Greetings and Howdy!

[project-xj]

I'm new to the board and just wanted to say hello. I've used your forums numerous times in the past for information and just thought it was time to get involved. Besides.....I have serious engine problems!! :mad0090:

R/
Gary

[Mudderoy]

:welcome: to :xjtalk: Glad you're getting involved! :bacondance:

[4.3LXJ]

Welcome. Glad you are here. What is up with that engine?

[project-xj]

I went to the Tech-section and posted.....but long story short, I need a short block. I'd prefer something with quality parts and a warranty if possible. Any advise would greatly be appreciated.

[JeepFreak]

Welcome to the forums! Glad to have you with us!

[Brasscatz]

Welcome aboard!! We'll try to get ya fixed up and we hope you stick around after your issues are resolved!

[XJ Wheeler]

Welcome to xjtalk!

There are several places you can buy new short blocks but as i'm sure you know new would be pricey. Quadratec, online parts businesses, auto parts stores, and machine shops often sell them. And some machine shops will have used parts in good condition, although it may be rare to find a 4.0 in such a place for sale. Some junkyards will offer a short warranty, maybe 14 or 30 days or so. And yes, craigslist is a good resource for engines, although a bit risky buying from a random individual plus absolutely no warranty or guaranty. And finally, i don't know the exact ones you have in Ohio but papers such as "Thrifty Nickel" or other free classified papers will usually have advertisements for businesses that have engines with a short warranty displayed in the automotive section.

Hope some of this helps, and if you have any more questions feel free to ask. Best of luck with your engine troubles.

Sent via messenger pigeon - i talk, he types.

[project-xj]

OK, here is my dilemma…..I’ll try and make it short.

The daughter hand my XJ out and it overheated, she saw the idiot light come on but because she was in the country she continued to drive it until she reached a gas station. The Jeep was towed home and that’s where I encountered the 0331 head issue.

Yes, looking thru the oil filler cap I could visibly see the crack between the runners. It appeared to me that the coolant did not get in the oil, so I ordered a new casting head from Clearwater Heads in Florida…….and, I took an oil sample and sent it to away for analysis.

Replaced head, and all appeared good for a short while. But after 20 minutes of driving the temp-needle starts to rise above normal. Letting the Jeep sit until it completely cools, I noticed that it draws coolant from the reservoir. And taking off the radiator cap reveals oil floating in the coolant.

I first thought that maybe, just maybe I did not get the head bolts torqued down correctly. But after thinking about it, the oil is not under pressure in the head……it is supplied thru the push rods and drains by gravity back thru the block and into the pan.

So…..must be a cracked block, yes? If it were just the head gasket I could not see how pressurized oil could find its way into the coolant?

And to make matters worse, the oil sample came back with very high numbers for potassium and another compound that I can’t think of right at this minute. But it was flagged as contaminated by coolant.

Regardless of the amount of contamination, I just see this situation getting worse as the engines gains miles. I love my XJ and it’s my primary vehicle for hunting/camping and those sorts of activities.

Any recommendations from the group?

[Mudderoy]

OK, here is my dilemma…..I’ll try and make it short.

The daughter hand my XJ out and it overheated, she saw the idiot light come on but because she was in the country she continued to drive it until she reached a gas station. The Jeep was towed home and that’s where I encountered the 0331 head issue.

Yes, looking thru the oil filler cap I could visibly see the crack between the runners. It appeared to me that the coolant did not get in the oil, so I ordered a new casting head from Clearwater Heads in Florida…….and, I took an oil sample and sent it to away for analysis.

Replaced head, and all appeared good for a short while. But after 20 minutes of driving the temp-needle starts to rise above normal. Letting the Jeep sit until it completely cools, I noticed that it draws coolant from the reservoir. And taking off the radiator cap reveals oil floating in the coolant.

I first thought that maybe, just maybe I did not get the head bolts torqued down correctly. But after thinking about it, the oil is not under pressure in the head……it is supplied thru the push rods and drains by gravity back thru the block and into the pan.

So…..must be a cracked block, yes? If it were just the head gasket I could not see how pressurized oil could find its way into the coolant?

And to make matters worse, the oil sample came back with very high numbers for potassium and another compound that I can’t think of right at this minute. But it was flagged as contaminated by coolant.

Regardless of the amount of contamination, I just see this situation getting worse as the engines gains miles. I love my XJ and it’s my primary vehicle for hunting/camping and those sorts of activities.

Any recommendations from the group?

Replaced the head with what? Was it a new hear, rebuilt, etc...? Did you use new head bolts? Those bolts are a two time use only, and once was at the factory. What head gasket did you use? How about the Mopar sticky spray on the gasket? Torqued to spec and in the correct sequence?

Also I'm sure you did but just to be through, you did change the oil after the incident?

I guess it's possible but based on my limited experience I'd be surprised if you cracked the block.

[project-xj]

New head from Clear Water heads in Florida. (Heavier casting)

New head gasket from Fel-Pro (no sealant required – I called their tech department)

New head bolts from Summit

Oil was changed immediately with new filter.

New Radiator

Torqued to spec and in correct sequence

New Temp unit

2 new O2 sensors (upstream)

Do you think it is the head gasket? I’d be thrilled if that was the case……….and thank you for your reply!

[Mudderoy]

New head from Clear Water heads in Florida. (Heavier casting)

New head gasket from Fel-Pro (no sealant required – I called their tech department)

New head bolts from Summit

Oil was changed immediately with new filter.

