Hi guys and gals! I'm a newbie to the forum but have enjoyed reading your posts. I have a project issue I could use some advice on.

What have I done?
94 Cherokee Sport 4x4 4.0L I6, AW4 tranny, 231 transfer case.200K plus miles.
I found this jeep in a scrap yard (not salvage you pull it place) for couple hundred dollars. It ran and drove. SEVERE Death Wobble, but RAN. Started right up after sitting for two years.
I first ran Motor Medic cleaner through the oil twice! The first time was thick as molasses. The second time was very black (with new oil) until the very last bit, then I could see through it. Then I filled it with good oil. This oil/motor cleaner is the type you pour in the crank case and run for FIVE minutes, no driving, then change oil.
There was (and partially still is) so much grease and grime you can’t tell where stuff is coming from. I have sprayed degreaser on the engine and engine bay and underneath twice and washed it off with hose, careful to not get anything in throttle body. The throttle body was so grimy I took it off and soaked it in degreaser-removing sensors first. I think this was a no-no because the degreaser changed the color of the throttle body and idle went from 7-800 to 4000rpm. Another used throttle body cleaned with carb cleaner and a new IAC valve and the RPM’s have dropped to 1500. Still too high.
Before the good oil was put in, I replaced the oil pan gasket and rear main seal. I think I got the upper half of the rear main seal flipped backward because I have a small drip, it was a big drip but is small now?? The area above (distributor, starter…seem dry). I also replaced the tranny filter and pan gasket. I painted the outside of the oil pan and tranny pan to make them look better.
I went ahead and changed the oil pan gasket and seal because I completely replaced the front end. With all the parts out of the way, it was easy to remove the oil pan. It’s a wonder the previous owned is not dead; every tie rod end and ball joint were completely wore out, even the track bar had wobbled the hole out some. I also added a Rubicon 3.5 inch lift kit.
I had a power steering leak from the pressure hose-hence the entire engine bay was covered with power steering fluid and the accumulating dirt and debris. I fixed the (replaced) hose. I think this was where 90 plus percent of the grime build up came from.
I admit I started backwards. I should have thoroughly went through the engine and tranny and transfer case before putting in new front end and lift kit, BUT I thought it was running fine.
Here are my known symptoms and problems:
One missing exhaust/intake manifold bolt (one of the middle ones), not broke off, just missing. If you spray carb cleaner in or near the bolt hole it will choke down the engine, just as it does if you spray carb cleaner in the throttle body.
Have small amount of oily fluid in radiator.
When running it over heats very quickly 3 mins tops, pipes glow red. Foam and air in radiator. Water pump seems to be working, you can see water moving under cap before it foams up. There is no thermostat, someone took it out. I do have a leak around the thermostat housing, tried to make my own gasket-failed. There is no cat converter, someone removed it. It ran fine until I started working on it so I don’t think any exhaust is clogged.
Now it won’t start. It did this once before but that was early on then stopped. One turn of key and you get a relay click-if headlights are on they will go out-then you get nothing. I mean NOTHING. No clicks, no lights, no radio, no crank, nothing. After a while it will do it again with same results.
I have a radiator leak, small drops while just sitting not running, dripping from upper edge of front of oil pan. I suspect this is from thermostat housing. But unsure.
I have yet to verify if any water is in oil pan. Once, out of a hundred times, I found a bubble on the oil dipstick. It is very clean and only found bubble one time.
Tranny fluid is slightly too full (not much), I planned on flushing the transmission by disconnecting the transmission cooler return line and letting it run out while replacing new transmission fluid (dextron/mercron).


Recap and question(s):
Will not start-sometimes if you tap on the relays it will do it again, same result, did swap relays.
When it did start, over heats very quickly.
Foaming in the radiator.
Missing manifold bolt-sucking some air in that hole.
High idle-new IAC valve.
Leak around thermostat housing-my fault, I know how to fix.
If anyone has any suggestions, and method and order of attempts to fix, I would appreciate the responses. I realize this post is choppy and doesn’t flow to well but there was just too much to say to get all the facts in. In my line of work, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me the problems!
Tazlaw

 

Sitting for two years is a long time. Overheating could be anything, but the cooling system no doubt needs service. Foaming in the radiator is not good. Could be a cracked head or bad gasket and that Motor Medic found its way into the cooling system. The high idle is probably the open bolt hole sucking in extra air. It is possible. The relays are sticking. Pull them all and check thier sockets for corrosion. I pulled all of mine (its a 97) and cleaned them all with some very fine grit sandpaper. I did the same for the fuses, under the hood and passenger side kick panel. Your battery cables probably have corrosion in them. The insulation can hide quite a bit so consider replacing them. Grounds should be checked as well.

