[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q_wQy7rUs0[/youtube]
We’re back in the garage again, working on the Wagoneer. It’s well known that Jeeps leak oil, but there’s a spectrum from “marking their territory” to “British Leyland” to “Exxon Valdez”. My Wagoneer was leaking so much down the undercarriage it’d actually blow up the back of the car and accumulate an oil slick on the tailgate after any long drive. Good for rust prevention, bad when parking in friends’ driveways. It leaked from the rear main and the timing cover, but the biggest emitter was the back side of the intake manifold. Time to rectify that…
I’d actually attempted to re-seal it a couple years ago, but generally screwed up the procedure. Here are a few tips I’ve learned from previous screwups:
- If you’re debating whether you actually need to remove something that’s kind of in the way (e.g. the distributor), do it. Whatever time you think you’re saving by not pulling it isn’t worth the hassle of wrestling the intake in/out with greater difficulty. Clear the runway.
- I hint at it in the video, but make sure that coolant is all the way drained. I once thought it was all gone, only to hear a sickening gurgling/splashing sound as I busted the manifold loose. Coolant can linger in the intake crossovers, only to pour right into your crankcase as you pry the manifold up. I soaked it up as best I could, then basically did three oil changes in a row to get it all out.
- Typically V-engine intake manifold gasket sets come with little gasket pieces to go along the front and back of the block. These were the source of the oil leaks on the Wagoneer (and my Falcon). While prepping for this job, I double-checked a video from our friends at Scared Shiftless (they’re working on the Wombat Mercedes Wagon Hemi swap project) and they recommend placing these bit directly in the trash upon receipt.
- It may or may not be mandatory, but I like the idea of letting the freshly sealed assembly sit overnight to let adhesives bond and cure before they’re subjected to the heat, water, gas and oil of a running engine.
Oh, and for the record, the manifold’s sealed up nicely now. With that oil shower stopped, it’s apparent my next biggest leak is actually the transmission.
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