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Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go hereXJ (84-01)
All OEM related XJ specific tech. Examples, no start, general maintenance or anything that's stock.
After many kms walked from parts store to parts store, finally managed to dig some kinked piece of pipe from a guys bins, who deals in used french car parts.
Cut the pipe to desired lenght, more or less fits... filled the car with about 6L of antifreeze and started.
Slowly drove home as it was in a car park.
Stopped like every few kms to let the pressure out, and check for coolant level. All pipes got hot, and I was running the heater all the way to feel if there is an issue. (heater core is connected to a pipe exiting the cyl head on the top. That is the highest point of the cooling system, so if there are gases or vapour locks, that is the most likely place for them. And disapearence of heating is a tell tale sign.
All was good.
When I got home parked the car on a ramp nose down and a lot fo burps, gurguating sounds left the tank. I think after the cooldown, and possible refill - reheat- cool cycle it will be fine.
I might have gotten away with it.
The pipes worry me though, this kinked bit might be difficult to find... The one I got is a temporary solution at best!
Yeah...
I have a tablet I use for all those things... But it's dying, barely charges, and drains battery real fast, so last time I wanted to picture that very pipe it was dead. Maybe tomorrow If I manage to charge it up!
Ok, here is the pipe that snapped where it bends upwards to meet the t-stat
That pipe
and here is what worries me. did not notice the pressure in the top pipe before... I'm pressing hard!
and this balooned ccanister seems to be always wet!
I drove yesterday with the cap slightly loose. Apparently it 'vented' a lot of coolant...
Temps were quite high though below 100 in the stop-go traffic in town... Later poured in 1.5 liters of coolant into the cold engine!!
Today i tested it with cap off, warmed up, checked levels, then gave it some revs... Coolant frothed out of the reservoire!! Then went offroading on the field next door to warm it up properly. Cap tightly on, temps were perfect, but you see the pressure in that pipe, right...?
Now it"s cool and no coolant is gone...
I don't get it... Yesterday morning filled it to mark... Then drove it, it was almost bursting.
No coolant loss, no overheating, but pressure, big time.
Once cooled i kept checking it.
Today morning first thing before coffee, checked the level... Over the mark?!
Which makes ne beleive that there is trapped air, pumped in by the engine. This expands a lot and gets feed by hot, loaded engine, hehence the big pressure.
Otherwiwe what would make hot coolant expand that much, and raise coolant level in the reservoir?
Driving to work:
At first temp rose over the normal, then immediately settled back to a slightly lower value. Like tha thermostate would open slowly...? It was not like that before.
After that the temperature is stable.
What worries me is that again my heating starts to fail like last time, when the cyl head was cracked and pressure escaped into the cooling system...
In general I'm totally at loss with this pressurised system. There is an outlet on the top of the cy head between cyl 3 and 4 which feeds the heater... and that pipe runs higher than the leve of fluid in the reservoire...
There is an outlet on the highest point of the engine and there is an outlet on the top of the radiator. Those are connected to the top of the reservoire, so I guess That is to have equal pressure in both.
But that heating outlet??
Funnily enough the new engine from a renault espace had no top outlet. I forgot to check how that heating was operated. My mechanic opened the connection by installing a pipe junction to have it as the original engine was.
He did have another 2.1td sitting on the yard plus he is a reputable jeep mechanic, so I'm guessing he was right.
Drove to work, without an issue though. Temp was stable even in the last few kms of stop-go-traffic light traffic.
Will check the coolant level when cold. For now I adhere to the sign on the cap: do not open when hot! Probably all that bollox is meaningful.
Good news is that the mechanic tested for CO and says that there is none of that... So it's not my engine smoking into the cooling system... He says that after replacing the cork on the reservoire it's all good. I mean... engine wise... Neither my visco nor the electric fan works (electric fan seems to be a homemade addition). Darn... that fan worked the last time i checked!
Bad news is that someone reversed into the truck while it was sitting in the parking lot (which is common for a bunch of other businesses)... probably a delivery truck. Following good old Eastern-European tradition he did not leave a card or a note or anything... GRRRRR Nice big dent above the right front wheel. Just what the doctor ordered for my frayed nerves!
Yeah I wanted to learn the art of body repairs but I considered the rusted door just enough a lesson!
Either the car hates me or it just plain attracts trouble.
It needs a new technical test (yearly here) as well, and I'm pretty sure it will not pass without me working on the handbrake a little...
So, handbrake,
Electric fan to replace the irreplaceable fan clutch
New temp sensor and an override switch for the electric fan
Door repairs,
Body repairs.
Got a new container with a cork. Hoping for some result. It's Crown if that means anything... right now this was the only one available, so it means: awesome.
Some pictures of the proceedings, like the not matching visco clutch. :/ I can't seem to find any other version either. I might need to convert the cooling vent to electric. Wanted a classical solution.
shiny new reservoir: Now I will not have to open the bloody thing to see if there is any coolant in it. The old one was all discolored. Maybe that the cork did not appreciate the many unfastening-tightening it got...
Where will I find the proper clutch... all the ones from the internet are the same. And all the pumps have the big diameter protruding bit...
I was surprised it was available.
a broken clutch, and a later mounted electric fan with a shot thermal switch
that clutch has a small centering hole
waterpump on the other hand has a big centering hole...
I have a 2.1td here in the states. VERY hard to source parts here as well.
I need to find a "Turbo Diesel" emblem like yours has on the boot!
Even here parts are not that simple to get. Specially that seemingly something was changed every few years or months. The front tie rod for example was for another cherokee, a coll shorter. Took me quite some diggin to find one in Poland.
The engine if a fubar'd piece of crap, sorry for my french. Simply too vulnerable. A little too much heat or a little struggle in the mud and the head wraps.
I'm pretty sure this one has a slight crack on one of the pre-chambers, and starts to blow into the colling system onl when it's hot. Intermittently too.
Quite difficult to diagnose.
Poor car (coz I love the car, it's just the engine which is a poor choice) has been sitting on the front yard for 2 months now, technical inspection expired. I want a nice sunny afternoon when I'm at home for a change and can go out to the field and test the overheating.
The temp sensor I built in turns the fan only at 92 degrees C which should be good... but in fact, the dial shows 100, and cooland starts comping out of the reservoir the fan still not running.
Perhaps air in the radiator? Strange.
I have a slight urge to get a non turbo 2.1D in it. Those were widely used in Renault's Traffic light Vans, more or less the same weight than a XJ.
Well... performance will be van-like, but those naturally aspirated engines probably weatherd the last 30 years a wee bit better.
Hahahha, Mine would be a most gutter, poorest sonofa***** XJ. Then I just need to replace the electric windows and re-wire to the simplest possible to have a car for my taste.
But honestly, if the bank would suddenly choose me the sole heir, I'd just drop in a Mercedes 3.0 non turbo engine. 5 cyl, 90HP, 180Nm exacly like the 2.1TD, and can do a million kms...
Sad thing, that the Renault Safrane, Espace 2.1TD's are all fubar'd b now.
The VM 2.5 td was powerful and performed about like the 4.0. It has problems
with heads that crack (4 separate aluminum heads) and water pumps don't last long.
Parts for it are only available from the dealer at exorbitant prices.
It is an electronically controlled motor that needs a very skilled diesel mechanic who
uses an OBDII scanner and does things by the book and uses dealer parts. A lot of
these motors didn't get that care so they are no longer around.
The same motor was also used in export Chrysler Voyagers, Opel Frontera SUVs,
and Rover sedans and was not very successful in those either.
04-23-2018, 08:55 AM
maybe survived this one
