Info needed: 1967 M38A1 Lubrication?

[rob love]

Here is something you can try. Before our next outing, find a 1/8 pipe plug and put it in the drain hole of the bellhousing. After your ride, remove the drain plug and see what comes out.

I don't think a blcked PCV is your issue. But it is possible the fording valves are wired wrong. I have seen (once) where the arm was 90° out and the valve had been wired closed instead of open.

[Les Kovacs]

Hi Rob....thanks for your previous reply....OK....where is the bell housing?...is it the flywheel cover/housing?.... the thing attached directly to the back of the engine?....if it is, there is a hole at the lowest point but its larger than 1/8 inch....its closer to 3/8 inch....and I have already plugged it up (yesterday)so no dirt/dust gets in. OK....so if I take a drive with the plug in and return home and take it out...what should I expect?

Also, I want to take out the PCV valve for cleaning.....do I have to take off the round thing with the bolt in it that screws into the side valve cover?....and all the plumbing that comes with it just to get access to the PCV valve?

Also, the fording valve that you are talking about...is it the valve beside the PCV valve/fuel pump...someone has disconnected the actuating wire/cable but the arm/lever is parallel with the PCV valve and its related plumbing but I can move the arm up to vertical....where should the lever be? and should it be disconnected...or reconnected?

I would really appreciate pics of the bell housing hole location and of the valve you are talking about if possible.....but I do not have access to viewing pics yet.....any chance that you could email it too me....I would understand if you prefer not too.

Sorry for all the questions...but I really do want to get a hold of this loss of oil issue as I cannot afford to rebuild the engine.....so if there is a cheaper solution......

Regards,

les

[rob love]

The flywheel/clutch cover is referred to as the bellhousing. If you look at it rom underneath it has the shape of a bell.

The hole may well be bigger..I'm under a lot of military vehicles and the memory is starting to fade.

The plug should only be in there when you are driving in water that is deeper than the bottom of the engine. If it is in there full time, and the proper gaskets are in place between the engine, the bellhousing, and the transmission, then it will collect any leaking oil. Then, when you depress the clutch, you will oil soak the disc facings and cause the disc to be oil soaked. This will cause the clutch to slip.

If you pull the plug, you will see if it is containing the leaking oil. Remove the plug and leave it in the glovebox like the decal on the dash says.

You can remove the PCV valve by taking off the steel lines on the other side of the fording valve, and then turning the pcv valve off while holding the fitting on the far end, towards the side valve cover. If you don't, then you could cause damage to the little cup like cover.

There are two fording vlalves: one at the PCV and one up top at the oil tube. They were commonly disconnected and then wired in the open position. The lever is normally in line with the tube in order to be open, hewever as I mentioned before it is possible they are assembled wrong and will then be wired closed, so you will want to make sure they are proper. I found that very problem about 30 years back on 67-08304 (a jinxed Jeep if there ever was one) which did not do the engine any fovours.

Funny I can remember that CFR after all these years, but can't remember my wife's birthday.

[Wayne Hingley]

Originally Posted by rob love

The hole may well be bigger..I'm under a lot of military vehicles and the memory is starting to fade.

Your memory is good Rob (except wife's birthday), the bell housing takes a 1/8" pipe plug.

[rob love]

I think I see where the confusion comes from with Les.

When talking about a pipe plug being 1/8, the actual thread diameter starts at .405 of an inch (3/8 is .375). The size "1/8" refers to the theoretical diameter of the inside of the pipe. 1/8 = 0.125 by the way.

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Les Kovacs

and I have already plugged it up (yesterday)so no dirt/dust gets in.

Trust me on this: the inside of the bellhousing is a mess of engine oil, transmission oil, a touch of grease, and all of the asbestos laden dust from the clutch which is now mixed with the previously mentioned oil and grease. A little dust and dirt will make no difference to the inside of that housing.

[Les Kovacs]

Wow...don't know what to say except thanks!

OK...so here is what I have done....I have driven the jeep for a total of about 400 kms since I have had it....the bell housing hole has not been plugged (I just plugged it yesterday when I saw it so dust-dirt will not get in-but I have since removed it) and oil has never come out of it. I will keep that hole unplugged from now on!

OK...now to the PCV valve....I took off the round cover from the side valve cover and rotated it out towards the fender....then I unscrewed the ventilator control valve from the PCV valve...and was able to actuate and see the open/closed when using the lever.....great now I know that "level" is open and 90 degrees or vertical its closed...great...however, try as I could with two 12 inch wrenches, I could not crack open the PCV valve or disconnect it from its left side elbow for cleaning....even after 2 hours soaked in liquid wrench....so, I was not able to clean the PCV valve...back to square one in figuring out the oil loss.

Thanks Rob....you are a wonderful resource that's making it easier to maintain this jeep.

les

[Les Kovacs]

Finally got the PCV valve off from the left elbow (over the fuel pump)by using heat. Then used heat again to unscrew the PCV valve....very clean...just light sooty deposits...cleaned and replaced so not sure if this is the culprit for the oil loss.
Still trying to figure out where the oil is going. I have not driven the jeep for 2 days due to bad weather so I looked underneath and nothing was leaking at all. After a drive, a drip or two comes out of the rear main seal, seal between the engine & transmission and lesser weeping form one differential....that's it!

les