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 http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/socalxj/ and join please. :) it
would be cool to have you there. These guys are the type that would put a
whole lift on your jeep for a six pack. We can weld, fabricate, fix, and
wheel 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



"Alon :)" <alonfw@wiedenman.com> wrote in message
news:HjKSa.9675$Ne.6122@fed1read03...
> 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?
>
>
>
> Seperate Q... Black/Burnt tranny fluid causes and solutions. 96 XJ Auto
> 3.56 Gearing, 33" Tires, half dozon off road trips.
>
>
>
> Thanks :)
>
>
>
> Alon
>
>

 

How much tranny fluid will drain? Or how much should I put back in? I didn
't realize there was a drain plug on it, doh! I joined SoCal XJ, to bad I
missed out the the deep creek run, that would have been fun with a bunch of
XJs. I did some searching on the news group before I emailed/posted and
found info on the valve cover gasket, checked that and it seems fine, as
does the oil adapter.. they were both replaced about a year ago when I
bought it due to leakage J I checked my air filter for oil, none. So that
leaves the oil pan (doubtfull but will check), rear main, or tranny. Will
keep you posted.



"Kevin in San Diego" <kevin_hedstrom@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:YIKSa.14390$u51.4538@fed1read05...
> 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 http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/socalxj/ and join please. :) it
> would be cool to have you there. These guys are the type that would put a
> whole lift on your jeep for a six pack. We can weld, fabricate, fix, and
> wheel 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
>
>
>
> "Alon :)" <alonfw@wiedenman.com> wrote in message
> news:HjKSa.9675$Ne.6122@fed1read03...
> > 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?
> >
> >
> >
> > Seperate Q... Black/Burnt tranny fluid causes and solutions. 96 XJ
Auto
> > 3.56 Gearing, 33" Tires, half dozon off road trips.
> >
> >
> >
> > Thanks :)
> >
> >
> >
> > Alon
> >
> >
>
>