Anyone know where I can Find one that isnt an arm and a leg? Im a poor grad student and any info helps

 

Clearwater is the way to go. $450 to your door. Unless you go to the junkyard and find a tupy head.

 

thank you!

Here's my symptoms. No milky oil, no funky smells, Im running right at 210, but I do have a 180 temp gage so thats got me raising my eyebrow. Im not over heating at all but im losing coolant. Should I go ahead a replace the head to be safe?

 

What is the year and the specs of your Cherokee? In order to help you better we need to know. Fill out your profile.

Have you checked for coolant leaks?

 

2000 cherokee sport 6 cyl

 

Do a pressure test to see if you can find leaks.

 

Yep, maybe some rough noggin pokin' first just to see if there is anything glaring. Check t-stat housing, water pump, and radiator hose for leaks. Some leaks don't hit the garage floor. They can run down the block and blend with other dirt and oil.

 

im starting to hear that little knock though so im cathchin it early

 

It's good to be sure don't you think? You could also do an oil test from Blackstone. Though I'm not sure of their holiday hours.

 

Im just anxious guys, I really cant afford anything to be too wrong with it. Ill get a test

 

You're hearing a knock? That is not a good thing! You need to do some more testing to confirm what is going on. Lots of threads on how to do that. One of the first things I do is to pull the oil fill cap and with a good light, look down into the head. Sometimes (not always) if the head is cracked, you can actually see the crack between cylinders 3-4 (where the factory defect on the head exists) and the green antifreeze that is seeping up through the crack.

How long have you been losing/adding coolant? If you are having to add coolant, you are either leaking it or burning it. One of the two. It's up to you to figure out which. Have you put your XJ up on a hoist and performed a comprehensive search for any leaks? That would be job #1 as you don't want to be chasing your tail. What is your oil pressure currently at? The oil pressure spec for the 4.0 is between 37-75 psi over 1600 rpms and not less than 13 psi at a HOT idle. What are you seeing?

Know this. If a cracked 0331 head is not caught quickly, your engine bearings will be damaged because even a small amount of coolant can do that and you will eventually see reduced oil pressure. Replacing the head will fix the top end but won't fix engine bearing damage. I've seen a few 00-01 XJ owners slap a new head on their XJ with a cracked factory 0331, but it's too late for the engine.

Time is of the essence. Good luck and keep us updated!

 

did the "knock" just start? mine has piston slap cold start,i call it knock?
the 2 important things is temp and oil pressure, the 2 i watch on everything i drive!

 

my oil pressure is good, i do not over heat at all but im starting to run right at 210 when i have a 180 thermostat so im a little worried. By wrench buddy thinks i just might need a new head gasket since im not running like crap and not over heating and no smoke.

 

also i could be at 210 and ill get on the freeway and i drop right back down and then ill go to 210 when i get off the freeway

 

i have 3 vehicles. when the gage hits its high point it never changes, no ups, no dips...
my 2000 never hits 210, just under, stable.