Valve Cover Leaks

Rockinrod

Rockinrod

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Joined
Dec 16, 2020
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Pensacola
Well, once again the third time since Dec 16th, oil was seeping from the oil cooler area. This time he says the rear drivers side valve cover is leaking...Wow...When it rains it pours...I just hit 50K miles and crap starts happening...

Now, I'm wondering if they mis-diagnosed the original leak...Any thoughts? They replaced the oil cooler on Dec 16th, hmmmmmm??

Here is what they did, and parts used...Are valve covers on Jeep Wranglers known to leak after only 50K miles? I had a service tech tell me as I was picking up the vehicle that when a Jeep starts to leak, you will never stop it...I find that a very stupid comment to make...As long as there is no damage structurally to the motor of attached components these should be able to be repaired...He based his comment the miles on this vehicle...So he's say that i have to live with oil leaks for the duration of ownership...

Guess i will have to buy some drip pans then and use those just like the ones we used on aircraft in the Air Force....:confused: I don't buy it, I've been around maintenance and performed maintenance most of my 67 years!!

Rodney

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What year Jeep? I'm guessing you have a 3.6 engine, but don't like guessing. Did you buy this jeep new?

The 3.6 can have a problem with the oil cooler which you had fixed, the 3.8 has a super easy to fix issue with the oil pan, beyond that I'm not aware of any problems with these engines beyond ones that are abused really bad. 50k is low mileage, and I agree, if the engine is in good shape, you can stop a leak.

Go someplace else. Especially if that is a dealer. Never go to a dealer unless it is under warranty.

Jeeps do tend to stay on the road longer because they maintain their value. So conditions that would junk pretty much any other vehicle on the road will just give a jeeper a project. This may be part of the reason that Jeeps can have a bad rep. Generally, they are pretty solid though.
 
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MacGuyver said:
What year Jeep? I'm guessing you have a 3.6 engine, but don't like guessing. Did you buy this jeep new?

The 3.6 can have a problem with the oil cooler which you had fixed, the 3.8 has a super easy to fix issue with the oil pan, beyond that I'm not aware of any problems with these engines beyond ones that are abused really bad. 50k is low mileage, and I agree, if the engine is in good shape, you can stop a leak.

Go someplace else. Especially if that is a dealer. Never go to a dealer unless it is under warranty.

Jeeps do tend to stay on the road longer because they maintain their value. So conditions that would junk pretty much any other vehicle on the road will just give a jeeper a project. This may be part of the reason that Jeeps can have a bad rep. Generally, they are pretty solid though.
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I purchased it new In Baton Rouge March 2017....Serviced it like a clock, all the maintenance up to date, all of it...!Soon as I got 50K on it, just as if there was an alarm on it, stuff started failing...!One after the other. I purchased an good extended warranty package when i got it...Thank God...! It's already paid for itself...Engine is 3.6L...Yes, it is a dealership here in Pensacola, FL...

I have a FIXD device which tells me what a problem is when the engine light comes on...I just replaced a downstream 02 sensor last Monday using that device...

We've been very pleased with it so far, oil cooler was the first issue...Jeep is still like new, stays in the garage, clean...! No kids no pets, no smoking...I'm retired

Rodney

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Given the nature of these 3.6 engines and the oil cooler leaking, I wouldn't hesitate to say you might be experiencing a leak from the oil cooler again. Trust me, it's possible.

The last place I'd ever take my Jeep to (unless it was under warranty) is the dealership though, that's for sure.
 
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Chris said:
Given the nature of these 3.6 engines and the oil cooler leaking, I wouldn't hesitate to say you might be experiencing a leak from the oil cooler again. Trust me, it's possible.

The last place I'd ever take my Jeep to (unless it was under warranty) is the dealership though, that's for sure.
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Sure, no doubt...I have 45+ years around the mechanical field in both automotive and aviation, in the the Military and as a Civilian...Seen just about everything...I fully expect this...I'll keep repairing it, as long as the warranty pays for it...I have maintained all of my vehicles over the years like aircraft. If they had wings I could fly them, hehehe...Trying to stay on it...
 
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Have you checked any of the valve cover bolts to see if they might be loose? Also a repair shop that says you have to live with a oil or any kind of leak is no real repair shop.
 
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BLACKJKU said:
Have you checked any of the valve cover bolts to see if they might be loose? Also a repair shop that says you have to live with a oil or any kind of leak is no real repair shop.
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I will monitor these issues. I picked it up from the dealer yesterday afternoon, after they replaced the gasket...I'm not sure if there is a torque value on those. I'll do some digging to see...I drove it home yesterday and crawled under it and inspected it. Looked good. so far. There is a Chilton Manual web site, where I can rent the Jeep Maintenance manual for $29.00 a year. I may do this...
 
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Rockinrod said:
I will monitor these issues. I picked it up from the dealer yesterday afternoon, after they replaced the gasket...I'm not sure if there is a torque value on those. I'll do some digging to see...I drove it home yesterday and crawled under it and inspected it. Looked good. so far. There is a Chilton Manual web site, where I can rent the Jeep Maintenance manual for $29.00 a year. I may do this...
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More then likely there is a torque value on every single bolt and nut on those engines. Most of the gaskets will fail if they are over torqued.
 
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Hi Rodney - Former USAF here, too. Worked on flight simulators... my birds never went on rotation, and I always worked in air conditioning... rough life ;)

Anyway, I would be leery of the Chilton's thing. Also, you can access that same information online through your public library. I had a subscription to ALLDATADIY (IIRC) for a while and it was helpful for generic stuff but the Haynes manuals really suck. Chilton's is better but not as good as a factory service manual. You could get the Factory Service Manual for a reasonable fee. The "official" source is https://www.techauthority.com/en-us/products/?category=1 and for a single model, you can get the FSM on a USB for about $120. With your background and from the way you describe your maintenance, it might be worth it to you.

Just didn't want you spending money if you don't have to and if you want to, giving an alternative, higher quality choice.
 
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I agree with JerryD the Factory Service Manual is more info then you'll probably ever need but would be well worth the money if you wanted to be a DIYer. I have a couple FSM's for the Dodge Cummins trucks and are well worth the money.

You could always rent it out to your friends with JK's and help get your money back.
 
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Haynes owns Chilton and I recently read somewhere they are not printing late model books anymore. In my years of auto repair I discovered Chiltons to be better than Haynes.
I suggest paying the money for a Factory manual in one media form or another. There is far more usable info a person with your experience will use.
 
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BLACKJKU said:
More then likely there is a torque value on every single bolt and nut on those engines. Most of the gaskets will fail if they are over torqued.
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Just like the old 60's-70's cork gaskets...Snug them down run a few miles then check again, tighten ever so slightly...
 
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Rockinrod said:
Just like the old 60's-70's cork gaskets...Snug them down run a few miles then check again, tighten ever so slightly...
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Don't remind me of those old cork gaskets, can't remember how many I ruined from over tightening. The best gaskets I've found are Lube Locker for transmission Pans and diff covers.
 
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BLACKJKU said:
Don't remind me of those old cork gaskets, can remember how many I ruined from over tightening.
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Then the cheapo rubber ones, then the 80's no gaskets, just a bead of silicon, blue...I remember some of the guys I used to work with driving Chevy Silverados, pulling oil pans and the trans pan and finding no gaskets...! Just sealant...
 
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JerryD said:
I had those in my '01 Monte Carlo SS. Weird but did the job.
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Your talking about a solid round shaped ring, like a snake which goes around the top of the head, not the traditional flat gasket...What was the diameter? Guess the idea there was too compress it that so it spreads out...
 
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