YJ 2.5 Oil Leak Help!

[PatrickPresti]

Hi Everyone,

Need some help with an oil leak. I had oil dripping off of the inspection plate for the transmission. After removing the inspection plate, I saw oil all over the inside of the bell housing.

After I removed the transmission, I was questioning myself if the oil was coming from the transmission. I observed no oil on the pressure plate/clutch at all. I removed the flywheel and there was no oil leaking from the rear main seal.

However, I noticed clean oil on the oil pan gasket where the oil pan curves around the main bearing housing.

My question is, if there was an oil leak at the oil pan gasket by the rear main bearing housing, could that oil travel down the inspection plate and then sling all over the inside the bell housing?

Also the oil pan gasket in brand new...

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Was RTV used where the pan gasket meets the rear main?

 

[PatrickPresti]

No

 

[jimjulie1]

Check your valve cover gasket, I have a 89 YJ and I also thought I had a rear main leaking. Look at the rear of your valve cover and see if oil is running down the back of your engine and dropping off of your inspection cover. I changed my valve cover and it resolved my oil issue.

 

[mud4feet]

OK, first off, I'm not a mechanic. If it were me, I'd pressure wash the whole engine (or some other method....basically get 'er clean and start from there). When oil starts leaking and you drive it around, that stuff'll blow all over, making diagnostics pretty difficult. I had a pressure sending unit go out and it spewed oil everywhere - and I mean EVERYWHERE! Do you notice the leakage in the oil level? Smoke anywhere while driving?
If it's a serious leak, you should notice it on the dipstick. As for where it's leaking, hard to pinpoint without a clean starting point.

mechanically challenged mud

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

No

Well there ya go. RTV is needed at the 4 locations on the oil pan gasket where the gasket meets the forward and rear rubber seals over the bearing caps.