Oh NO, Please HELP!!!
12-11-2008, 09:15 AM
#16
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Year: 1990XJ/1989MJ
Model: Comanche
Engine: 4.0L Renix
If you decide to fix your engine then cosider the water pump too. It may be your root cause for the overheating.
If you can do both then buy the $450 engine as a spare. That may be a great value in the future.
If you can do both then buy the $450 engine as a spare. That may be a great value in the future.
12-11-2008, 09:24 AM
#17
Senior Member
I'd run a compression test too on your current motor. Personally, I'd much rather replace a head gasket than a whole motor. Compression gauges are cheap at Harbor Freight. You can have a bad headgasket without coolant in your oil and vice versa. My XJ headgasket was leaking between cylinders, but no coolant or oil was mixing (though I did have combustion gases in the coolant, a friend has the chemical test for that).
12-11-2008, 10:13 AM
#18
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Year: 1989 YJ
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 6cyl, 4.2
yeah as far as I can tell the oil is fine but it was dark that night and first time I checked it it was low so I added (i think 2 Qts). I was thinking of maybe doing just that... replacing the engine, keeping the blown one and while it is out changing the Head Gasket (easier) then having that as a spare (prob not carrying it around like a spare axle, but having a spare engine none the less
) or maybe seeing what I can do with it and even sell it to help defray the cost of the replacement engine.
) or maybe seeing what I can do with it and even sell it to help defray the cost of the replacement engine.
12-11-2008, 10:40 AM
#19
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Year: 1992, 2- 1998 (All 3, 4 Doors)
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L in all
Just curiosity of the days as an engine tuner...
You can learn TONS from reading plugs...
If ya ever watch NASCAR and hear someone in practice/qualifying run full throttle then cut the engine suddenly, thats a plug check, we installed a fresh set of plugs into the engine for 2 1/2 laps, or for some duration in practice/happy hour (we sometimes go through 6-8 sets of plugs in a weekend, and believe me, they're big $$$), then cut the engine and see how everything is running. We find lean cylinders, rich cylinders, if everything is ok, if the air quality sucks (Mexico City and Fontana are infamous for that one), just based on how those plugs read, and therefore can adjust the carb/plugs, etc accordingly....
Which leads us to...
We can probably see if and where your head gasket is blown, before you even tear into that engine. Between that and the condition of the oil, we might be able to peg the condition before you waste $$$ on something you don't need.
I know my '98 stalls when it gets really hot (between my one water pump and now the thermostat, I discovered this), but my plugs and everything are fine. Never killed the head/block/gasket whenever it happened....
So yeah, I'm just a wee bit curious....
You can learn TONS from reading plugs...
If ya ever watch NASCAR and hear someone in practice/qualifying run full throttle then cut the engine suddenly, thats a plug check, we installed a fresh set of plugs into the engine for 2 1/2 laps, or for some duration in practice/happy hour (we sometimes go through 6-8 sets of plugs in a weekend, and believe me, they're big $$$), then cut the engine and see how everything is running. We find lean cylinders, rich cylinders, if everything is ok, if the air quality sucks (Mexico City and Fontana are infamous for that one), just based on how those plugs read, and therefore can adjust the carb/plugs, etc accordingly....
Which leads us to...
We can probably see if and where your head gasket is blown, before you even tear into that engine. Between that and the condition of the oil, we might be able to peg the condition before you waste $$$ on something you don't need.
I know my '98 stalls when it gets really hot (between my one water pump and now the thermostat, I discovered this), but my plugs and everything are fine. Never killed the head/block/gasket whenever it happened....
So yeah, I'm just a wee bit curious....
12-11-2008, 10:42 AM
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Year: 1992, 2- 1998 (All 3, 4 Doors)
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L in all
yeah as far as I can tell the oil is fine but it was dark that night and first time I checked it it was low so I added (i think 2 Qts). I was thinking of maybe doing just that... replacing the engine, keeping the blown one and while it is out changing the Head Gasket (easier) then having that as a spare (prob not carrying it around like a spare axle, but having a spare engine none the less) or maybe seeing what I can do with it and even sell it to help defray the cost of the replacement engine.
) or maybe seeing what I can do with it and even sell it to help defray the cost of the replacement engine.
12-11-2008, 11:03 AM
#21
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Year: 1989 YJ
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 6cyl, 4.2
12-11-2008, 11:11 AM
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Year: 1992, 2- 1998 (All 3, 4 Doors)
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L in all
Sounds good so far...
Now for the plugs, if you can get some good quality pics of them, electrode end, maybe from 2 angles, then if ya can, post them up in order (1-6), and we can take a look-see from there...
Now for the plugs, if you can get some good quality pics of them, electrode end, maybe from 2 angles, then if ya can, post them up in order (1-6), and we can take a look-see from there...
12-11-2008, 11:24 AM
#23
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Year: 1989 YJ
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 6cyl, 4.2
i'll see what I can come up with (maybe tonight). is the order, 1 being the front most cyl and so on 1,2,3,4,5,6 ?
03-28-2009, 04:18 PM
#25
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Year: 1997
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L
Not sure if you did anything with it yet but coolant coming out the exhaust is definately leaking into the cylinders. Could be a crack in the head or block but most likely is a head gasket. It is a good idea to do a thermostat and water pump while you are in there. It is definately easier to do a head gasket than an engine swap but both are pretty easy on a Jeep.