Good day in the driveway

WHY-J Wrenching

Posted March 14 2009 07:30 AM by Christian Hazel
Filed under: Jeep Tech, Jeep Enthusiast Culture, Christian Hazel

Why am I putting new gaskets in an engine I don't plan on keeping for much longer? Or replacing a radiator that's gonna be getting swapped out anyway? I dunno.

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The WHY-J seems to be a hit with our readers. Maybe because I'm trying to keep it real for a while before I go crazy with it. I realize that in these crappy economic times some down and dirty budget tech will appeal to our readers a whole lot more than if I just shipped it off to a shop to immediately have a Hemi and $20K in axles installed in it. Although that's how some other magazines operate, I'm gonna wring out every last drop of budget tech I can before I pull the trigger on my real buildup plans - which I'll be doing myself in the driveway, by the way.

So, yesterday was a driveway wrench-fest on the little 2.5L for an upcoming story in the August issue of Jp. The factory radiator was literally falling apart, the balancer seal in the timing chain was crusty, the front of the oil pan had started weeping a bit, and so on.

Out came the radiator, off came the fan and balancer, out came the oil pan, and on went the new gaskets and back together went all the pieces. And even though it was Friday the 13th, everything seemed to go smoothly - with the exception of the old pan gasket cemented to the block. It took almost 40-minutes to get it all off with a razor blade wrapped in duct tape 'cause I didn't want to use my pneumatic tools and spray the bottom end with gasket fragments. I gotta invest in a razor gasket scraper with a handle one of these days.

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Reader Comments:

1. Wow, that's what I need to do, only with my 4.0L. When that article comes out, all the same tech will apply, just with two extra cylinders right?

Jeeps4fun - Posted March 16 2009 06:03 PM

2. Yeah, for the most part. I didn't do the rear main seal 'cause it wasn't leaking. Actually, I really didn't NEED to do anything, but the engine started leaving a dime-size oil drop on the driveway from the front of the pan or the balancer seal. More than anything I just didn't want the underside getting oil-soaked for when I have to dive under there to do the engine/tranny swap later this year.

Pan gasket is easy. Just pull off the starter, take off the pan bolts, and drop the pan. Clean up the gasket and put the rubber end gaskets on the engine using a dab of black RTV on the gasket corners only. Put another dab at the pan ends and apply new cork gaskets with gasket cement on the pan, both gasket sides, and engine. If you're using a rubber pan gasket instead of cork you don't need the gasket cement.

Main thing to remember is to resist the urge to gun down the pan bolts when you're tightening them. That'll cause the cork gaskets to deform and/or squeeze out and you'll get a leak.

Christian Hazel - Posted March 17 2009 07:21 AM

3. How many miles are on that engine? Seems pretty dirty in there. No?

Jp Web Editor - Posted March 18 2009 10:54 AM

4. I've seen cleaner, but it's got 153K on it and I'm sure it was pretty neglected. Who knows how often the chick I bought it from changed the oil. Plus she left it sitting for a year or two.

Meh, it actually runs pretty sweet. Plenty of oil pressure, no noises, temp never gets hot. It's only gotta last a little while longer until I do the V-8 swap, but I bet I could get another 150K out of it if I was gonna keep it. Those 2.5Ls are burly little suckers.

Christian Hazel - Posted March 18 2009 03:16 PM

5. Well, I look at it this way: even if you swap the engine out in 1,3,or six months, keeping the oil in the pan and not on the trail makes for a more eco-friendly rig. I'm not a tree hugger, per se, but we don't need to give the eco-nazis more ammunition than they already have. Also, it might keep momma from going ballistic from the mess in the driveway!

wolverinejeeper - Posted March 21 2009 06:28 PM

6. True dat.

Christian Hazel - Posted March 21 2009 08:10 PM

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