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4.0 head rebuild in progress. Lots of question and pictures
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go hereXJ (84-01)
All OEM related XJ specific tech. Examples, no start, general maintenance or anything that's stock.
Dont take this the wrong way but you missed 2 very important things. Old cam plus new lifters is always a gamble. You need to break them in right and it sounds like you didnt. You are supposed to hold the RPM above 1500 and vary the RPM a couple hundred for 20-30 min. This helps warm the oil up (ZDDP does nothing until the oil hits 160°) and helps lube the cam and lifters. On top of that, you are breaking in new lifters and that means they need special oil. While the oil you used has a higher then normal ZDDP content, you need even more then that with fresh lifters. It it was me, I would go get a bottle of Comp break in oil, throw it in and hope for the best.
Yeah I could have payed more attention to that. I've driven about 25 miles maybe, plus 20 minutes of idling in the driveway - always with a blip of the throttle every 60 seconds or so.
Hopefully I get lucky. Stock cam, stock springs, slippery oil. I have a feeling I will be lucky.
Maybe its too late but maybe I'll do an oil change and put regular ol' dinosaur 10w-40 + Comp cam break in additive into the oil pan. Maybe I can save and reuse the synthetic oil in there now, it's expensive!
Last edited by mannydantyla; 06-26-2018 at 05:08 PM.
The Comp additive is only a 1/2 qt bottle. I would just dump it in to the oil you are already running. I ran mine with it for about 1000 miles then changed back to normal oil with no additive.
Thanks I really enjoyed your post and pics,and responses from members...I'm going to be jumping into this as soon as I get brakes rebuilt , and get my Jeep off the jacks. It'll be easier to work on the top of the engine.
Keep wrenching
Thank you. I asked because I'm not sure if anyone else noticed it or not... But either these things are incredible about wearing slow or that engine doesn't actually have that many miles on it? I will leave it up to those more experienced with these but did anyone notice that crosshatch in the cylinder walls? Looks like it isn't even broke in yet! If this is original that is absolutely incredible! lol
The previous owner gave me a 2" thick binder of old service records and receipts. I looked through them all and if there was an engine rebuild I would have seen it.
Oil was always changed regularly and vehicle was inspected by her mechanic every time. She also commuted to and from work on the highway everyday. It's just a good engine! But it's a Chrysler so you gotta keep up on maintenance...
To be honest, I kinda wish I never bothered with new lifters. Making me all nervous now. I just read a thread about a guy who's new lifters were destroyed after only 100 miles: https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/col...nd-new-241373/
Guess I'll know soon then. Maybe after today. It's 99*F outside and I'm going to go on a long test drive to see if it overheats. Going to bring a toolbox and cell phone with me, lol
I remember weighing the gamble with new lifters vs a missed opportunity to easily replace them with new ones. With what I know now, I would have not risked it. And it's not like I can just throw away this vehicle if the engine goes bad: in the last few months I've been so much time and money into it. New radiator, battery, alternator, serpentine belt, and of course the head rebuild and new head gasket. If it will get me to New Mexico and Colorado in exactly 4 weeks from now then it will be worth it. If not then I have a backup truck but not 4x4.
Last edited by mannydantyla; 06-27-2018 at 10:24 AM.
The previous owner gave me a 2" thick binder of old service records and receipts. I looked through them all and if there was an engine rebuild I would have seen it.
Oil was always changed regularly and vehicle was inspected by her mechanic every time. She also commuted to and from work on the highway everyday. It's just a good engine! But it's a Chrysler so you gotta keep up on maintenance...
Seeing crosshatch still in those cylinders made me smile.
To be honest, I kinda wish I never bothered with new lifters. Making me all nervous now. I just read a thread about a guy who's new lifters were destroyed after only 100 miles: https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/col...nd-new-241373/
Guess I'll know soon then. Maybe after today. It's 99*F outside and I'm going to go on a long test drive to see if it overheats. Going to bring a toolbox and cell phone with me, lol
I remember weighing the gamble with new lifters vs a missed opportunity to easily replace them with new ones. With what I know now, I would have not risked it. And it's not like I can just throw away this vehicle if the engine goes bad: in the last few months I've been so much time and money into it. New radiator, battery, alternator, serpentine belt, and of course the head rebuild and new head gasket. If it will get me to New Mexico and Colorado in exactly 4 weeks from now then it will be worth it. If not then I have a backup truck but not 4x4.
To scatter my father's ashes at his favorite fishing site, Cabresto Lake near Questa, and my brother's little Honda Fit is certainly not making it up that mountain road. Kinda important!
Last edited by mannydantyla; 06-27-2018 at 11:48 AM.
To scatter my father's ashes at his favorite fishing site, Cabresto Lake near Questa, and my brother's little Honda Fit is certainly not making it up that mountain road. Kinda important!
oh man, sorry to hear. I frequent that area. Nice place.
Just changed the oil to Shell Rotella T4 and put on a new Wix filter
Looked through the old oil very closely. No metal sparkles in it. I dragged a magnet through it for a while and didn't find anything. I was surprised at how black it looked in the bucket though after only ~30 miles
I tried to cut open the oil filter but I couldn't find my sheet metal sheers, I think they broke a while back. A pipe cutter would work great but I don't have one large enough. I don't want to use a saw as that would obviously leave metal bits everywhere and thats what I'm looking for. I tried using a large wire cutter but that wasn't really working so I just gave up. I made a whole big enough to peak through and it looked normal
So, went on a long test drive yesterday to see if it’s still running hot after fixing the head gasket
the temp started creeping up after 30 minutes, exactly like it was before taking the head off.
It didn’t get above 225-ish but that’s maybe because I slowed down and turned on the heater. But I wonder what would have happened if I didn’t... but whatever the case, it’s not good when I need it to last 12 hours on the highway in the middle of the day in the middle of summer in the middle of one of the hottest parts of the country.
Im throwing everything I got at it today. Throwing **** at the wall and see what sticks, so to speak. New high-flow water pump by GMB, drilled a little
hole in the thermostat to help bleed the air out cause I haven’t tried that yet, new and bigger fan clutch, power flushed it in reverse but I think that it looks super clean in there behind the water pump and water seemed to flow pretty well. And I’m going to put in mostly distilled water with some antifreeze and a bottle of Redline water wetter.
its crazy hot today - 103 F - so, we’ll see....
maybe this his whole time, I just wasn’t bleeding the air out. Maybe the thermostat changes properties after being in the road for a while. Maybe the head has tiny little cracks that the machenist didn’t find. Maybe the bigger tires without regearing is not helping. Maybe I need the $300 Mopar HD radiator. Maybe I’m running too lean
Last edited by mannydantyla; 06-28-2018 at 06:08 PM.
06-26-2018, 04:12 PM
