Nanook

I just joined the forum today as I just purchased an 01 Cherokee sport in pristine condition yesterday. It's totally stock as it sits. I previously owned a 01 Wrangler sport that I spent 2 months this summer fixing it up to excellent condition with my 17 yr old son. He has been driving it for a few months now. Unfortunatly he totaled it last week during our last major cold spell after getting sideways on some ice and meeting up with a Denali going the other way. He was fine but the Wrangler is gone.
As I found myself Jeepless, a desperate search of the local market turned up this 01 Cherokee. It looks and runs great so far and has 70,000 miles. I'll post a pic when I get the chance. Looking forward to leaning about the Cherokee and getting it ready to hit some dirt.

XJwonders

Welcome to the forum

bullettooth2008

Hi and welcome, hope you enjoy your xj.

dwright98xj

70K miles? That's a baby! Good find. Welcome.

Nanook

Thanks for the welcome guys. I did some looking around the site yesterday and ran across the 0331 head issue. This made me nervous as the new Cherokee had a new head on it when I got it, I was not aware of the issue previously as I had no issues with my wrangler. I noticed that the oil pressure was dropping to 10 at stop lights when bringing it home. Thats what prompted me to find the website.
Anyway, I decided I would return the Cherokee and try to find a 98-99. So I called the guy I bought it from today to make arrangements for its return. He was well aware of the head issue. He also replaced the head but said his mechanic didn't see any signs of oil contamination. Armed with what I learned last nite on this site, I told him that the low oil pressure was a symtom of contamination and that the motor was not trustworthy. Might last 10 miles or 100,000 and I didn't want to gamble on it. With my luck it would be 10. We went back an d forth a few times and he asked me if I really like the Cherokee. I said yes. He said he'll pick it up tonight, take it back to his shop and replace the need parts. Said he would get it back to me in a couple weeks.
I was amazed that he would do this. He said if I return it, he would have to fix it anyway to sell it and then go thru the sales process again. He figured it was better to just fix it and have a happy customer than to do it all over again. I told him that as long as the oil pressure stays within 35-45 I'm good with it. He guarenteed it. So, It's on its way back to the shop as of this writing. This guy is alright!

slowjunk

i thought that's normal at 10 psi idling at a stop. i read some where on the forum if it's at 0 is when you should worry. my 01 that i sold last year was always right on 10 idling and never had problem.

Nanook

Here's from the cracked cyl. head overview

SYMPTOM:
Unexplained coolant loss.
Oil pressure may go down after starting, warming up.
No heat; Low coolant.
Poor idle; Misfire. Check Engine Light.


CAUSE:
Overheating, lack of maintenance, low coolant. Check coolant, hoses, fan, thermostat often. Flush Cooling system regularly.


EVIDENCE OF COOLANT IN OIL:
1) Oil Sample Test- http://www.blackstone-labs.com/ $20. High in iron (292 ppm, normal being 65) indicates Bearing wear.

3) Pressure Test w/Valve Cover off; coolant will appear at crack between #3 & #4 cylinder.

4) Run engine w/Radiator Cap off- Bubble indicate coolant in combustion chamber.

5) Coolant level going down, oil level going up.

6) Milky substance in Oil Fill Cap or Radiator Cap.

7) Drop in Oil Pressure. (50psi at start, goes down to 10psi when warmed up). 13-20psi at hot idle, 60psi @ 2500rpm. Running Temp: 210

Coolant in the oil will cause deterioration of bearings indicated by a drop in oil pressure. If your compression is still consistent & strong on all cylinders (120+), bearings are ok.



The 4.0 in my Wrangler always stayed between 35-45 depending on RPM. The check gauges light should come on at anything below 6 I think it was. My op sensor went bad once and was giving bad readings causing the dash light to come on. After changing out the sensor was back up to the usual 35-45.

bullettooth2008

Your salesman sounds very reasonable, good information even though mine is diesel.
Hope all go's well in two weeks.

dwright98xj

Your oil pressure is normal if using standard dino-oil and an old gauge sending unit. It should start cold at 40-50 then drop down to 10-20 psi.

Still cool thye did that tho, now the question is, will he do it? Check your oil for signs of gear lube in it when you get it back. Just saying. Part receipts would be a good idea too.

Nanook

Not sure what is in it. Is this a different motor than would have been in my 01 wrangler? Also, the seller replaced the head already. I looked for markings before he picked it up. No 0331 stamp on driver side and no tupi stamp on passenger side. Was a small plate that said mexico on it with another small plate a few inches away with a random serial # on the passenger side The guy I bought it from was Luxuryautofinder.com in Batavia IL. So far he is a real stand up guy to work with. We'll see how it all works out but so far the best sales guy/owner I've ever encountered.


Bullettooth: How did you find a diesel that fit in your Cherokee?

bullettooth2008

Majority of cherokee's over here are probably diesel, fuel is about four times dearer than what you guys pay.