ReverendOD

Well bad news, Blackstone Labs caleld today and stated there is traces of Anti Freeze int he oil. Ammounts trace enough they said it could be controlled with more frequesnt oil changes until repairs are made. I guess the plan is now to pull the valve cover and see if I can locate a crack, if not pull the head and look for headgasket issues. But i think i will end up picking up a replacement head to stop the leak and then go about checking and swapping the lower bearings (rods/mains) with the engine in the jeep. I know there is a possibility it could also need cam bearings but I will cross that bridge when I come to it.

Wife isnt happy though since we just bought this jeep but problem is the ammounts are trace enough that you couldent notice coolant loss or buildup in the motor from coolant mixing in.

ReverendOD

ReverendOD

Pulled the Valve Cover and turns out the head is cracked... ugh guess i have another project..

00xj-classic

damn i was right!!

ReverendOD

Except no sludge even on the underside of the valve cover.... must be barely leaking at this point slow but for long enough to do some damage.

00xj-classic

The head is actually very simple to replace if your mech inclined.. There is a couple of ways to make it a afternoon or short day of work.. The most time efficient is leaving the manifolds on the cyl head then pull the whole head and manifold's out.. THis makes getting those manifold bolts off really simple when its sitting on a bench and not in the engine bay.. but really its not that hard to do.. I have done about 5 head gaskets on 4.0s and the BIGGEST worry i always have is snapping that damn rear stud on the exhaust manifold.. Just make sure to soak all those studs with some lubricant for a day or two..

ReverendOD

Thanks for the tip about leaving the manifolds on. Pulling the heads no biggie we rebuild our race motor twice a year so we have the tools and know how.

00xj-classic

Sounds like it shouldnt be a problem for you.. Like i said watch that back manifold stud..

ReverendOD

Well everything is unhooked and ready to just pop the head/manifolds off. Did order my head also from Clearwater Cylinder Head that should be here mon or tuesday.

ReverendOD

My head arrived today should begin reassembly tomorrow morning. With a quick measurement there is a good 1/8" of material on the CCH head vs the stock one in between the #3/#4 cylinders. Overall its a very nice piece.