Hi, Just bought my first cherokee. Its a 2.5 TD Sport 1998. From what I read so far , maybe it was a bad move. The engine pulls like a train with bags of power but after 30 miles it blows water out of the header tank. I have to allow it to cool, top up the water and do another 30 miles when the same happens.
I have removed the thermostat, Flushed the rad and made sure I don,t have an air lock. I also replaces the header tank cap. The jeep has done 107000 miles. Could it be the Head gasket or worse the Cylinder Head. Will mine have the dodgy head on. It is a one piece head from what I can see. Any Ideas before I start stripping it down.

 

mine did the same and i thought it was the head gasket but i pulled the head and not only the head gasket failed but the head was cracked as wekk.
99 xj 4.0 I6

 

Head cracked on my 84 2.5 also. Btw, went through the same **** more or less.
Try topping it off, then power-brake it with the cap off. If it blows bubbles and/or geysers pull the head. I think the crack was in the middle. I forget if I saw it or the machine shop did. Got a JY head, hand lapped the valves (actually used a drill/fuel line), and drove it for years. Only parked it cause I got the 90/w 4.0.

 

Well, Ive pulled the heads off. What a Ba****d of a job. Is there some sort of knack in removing the manifolds. took me nigh on a full day to eventually get the heads off. I just couldnt seem to get the nuts behind the turbo. I don,t know if anyone else has had this problem, but I am gonna replace the inlet manifold studs with bolts and lock washers and if I have to do the job again I will be able to remove the inlet manifold first and give access to the exhast manifold nuts. Does anyone see a problem in doing this or am I missing a trick somewhere.