I have a 1989 4x4, 4.0l I6, Auto, 200k miles, 4 door

I just bought this Jeep and in May I am going to driveacross country with it (around 2k miles pulling a camper). I want to know what you guys would recmmend I check into thoroughly? I just bought it for $400 and am fixing all of the cosmetic issues. The engine seems strong and tranny doesnt mess up in shifting or jerking.

So far I have:
bought new wheels/tires
fixing cosmetic things

I do have a drip so I will be replacing oil pan gasket/rear mail seal. Also there is a TON of oil in the air filter and all over the throttle body. I am missing my whole exhaust so I will be putting a cat/muffler/tail pipe on. What do you guys think I should check? Also I will take this to a shop and have them compression test the engine to make sure that internally its sound. I am buying a new battery as the old one has 5-05-07 wrote on it so I assume its 3 years old so I will buy a new battery. The Jeep is hard to crank takes about 5 times to turn over.

I wil be doing a tune up plugs,wires,cap,rotor,air filter,oil change,replace gaskets on oil pan,rear main seal,head,replace ccv/pcv valve since I got oil in the air filter I think its becaue of that. Replace all brakes and shocks, replace heater core and replace the hoses as they were cut because the core was clogged. Thats about my grocery list for now.

This Jeep is going to be my DD starting in Jan once the title issue is resolved. So I really want to make this thing dependable and am going to spend around 2k to do that. Or less if I can. I am going to install a simple 1.5" lift and use 235/75/15 ties.

So what do you guys think I should also do/repace/test. I am trying to do everything I should need to do to make it get to 300k miles. So anything else I should do as a preventive measure please bring it up.

 

have oil in the intake can be problems can have bad ring hows the motor running

 

why didnt spend 2k on better jeep

 

I have thought about that but cannoy find a 4.0l 4x4 4dr for the life of me under 2k that is running great. My jeep is running strong just has some issues that I think can all be fixed easily.

I have oil in the intake and I read that happens mostly because the gromet is all clogged up in the ccv. The motor and tranny are in great condition... its just everything else. No muffler, windshield busted, front end was busted up already fixed that, tires and wheels were trash so got new ones.

What do you guys think? Should I just look for a newer one? And save up for it? Then when I get transcribe any parts needed the part out the old one?

 

how big is the trailer you are towing?

 

ok for buying the jeep for the price and fix it up i traded my guitar +100 for a jeep 94 2dr 4x4 and has 2440000 need work but if i had money buy better jeep for the right price fix your jeep until it runs great thats what im going to do have fun

 

It is a 4000 lb camper. I will be driving in May (My family is going to go visit my inlaws and my parents this summer and we live about 800 miles from mine and 500 more from hers. My family is 5 people total so we will be camping instead of trying to crowd in a house). I really think that I just need to run a compression test and have them test the tranny? Becuase i will be changing all fluids in everything and fuel/tranny/engine filters. I will be tuning it up and fixing any leaks. Is it worth it? The Jeep really does seem strong and it seems like maybe someone has rebuilt it in the past.

 

see what happens when you do a compression test if all good then do the work

 

do the compression test yourself, it is so easy, especially on a 4.0, buy a haynes manual and a guage, save some money

 

Hopfully it turns out ok (hopfully). I would beef up the cooling system,tranny cooler,brakes.Bit of wieght to stop there. Make sure its mechaically sound,if your hauling your family.