Brown Fluid From Radiator = Blown Head Gasket?
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 903
Likes: 1
From: Linthicum, Md
Year: 1987
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 1987 4.0L (242 CID) I6 RENIX FI 242 173 hp (129 kW) @ 4600 rpm, 224 lb•ft (304 N-m) @ 4000RPM
Brown Fluid From Radiator = Blown Head Gasket?
87 Jeep Cherokee
I6 4.0
4wd 4dr
85,xxx original miles on original engine
Ok, so i did a radiator flush & changed out the t-stat about 4 months ago...
Got stuck in some serious mud for a few hours
finally got out...
Went home and started cleaning her up under the hood (few days later) and noticed that it started filling up my reservoir with brown crap...
About a month ago I flushed it again... Its still filling up with brown crap.
I remember from a car i had a few years ago, that this was a early warning sign of a blown head gasket.. Any other ideas / takers?
she hasn't (never) over heated on me yet, no lights or anything...
If it is a blown gasket, how hard to remedy this?
i've got a trip across state lines i Have to go on; i need to be able to travel approx 750 miles round trip.
I6 4.0
4wd 4dr
85,xxx original miles on original engine
Ok, so i did a radiator flush & changed out the t-stat about 4 months ago...
Got stuck in some serious mud for a few hours
finally got out...Went home and started cleaning her up under the hood (few days later) and noticed that it started filling up my reservoir with brown crap...
About a month ago I flushed it again... Its still filling up with brown crap.
I remember from a car i had a few years ago, that this was a early warning sign of a blown head gasket.. Any other ideas / takers?
she hasn't (never) over heated on me yet, no lights or anything...
If it is a blown gasket, how hard to remedy this?
i've got a trip across state lines i Have to go on; i need to be able to travel approx 750 miles round trip.
Last edited by DocOrng XJ; Apr 4, 2011 at 05:21 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 600
Likes: 1
From: Shorewood, Il
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: inline 6 4.0L
yup blown gasket for sure. I did mine in the fall, for me it was a PITA because the head is HEAVY and my jeep is lifted so it was hard for me to get it off. but everything else went smoothly. just make sure you put the back driverside bolt in the cylinder head before you put the head on the block because you will have to take it off again... I know cuz I did that. lol 
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 903
Likes: 1
From: Linthicum, Md
Year: 1987
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 1987 4.0L (242 CID) I6 RENIX FI 242 173 hp (129 kW) @ 4600 rpm, 224 lb•ft (304 N-m) @ 4000RPM
oh, and all the dip sticks are the right color / consistency and the oil under the cap is perfect...
no milky white or anything...
i was told that if you blow a head gasket its a good idea to have it shaved / resurfaced...true or false?
no milky white or anything...
i was told that if you blow a head gasket its a good idea to have it shaved / resurfaced...true or false?
CF Veteran
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 47,923
Likes: 38
From: Broward County Fl.
Year: 1989 xj sport 2dr
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 12 hole bosch Injectors
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Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 903
Likes: 1
From: Linthicum, Md
Year: 1987
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 1987 4.0L (242 CID) I6 RENIX FI 242 173 hp (129 kW) @ 4600 rpm, 224 lb•ft (304 N-m) @ 4000RPM
Its an automatic. and she runs great!
(knock on wood) she hasnt given me any problems yet. even with the crap i put her thru and neglect i sometime seem to give her
Update: I drove it across state line and back (approx. 550 miles) in 2 days. stopped to stretch the legs once each way and sat in traffic for 30 mins on the way back.
Not once did she over heat or give me a warning on the dash.
when i stopped to stretch i checked under the hood, she had fluid in the bottle each time and all the dip sticks said it was where it needed to be.
I think I am going to try to do / get a compression test in the next couple of weeks.
My mechanic says while that (that = blown head gasket) is one possibility he thinks it might be something else, and of course the compression test can tell us what.
im holding off on the test cause i need to see about getting my passenger side front wheel bearings taken care of. sometimes there is funny noise and i have wear on the outside edge of my tire.
(knock on wood) she hasnt given me any problems yet. even with the crap i put her thru and neglect i sometime seem to give her
Update: I drove it across state line and back (approx. 550 miles) in 2 days. stopped to stretch the legs once each way and sat in traffic for 30 mins on the way back.
