'95 Sahara, 1st YJ

[TRevs]

RMS Attempt #2:

I drained the oil last week and remove the oil pan. I ordered the victor-reinz seal and the Crown version. Since the fel-pro seal apparently didn’t work, I wanted to try a different brand. I looked closely at the old seal and the two new options and decided the victor-reinz looked the most promising.

Fel-Pro from November:

V-R:

 

[TRevs]

It was much easier to remove the upper half that had been in there for ~2 months that the original one. I sprayed brake cleaner in the block groove over the crank and cleaned everything well.

At a suggestion from the TJ forum, I jacked up the back of the jeep to keep draining oil away from the bearing while the anaerobic sealant cured. I used the red sealant sparingly and torqued the bearing cap bolts.

I let it sit like that for 3 days before installing the oil pan. I looked closely at the oil pan for any deformation and noticed that where the edge of the pan dips down to go around the crankshaft the metal mating surface curves, but the gasket is more of a right angle. There is a tiny gap at those corners and I thought it could be a source of leaks, so I put a small amount of RTV in that right angle corner on the bottom of the gasket and buttoned everything up.

It sat for 48 hours and I filled it and started it. It idled normally with no leaks and I’ll take it out tomorrow and put it to the test.

I’m really hoping it works this time.

 

[machoheadgames]

It was much easier to remove the upper half that had been in there for ~2 months that the original one. I sprayed brake cleaner in the block groove over the crank and cleaned everything well.

At a suggestion from the TJ forum, I jacked up the back of the jeep to keep draining oil away from the bearing while the anaerobic sealant cured. I used the red sealant sparingly and torqued the bearing cap bolts.

I let it sit like that for 3 days before installing the oil pan. I looked closely at the oil pan for any deformation and noticed that where the edge of the pan dips down to go around the crankshaft the metal mating surface curves, but the gasket is more of a right angle. There is a tiny gap at those corners and I thought it could be a source of leaks, so I put a small amount of RTV in that right angle corner on the bottom of the gasket and buttoned everything up.

It sat for 48 hours and I filled it and started it. It idled normally with no leaks and I’ll take it out tomorrow and put it to the test.

I’m really hoping it works this time.

View attachment 124600View attachment 124601

Hoping to see good results from yours with that RTV. I have always wondered about that joint, but last time I did my RMS was with the engine out flipped upside down on a stand. I eyeballed those areas with the pan installed and it looked super tight, so I assumed all is fine there without RTV. I wish Mopar gaskets were still around although for some reason I feel like I used one last time, but maybe I’m misremembering.

Edit: I dug back into emails and definitely did buy a Mopar gasket. I think my issue is a small nick on the crankshaft interacting with the seal itself, not anything with the gasket.