Originally Posted by karl4x4

You are not to far off saying its like exhaust. A lot of it is caused by "blowby" which in itself is exhaust.
As far as cleaning the head, Once its out like this, if you don't want to take it all appart (recommended) You could use a strong engine degreaser and let it soak for a bit WD40 won't cut it. or even a varsol bath.
You can even pressure wash the degreaser off (not ideal but it works) as long as you dry it up with air right away.

For the rest of the engine, not much you can do, if you have the oil pan off you can use that same degreaser but remember, the cam needs some lube right away on start up. You will have to remove every lifter one at at time and cover flat surface with assembly lube before you put them back in and prime the engine before cranking it.

I would have used a engine flush before disassembly myself but after its assembled and had warmed up for at min 20min (important) I would put an engine flush in it like seafoam or Amsoil and run it at varying RPM between 1000 and 2500 then flush it all and put new oil in it (don't forget to replace the filter) It may take more than one flush to clean it all so I would flush it at every oil change after that until you can go at least 5000km without your oil turning black. A clean healthy engine should easily run over 5000km without your engine oil turning black.

Long winded answer I know. I take my engines pretty seriously

Originally Posted by DESERTXJ206

Did any 88-90 XJ come with 3rd Brake light?

Has anyone fabricated or installed a aftermarket one and how'd you do it? I want LED bright not a dull 3rd light.

Originally Posted by DESERTXJ206

Did any 88-90 XJ come with 3rd Brake light?

Has anyone fabricated or installed a aftermarket one and how'd you do it? I want LED bright not a dull 3rd light.

Originally Posted by odgreen89on35s

i had one in my 89
i took it from a 94 with one and ran the wire to the tail light.
no easy but meh... i wanted to be different

Originally Posted by salad

Did you remove your throttle body to clean it? You've either got a vacuum leak or the IAC is stuck open

Originally Posted by DESERTXJ206

Do you have a picture of how you did it? I'm wanting one near the rear window or just above the bumper. I was thinking about the led strips on eBay and mounting them inside on the hatch panel but I don't want glare back in the jeep.

Originally Posted by salad

If you yanked off the throttle body, it's possible the gasket was damaged or isn't sealing properly anymore. I'd start there to look for a vaccum leak: Spray a very small amount of water or something like carb cleaner at the top of the intake manifold where the TB sits. When the engine sucks it in you'll hear a change in idle.

By "stuck open" i mean literally stuck open. The IAC is a stepper motor that moves the pintle in and out of the passageway to control how much air the engine gets at idle. They're fragile so you may have damaged it, sometimes they're caked with goo and stick in position.

Give the vacuum leak test a shot and see what you find

Originally Posted by rmoore1031

If you do it on the bumper, I definitely recommend a Harbor Freight submersible light. They are cheap and waterproof. I don't see them getting returned to the store often either.