Not once did she over heat or give me a warning on the dash.
when i stopped to stretch i checked under the hood, she had fluid in the bottle each time and all the dip sticks said it was where it needed to be.
I think I am going to try to do / get a compression test in the next couple of weeks.
My mechanic says while that (that = blown head gasket) is one possibility he thinks it might be something else, and of course the compression test can tell us what.
im holding off on the test cause i need to see about getting my passenger side front wheel bearings taken care of. sometimes there is funny noise and i have wear on the outside edge of my tire.
Last edited by DocOrng XJ; Apr 7, 2011 at 10:03 AM.
Seasoned Member
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 406
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From: Suffolk long island
Year: 1994
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 L I6
Originally Posted by DocOrng XJ
Its an automatic. and she runs great!
(knock on wood) she hasnt given me any problems yet. even with the crap i put her thru and neglect i sometime seem to give her
Update: I drove it across state line and back (approx. 550 miles) in 2 days. stopped to stretch the legs once each way and sat in traffic for 30 mins on the way back.
Not once did she over heat or give me a warning on the dash.
when i stopped to stretch i checked under the hood, she had fluid in the bottle each time and all the dip sticks said it was where it needed to be.
I think I am going to try to do / get a compression test in the next couple of weeks.
My mechanic says while that (that = blown head gasket) is one possibility he thinks it might be something else, and of course the compression test can tell us what.
im holding off on the test cause i need to see about getting my passenger side front wheel bearings taken care of. sometimes there is funny noise and i have wear on the outside edge of my tire.
(knock on wood) she hasnt given me any problems yet. even with the crap i put her thru and neglect i sometime seem to give her
Update: I drove it across state line and back (approx. 550 miles) in 2 days. stopped to stretch the legs once each way and sat in traffic for 30 mins on the way back.
Not once did she over heat or give me a warning on the dash.
when i stopped to stretch i checked under the hood, she had fluid in the bottle each time and all the dip sticks said it was where it needed to be.
I think I am going to try to do / get a compression test in the next couple of weeks.
My mechanic says while that (that = blown head gasket) is one possibility he thinks it might be something else, and of course the compression test can tell us what.
im holding off on the test cause i need to see about getting my passenger side front wheel bearings taken care of. sometimes there is funny noise and i have wear on the outside edge of my tire.
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
Model: Cherokee
I disagree. My Cherokee has brown gunk in the overflow tank, blackish-brown gunk in the radiator, so bad that you can't fill it through the filler neck on the radiator (I'm going to have it flushed ASAP, I haven't been able to afford it til now), and it doesn't have a blown head gasket. If oil was getting in the coolant, coolant would be getting in the oil as well, and you could tell just by looking at the dipstick.
I would flush it several times, or even take it to a professional shop with the equipment to do a total flush (clean out the rad, block and everything in between), and see if the problem goes away. I would sooner think that something got into the cooling system when you went mudding before I'd worry about a head gasket.
I would flush it several times, or even take it to a professional shop with the equipment to do a total flush (clean out the rad, block and everything in between), and see if the problem goes away. I would sooner think that something got into the cooling system when you went mudding before I'd worry about a head gasket.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 903
Likes: 1
From: Linthicum, Md
Year: 1987
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 1987 4.0L (242 CID) I6 RENIX FI 242 173 hp (129 kW) @ 4600 rpm, 224 lb•ft (304 N-m) @ 4000RPM
but i def will keep everyone updated on this
I disagree. My Cherokee has brown gunk in the overflow tank, blackish-brown gunk in the radiator, so bad that you can't fill it through the filler neck on the radiator (I'm going to have it flushed ASAP, I haven't been able to afford it til now), and it doesn't have a blown head gasket. If oil was getting in the coolant, coolant would be getting in the oil as well, and you could tell just by looking at the dipstick.
I would flush it several times, or even take it to a professional shop with the equipment to do a total flush (clean out the rad, block and everything in between), and see if the problem goes away. I would sooner think that something got into the cooling system when you went mudding before I'd worry about a head gasket.
I would flush it several times, or even take it to a professional shop with the equipment to do a total flush (clean out the rad, block and everything in between), and see if the problem goes away. I would sooner think that something got into the cooling system when you went mudding before I'd worry about a head gasket.