bobbylx

So, I picked up an 87 XJ wagoneer this afternoon. According to the PO, it has been in storage for quite a while and has 130k original miles on it. He bought it a couple weeks ago and had a tune up done, basic stuff, plugs wires, oil change.

Well, this afternoon I bought it for a reasonable price as a project and some day daily driver. I had driven about 60 miles heading home when my wife, who was following me, said it just started smoking. So as I'm pulling over I hear was sounds like lifter tapping. It's also smoking from where oil is hitting the exhaust pipe, but I can't tell where the oil is coming from. My oil pressure is 1 line above the very bottom.

So I start it back up and limp to the next exit. It will still run but has no power at all. I get to a safe stopping place and check a bit. I still have plenty of oil in the crankcase, but I'm also getting oil all over the drivers side engine compartment, mostly appears right under the intake manifold. It's also smoking from the oil fill port. The lifter tapping comes and goes, and it still starts, but something isn't right.

Had it towed home, and started long enough to straighten myself in the driveway.

My first thoughts, oil pump, maybe head gasket? Any other ideas or suggestions?

Cherockee

I would check the exhaust first. I bought a Jeep that had been sitting for a long time and once I got it running it would only dirve a short distance and then die. I figured out that squirels had packed the exhaust full of corn. There might be just enough restriction in your exhaust from something like this or a bad cat converter that's causing your loss in power.
Next thing to check is compression of each cylinder. Probably bad rings, valve seals, and all sorts of other stuff.

theyammieguy

Pretty much what mine did when the head gasket blew.