Cute!

 

well that thread ended on a crappy note...

 

Got a question. Thinking about buying a 2001 XJ. A little on the skeptical side though due to all the issues I have heard about the 00-01' models. Should I steer clear of those years? Jeep is in good shape and has 176k miles.

Did all the 2000-2001's come with the bad heads or was it hit and miss? What was the deal with the injectors and heat making them boil or bowl?

 

They all have the bad head, but it can be swapped it's worth it to you. And the heat soak issue can be fixed most easily with hood vents.

The thing is, you might drive an '01 for another decade without engine trouble, or it might blow up on the way home. Their bad reputation isn't because they all break; it's because a relatively large percentage have broken without any warning. It's a weaker casting, and reliability is a coin toss.

 

I guess the same could be said for buying a high mileage 99' and down. Engine could go at anytime I reckon. In some of the ads I have seen for Cherokee's, there are quite a few listed that have had engine swaps or rebuilds on the older models. I blame poor maintenance on that for the most part though. The earlier I6 seem to be bullet proof if they are maintained.

How hard is it to swap heads? What all is involved?

 

very easy to do. As long as you stick with 02-06 TUPY heads from Grand Cherokees and wranglers

 

What all is involved? Find a wrecked one and pull the head or buy a new one? Are you able to just take out the old and put in the better one?

 

yes I have done it on my 01. I took a head off a 04 grand Cherokee from the junkyard and slapped it on.

 

Did the head crack on your 01' prompting you to change it or did you just do it to avoid the problem all together?

 

traded in my bbq smoker for it... Previous owner blew the head gasket and didn't want to spend anything to fix it.

 

Depends on how early the issue is recognized.
When you figure the total number of vehicles produced and the number that have had the cylinder head problems, you'll probably have better odds winning the lottery.

 

That's an awful comparison. The total number of vehicles produced, sure. The total number of vehicles produced with the 0331 head? They have a bad reputation for a reason.

That's like saying the D44a rear in a WJ is fine because your friend has one that isn't broken today.

 

^
Awful how, no hype? I've got 160k on my gaaaaasp 2001 no unicorns yet...

 

I also had an '01 without any head issues, but that doesn't mean they aren't problematic. Statistics will always mean more than anecdotal evidence.

My ex has an '04 WJ with a working D44a, but we bought the extended warranty because they're known for blowing up during normal street driving.

It's a gamble. I hope you never encounter a reason to change your mind, but why would you want to gamble on something proven to be faulty when it's so easy to swap the head or to buy an earlier model that doesn't have three cats and four O2 sensors?

 

I have dust/solid chunks blowing out of my vents. Anyone have any ideas what it is?