FJ40 Oil Woes

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A

AK Chris

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Longtime lurker, first time poster. I have a problem with an oil leak that I'm hoping someone can help me solve. I am not a mechanic but I'm not a mechanical idiot either.(I don't think so anyway)

I bought a 68 FJ40 from a reputable seller (or so I believe to be) a few month ago. I plan to use it as my daily driver (I only live a couple miles from work) but mainly I got it to bounce around all the logging roads on our island to access good fishing and camping spots.

I had to install seatbelts before driving it daily so it did sit for a couple weeks without being driven much. But, it was driven , several times at speeds up to 45 or so. (with no noticeable leaks).

I finally got the seatbelts installed and started driving it. I immediately noticed it leaking profusely from the dipstick.
It only appeared when I got over 30 mph or so. It can idle all day without leaking.

I contacted the seller and he said that it most likely was a ring that wasn't seated properly. Said it wasn't uncommon, especially since it had been in such a high humidity location. ( I live on an island in SE AK) He said to run some Sea Foam through it (oil and down the carb) and that should free it.

I followed the instructions according to the bottle. It lost about a quart and a half in about 30 minutes of driving!! Not only did it come out of the dipstick but seems to have also blown out from around the valve cover.

I did notice that there was some oil in the carbureator. I did some reading on the forum and that pointed to a plugged pcv valve. I hoped I'd figured out the problem. Well, no pcv valve and the hose was clear, so that can't be it.

The engine runs great and has good power. It doesn't smoke. It supposedly only has a couple thousand miles on a rebuild.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
PCV valve?
I mean, you should have a PCV valve, and it should be plumbed into your intake. You do not have one?
 
Nope....it is missing the grommet and the pcv valve. It has a hose running from the oil fill tube straight to the intake.
 
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AK Chris said:
I contacted the seller and he said that it most likely was a ring that wasn't seated properly. Said it wasn't uncommon, especially since it had been in such a high humidity location. ( I live on an island in SE AK) He said to run some Sea Foam through it (oil and down the carb) and that should free it.
Click to expand...

Snappy response the dude had.........

Looks like he had that one loaded in the chamber and was cocked & primed........

Even with no pcv a rebuilt motor shouldn't show symptoms as your describing with only so called short mileage........

I'd do a leakdown test, it'll help get to the root of the problem...

Anyway: the Seafoam folks got to sell another can of their miracle cure............:meh:
 
Pighead said:
PCV valve?
I mean, you should have a PCV valve, and it should be plumbed into your intake. You do not have one?
Click to expand...

AK Chris said:
Nope....it is missing the grommet and the pcv valve. It has a hose running from the oil fill tube straight to the intake.
Click to expand...

X2 on the PCV. On the 68 the PCV screws into oil fill tube and runs to the intake just below the carb. If it's there I would check and make sure it's not stuck closed. If you do not have a PCV that wouldn't cause this problem. The PCV only prevent gas fumes from flowing fron the intake to the crankcase. With no PCV it should still flow from the crankcase to the intake with a clear hose while the engine is running properly. If this is all okay and you have that much blow-by then I think you've got a bigger problem then one stuck ring. Two oil rings and two compression rings on each cylinder that's a lot of blow-by for just one stuck ring.
 
Smell your oil. I know, sounds weird and all but do it anyways. Your fuel pump might be failing, pumping gas into your oil. Or, maybe it just has too much oil in there in the first place. Last but worst, a blown head gasket.
 
Motors can have blow-by and not use oil so to speak......

Blow-by is formed when compression leaks past rings and ends up in the crankcase....

Consumption is when oil is sucked up past the rings and burned......

Most cases, both go hand in hand tho.......
 
The way I read it, the previous owner threw you a bone by mentioning the ring situation.;)
 
rsbcruiser said:
Smell your oil. I know, sounds weird and all but do it anyways. Your fuel pump might be failing, pumping gas into your oil. Or, maybe it just has too much oil in there in the first place. Last but worst, a blown head gasket.
Click to expand...

I'm curious how a bad fuel pump could cause gas in the oil? As I said I'm not a mechanic so I'm having difficulty understanding how it cause that if it is running fine and the gas is introduced through the carb.
 
Rocky_LC said:
There is a diaphragm in the mechanical fuel pump. If it gets a split, the gas being pumped leaks through the pump into the crankcase.
Click to expand...


And this would thin the oil and allow it to leak out under the pressure of higher rpms?

I took it to a mechanic and he commented that the oil seemed thin.
 
How is the oil level? High, or low from all the leaking thats been going on?
 
I don't see how oil can come up out of the dipstick sleeve (even with blowby from a stuck ring) unless it is submerged somehow - which seems unlikely.... The dipstick tube is actually pretty short - it just seats into the hole in the block

Is it possible for the oil to be foaming up somehow and filling the crankcase, then coming out of the tube?

Have you changed it?
 
AK Chris said:
There seems to be way too much oil pressure.
Click to expand...

I seem to recall a thread about a rebuilt 2f with high oil pressure. I think something was plugged during the rebuild that caused the problem. Anyone remember that thread? Maybe search "High Oil Pressure".

Not much info i know, but thought it might help.

:beer:
 
I'm thinking that you have the classic symptoms of high crankcase pressure.
And you've posted that you don't have a PVC valve.
I think if you fix your crankcase ventilation, oil will stop shooting out your dipstick.
 
Pighead said:
I'm thinking that you have the classic symptoms of high crankcase pressure.
And you've posted that you don't have a PVC valve.
I think if you fix your crankcase ventilation, oil will stop shooting out your dipstick.
Click to expand...

So properly installing a pcv valve could possibly solve this problem?
 
Possibly. You say you do not have a PCV valve. You really should have one, why not try one and see what happens? They're cheap. First though, look and make really sure that you do not have one. If you really do have one, you can sometimes just clean them out and they'll work again.
I'm thinking that someone took off the PCV and blocked the port, or you have a clogged PCV that you havn't found yet.
How about posting a picture so we can see what you're dealing with? We love pictures.
 
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