Yes! A bad head gasket can cause the same problem. The only way you are going to know if it's the gasket or the head is by removing the head. But the first thing you need to do is stop driving it or you will be needing to rebuild or replace the whole engine.

 

Either head or gasket can cause that. Problem is, a little coolant in the oil will wipe out bearings in short order. The damage may already be done. How's your oil pressure?

 

Like Robert and Belvedere stated, both can be going on and inspection will tell.
No driving that untill sorted, I'm afraid.

 

Oil pressure is at a about 3/4 when I'm on the throttle, drops down to a little below halfway when I'm off it

 

Clearwater has this head available, is what i should be looking for for an upgrade?

http://cylinder-heads.com/details.cfm?itemid=1828

 

Don't order the head until you remove the old one. It may not be the head. With a little luck you may only have to replace the gasket.

 

Exactly. Remove the head, and have it thoroughly checked at a competent machine shop.

 

Right but if I do in fact need one, that would be it?

 

So the plan for right now is new head gasket, and while i have everything apart i will do a new hi flow water pump and new thermostat, as well as new headers i have wanted for a while, if i get the head off and find that it is indeed cracked, i will have to order and new one and deal with the extended downtime of being without a vehicle. for right now i definitely wont be driving the jeep anymore.

Do you guys think i am missing anything?

also, really appreciate all your guys input on this.

 

Sounds good. Keep us posted!

 

Like the positive attitude in all this mate....better than the breaking down crying when the bad news was brought about gasket/head crack.... Go for it.

 

Yeah no point in getting down over it, I'm excited to get some new parts in, gonna be solid when I'm done.

My one concern is my oil pressure, at a hot idle it would sit a little under the halfway mark, is that okay?

 

If you have concerns about it, verify it with a mechanical gauge. Thats the only way to know what your pressure really is. Just under half way on the gauge is nothing to worry about, it means you actually have pressure
If it would be getting too low, I'd clean the passage where the oil pressure sending unit sits and verify pressures on the next oil change. Different filters can have a significant effect on your pressure reading too, fyi.

But for now I would not worry.

 

when I put on the new gasket, should i use a thin layer of rtv on either side of the gasket?

 

On a head gasket NO.