Should I Keep It?
10-15-2013, 07:07 PM
#1
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Model: Cherokee
Should I Keep It?
My 98 Grand Cherokee Limited with the 5.9 just started blowing white smoke. 200k miles. Bought it new in 98. Great truck. Runs good. Pulled the plugs and 5&7 are off colored. Compression check shows 45 and 60pds on those cylinders. All others are 120-145. Not sure what my options should be. Should I repair the heads and drive it till something else blows up? Tranny still feels sharp but with 200k miles, who knows. Not sure if its worth having motor and trans rebuilt. Could drop 4-5k into it and I would be basically where I was before it started blowing smoke.The diffs chirp pretty good on tight turns, but its been this way for 100k miles. What would you do?
10-15-2013, 11:38 PM
#2
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Year: 1998
Model: Grand Cherokee
Engine: 5.2L
Find out what they'll give you for a trade in or the sale of a 98 Cherokee blowing smoke and I'm sure you'll reconsider. Don't sell someone your problem without letting them know about it.
The only thing that matters is your own personal attachment (or non-attachment) to the vehicle.
How much have you invested in it? You'll be lucky to get half of it back on the resale value.
You could part it out. You could fix whats wrong. You could drop a ****in crate motor or LS1 in there.
Where will you be in 5 years? 10? Is the Jeep in the driveway or is it not there?
The only thing that matters is your own personal attachment (or non-attachment) to the vehicle.
How much have you invested in it? You'll be lucky to get half of it back on the resale value.
You could part it out. You could fix whats wrong. You could drop a ****in crate motor or LS1 in there.
Where will you be in 5 years? 10? Is the Jeep in the driveway or is it not there?
10-15-2013, 11:43 PM
#3
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Year: 1989
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
My 98 Grand Cherokee Limited with the 5.9 just started blowing white smoke. 200k miles. Bought it new in 98. Great truck. Runs good. Pulled the plugs and 5&7 are off colored. Compression check shows 45 and 60pds on those cylinders. All others are 120-145. Not sure what my options should be. Should I repair the heads and drive it till something else blows up? Tranny still feels sharp but with 200k miles, who knows. Not sure if its worth having motor and trans rebuilt. Could drop 4-5k into it and I would be basically where I was before it started blowing smoke.The diffs chirp pretty good on tight turns, but its been this way for 100k miles. What would you do?
I just did head gaskets in a 5.9 truck. With surfacing heads it cost $3800 at my shop.
10-16-2013, 06:06 AM
#5
Old fart with a wrench
Sounds to me like just a blown head gasket. Don't throw it away just for that! It's best to get to it before it burns away the land between the cylinders. Resurfacing the heads may be cheap, but resurfacing the block is very expensive.
Putting a different motor in it, other than a 5.9, will give you problems you don't want to deal with.
Putting a different motor in it, other than a 5.9, will give you problems you don't want to deal with.