Murphy's back

[ice_cold]

Well I got me a "deal" on a 98 Cherokee a while back.
Have had a mass of issues that have kept it off the road.
Got it to start finally after replacing the head and manifolds.
This turned out to be a busted gear on the distributor.
Well finally got it to fire up. She rattled like a diesel!!
Shut her down, checked everything, figured I may have missed the timing a bit, so hooked up the light. Went to start it....found the issue....no oil pressure.
Am now thinking the pump seized and locked up the distributor, and blew everything up.

So, how hard is it to replace this stupid part?
I have to do this on my driveway as quickly as possible as they frown on doing this type of thing in your parking stall.

Thanks
Mike

[Mudderoy]

Well I got me a "deal" on a 98 Cherokee a while back.
Have had a mass of issues that have kept it off the road.
Got it to start finally after replacing the head and manifolds.
This turned out to be a busted gear on the distributor.
Well finally got it to fire up. She rattled like a diesel!!
Shut her down, checked everything, figured I may have missed the timing a bit, so hooked up the light. Went to start it....found the issue....no oil pressure.
Am now thinking the pump seized and locked up the distributor, and blew everything up.

So, how hard is it to replace this stupid part?
I have to do this on my driveway as quickly as possible as they frown on doing this type of thing in your parking stall.

Thanks
Mike

Wow that makes sense. I think the hardest part is having enough room to remove the oil pan.

If you have a 4.5" lift I think you can get it out of there pretty easy, otherwise you are going to have to remove a motor mount connection and raise the engine. I haven't done the oil pan on mine, so maybe someone will jump in here and give you some first hand advice.

I hope the critical parts that lost lubrication are still ok.

You may need to tow it to a better location to work on it.

[xj4life2]

Its not a bad job but is messy and a PIA, but can be done in a driveway. As Muddy stated the biggest issue is getting the pan off.Once thats out of the way its a breeze. I would also check the rear main while your there so you don't have to do the job again later. As a note to everybody when ever you have the pan off for a rear main, change the oil pump, they are known to go out and will take the engine out in heartbeat . Its just cheap insurance!!!

[prerunner1982]

Jack the Jeep up as far as you can, support the "frame" with jack stands. Take front tires off and drop the front axle as far as you can. I disconnected the drag link (connects steering box to passenger steering knuckle) and disconnected the exhaust manifold. It pretty much fell out after that. Was a bit harder getting pan back in there with a gasket on it. What I did was used 4 small bolts/nuts and bolted the gasket to the 4 corners of the pan until it was right up close to the engine. Then I unbolted the gasket and started screwing the pan back to the engine.

[ice_cold]

Well, got a new pump and gasket and rear seal. Jacked her up, disconnected the shocks and sway bar links( in the process, snapped them both off, must be original). Dropped out the pan pulled the pump, the notch on the top was sheared right off! Got the new one out and went to it.
With lots of questionable language, got it all together again.
Went to start it, engine turned over, but would not fire. Checked the rotor and it not spinning, again!
Going to pull it and see whats wrong, again, thinking somethings binding, but everything is NEW!
Might have to blow it up........starting to really annoy me....

Mike

[ice_cold]

Pulled the distributor today...its chewed up another dist gear...any ideas on what is doing this?

[Mudderoy]

Pulled the distributor today...its chewed up another dist gear...any ideas on what is doing this?

I guess my assumption was that since the oil pump caused the gear damage to start with that when you replaced the gear, then found the oil pump was bad you would have to replace the gear again. In other words I figured you replaced the oil pump and distributor gear for a 2nd time.

[ice_cold]

Yep, new pump and gears on the dizzy. Either something is binding or the cam has a issue I cannot see. Have spare set of gears. Going to drop the pan again and take a closer look at the cam. Might have to swap it out...If I have to do that I am further ahead just pulling the whole motor. Going to shop around for a bottom end as the head is re-built so I just need a fresh bottom end.
Or say piss on it and look at a v8 :)

[Mudderoy]

Yep, new pump and gears on the dizzy. Either something is binding or the cam has a issue I cannot see. Have spare set of gears. Going to drop the pan again and take a closer look at the cam. Might have to swap it out...If I have to do that I am further ahead just pulling the whole motor. Going to shop around for a bottom end as the head is re-built so I just need a fresh bottom end.
Or say piss on it and look at a v8 :)

STROKER! :rolleye0012:

[ice_cold]

Read my mind there Muddy. ;)
Am checking with a couple local wheelers, about what I need to do the job.
Looking at either having a shop build it, buy a built one or doing the job myself.
Need to make up a list of what I need.

[Mudderoy]

Read my mind there Muddy. ;)
Am checking with a couple local wheelers, about what I need to do the job.
Looking at either having a shop build it, buy a built one or doing the job myself.
Need to make up a list of what I need.

http://www.ajeepthing.com/images/tcurve.gif

:link: (http://www.ajeepthing.com/stroker-motor.html)

[ice_cold]

Well the park where I live is having "issues" with my Jeep...lol
I replaced the gear on the dizzy and the oil pump...and it puked both of them. Figure the cam is FUBAR'd...the park is not going to let me pull a motor, even if I can find a motor cheap enough...Looks like the XJ may be going on the sale block....