 

The foaming of the coolant needs to be addressed before you bother with anything else.

1. get a compression tester buy or rent. and test all cylinders. i forget specs exactly but what you're looking for is that all cylinders are within 20 psi of each other. If not, more than likely you have a failed head gasket. If that's the case the foaming in the rad is compression gasses making their way into the cooling system.

2. Let's say all compression is good and/or head gasket get's replaced. Replace that intake manifold bolt or better yet, take them all out and get a new gasket and start fresh. That vac leak will cause the high idle 100%. While in there triple check the exh. manifold for cracks as they are prone to cracking.

3. The starting problem sounds like a battery to me but could be anything from the starter solenoid to the ignition switch to anything in between. You'll have to start isolating items to figure out the cause but that shouldn't be too hard to do. Start with jumping just the starter by itself using a length of wire from the battery straight to the starter. after that jumper the relay terminals. after that jumper the keyed 12v to the relay.

 

Why not put a bolt in the hole? If you fill the radiator to the top and power brake it with the cap off, and it geysers or bubbles, the head gasket is shot. It doesn't take much 2000* combustion gas leaking into the water jacket to spike the temp quickly.

Having the power cut out completely is what happens with a thin layer of oxidization on battery posts and terminals. They can look fine, and not connect. Thin crusty layer is an amazing insulator.

 

Like this....



.

 

I especially like the handle laying on the positive terminal!

 

That's the anti-theft aspect.

 

Stay with us Taz. Ken mark and turbo are excellent people to have looking at your thread.

 

X2, but I trust Ken knows what he's doing. My "spidy sense" tells me he has an issue with over charging. An easy, practical solution that.

 

Will not start-sometimes if you tap on the relays it will do it again, same result, did swap relays.
Is the fuse block covered in corrosion and grime, any fried wires?
When it did start, over heats very quickly.
Foaming in the radiator.
Compression test / pressure test the cooling system.
Missing manifold bolt-sucking some air in that hole.
High idle-new IAC valve.
Vacuum leak

 

 

Ok, I have tried a few things. got a compression tester; cylinder 2 read 130 psi, all others (5 of them) read 125 psi. Specs call for 120-150; for 237000 miles I'd say that was good! Seems to start fine now, probably a short somewhere or a ground.

I un bolted the exhaust manifold from the pipe at the "donut"? not completely off but loose. That dropped the idle quite a lot, don't know why.

If I COMPLETELY seal the throttle body it will still run- at a pretty good idle too (500 or so). it is sucking a LOT of air from somewhere. It still has the manifold bolt out that is missing. I did get one but haven't gotten it in yet.

Does the equal compression in all cylinders (within spec) mean the head gasket is ok?

I will try and get a chemical tester to see if exhaust gasses are in the radiator (foam), keep in mind this engine manifold gasket is shared between the intake and exhaust- just one gasket.

Taz

 

Usually, yes. I'd still do that test for exhaust in the coolant, though.


But that vacuum leak is your #1 problem, I'll bet.

 

Thanks BlueRidgeMark (and everyone else who has posted).

If exhaust is in the coolant, is it possible it could be from the manifold gasket (shared gasket between intake and exhaust)?

Taz
(I've been called the devil so many times, I thought it was fitting to assume an appropriate name!!!)

 

If you seal everything on the manifold off and it runs, I'd suspect the seal from the manifold to the head. I think even the IAC gets it's air IN the TB.

See that Dog<< ? Between him and Taz, somehow they broke my rear passenger window which was down a few inches. Witness say Steve pulled Taz up in through in through the window in to the rear of the Jeep. (Rear seat waz up). The Pit, Taz hes has a head the size of a basketball, gotta be over 100 Lbs. Steve never varied much form 65*. So at this "sort of" Biker party I have these two going at in the back of my Jeep. (I burn rice). Taz let me pull them apart and throw him back out the window. Points here for the PIT, he didn't need to let me do that.