Hatrick

Hey guys,

Just bought a 1992 Cherokee Loredo, 4.0l 4x4 auto, Miles are 268K+ odometer is not working, I picked it up for 500.00. It was setting for 5 months. The guy said it was knocking bad when he parked it. New battery and alternator later and she started. History, the guy i got it from a gnarly mechanic that rebuilt it in 08 -09 ish, it was not clear. The guy i got it from Just had the colling system replaced early 2011, all new stuff, New radiator, new temp sending unit, new water pump, new thermostat housing, and thermostat and all new hoses. He said it was an awesome jeep till it the engine started knocking.
So after warm up the chattering in the motor settled down. I took it for a short 5 mile spin. Upon returning I checked the fluids again. Oil is good no milk.... hummmm water is gone from the coolant reservoir. I Re filled it. I let it idol for a while. After 15 min idoling, I saw white smoke out the tail pipe. After another two min It was billowing out the tail pipe, it was steam. I shut it off. Let it cool. Started it again, I pulled each plug wire off and found 1 and 2 with not making any difference in the engines idol. Plug 4 – 6 and the motor went into convulsions and almost died. (Sorry let someone barrow my compression gauge and I haven’t seen it since or I would have got you cylinder pressures.)
I picked up a Felpro upper motor gasket set… I’m hoping this is just a case of a bad head gasket. Crossing my fingers. What do you think right track?

Fsher21

either your gasket or head itself. hope for the best, prepare for the worst. when replacing the gasket make sure to check for cracks, no guarantees you can see one if it is there though. Someone with more experience will should show up sooner than later lol.

Turbo X_J

After a real bad overheat, could be a head gasket, cracked cylinder head, broken piston skirt, etc, etc. Tear it up & find out.

Hatrick

The head is off hear are pic:
Cylinder head hole 1, look carefully and you will see the crack perfectly centered between the intake and exhaust valve ports
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w.../Headhole1.jpg

Well thanks guys for the good advise....This one was kinda txt book. I'm still gonna pull the pan and check for piston fragments...

I'll be calling Clear Water Heads ... they have a reman head for $325.00. And they will accept cracked head cores.
If anyone knows where I can get one cheaper I'm all eyes. Let me know! It would be appreciated.

Hatrick

as to the photo bucket pics.... No the little tike didnt come out of cylinder 1!

Kalali

I think they no longer sell the the reman'd 0331 heads. They had a lot of issues with the heads cracking...Last time I checked (a month ago) they only sold new ones for $450. And that's what I got. Build quality is excellent.
And how is that crack causing coolant get in the combustion chamber?

Hatrick

The head on this one is a 4120. Its been rebuilt.

The best I can explain to you is this. I could run the motor for 40 min before I get white smoke...(cooling system closed gets up to temp, pressure / temp rises) once to temp, the coolant seeps into cylinder #1, and wa la white smoke.

And well there is still that little tiny CRACK between the valves. That obviously is the tip of the ice berg. The cylinder walls look good. Can still see the crosshatching on the surface from the last rebuild.

I using an 8MP camera. I take a lot pictures, so I can look'em over later. I blow them up a couple hundred times larger than the eye can see. When I saw the crack and rust. Well..... there is no reason to magna flux it, because it will tell me the same thing. It is CRACKED. All a magna flux test will tell you is where it is, and... if its cracked. And I allready have information. So that would be like throwing money out the window. And I don't own a mint. So, the crack is a good reason to get another 4120 head that don't have a crack in it.

I bought it broke, i did'nt break it. It would have probably made the diagnoses easier if i had. OMG!

If your insinuating its the block......It could be.... just not realy likely with the evidence uncovered in this case.

And what kinda question was that anyway????

Just how, dose a crack in a head allow coolant into the combustion chamber? It's a crack.
Someone allowed it to over heat, and it cracked? Now it leaks.

wow

Hatrick

Cylinder Head
head, exhaust, intake, and valve cover gaskets
thermostat gasket
oil pump rebuild kit
oil pump tube and screen
1 piston for hole 1
piston rings
pan gasket
oil
coolant
replacing push rods, and lifters (just because I can)
rod bearings
intake cleaned
fuel injectors cleaned
4 1/8" 320 grit ball hone purchased
cylinder ridge reamer purchased

The company I bought the head from sent me the wrong head....5th July
The wrong head was delivered...I called and requested the correct head be delivered.....15th July
Called the Head shop to get the second tracking number for the correct head that was suppose to have be sent the 15th.. no record of head being sent..20th july... 21 July 2 day shipping on the correct head in process, the tracking number says it's in route at Orlando Fl... crossing fingers hoping NOT to get another ford 300 head.

Hatrick

Long road,
finish line
It runs Hot! It runs real hot! Idol 245 - 255, going down the road it cools to 215, got 15 miles under
Any and all sugestion will be read.

replaced water pump radiator, thermostat and t-stat housing, temp sender(s) .
running 75% coolant to 25% water.
dont want to cook the new rebuilt engine!!

Turbo X_J

Coolant mix of 50/50 is best. Are you sure on the temps do you have an IR temp gun to check?

Hatrick

I do have and IR gun and a dead 9V battery! Doh! I'll let you know when I replace it what the scanner say!

belvedere

If it idles hot, but cools when you drive it, it's probably a fan/shroud issue.

Hatrick

You raise a good point. This vehicle dose not have a shroud. I will look at the local u pull n pay.

This is what i signed up for. These are the answers Im looking for.

Thanks guys, keep em comming if you can think of any more.

Hatrick

Please expand.....tell me what you know!

Hatrick

Ok,
9v battery installed, i read 170, when the temp gage reads the 235 line before red. And was in the red yesterday.