ok first off im a fairly decent mechanic...usually know whats wrong with engine...and can fix it. same here...just want to make sure.

started running pretty rough two days ago, started smoking a ton of white smoke...like I was spraying for skeeters!...
will start and run but like I have 5 cylinders....

4.0 automatic 94 4x4.. 175k miles.

I pulled plugs last night, the second plug from the front of jeep...had oil/coolant on it...very wet. all other plugs looked fine.
I have lost a little bit of coolant and seems to be in my oil pan as the dipstick says I have more in there than should lol... I just changed oil also a week or so ago.

so pretty sure its a blown head gasket.
I only paid a $1000 for this jeep, and total I may have about $1500 in it. I really hate to go and put $800-$1000 in a head gasket replacement.

I could do the work myself and save money, I just honestly don't have the time..sucks.

my mechanic guy said he had heard good things about Fiber Lock? and napa guy said he heard good things about Blue devil?

I read up on here people having good luck out of barrs also...

I know its a temp fix, but what you guys recommend? I probably won't have this jeep very long maybe around winter and sell it...or I might sell it now with blown head gasket and let someone else fix it. lol..

suggestions? goods bads? if I wanted to do a temp fix what you guys recommend.

 

I would never recommend using any of that garbage. Yes they are all garbage. You might get away with running that stuff for a little while but they are meant to plug leaks even the ones that are not meant to be plugged. You can end up with more problems then you are starting out with. Most of the time they don't work on plugging the leak that you wan them to plug. You would be much better of replacing the head gasket rather then replacing the entire engine.

 

You can replace it yourself in 1 afternoon for 100 bucks.

I'd suggest having the head resurfaced and have the valves ground and reseated.

I wouldn't put that stuff in there. You're just causing more problems later.

If you just DONT have the time then sell it now and cut your losses. You should be able to sell it like it is for a couple hundred less than you paid for it.

 

Unless you plan on replacing the entire engine don't put that **** in it.

 

I do hear good things about some of this stuff though? I dunno. im at a loss. I like the ol jeep but man im going to have three times the amount in it that its worth lol... dang it I say dang it.

I know I could do it myself but with work 50+ hours a week, two little kids. wife, house, church, etc...hard to find the time for them let alone work on a jeep. my head hurts thinking about it.

 

As an ase mechanic...... do NOT put bars leak in it. Worst thing you can do.

 

ok i might do the head gasket myself. any thread on here about it? write up? issues? special tools? etc... ive searched on here and found none.

 

Head swap thread

There are also U-tube videos on this topic.

 

You do not have to mill the head if its straight a good piece of square steel and some 220 grit sandpaper will clean and prep the deck and head. A head set can be had for $50 or so online.....

 

Your first $15 should be spent on a repair manual.

Don't drive it or start it until you fix it yourself, have someone else do it, or sell it as is.

Don't use the sealing junk. Why would you trust a counter clerks advice?

Yes, your head gasket is blown.

 

AND pulling the dash to replace the heater core. And the evaporator while you're in there.

 

Blue devil fixed my forklifts head gasket.
Still runnin 2 years later

But I wouldn't ever use it in my jeep

 

Good point, damn heater core is almost as much of a job as an engine swap.