Lose of steer & antifreeze loss
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: California
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L I6
Lose of steer & antifreeze loss
My son was driving his 1998 XJ into a parking lot and said that he lost his steering. He looked under the hood and the belt was twisted up and he said that there was antifreeze leaking every where. I haven't seen it yet since I'm at work. Any suggestions? Water pump possible?
Thanks
Thanks
#3
CF Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Riviera, Texas
Posts: 4,172
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
4 Posts
Year: 1998 Sport
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Since you haven't seen it yet. I would be guessing. My guess would be the water pump completely crapped out. What my have happen it the bearings went out or the pump shaft snapped. If that happened you can twist or throw the belt.
#4
CF Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Nor-Cal Coast
Posts: 10,489
Likes: 0
Received 17 Likes
on
17 Posts
Year: 90,84
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0,2.5
You are gonna' need to look of course. The belt can go for allot of reasons, then it might have hit something. The good news, it's hard for the fan to drive it into the radiator, since it drives the fan.
#5
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: California
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L I6
If the water pump crapped out would I be able to turn it by hand? Anyone ever have problems with the tensioner pulley going bad? Sounds like the water may have come from radiator cap due to overheating between the time the belt broke and the time he pulled over (80 yards).
#6
CF Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Nor-Cal Coast
Posts: 10,489
Likes: 0
Received 17 Likes
on
17 Posts
Year: 90,84
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0,2.5
If one of the pulleys seized enough to toast the belt, you should be able to feel something. It could have been any if them. Or maybe the belt just gave it up. I highly doubt it would overheat in 80 yards, unless that took 10 minutes! (OK maybe a little less). You can feel for ANY roughness turning the various deals. Alt bearings go, the idler/tensioner, yes the water pump or the fan ect. The water pump DOES have a seal that can leak even if the bearing is still holding up. (you would see evidence of leaking at the weep hole)
You might just take a look at the crank pulley and see that nothing looks funky there. It's outer ring is pressed on with a rubber separator, those give it up sometimes.
You might just take a look at the crank pulley and see that nothing looks funky there. It's outer ring is pressed on with a rubber separator, those give it up sometimes.
#7
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: California
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L I6
I'm off work in an hour and a half so I'll have to do a good inspection on all the pulleys to make sure they are moving well, aligned, and not messed up in any way. I'm hoping that maybe the belt was just old and gave way. There didn't appear to be a water leak from the pump and there were no signs (noises) of any pulleys going bad! I hope it's a cheap easy fix.
Trending Topics
#10
CF Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: shawnee,ks
Posts: 9,897
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
Year: 1993
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
When the bearings blew out of my idler pulley it shot the ball bearings around the engine bay and wrapped the belt around the fan. I was able to drive 2.5 miles home though
#11
CF Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Nor-Cal Coast
Posts: 10,489
Likes: 0
Received 17 Likes
on
17 Posts
Year: 90,84
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0,2.5
Just agreeing with the above. The idler. (on my 90, not sure what's different there), my idler went once as well. And nice that, easy and right on top.
Just a note on a broken serpentine belt. There seems to be a "maw", directly below where a broken thermostat housing ear will fall. Where the belt goes down around the crank pulley, any little thing falling in there can make it sort of explode.(I mean the belt might go with a bang!)
Just a note on a broken serpentine belt. There seems to be a "maw", directly below where a broken thermostat housing ear will fall. Where the belt goes down around the crank pulley, any little thing falling in there can make it sort of explode.(I mean the belt might go with a bang!)
Last edited by DFlintstone; 06-30-2012 at 06:15 PM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
64dodge
Stock Grand Cherokee Tech. All ZJ/WJ/WK Non-modified/stock questions go here!
3
09-30-2015 05:50 PM
seanie11
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
11
09-11-2015 04:42 AM
cliffy
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
7
09-09-2015 01:22 PM
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)