Robert U’Ren from Willys Jeep UK shares some of his helpful fixes and tips on buying, selling, repairing and recommissioning World War Two and Hotchkiss Jeeps
You may have recently purchased a Jeep or military vehicle and are considering doing an oil change. I recently purchased an M38 ex-military Jeep which had a few issues to address. One of these was oil dripping from the back of the engine after a run. I suspected a rear crankshaft oil seal leak, but fortunately it turned out to be a simpler fix.
When driving along, oil was escaping from the back of the sump due to a poorly fitting gasket. It was then dripping off the bell housing giving the impression that the rear crankshaft main seal was leaking.
I drained the oil and removed the sump to investigate. Once off, the first thing to do is clean out any sludge left in the bottom.
