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Oil leaks under pressure

3K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  2000 T&C 
#1 ·
I have a 1996 Dodge Caravan with a 2.4 liter engine. About a year ago it started leaking oil, and I noticed it only did so under pressure, such as during acceleration. I tried to find the exact location of the leak, but all I could see was that it appeared to be around the head and valve cover area. I replaced the head gasket and valve cover gaskets and the spark plug rings, but it still leaks as bad as ever. If I take it on the highway my back bumper is sprayed with oil, which I believe came from the front of the engine and just sprayed all underneath the vehicle. Now the engine is fouling because #1 and #4 spark plug ports are filling up with oil causing the plugs to foul. I thought about the rear main seal leaking and spraying upward with the transaxle, but I don't think it would cause this much problem. The top of the engine isn't covered in oil, just the spark plug ports. There's no real evidence of oil leaking around the top of the engine, but apparently it burns off. Has anyone else had this problem? I'm about to overhaul the engine, I pretty much have to tear everything apart just to get to the head gasket, so I figure go the extra step and rebuild the engine and make sure I don't have a cracked head or block.
 
#3 ·
I pulled the engine out, as I would need to completely disassemble it to get to the head anyway, and I will be taking the head and the block to a machine shop to have them inspect it and do any mill work to rebuild it. The problem now is to find a rebuild kit for the 2.4 liter, everywhere I checked it's unavailable. I can find most of the parts in individual kits, but nobody has a ring kit for it, and you can't rebuild an engine without new rings. Thanks for your advice, I was thinking the same thing too.
 
#4 ·
www.NapaOnline.com lists several rebuild kits for your 2.4 liter mill that including rings, however, they don't show a price. Annoying.

www.dodgeparts.com lists the following for the 1996 2.4 liter engine:
  • Piston ring set -- $191.10
  • Connecting rods bearings -- $5.92 per cylinder
  • Overhaul gasket set, all models, upper -- $94.25
  • Overhaul gasket set, all models, lower -- $42.58
  • Crank bearings (for 1, 2, and 4) -- 7.67 per journal
  • Crank thrust bearing -- $18.33
By the way, they also show a complete short block for $825.50 and a complete head for $520.00.

Hope this helps. ;)
 
#5 ·
You could be on the right track with the rear main seal. A shop I used to work for I would tow at least one caravan (we used to buy junk cars ) to the scrapyard for the same problem . One I saw come through leaked so bad when we put it on the lift you could see the oil leak out as fast as it was being poured in.
 
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