Hi, Ive been following this forum for a few months but just joined recently after I purchased a 96 two door with 146k on it. I am looking for some help with my situation. Hopefully as I spend more time with the XJ I will be able to help others and pay back the information I have gained from this site.I picked it up for $300 in non running condition with little information about the condition of the engine. They told me it has a blown head gasket and had badly overheated. There is some kind of brown sludge at the bottom of the coolant resevoir and the oil is slightly overfilled I is low on coolant and the hood insulator appears to be singed/ torn in the front area.

Does anybody have any ideas. I had been told that the block is probably too warped to be rebuilt by someone at the garage. Do you think there is any worth in trying to rebuild the engine or should I get a junkyard/reman engine instead.

Any advise would be appreciated!
Thank you,
Taylor

 

Junkyard

 

The block is pretty tough to warp. I'd be more concerned that the bearings (all of them), cam, crank etc are destroyed from soaking in antifreeze sludge. Head might be shot...
ITA with finding a new motor and scrapping this one.

 

Thank you for the replies. Looks like getting a different engine is the way to go. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't junking a repairable engine.

Thanks,
Taylor

 

4.0 are easy swap with the right tools, bag and tag parts wires, and get a h.o. engine, the renix can be done just fab a bracket for the coil.