New Radiator

Torqued to spec and in correct sequence

New Temp unit

2 new O2 sensors (upstream)

Do you think it is the head gasket? I’d be thrilled if that was the case……….and thank you for your reply!

So the coolant in the oil test was before or after the head swap?

[project-xj]

Before....

What do you think? Even if it is a head gasket (I can't understand how), what about the coolant in the oil? Isn't it a ticking bomb waiting for oil pressure to zero out one day while I'm on the highway?

[Mudderoy]

Before....

What do you think? Even if it is a head gasket (I can't understand how), what about the coolant in the oil? Isn't it a ticking bomb waiting for oil pressure to zero out one day while I'm on the highway?

Okay good. So I've seen oily looking stuff in my coolant and I don't have a cracked head or block.

Water pump, thermostat, hoses were changed as well? The over heat after 20 minutes makes me think thermostat.

If you're not seeing coolant in the oil I don't think you'll have to worry about the oil pressure zeroing out.

[4.3LXJ]

It is possible to be a gasket, but with the new head not likely. Since you used a new head I think you could rule this out

[project-xj]

It's got a new Hesco water pump, Stant thermostat, and all new hoses. It doesn't over-heat any longer except after driving for 20 minutes or so. Then like I said.....when it is parked and cools off, it pulls new coolant from the reservoir. And when you pull the radiator cap off, you can see small amounts of oil in the coolant.

[Mudderoy]

It's got a new Hesco water pump, Stant thermostat, and all new hoses. It doesn't over-heat any longer except after driving for 20 minutes or so. Then like I said.....when it is parked and cools off, it pulls new coolant from the reservoir. And when you pull the radiator cap off, you can see small amounts of oil in the coolant.

How much heat do you get out of the vent when you go full blast heater?

[project-xj]

I need to clarify.....it does over-heat after 20 minutes of driving.....because the coolant is going somewhere. Then when I park it...as it cools it pulls new coolant from the reservoir. All I can figure is that the coolant and oil is crossing somewhere.....and I would not imagine that would be the head or head-gasket. Just my thoughts.

[project-xj]

Plenty of heat, no problems there. :mad0090:

[JeepFreak]

Have you tried to see if maybe the radiator itself is clogged with the gunky stuff? Mine was overheating more than normal and it was because I had a 10 year old radiator and it had a lot of nasty gunk in it even after thorough chembathing. It just got old and couldn't be saved after a certain point. Mine pulled coolant from the reservoir constantly and that's probably what contributed to the terrible heating problem and eventually complete breakdown a few days ago. Not much I could do until later this week (I was going to replace it this week before it died). I would check the consistency of your coolant and note the color, smell, etc. Draining and refilling with water and just doing a straight flush to see if anything out of the ordinary comes out might be another option.

[project-xj]

Everything is new and flushed….including the radiator. I did drain it……pure green with specs of oil floating around. No time to fool with this, I pulled the trigger last night on a new short-block and it should be at the door by next Wednesday. I’ll post pics of the swap when it’s all done. I appreciate everyone’s input. And a word to all of you who have the 0331 head in 00 & 01 years…….do yourself a favor and change your head BEFORE it cracks. From everything I have read on here and all the other forums….it’s just a matter of time before you’ll be left stranded somewhere with an overheating problem brought on by the 0331 head issue.

[msmoorenburg]

just a little food for thought if its a automatic the oil in the radiator could be ATF. I've seen tranny coolers go in the radiator (its like silent death to a tranny)

[project-xj]

I agree......I have a seperate trans-cooler / oil-thermostat and all the plumbing sitting in the garage. It will get installed immediately after I get thru this mess!! FUBAR!!

[Brasscatz]

Everything is new and flushed….including the radiator. I did drain it……pure green with specs of oil floating around. No time to fool with this, I pulled the trigger last night on a new short-block and it should be at the door by next Wednesday. I’ll post pics of the swap when it’s all done. I appreciate everyone’s input. And a word to all of you who have the 0331 head in 00 & 01 years…….do yourself a favor and change your head BEFORE it cracks. From everything I have read on here and all the other forums….it’s just a matter of time before you’ll be left stranded somewhere with an overheating problem brought on by the 0331 head issue.

Cool man, did yo go with that guy on Craigslist?

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 because my microwave couldn't do it

[JeepFreak]

Everything is new and flushed….including the radiator. I did drain it……pure green with specs of oil floating around. No time to fool with this, I pulled the trigger last night on a new short-block and it should be at the door by next Wednesday. I’ll post pics of the swap when it’s all done. I appreciate everyone’s input. And a word to all of you who have the 0331 head in 00 & 01 years…….do yourself a favor and change your head BEFORE it cracks. From everything I have read on here and all the other forums….it’s just a matter of time before you’ll be left stranded somewhere with an overheating problem brought on by the 0331 head issue.

Good luck with the new block! Hope it works out! With any luck you'll have your problem fixed relatively soon.

[project-xj]

NO...I order a new short block.....should be here next week sometime. I appreciate your help with all the links you provided, I just wanted something fresh and that I new would last for a while. I should have my rig up and running by Sunday of next week of all goes well

[Mudderoy]

NO...I order a new short block.....should be here next week sometime. I appreciate your help with all the links you provided, I just wanted something fresh and that I new would last for a while. I should have my rig up and running by Sunday of next week of all goes well

please let us know who you ordered it from, how you liked dealing with the company and any issues you ran into with the project. it will be a great help to many people in the future!

[project-xj]

I will....should be here sometime next week. I'll have info and pics along with any problems I ran into with the installation and/or the business I got the short block from.