Just got my M54A2 (LDS465, etc) home after a drawn out blown head gasket saga and it looks like I have some oiling issues:
* the oil filter housings are definitely leaking oil badly. It took me 5 gallons of oil to make it from Mont Vernon NH to Southbridge MA, and I had to keep a very close eye on my oil pressure. The worst leak appears to be from the gasket around the banjo bolt head on the rear oil filter.
* oil pressure is about 30PSI operating, 45-55PSI cold. I'd like to see it higher, but I'm not sure what the spec is and I couldn't find it with a search... the -20 only said it should read 10-30 idling @ op temp, which it does (about 15-20.)
The leaks are probably because I had to reuse the old filter housing and bolt gaskets, as the new filters I bought from TNJMurray (Baldwin filters, I forget what part numbers - the elements fit fine) came with gaskets that just plain didn't fit and I had to get it home. Anyone know where I can get gaskets that *do* fit? If I can't find em, I'm going to order a new set of filters from Erik's and hope they fit, and if those don't fit either, I'm going to go with spin-on filters probably.
The oil pressure... I'm not sure. I really would like it to be higher, but I'm not used to the LDS465 yet, I'm used to 4.0L AMC/Jeep motors that idle at about 20 and run 40-50 at operating speed.
Tried to check the tech manual section for the other TMs I could maybe find this data in (I only downloaded the -20 and TM9-2320-209-34-2-1 back when the old forum was still accessible ) but for some reason it is sending me to the main forum menu instead of the tech manual section.
__________________
Slowly trying to learn everything...
Jack of all trades, master of none (yet)
'58/'90 Jeep/Mack M54A2 (soon with 395/85R20 XMLs and new head gasket!), 91 Jeep MJ on 33s, 88 Jeep MJ, 98 Jeep XJ
W1KAS
Quote:
Originally Posted by clinto
It is a strange feeling to pass anything other than a refueling depot in a Deuce
The military electric gauges are not very exact. Install a cheap VIP/Auto Zone direct mount gauge and check the oil pressure; I would guess the pressure is OK.
that is good to know. I have been intending to buy a mechanical gauge for debugging electrical gauge issues for years now, will have to pick one up.
My real worry on oil pressure is that I may have hurt the motor. The reason I had to swap the head gasket is - on my recovery trip from pennsylvania, my temp gauge wasn't working, and the belts got shredded and I drove it for 10-20 miles with no WP or fan running without realizing it because my idiot friend I had running tailgunner noticed the chunks of rubber flying but didn't think it was important enough to alert me it made it home with some new belts and coolant but blew the head gasket several hundred miles later. For the last 10 months it has been parked 75 miles away at a friend's house and I have been taking a trip up every chance I get to fix it. Every single time, I found myself missing a part or a tool, and he lives out in the boonies so no way to get stuff without spending an hour... so basically every time I discovered something I needed, it meant I was coming back the next weekend (or in some cases, weeks later, due to the crazy snow we got and my work schedule.) Once I got it all back together I discovered that coolant had been slowly leaking from *somewhere* into the crankcase, and spent a long time cursing myself, the truck, my birth, and anything else I could think of before calming down a bit and determining that it was leaking from a water outlet manifold gasket on top of the head and getting in under the (not bolted down yet) valve covers. Drained the oil and filled it with used but clean oil, cranked it over a lot with no injectors in it to flush the coolant out (hopefully) without destroying the bearings... drained it again... no coolant came out this time so I ran it. This is when I discovered a knocking sound I wasn't sure had been there originally, and the low oil pressure, which is why I am quite worried now. I suspect the gauge is simply inaccurate but I am (for the reasons listed above) second guessing myself constantly now and extremely paranoid about the whole thing.
At least it is now in MY yard, so it takes me 5 minutes to get something out of the basement if I forgot I would need it. I am strongly considering tearing the motor down again, putting better head gaskets in it (the kit I got came with the old style ones, and I needed them ASAP so I used em) and checking all the bearings, etc.
__________________
Slowly trying to learn everything...
Jack of all trades, master of none (yet)
'58/'90 Jeep/Mack M54A2 (soon with 395/85R20 XMLs and new head gasket!), 91 Jeep MJ on 33s, 88 Jeep MJ, 98 Jeep XJ
W1KAS
Quote:
Originally Posted by clinto
It is a strange feeling to pass anything other than a refueling depot in a Deuce
Buy a piston/liner kit and replace rod and main bearings while you're at it.
It beats venting the side of the block with a rod.....especially since you say you hear a knock....just my 2 cents
Fixed the oil pressure somewhat, the oil filter housing that was leaking was causing a huge amount of that issue. Cranked it down tighter and it stopped leaking, then filled the oil completely and the pressure went up somewhat. Go figure
I still intend to buy a mechanical gauge, and make use of a mechanics stethescope and a piece of vinyl hose to see if I can find the exact location of the knock sound.
Still have some unexplained noises, many of them turned out to be assorted loose body panels and some gravel and nuts and bolts that were sitting in strange spots however.
Most important fix so far: I replaced the crank for the window on the driver door!
__________________
Slowly trying to learn everything...
Jack of all trades, master of none (yet)
'58/'90 Jeep/Mack M54A2 (soon with 395/85R20 XMLs and new head gasket!), 91 Jeep MJ on 33s, 88 Jeep MJ, 98 Jeep XJ
W1KAS
Quote:
Originally Posted by clinto
It is a strange feeling to pass anything other than a refueling depot in a Deuce
some really stupid oiling questions...
) but for some reason it is sending me to the main forum menu instead of the tech manual section.
it made it home with some new belts and coolant but blew the head gasket several hundred miles later. For the last 10 months it has been parked 75 miles away at a friend's house and I have been taking a trip up every chance I get to fix it. Every single time, I found myself missing a part or a tool, and he lives out in the boonies so no way to get stuff without spending an hour... so basically every time I discovered something I needed, it meant I was coming back the next weekend (or in some cases, weeks later, due to the crazy snow we got and my work schedule.) Once I got it all back together I discovered that coolant had been slowly leaking from *somewhere* into the crankcase, and spent a long time cursing myself, the truck, my birth, and anything else I could think of before calming down a bit and determining that it was leaking from a water outlet manifold gasket on top of the head and getting in under the (not bolted down yet) valve covers. Drained the oil and filled it with used but clean oil, cranked it over a lot with no injectors in it to flush the coolant out (hopefully) without destroying the bearings... drained it again... no coolant came out this time so I ran it. This is when I discovered a knocking sound I wasn't sure had been there originally, and the low oil pressure, which is why I am quite worried now. I suspect the gauge is simply inaccurate but I am (for the reasons listed above) second guessing myself constantly now and extremely paranoid about the whole thing.
