I'm wondering if anyone has replaced one in this year model? I'm thinking of taking this task on and can't find anything on these forums about how to do it.

Any info would be great!

I've got 197,000 miles on mine and about 9lbs of pressure at idle. It's been falling slowly over the last few months. Time to do something about it!

:)

Are you sure it is not the sender, the gage, or too much clearance in the main and or rod bearings.

With 197K on it...there is likely more to it than just the pump, IMO.

Try running 5W-50 oil in it just for kicks.

I had the rear main seal replaced in it about a year ago. During this time the mech cleaned the oil screen. He also replaced the ?crankshaft? bearing baucase it had worn to the point it was starting to move from it's spot.

I did try some Lucas oil treatment during the last oil change and it seemed to help some, but now it is heading south again.

Will I have to jack the engine up to pull the oil pan or can I pull it without jacking it up?

I crawled under it yesterday and the only thing that seems to be in the way is the front axle. Still I have about 5 or 6 inches from the bottom of the pan to the axle.

Thanks for the suggestions! I just might try your 5w-50 suggestion... just for kicks of course. :wink:

I had to replace a piston, conecting rod, and piston rings on my 92 4.0 and to get the oil pan off I had to jack up the front end as far as possible, disconnect the steering stabilizer and tie rods then was able to get the oil pan off. Be warned when putting the oil pan back on after you are done it's a real pain in the butt to keep the gasket lined up properly in the back to keep it sealed. But before I would undertake that project if I were you I'd try running thicker oil in it like they said and try replacing the oil pressure sensor. If it's like mine it mounts to the oil filter adapter and is easily accessed under the hood. My jeep starts with alot of pressure then drops dramatically but runs fine and has plenty of oil on the dipstick when checked cold.

My only concern is this:

If the oil pump is starting to fail, and I put the thicker oil in (I'm already running 20w 50 and have been for 4 years) won't the oil pump have to work harder to circulate the thicker oil and in turn shortning the life of the pump? I REALLY do not want to be riding down the road when it decides to give it up and I'm either stuck on the side of the road in need of a new oil pump, or I'm stuck on the side of the road in need of a new engine.

I am concerned about replacing the pump and finding out that something else was wrong with it, but I need to try it. The guy at the shop wants 70 bucks for parts and 270 bucks for labor. That just seems a bit steep for me.

I can get the pump and screen for 40 dollars.

How much room does the oil pan need to drop before it's able to be removed? Like I mentioned before, the only obstruction is the axle. It is about 5 or 6 inches below the bowl of the oil pan. It also looks like I could (maybe, fingers crossed) jack the jeep up to give a few extra inches. All of the tranny lines run down the side of the pan and are bolted through the oil pan bolts.

I'm just not sure because I've never done this before.

Thanks again for the input. I will deffinately be checking the oil sensor... I'll just have to locate it 1st!

On my 92 4.0 the oil pressure switch is screwed into the adapter that takes the oil filter on the passenger side of the engine. When I dropped my oil pan i had the jeep (which is factory height) jacked all the way up until the front tires were off the ground then disconnected the front steering stabilizer shock and set it aside, disconnected the tie rod end to let it hang down out of the way then drained the oil and let it drain until it was a very slow drip, put the oil plug back in and removed all the bolts going around the oilpan leaving 1 in front and back loosened then took out front first then back keeping the pan from hitting anything as it came off. Then with the jeep jacked up all the way the oil pan has to come down about 6 inches and also have the clearance to come forward over the axle which left about 1 inch of space. It can be done in a weekend easy with a buddy and some patience just have to be careful not to damage anything in the removal. If you need more help let us know and if you dont' have one already then it's highly recommended you get a repair manual for your vehicle as it will have pictures for you to go along with the repair.

if your handy and don't mind the work and really like the vehicle is it worth your wild to find a lower mileage used engine to install. I had a 4.0 that had less than 5 pounds of oil pressure at an idle and it went over 2 years before I replaced the vehicle with a newer one.

Good luck