Steam cleaning your 4.0
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 707
Likes: 20
From: AV Kalifornia
Year: 1996
Model: Grand Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
did this last night...ran about 40 oz through the system. warmed up the jeep, reved to about 2000-2500 rpms, then poured in the water until the rpms dropped. at one point I added enough water that the jeep spit out the 0300 (misfire) code. I was able to clear it of course. but, the engine did not seem to run any smother than before so either it is already is as clean as it could be or I have other issues like the cap and rotor.
CF Veteran
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 5,302
Likes: 23
From: Wisconsin
Model: Cherokee
ATF doesn't have much for detergent and it's expelled so quickly that it can't dissolve anything anyway.
Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 194
Likes: 0
From: South Texas
Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
so I decided to give this a shot. And now I think I may have caused something to go fubar. Now the engine seem to idle good, but when I rev it up and release gas peddle the RPM's will drop really low and almost want to turn off. If I rev it really high and let go of peddle RPM's will drop and it will actually turn off. Now I also kinda noticed some smoke or something come out of oil filler cap when I have it off. I had the engine REV'ed up to around 2000-2500 RPMS when I did this.
Thread Starter
CF Veteran
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 19,219
Likes: 45
From: west chester, pa
Year: 1999
Engine: 4.0
so I decided to give this a shot. And now I think I may have caused something to go fubar. Now the engine seem to idle good, but when I rev it up and release gas peddle the RPM's will drop really low and almost want to turn off. If I rev it really high and let go of peddle RPM's will drop and it will actually turn off. Now I also kinda noticed some smoke or something come out of oil filler cap when I have it off. I had the engine REV'ed up to around 2000-2500 RPMS when I did this.
CF Veteran
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 2,856
Likes: 201
From: syracuse ny
Year: 1997
Model: Grand Cherokee (ZJ)
Engine: 4.0, new lifters valve job with new springs and exhaust valves, preload set with shims
I'm sure from time to time y'all see somebody mention steam cleaning your engine. You may wonder what that mean exactly or be skeptical of doing that, thinking it must be a joke.
Rest assured, it is not a joke at all.
Let's start with my jeep, it's a 99 XJ with 4.0 that has 150,000 miles on the clock. The engine has never been cleaned internally. To add to the description, I replaced the intake manifold at approximately 125,000 miles and I saw really thick gunk that was coated inside the intake and exhaust ports of the head.
I used my borescope to look inside the cylinders and the intake manifold & took pictures so you get the idea of what it look like before the steam cleaning.
(The scratches on the piston was caused by my camera when I put it in too far)
Attachment 290050
Attachment 290048
Attachment 290052
This is the internal wall of the intake manifold runners where it's about to enter the intake port of the head
Attachment 290049
This is the intake valve chamber, you can clearly see the intake valve stem here
Attachment 290051
Attachment 290053
Rest assured, it is not a joke at all.
Let's start with my jeep, it's a 99 XJ with 4.0 that has 150,000 miles on the clock. The engine has never been cleaned internally. To add to the description, I replaced the intake manifold at approximately 125,000 miles and I saw really thick gunk that was coated inside the intake and exhaust ports of the head.
I used my borescope to look inside the cylinders and the intake manifold & took pictures so you get the idea of what it look like before the steam cleaning.
(The scratches on the piston was caused by my camera when I put it in too far)
Attachment 290050
Attachment 290048
Attachment 290052
This is the internal wall of the intake manifold runners where it's about to enter the intake port of the head
Attachment 290049
This is the intake valve chamber, you can clearly see the intake valve stem here
Attachment 290051
Attachment 290053
CF Veteran
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,527
Likes: 349
From: District of Columbia
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
Just did this to my '98. I ran about two quarts of distilled water through it.
It's hard to tell if it's any different, but I just got back from a 1,300 mile road trip which certainly helped to clean things out. Most of it was spent at 70+ mph.
It's hard to tell if it's any different, but I just got back from a 1,300 mile road trip which certainly helped to clean things out. Most of it was spent at 70+ mph.
CF Veteran
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,282
Likes: 18
From: central IN
Year: 1997
Engine: 4.0
edit: I did in fact use a garden hose. I am capable of controlling the output of water. I did not wfo the hose into the throttle body.
Seasoned Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 319
Likes: 3
From: Key Peninsula, WA
Year: 1997
Model: Grand Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
'97 Grand 4.0. Had a random engine knock at idle. Figured it was either a collapsed piston skirt or combustion chamber deposits. Ran about a half gallon of water through it and now the motor is quiet as a mouse at idle. The fan and belt make more noise than the motor. Happy, happy! Joy, joy!
No, I don't lick fish.
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,169
Likes: 26
From: Northern Kentucky
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
That's not any different than Cruiser's mondo 64oz cup that he uses every time he does this (64oz=.5 gal). I don't think he changes his oil every time he does it. If you do it correctly, you shouldn't get a lot of water blow-by contaminating the oil.
Thread Starter
CF Veteran
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 19,219
Likes: 45
From: west chester, pa
Year: 1999
Engine: 4.0
Originally Posted by Basslicks
That's not any different than Cruiser's mondo 64oz cup that he uses every time he does this (64oz=.5 gal). I don't think he changes his oil every time he does it. If you do it correctly, you shouldn't get a lot of water blow-by contaminating the oil.