Shade133

first off, im new here to the forum. ive dont a few searches on here and on google and i can not find out what the issue with my jeep is.

Before i begin, its a

1988 Jeep Cherokee loredo

242k miles.

4.0ltr I6

4 speed auto with OD and "power" "comfort" button on dash

standard part time 4 wheel drive hi/low

all stock except 3.5 inch lift and 33x10.50 tires.

NOW the issues with it that im aware of:

Engine has a really bad blow by issue. so bad it fills half a quart carton of oil in a month. which is about a 1000 miles of driving.

why i know this is because the oil would fill up the air box and destroy my air filter so i removed the hose and have it sitting in a oil bottle in the engine compartment.

Another issue is if i take the distributor cap off of the distributor i can see a pool of oil, now whether it is fouling the metal points on the cap or not im not sure, every time i look under the cap it all looks clean.

as far as those 2 things are still the way they are is because i can yet afford to fix them im on a really tight budget for the next few months.




now for the things ive fixed:

about 5k miles ago i replaced the air filter, distributor cap, rotor, plugs, and wires fuel pump ballast resistor connectors tightened and put back on.

about 3k miles ago i replaced the fuel filter which was plugged with rusty looking fluid really bad. (probably should be replaced again) also replaced the TPS and tried to adjust it as best as possible.. the input voltage wasnt what i was told it was supposed to be, if i remember it should be 5v but it was 4.2 or something..
i also replaced the IAC motor, fuel pressure regulator and reset the tranny vac control cable thing by the intake and replaced the U-Joint on the rear axle by the transfer case.






OK so now to the issue.

the engine cuts out pretty bad sometimes, usually only at low RPM's and it seems like its only when the gas tank is less then half full. BUT when its full it still does it sometimes but not as bad.

also it seems like it does it when i hit small bumps in the road. literally if i go over a old road that is kinda rough it seems like it will cut out more and worse (when the gas tank is less then half a tank)

and like i said before it seems like the lower the RPM and the more load the engine is taking makes it worse, so if i drive in over drive its REALLY bad

i personally suspect its a fuel delivery issue like there is something stuck in the delivery tube or chunks of rust in the gas tank, or the delivery tube is rusted and now too narrow to deliver the right amount of pressure.

but im also concerned that the blow by and oil in the distributor is the issue or can be. i just dont know enough or have enough money to play around with this issue. I need to be almost 100% certain that what i check out is going to be the issue or i lose money i cant afford to lose.. and my truck is vital to my way of life here.. i have to drive at least 100+ miles a day.



can anybody share any light on this subject? ANYTHING that im not thinking of? or that i can check without spending money

and keep note i have a very limited amount of tools and time to play with and just replaced the fuel filter about 5k (at most) ago.

tiwvr1

first thing I would do is replace fuel filter again, and the pcv valve. It is on the valve cover and goes to the air cleaner ***. If the little check valve in there is bad it will cause oil to blow by

Shade133

ya as soon as i get the 10 bucks im going to replace the filter again.

as far as the PCV valve. this year didnt have them. i can go to any part shop and they cant pull up a part for it. all i have is a pcv hose and grommet

is this correct? does anyone else with a 88 cherokee loredo 4.0 I6 have a pcv valve?

Shade133

bump. anybody got any other ideas?

FUnkman1025

You cant actually buy the pcv separate from the valve cover, I had the same problem took off the valve cover and there is 2 chimneys that are in the cover that go from the bottom to the top of the cover. Each is held on by 3 screws and are easily removed and cleaned. I did this to my Jeep just last week and haven't had a drop of oil go in my air filter. Just a thought worth trying and it only cost me a cork gasket and some rtv. As for you alernator im sorry I have no worthwhile input, good luck.

Shade133

oh awesome! so your saying i can take my valve cover off and there is a pcv valve inside of it that i can take off and clean? because if so im going to do that tomorrow.

im tired of having a oil jug in my engine compartment. it looks stupid lol.

FUnkman1025

Yes, there are flaps at the top of the chimney that get clogged and dont close when they are supposed to. There are gaskets inside the chimney but I just scraped them out cleaned it up and rtv the flap back to its place . Have you removed a valve cover before? they are prone to leaking. I used cork gasket and RTV both sides and let it sit 12 hours and the only leak comes from the damn oil cap now. Your valve cover might be leaking onto your distributor anyway and this might fix both problems.

FUnkman1025

Be gentle with the flaps though you only have the 2.

Shade133

ya ive rebuilt a cherokee just like mine and a few other jeeps. ive been up and inside the valve covers and all that but NEVER paid attention to the valve cover itself lol.

and no the cover doesnt leak at all. only oil leaks comes from the oil cap and the damn pcv.

so once i can buy me a new gasket ill take it off and clean the crap out of it.

as far as the oil in the distributor is because the gasket ring thing at the bottom of the shaft is blown so it allows oil to shoot up there. my only concern with that is if it effects the distributor or not.

elkxj

I had the same fuel problem on my 1996 XJ. Solved the problem by replacing the fuel pump/filter module inside the fuel tank. Be sure to clean the inside of the tank while it is apart from the Jeep. Buy a quality part from NAPA, made in USA.

gat

You can pay upfront for a fuel pressure tester at O'Rielly's to put on your Schrader valve. That will let you know what the pressure is at the fuel injectors. When you return it, you are refunded. Try that for free prior to paying for a new fuel filter. Test the pressure with the key out. Test it after turning the key to on which primes the pump. Do that Test 2 or 3 times looking for a change in pressure. Test it after turning the Jeep on. Test it at 5 & 10 minutes after killing the engine. Also, for free ensure that the small black hose that connects to the fuel pressure regulator at the end of the fuel rail is firmly connected and has not breaks or tears all the way to the intake manifold.

The Jeeps have a crankcase ventilation system not a positive crankcase ventilation system. https://www.autozone.com/repairguides/Jeep-Wagoneer-Commando-Cherokee-1984-1998/EMISSION-CONTROLS/Crankcase-Ventilation-System-PCV-CCV/_/P-0900c152800a9b9b Each elbow is an open port. One is a thin diameter at the rear of the rocker arm cover that goes to the intake. One is a thick diameter at the front of the rocker arm cover that goes to the air box. They are cleanable. Sometimes trying to pry the elbows out of the grommets snaps them. When I had my cover off last I sprayed brake cleaner thru them to keep the orifices open and clear.