Hello all,

I am not a mechanic, so my diagnosis of my issue might be off. I have a 1998 Cherokee Sport 4.0L automatic 4wd, that, up until this point, has been quite a reliable vehicle. I had an issue a few months back with turning over - my cousin said to prime to fuel pump before and it worked and hasn't been an issue for a while now (went away after I started driving it more frequently). Today, I was driving down the road and the car jerked after coming from a stop - did not feel like the transmission, but engine. While driving I started hearing a ticking sound. When I pulled into a parking space, white smoke started coming from around the valve cover gasket and the coolant was bubbling. The temp gauge was reading only slightly higher than normal (one tick above 210). There has been oil kind of all over the block but not splattered on hood (looks all old). I believe I need to replace the valve cover gasket and rod bearings, but I am not mechanically gifted right now (need more practice).
Thanks for helping,
J.

 

Cooling system makes white smoke..... Bearings knock, easy to hear. Cracked head maybe. Pull vc and inspect for head issues