gonna try to stop some 353 leaks...

Sunrise Farms · April 01, 2012, 04:21:06 PM

Hey guys, I got some questions about fixing some oil leaks in my Tj 208D with a 3-53 dd.

I'm pretty sure its coming out of the oil pan gasket... Can I do that with the motor in the machine? It seems a little tight. What about brands? Are there any brands that hold up really well? Can I get a rubber one, out just cork?

Im pretty sure the front main seal is fine, but if I want to change it, I can do that in the machine, right?

Any ways, wish me luck.

OntarioAl · April 01, 2012, 07:08:28 PM

Once I had to remove the oil pan on my TJ 230 to do so I found it was easier to drop the front axle than pull the motor.
Once the differencial housing is out of the way there is lots of room to work
hope this helps
Al

pineywoods · April 01, 2012, 10:43:33 PM

How to stop oil leaks. I once had a friend who was an old time aircraft mechanic. Airplane engines leak oil, just a fact of life. Stuff he overhauled don't leak. I asked why, here's his secret. Pull the pan, clean off all gasket surfaces. Lay a good straight edge on the pan gasket surface. Should be flat, not bowed between the bolt holes from over torquing. If its' not flat, lay it on the edge of a table and apply a rubber hammer. Use a new, good quality gasket. Throw away all the permatex, gasket glue etc. Use some high temp silicone grease, he recommended Dow Corning DC-4. Kinda pricey, but a little bit goes a long way. Use your fingers to work the grease into the gasket on both sides. The gasket will then stay soft and flexible, and won't stick to the metal parts. Re-install and be sure to torque the bolts to the correct value. DO NOT over tighten, this will cause the sheet metal to bend and bow up between the bolts, ie leak. Do the valve covers the same way. Works on just about any kind of gasket except metal head gaskets. I put together several old vw beetle engines this way. They didn't leak oil like most of them did..

bushmechanic · April 02, 2012, 09:36:39 AM

Hello Sunrise Farms and you will need good luck to stop a 353 from leaking oil.If your basepan is the culprit you can do that in the machine,just get up in under the frame where the engine is and you will see two skid plates,unbolt those and there is the pan in full view.You had better make sure that it is actually the pan leaking because the is a air box drain that will also give the apperance of a basepan leak.If I were you I would invest into some brake cleaner-spray down the area and then run the machine until you see exactly where the oil leak is.The front engine oil seal can be done in the machine but in order to get the pulley off you may have to remove the radiator.As for the gaskets I have seen cork and paper but never rubber.Well as you said good luck!

Sunrise Farms · April 02, 2012, 10:27:07 AM

Thanks guys, glad to hear I shouldn't have to pull the motor, although I don't think it'd be too tough.
I think I well spray her down good shape first to see. As far as the air box is concerned, if its leaking there, what does that mean?

And pineywoods, thought id let you know I have some lumber sawn up for a pineywoods solar kiln.... Just need time to build it now....

snowstorm · April 02, 2012, 06:06:06 PM

the air box is designed to leak. its a small pipe. they will drip oil more so idleing. oil pans seldom leak around the gasket. it can happen more likely coming from the air box

Sunrise Farms · April 02, 2012, 09:11:49 PM

So I had some time to play with it today. I cleaned it all up, and it was actually pretty clean, no leaks near the top. Once I cleaned the pan gasket and started it up, it didn't seem to be leaking there. Pretty sure I traced it down to the oil line going from the filter, in front of the motor, then to the supply on the other side.

While I change it, I'd like to find a screw on oil filter bracket. I hate the cartridge. Anyone have a good (cheap) place to get these? I've seen them on some supply store websites for around 100. Would like it quick..

Thanks guys, need to find time to paint the thing... Too ashamed to post pics of it in it'd current state

bushmechanic · April 03, 2012, 06:34:32 AM

You probally found your leak alright,I forgot about those remote lines.They get really hard and crack up-just a little note if you have to change one then try and not move the other one because when you move those that's when they seem to start leaking.I can't wait to see some pics and remember that paint dosen't make the machine.

Sunrise Farms · April 03, 2012, 07:27:35 PM

Alright, its not where I want it to be yet, but this is how it sits right now.
I painted that one panel new kubota orange to remind me how nice the rest can look. You can see the PO tried painting it black/ jd green, and did a poor job at it. Any tips on painting while we are at it? Im planing on wire wheel, clean, paint. Is primer really needed?

bushmechanic · April 03, 2012, 08:09:08 PM

That's a real doll you got there.You will only have to primer if you go to the bare metal.For sanding I like to use those flap discs for the mini-grinder,when you use those you can blend or grind with those and they last a while too.Equipment orange is the way to go for the paint-I think the origional color is best suited for any machine.Instead of masking off stuff you don't want paint on use hard grease,just easier to clean up.

Sunrise Farms · April 03, 2012, 08:18:31 PM

Its just regular Equipment orange? No fancy Tj orange?

You like the 'got wood' on the blade? That's what bugs me the most really. There is another just the same on the back plate/ arch

Maine372 · April 03, 2012, 09:26:31 PM

i kinda like the green. too muck black though.

thecfarm · April 04, 2012, 09:55:54 AM

Put it into the woods,that "got wood on the blade" will wear off fast. I will wish you good luck with your project.

sandhills · April 04, 2012, 02:18:28 PM

A good friend of mine does a lot of custom sandblasting/painting and one thing he does instead of trying to tape things off that have odd shapes is to wrap tinfoil around them, it works pretty slick.

lumberjack48 · April 07, 2012, 03:06:41 PM

My C5 and the S8 didn't leak any oil. I changed oil at 100 hrs, they'd be down a quart or two.

But this is after John P rebuilt the motors, he said If the motor leaks any oil, bring it back I'll fix it for nothing. He would only work on Detroit's, guys brought there Detroit's from all over the U. S. for him to fix. I dropped the C5 off at about 6 pm, the next evening at 8 pm i got a call to pick it up in the morning. This was a in-frame rebuild [3-53], 1983, cost me $840.00.

I like the colors on the TJ, this is one way to keep anybody from steeling it. In all my yrs i never painted one, i presser wash them once a year or so.

sandhills · April 09, 2012, 11:19:27 PM

lumberjack48, it may well of been you who said it, but somewhere on the forum somebody once said "there are two types of diesel mechanics, ones that work on detriots, and ones that work on everything else". IMOP truer words were never spoken, we have a local guy that is just like your John P, trouble is he retired about 10 years ago :-\. We have a detroit power unit for irrigation that he helped my dad and I rebuild that to this day doesn't leak oil (that was before he retired), sure wish I could get him to help me with our semi :D.