go round.

Live and learn I guess!

Did you use a mopar seal? My new stroker motor used felpro and has a slow leak from day one. I wish I'd known and used mopar while it was on a bench

 

[Modoc Guy]

Did you use a mopar seal? My new stroker motor used felpro and has a slow leak from day one. I wish I'd known and used mopar while it was on a bench

Used a Felpro. So, on that note, I’ll get an OEM RMS for my second try.

Hopefully I’ll have better luck with number two. Easy enough job, but nothing I want to do over and over!

I would’ve been happy with it working the first time!

 

[Modoc Guy]

I replaced my valve cover gasket years ago and I was lucky with it, I got it to seal first try!
And I double checked to be sure that it wasn’t what I was seeing.

Didn’t wanna do the RMS over a leaky valve cover!

 

[Modoc Guy]

Hello Jeep fans! Time for an update on the ‘Ol leaker!

I waited through the winter to get to doing the RMS again, and the nice false spring gave me enough warm weather to give it another shot.

Bought an OEM seal this time, and since I’d done this job before, taking it apart and putting it back together only took a day.

First time I stuck a seal in it, I’d skinned a little shaving off the outside of the upper seal going in, and I thought that might have been the reason it started leaking again.

No issues with the second OEM one going in. And I made sure I followed the sequence of assembly from the FSM on sealing it.
I didn’t know the anaerobic sealer needs an activator the first time I used it, but I was prepared this time.

And once I was done, I let it sit overnight to set up good. Now, would it work?

Well, it did for a couple days. Now it’s back to leaking again, and that’s the last straw for me.

This Jeep is officially up for sale.

Between chasing misfires and the RMS leak, I’m done screwing with this thing. Someone else can have “fun” with it now. I don’t mind doing my own mechanical repairs, I’m fairly skilled at it actually, but I don’t find it fun.
Only a means to an end.

Now I’d appreciate a little help from all you guys here on the forum. What do you think it’s worth? I’ve got everything the Jeep’s got in it listed in my profile, let me know what you think!

Or if you know anyone that might be interested, give me a shout. I’m all over Nor-Cal and northern Nevada, and I’m up for a long distance meet-up.

And thanks in advance for any help you can give!