rainershine

My family has proudly owned a 1990 Jeep Cherokee but as time went on it fell to the wayside. My interest is to get it running, driving, and looking good enough for it to come back into use. I'm inexperienced but determined and have a very low budget so the more "do it yourself" stuff, the better.

What I know:
-It has over 200K miles.
-Automatic
-4 liter Straight Six

The Problems:
-It has had a leak from nowhere now for quite a while and I haven't been able to find it. I checked all in the windshield as well as roofing and the water still finds a way in. I think that the interior is not salvageable so the best route would be to (once I find and stop the leak) rip everything out, replace windshield and most weather stripping and fashion the interior with something that is comfortable enough to have some people ride in but durable enough to hose down after.
-There is a leak somewhere in the power steering system because somewhere along the way it loses all the power steering fluid really fast. I'm not sure where to start with this one.
-I believe that there is a small oil leak judging by the amount I see sitting on the engine. I'm guessing its a gasket needing to be replaced.
-For a reason I'm not sure of, when the car has been running for not even 15 minutes, the coolant overheats and boils over. I believe this is also related to the car not having cold A/C.

So as you can see, I have my work cut-out for me. I don't plan on this happening over night. There is one small problem, while this car isn't my daily driver it does sit outside all the time so whatever I do to it has to be done in one day or one work period which I believe is possible. The car hasn't been running for quite some time, and when I charged the battery the starter would turn over but I would have no ignition. On top of that the battery dies fairly quickly.

I'm new to this forum and any help or advice is appreciated to help me get started on this job. I will also post pictures on this thread to show anybody who does view this thread what it is I'm dealing with. Tell me if you need any other specific information about the car or a picture of a specific spot.

waltermitty

You're serious????

I'm having a problem with: "when the car is running not even 15 minutes the coolant overheats and boils over"

versus: "The car hasn't been running for quite some time, and when I charged the battery the starter would turn over but I would have no ignition. On top of that the battery dies fairly quickly."

So which is it? Is the Jeep running or not??

As far as the other problems: Strip the interior out. Put someone on the inside to watch for the water entry points and someone on the outside with a water hose.

Replace the power steering pump and hoses to start with, maybe gearbox as well.

Replace the radiator, water pump, viscous fan drive, thermostat, hoses and serpentine belt. Make certain you flush the heater core and block while you have the cooling system opened up.

Replace the battery and perhaps the charging/starting system cables as well, especially if they are the originals.

Cold AC has absolutely no bearing on coolant temperature.

A wise investment can be made in the form of a factory authorized service manual.

Not certain what your budget is but you can check the prices of the parts needed to get your Jeep in serviceable condition referencing power plant cooling system and power steering leaks.

Then consider the possibility you'll need new tires, brakes, possibly some plug wires, cap, rotor and plugs. Then there is the fuel system. If it has been parked since before alcohol was introduced into the nations fuel supply you're in luck! Probably not much of a problem. If it has gasahol in the tank you need to flush the sleeze out of the tank and lines and hope the injectors aren't clogged...or is 1990 carbureted?... and replace the fuel filter. If it was/is running prior to the suggested list it will run better now.

If it has been parked outside where the water was allowed to sit in the vehicle unabated chances are the floor pans are rotted, and there could be some corrosion problems in the terminals and wiring.

Keep in mind the "list" is only my opinion based on the picture you painted in your post. Since I've not seen the Jeep I have no idea of the actual condition. Best of luck to you.

rainershine

What I mean is that when the jeep did run (a few months ago), the coolant boiled over. But currently no, it does not run at all. And I guess even though your probably right, I was really hoping to not have to just replace everything. That wasn't the goal. 1990 is not carbureted. I guess for now I will just try to find other sources that tell me more how to repair more of this stuff than replace. I have tested that theory about having someone sit on the inside to find the leak, and believe it or not I could not find it. As far as the body goes maybe it would be best to find a similar year jeep at the junkyard with a blown engine and swap engines. I'm still trying to find out why the AC doesn't blow cold and why the coolant boils over. I do have a manual and do use it. I figured that this could serve as an alternate resource. Assuming I follow what your recommendation is to strip the interior out, I still have to find something to take its place. As far as rust goes, I plan on learning how to patch weld some of the body back together to eliminate rust spots along parts of the roofing and upper liner. Keep in mind I have little to no experience with this thing, I'm just trying my best. As far as the floor being rusted out, I'll test that part of it soon enough. Thanks for the input.

Bustedback

This Jeep and your budget do not match up. You can find a nicer turn key runner for 2 grand, sure beats the hell out of spending 3 grand on a 500 dollar wreck. Post some pictures of the family heirloom.

waltermitty

Cooling systems are at the very heart of the power plant and need to be in top condition in order for the other systems to function as designed. You might try buying some gaskets, disassembling and flushing the cooling system, then re-assembling with old parts to see if it helped the overheating issue. A lot of work but it may help. There is usually no substitute for serviceable parts, new or used. You can check the thermostat by carefully placing it in boiling water to see if it opens. If it does you just saved $26.00 dealer price. Unfortunately radiators are $100.00 if you need a replacement because yours is clogged. Since the stock ones have plastic tanks it's probably difficult to find one that doesn't leak, although I have one that doesn't leak you can have if you pay the shipping. It's from a 1998 so don't know if it will work on your 1990. You could try some chemical flush.

On stripping the interior out: I wasn't suggesting you toss it. It is sometimes impossible to find the source of a leak with out taking out the seats and carpet, sometimes the headliner to find a leak. If the Jeep has a roof rack that may be the source of your leak, or it could be the rust along the roof line you mentioned. Is it rusted through? If you are not seeing water seeping in through the dash, door/hatch seals it's where I would look.

You didn't address the power steering pump issue I mentioned. The pump/reservoir have seals and o-rings to prevent fluid loss. Most replace the pump when it gets to the point where it's leaking but o-rings and seals can be replaced. The hoses have crimped on fittings on the pressure hose that are impossible to do yourself. You might try the scrap yard. Or they may not be the source of your leak....

Your A/C may just need a bit of 134 or R12 to blow cold. Did 1990's have R12? At any rate I wouldn't worry about it until/if you opt to get the car running. It may be at a time of year you don't need it.

I grew up in a body shop. My grandfather and father were both body men/painters, I'm third generation. It is fairly easy to cut, form and replace automotive sheet metal with the proper tools and equipment. If you just want to "get by" patching the holes I suggest pop rivets and sheet metal covered with some bondo to seal out the water/snow. It is a cheap solution that doesn't require much in the way of expensive tools.

Since you don't appear to be discouraged yet I'll suggest a course of action for your consideration:

I'd advise you to buy a running/driving example if you want to drive a Jeep. Like the previous poster suggested it will be cheaper in the long run.

If you are determined to restore the family ride, which may not as bad as I've pictured, I suggest addressing the power steering pump issue first. Go to a junk yard and get one that is for your year/model with the hoses. If your pump has been run empty then it is no doubt trashed.

Check and flush the cooling system. Check the fuel system for contamination, flush if necessary, put in enough gas to get it running and check for leaks. (coolant, fuel, p/s, oil)

I'm certain there are others that want to get the family ride running again so keep us posted on your progress! Some photos of the body rust close-ups of the engine and components would be nice as well.

I am curious as to the reason it was initially taken out of service. Just leaking water into the interior? Overheating? Power Steering?

I'm on here daily to answer questions within the realm of my expertise. Best of luck in your endeavor.