Possible head gasket leak please help

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jeeper03

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Well today I went to check the oil because of all the work I have done to the libby recently and noticed it was about halfway in-between the marks. So I know it uses some oil anyway that's not my concern right now. When I went to put more oil in and removed the fill cap I noticed a milky residue on the cap and the plastic piece you can pull out now I've seen this before on other vehicles and I believe this is a head gasket problem. Now the dipstick is clean and shows no sign of residue on that which I thought was odd. I could see it coming from what looked like the pcv but cant be sure. I should of taken a picture before I wiped it clean. What do you guys think it is? I hope it is not a head problem.
 

TwoBobsKJ

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Well today I went to check the oil because of all the work I have done to the libby recently and noticed it was about halfway in-between the marks. So I know it uses some oil anyway that's not my concern right now. When I went to put more oil in and removed the fill cap I noticed a milky residue on the cap and the plastic piece you can pull out now I've seen this before on other vehicles and I believe this is a head gasket problem. Now the dipstick is clean and shows no sign of residue on that which I thought was odd. I could see it coming from what looked like the pcv but cant be sure. I should of taken a picture before I wiped it clean. What do you guys think it is? I hope it is not a head problem.

Nope, not a head gasket problem - you can breathe easier now :waytogo:

These engines are known to produce that milky goo in the oil filler neck - it's from condensation and usually goes away if you drive long enough to get the engine up to regular operating temp for more than just a few minutes. Longish drives on the highway usually do the trick.

If most of your driving is in the city and for short stretches at a time you're more prone to the goop. It doesn't damage anything but it sure looks awful :emotions34:

Bob
 

nullptr

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What Bob said. This is normal for the KJ, but can be exasperated by several things.

1) A bad PCV will cause it to get worse and cause oil usage as well. They are cheap and easy enough to replace.
2) The oil filler neck baffle is most likely missing. These must be removed when you change the oil, then re-installed, but most oil change places will just toss them.

Here's a link detailing the 'sludge' problem, with some pictures of the baffle in there.

The baffle should cost less than $5 and, at least for me, totally solved the problem.
 

LibertyTC

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Oh look nice oily vanilla pudding !! Need a spoon? :gr_grin:
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Ya that baffle can get a little nasty :icon_lol: See the condensation/ water absorbing into paper towel?
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Remove the PCV filter, if it looks like this, it needs cleaning or replacement :whip:
Remove the hose from PCV first carefully. Heating it might help.
Twist it counter clockwise to straighten/ tab position/pull out to remove it.
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Many of us use full synthetic engine oils which seems to help, but as mentioned, especially as the colder weather comes, get the jeep hot by driving it!
 

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jeeper03

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Thanks guys that's definitely a load off my chest knowing its not a head problem. As for the PCV I replaced it when I did all the other work with new hoses and everything so the PCV should still be good as that was about 1000 miles ago. I will just keep an eye on it for now and keep everything nice and clean. If short drives make it worse then ill just have to deal with it as the longest drive I make right now is about 15 minutes to work and school. I guess now I can focus on my oil consumption problem. I know there are now leaks as I've had it on the lift several times and have not seen anything. I still need to figure out exactly how mush is being used over a given time though.
 

M38 Bob

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What oil are you using now?

Bob


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

jeeper03

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Currently I have Mobil 10w-30 in it but I just put Mobil 5w-30 in it this morning as I heard that may help to switch to 5w-30. I will see how it goes in the next couple weeks.
 

LibertyTC

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15 minute drives are the major contributing factor.
Keep the baffle clean, free from moisture & any build ups.
What you can do is allow jeep to warm up first & then drive the 15 minutes, That may help.
BTW Mobil 1 Extended performance is Full synthetic. I am using Penzoil Platinum Full syn with good results currently. 5w-30! !!
 
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