OK. Here's the skinny. I was driving down the highway at 65 MPH last night. Something sounded a little funny, so I looked at my guages. The "Check Guages" light was on, and my oil pressure is at 0. Sometimes it has done this in the past few months when idling, but never at high RPM's. I pull it over, and call a friend to come tow me to a local Auto Shop and leave it there overnight. When I go there this morning, I start it up, it turns over just fine, and starts to shake and screech like there is no oil getting to the top of the engine. By the way, I did chck the oil, and everything was fine - plenty of fresh, clean valvolene on the dipstick. Then, after the jeep sputters for a few seconds, the oil pressure goes back to normal, and everything is fine.

The mechanic looks it over today, tests the oil pressure, and says that he can't find anything wrong with it. Although, I figured he would pull the oil pan and see what was going on down there...but he didn't. Also - my Wrangler does have a very minor oil leak coming from the crankshaft seal, and my radiator has a leak.

So, I asked for an estimate on:
1. Replacing the Oil Pump - just to be safe.
2. Replacing the Crankshaft Oil Seal - so I can stop having to park over a cardboard box.
3. Replacing the radiator - hell, why not. I'll have to do it sometime.

Here are the estimates from the mechanic:
1. Replace Oil Pump - $360
2. Replace Seal - $160
3. Replace Radiator - $500

These estimates seem really high to me. I can get a new radiator for $200 - is there really $300 worth of labor involved? I can pick-up an oil pump for $75 - is there really $285 worth of labor involved in replacing the Oil Pump? And lastly, I have no idea what it takes to replace that seal.

Can someone out there let me know if these costs from the mechanic are reasonable? I know I can put the radiator in myself - so at least I'm saving $300 there.

One last bit of information on the oil pressure / oil pump replacement: Just before I lost my oil pressure, I had put in Bar's Leaks Rear Main Seal Leak Stop. I put it in before driving home that day...trying to get that front seal to stop leaking. Maybe it isn't the pump after all - hell, I don't know anything anymore.

Any help from you Jeep Junkies out there would be greatly appreciated. Kind regards, ac.

If it was me I would drop the oil pan and see if there is gunk in the pan. Possibly the screen on the oil pump is clogged and after sitting for a while the junk settled to the bottom. So, drop the oil pan clean it of any gunk you fine and see what happens.

And the prices don't seem that High. When replacing a raditor it is typical to replace the hoses and other such things. What did those estimates include it is probably more than labor. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

The noise it made on startup bothers me a lot! Then you mentioned some seal stop leak you applied that same day.. Now that has me going real good!!
My first guess is you have a mess in there. I am not familiar with whatever it was you poured in your crankcase but I never would've!
If it is a rear main seal leaking I'd be checking my pcv valve and fixing the internal pressure before installing a new seal.
Right off I think I would drain the oil out and install a new filter and some oil with a can of "cleaner" in there too. I'd be running her at temp for 30 minutes and then drain her and refill with oil and a NEW filter.
Then I'd drive her and see what I've got.
Big JIm <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

thanks bigjim.
any particular cleaner that you would suggest?

No need to worry man. My guess is that bar's leak you put in temporarily screwed with the oil sender, or the oil sender is just going bad. I had mine go just last year. I was driving and suddenly the check gages light came on, had zero oil pressure, I parked it, and when I came back to get it, everything was the fine, almost the exact same circumstance. Replace the oil sending unit and change the oil to get that bars leak out of there and you'll be fine.
<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> as far as your radiator, do it yourself. the estimate sounds alittle high but not to bad. You're paing for labor, and it's not hard at all to do. your oil pump and crankshaft seal both require the removal of the oil pan. big job to do if the motor is in the truck. Most of the cost of the job is labor. I don't think you need it done though. Oil pump is either good or it's not, if you got pressure, it's good leave it alone. your oil leak, all wrangler owners have got crankshaft oil leaks. I've replaced my seals twice on 2 different 4.0L's and still have leaks. the repairs only hold for 5-7K miles. don't worry about it, drive it---I mean wheel it.

Don't put any cleaner in it. cleaners attack the seals in the motor. you could make things even worse.

Sweety I agree about the cleaing agent! However since there is no telling what kind of GUNK that stopleak he put in there has caused......... At this ONE TIME I'd install a quart for 30 minutes or so to see what came out in the wash.

Acme any brand will do just fine.. It is available at any parts house. Just pour it in there as one of the quarts you install.
Big Jim <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />