I bought a 1992 Jeep Cherokee Sport yesterday for $450, its my first car. I bought it knowing there were problems, so I feel like I am going to be around here a lot in the coming months

First off, the clutch!

The Problem: Clutch has issues disengaging, a few pumps gets it working right. It seems that a quick release of the pump helps more then a quick press. Oddly enough it doesnt seem to be a constant problem, i drove it a half hour in a parking lot (Stop/go, Im still learning to drive a Manuel) and had no issues, then randomly had issues again.


The Solution: I searched around the forums and the interwebs and it looks like a bad Slave. Is this correct? We are bleeding it tomorrow morning just to eliminate that as a problem.

Thanks,
-Joe


EDIT, i realized i hardly even asked a question. I need to confirm that it is the slave (or sure enough) before i go ahead and drop the tranny.

If it isnt, and i do end up dropping the tranny (i think the rear seal on the engine block leaks) would it be worth it to go ahead and replace the slave?

 

I would bleed it first before pulling anything. Check for any leaks in the fluid as well. Check your fluid and make sure you aren't low/having to add fluid. That would indicate a leak some where.

As for the rear main, if you can fix the clutch issues by a simple bleed, the rear main seal is a two piece seal. You can drop the oil pan and change it without having to pull the transmission.

 

You're correct in your diagnostic. It sounds very much like a cylinder problem, but simply giving it fresh fluid and bleeding it would be a quick, cheap, and super simple check. The cylinder can be removed w/out dropping the transmission if I remember correctly.

 

Mine is an internal cylinder, I do believe you must drop it to replace it.

XJ Sam, I had no idea you could just drop the oil pan. Thanks!

 

UPDATE: I bled the system today, it was REALLY dirty with a TON of bubbles. Clutch feels firmer, more reliable but still had a few intermittent issues when downshifting into 2nd. It wouldn't get into gear.

Still the slave? Could it be the master?

 

I'd bleed it again. I'm pretty confident saying a bad slave would leak. It's as simple as a rear brake cylinder. If it's well bled, isn't leaking or losing fluid, I'd look at the master before I'd go after the slave.

Years ago I was pretty pissed. I'd normally clean up the bore and just install new rubber. I forget if the kit for the master cyl. was N/A or just nutty expensive. I needed to give them mine, and $165....for one with $2 worth of new rubber in it.

My dad would slot a piece of garden hose to fit emery paper on a drill to clean such things. (I have a hone)

 

Hm okay. I might do that later.

On the bright side I pulled my valve cover gasket off (it was leaking bad) and the inside looked nice and clean because it was leaking so much and got so much fresh oil through it! The cover is getting enameled red xD

 

Autozone 40 bucks life time warranty.

 

Using felpro blue gasket is highly recomonded...

 

Felpro, Felpro, Felpro... Every time.

 

Way ahead of you guys haha thanks anyway.

 

Valve cover is back on! Lets see if that was the only source of the leak


I also painted it red. Any vacuum tubing that needs to be replaced will be red. I think i might try to find red spark plug wires as well.

Sorry for crappy pic, i think my phone was dusty.

 

Taylor wires and MSD wires are red in color. I've been wanting to do red and chrome accents, too.

 

Thanks for the info. valve cover was NOT the only leak. i think there might be two others.

I wonder if i should just make another thread for all of my other issues, I self hijacked my clutch thread (mostly because im procrastinating bleeding it again).

 

You will most likely have one at the oil adapter housing/engine interface. There's a couple o-rings that get thrashed and just about every XJ will have a leak there if it hasn't been replaced in the last 100k miles.