MVDCXJ

Well I am pretty sure my 0331 head finally cracked. I have had my '00 XJ for a year and a half now and have out 14K on her without issue, that is until last week. I had just left my house on my way to work and all of a sudden I hear a chime and look down and the temp gauge is rapidly increasing towards 260. I immediately shut it off and coast off to the side of the road. I wait a few minutes and turn the key back on, didnt start the motor, and the temp needle was back to normal. I limp my XJ home and jump in my other car and head to work. Well it was a crazy week and my XJ has just sat until today. It was low on coolant my almost 4 quarts!!!!! I just checked the coolant the week before and it was fine! I add coolant and now she doesnt want to idle properly. I fear the head is cracked or the gasket is blown.

Now my question is for those who have had to replace the 0331 head on their XJ's is this;

1) Did you use a new or re-man'd 0331 head with the defect fixed and if so where did you source it from?
2) If you used a older model head 0630 etc how did you fix the issue with the exhaust ports not lining up?

Money is tight right now so I am planning on doing all this myself, I am a pretty competent mechanic and this seems rather simple, but I need a place to buy the parts and am looking for the cheapest alternative. Thanks,

dukie564

edit: o wait...CHIME....like warning chime...i get it now.

your best bet is a reman head. Alabama or Clearwater Cylinder Head seem to be popular sources.... can't say from personal experience though

DaddyCat

4 quarts seems like alot to lose! Did you check for other possibilities? Gross leak somewhere? I'd suggest some tests before buying a new head.
Compression/leak down test, coolant in oil test. Did your oil level suddenly rise (coolant in oil)?

dukie564

also check your block freeze plugs - they like to blow off at times

tjwalker

Get a confirmed diagnosis first....then come up with your plan. You may very well have a cracked head, but can never assume anything; that is rule #1 of auto mechanics.

1. You have enough symptoms to pull the valve cover. Look very closely between cylinders 3-4 for a crack. They can be small, even hairline.

In a good percentage of cases, the cracks on the 0331 head CAN be seen visually. Start there.

2. Along with the above procedure, read the entire thread that I have provided a link to below. It contains a TON of valuable information about 0331 head cracks. It is REQUIRED reading for all owners of a 2000-2001 4.0 XJ.

http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums...d.php?t=391831