Symptoms
Oil (and sometimes coolant) pooling in the valley between the cylinder banks, a burning smell, slow oil loss. You often won't see drips on the ground until the leak is bad.
The fix, step by step
- Remove the engine cover and intake duct.
- Unplug the intake connectors (the MAP sensor's red tab first), the vacuum hoses and the throttle-body brackets, then remove the seven captive 8 mm bolts and lift off the upper intake.
- Unplug the injectors and right-bank coils, vacuum away debris, plug the ports, and remove the eight lower-intake bolts, supporting the manifold out of the way.
- Unplug the oil and coolant sensors and the coolant hose, then remove the five E8 Torx bolts and lift out the housing.
- On the bench, move the cooler and sensors (with thread sealant) to the new housing.
- Fit new gaskets and O-rings and bolt it down in the specified sequence.
- The filter cap is 18 lb-ft.
- Reassemble, change the oil (6 qt of 5W-20) and check for leaks. 2014-on housings differ from 2012–13, so buy for your year.
Tools & part numbers
- 27 mm and 19 mm deep sockets
- E8 external Torx
- 24 mm cap socket
- inch-pound torque wrench
- 8, 10 and 13 mm sockets
- magnet and pick
- shop vac.
Where to buy the parts
Dorman 926-959 aluminum oil filter housing with cooler, 2012-on 3.6 JKExtremeTerrain ↗Amazon ↗
Mishimoto MMOFH-JK-12 aluminum oil filter housing kit, 2014–17 JKExtremeTerrain ↗Amazon ↗
Mopar 68596317AB oil filter and cooler adapter, 2014–16 JKQuadratec ↗Amazon ↗
Crown Automotive 5184294RK oil filter adapter repair kit, 2012–13 JKQuadratec ↗Amazon ↗
Hunting a used or discontinued part? Search eBay Motors for Jeep Wrangler JK (2-door) parts →
Rated for a competent home mechanic with a decent tool kit. Confirm torque figures, fluids and procedures against the factory service manual for your VIN, support the truck on stands rather than a jack, and work at your own risk (disclaimer). Some parts links are affiliate links, which pay us a small commission at no cost to you.