considering pulling the head off before she blows!

[jeepguy72987]

I use interdynamics. just make sure its for oil or coolant whatever one your putting it in. i imagine that any dye is the same

 

[Talyn]

You will also need a UV light to work with the dye.

 

[Ecomike]

Are you sure that's coolant leaking and not oil?

Cuz most older 4.0 will leak(seep) engine oil at that area. Consenses is that it's not a big deal if it's only oil.

Do you lose much anti-freeze in the overflow bottle with this leak?

X3, Mine did that too, leaked oil right there like crazy when I tried synthetic oil once on a 20 year old 220,000 mile Renix. I went back to 20W50 Dyno oil and it stopped.

Looks like oil to me, so not and issue, Good rust proofing!!!!arty:

 

[Ecomike]

funny thing, my front and rear main seals are dry! this is the only wet spot on the entire motor...

What condition is are your CCV crank case vent lines in? If the small gets plugged up it can pressurize the crank case and blow oil into the air filter...

 

[Bbasso]

What condition is are your CCV crank case vent lines in?

very good condition, air filter is dry.

and I'm using dino oil, I don't care for synthetics...

 

[Ecomike]

Baffles inside the valve cover could be plugged up with carbon. Easy enough to check just blow air in the front side of the valve cover and see if it vents out the back side.

 

[Ecomike]

Another reason I suspect oil, is antifreeze and water would boil off.

 

[Bbasso]

valve cover is spotless, inside and out. I recently did the gasket and cleaned the ____ out of it.
thanks!

As for burning off, I gotch ya. but this leak just started a few days ago :|

 

[JMOliver]

Mines the same way on my 99, just at the block and head like yours. Mines been that way for a yr or so. No oil loss, coolant in reserver is going somewhere very slowly, top it off about every 8 months ( only 1/4 of reserver ). Id just keep a eye on it and drive it,

 

[Bbasso]

Thanks all.
After adding all the parts I would need to do this job properly it's a bit out of my current budget, So this leak will have to wait a while.

 

[kastein]

Check the manifold ports/fittings that your CCV system vacuum lines lead to, I discovered one of mine was completely plugged with oil scale and sludge when I swapped in a new motor. It was so solidified I had to use a drill bit to scrape it out.

Most of my 4.0s leak oil from that section of the gasket, and you would be surprised how little oil it takes to cover the whole side of the engine. Hell, my transfer case leaked for an entire year to the point that there was always a drop hanging from it when I stopped and the whole back and bottom are soaked with ATF... and there was still enough fluid in it when I opened it up to top it off that some poured out the fill plug. I was expecting it to be pretty low.