OEM 2001 Jeep Wrangler Oil Pan

2001 Jeep Wrangler Oil Pan Parts and Q&A

• Q: How to Service and Repair an Oil Pan on 2001 Jeep Wrangler?

  A: For service and repair of the oil pan, disconnect the negative cable on the battery and elevate the vehicle. Drain oil from the engine by unscrewing the drain plug in the oil pan, then release the exhaust pipe at the engine manifold and the hanger at the catalytic converter so the exhaust drops. Take out the engine starter motor and the access cover for the flywheel/torque converter housing. Put a jack stand under the engine vibration damper, using a 2 x 2 piece of wood as a barrier and remove the engine mount bolts while raising the engine until the oil pan comes loose. Where needed, determine the transmission cooler lines and the oxygen sensor harness are present and disconnect both from the oil pan studs. Carefully remove the oil pan bolts and studs, ensuring the oil pan and its gasket are removed. Wipe down the surfaces of the gaskets and, if needed, trim or remove sealant from the rear main cap oil pan gasket groove. When doing this, avoid taking off any sealant that belongs inside the rear main cap slots. Soak the oil pan in solvent and dry it, ensure the oil screen and pipe are also well-cleaned and inspect the screen to see if it's damaged. Inspect the drain plug and the hole where it goes, repairing any stripped or damaged threads and straighten the oil pan mounting flange if you see any bends or uneven parts. When installing, clean the gasket areas of the block and pan, then make four dowels from 1/4 inch x 1 1/2 inch bolts by cutting the heads off and making a slot at the top for easy use. Dowels should be placed in both the timing cover and the cylinder block, with two each. Use Mopar Silicone Adhesive Sealant on four specified areas of the cylinder block, then put the gasket over the dowels on both the block and timing case cover. Place the oil pan so that it covers the dowel holes and is lined up with the gasket and install the 1/4 inch bolts first, tightening all of them to 9.5 Nm (84 in. lbs.) and the 5/16 inch bolts next, tightening each to 15 Nm (132 in. lbs.). Take out the dowels and set the last four 1/4 inch oil pan bolts, hand tightened to 9.5 Nm (84 in. lbs.) torque. Place the engine on the mounts, connect the through bolts, tighten the nuts and take away the wood from under the engine before removing the jack stand. After that, install the flywheel and torque converter housing access cover and then the engine starter motor. Attach the exhaust pipe to the hanger and the engine exhaust manifold and then tighten the oil pan drain plug to 34 Nm (25 ft. lbs.) torque. Set the vehicle on the ground, join the negative cable to the battery and place the right amount of oil in the engine's oil pan. When the engine is on, stay away from the fan, don't put your hands on the pulleys, belts or anywhere near the fan and avoid wearing things that could get pulled in. After that, fire up the engine and look for any leaks.