Hey guys. I picked up this cherokee not running due to a fuel pump. Previous owner used water rather than antifreeze (its a trail rig). Before it got to freezing, he drained the antifreeze, oil, pulled spark plugs, and there is also no transmission fluid in it. His story honestly doesn't make since (I bought the jeep for a fair price and it has a trussed dana 44 front, 4 linked, ford 9 inch rear, full hydro...etc. He put the oil back in it, and put the plugs back in it before I got there. I don't know why he would have drained everything and pulled the plugs to "winterize it".

Anyway, I put a fuel pump in it and it started up after checking the engine oil. I noticed that there was some water dripping out of the bellhousing. At first I didn't think much of it. Motor sounds pretty healthy and everything. That was last night. So this morning I pour antifreeze in it, and it starts a light stream of antifreeze coming out of the bellhousing.

Now, I have been around a lot of jeeps, but I never knew that the 4.0 had freeze plugs. I have never known of a jeep to even have an issue with them. Anyway, as it turns out, there are 7 of them. I have checked the one on the back of the head as well as the 5 on the side of the block and none of them are leaking. Which tells me 1 thing. It has to be the one that is at the back of the block. I've checked everywhere and I cannot see any sign of antifreeze anywhere else. Also from research, you either have to pull the motor or tranny. I've only pulled a few transmissions, and never pulled one on an XJ. Is there anything that I need to know about? When you guys pull them, is it easier to leave the transfer case mated up to the transmission, or is it easier to pull the transfer case?

I'm hoping it's just a freeze plug. Given the information I have gave you guys, what do you guys think? Do you think it's a freeze plug, or do you think that it could have cracked the block as well? Previous owner swears up and down that they drained it prior to it freezing outside.

i scanned the engine info, its hard to see but it looks like there is a plug in rear end of block, hope so huh?

I hope its just a freeze plug but yeah you're going to have to pull the trans off. To your question about that it's probably easier to do the trans/tcase still bolted together.

I wish you luck.

As in....



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Yikes! That looks horrible lol. I got a new freeze plug while I was picking up my fuel pump...I pulled the front and rear driveshafts last night and started unhooking everything...Unfortunately, that is as far as I got...Just couldn't get motivated last night....Problem is, it won't do it by itself

big job, good luck,,take pix!, take breaks too..

Well I made some progress last night...Not a crap ton, but I have everything disconnected except for the CPS and the shift linkage....Started to do the top bellhousing bolts with a 12 point socket but wouldn't take out the inverted torx bolts...is it an e12 that I need?

Yes.

I didn't have any help tonight, but I managed to get my transmission pulled out and the flywheel pulled off and discovered that the freeze plug had a pin hole in it. Block looks fine so I was pretty excited. The plug at the back of the head had already been changed as well as this one not too long ago by the looks of it. Anyway, I got the new one in and the flywheel bolted up.

I ended up tightening the belt since it was loose, added antifreeze to it, and that's about all that I accomplished today. I ended up getting my new tow mirrors for my dodge and accidentally shipped them to mom and dads, so I had went and got them and installed them as well.

All in all, it has been a pretty successful night.

This is the turd I've been working on....It's a beater without a heater, in rough shape and a bunch of things were rigged together that I'm in the process of fixing....Has lots of goodies under it though & the price was right.