The "Gold Bond" build...

[WrenchDevil6]

Ok, here we go... The "Gold Bond" build... (that might get moved back to the "Build" thread, because it's um... a build in progress...

After losing my excellent '93 XJ in my first divorce, and spending far too many years pining for another, I bought a '99 XJ on 1.28.13.















Isn't she a beaut!?!

I put a few stickers on her, you know... to personalize her a bit.

Purchased from Big Blue Auto Sales in Louisa, KY. *HINT* Do not buy anything from them.

168655 Miles.
Interior was quite nice and unscarred.
First thing:
New Sylvania H6054 headlamps on 1.28.13
New wiperblades (all around) 1.29.13
Noticed a serious rattle in the valvetrain on 1.29.13 on the return trip to collect the car that I drove to purchase the Jeep.

Hey, it's a 4.0L XJ, they rattle, right?

Ran a can of Seafoam through it: Still rattled, of course. 1.30.13
It either developed a leak or I noticed a leak on 1.30.13
Radiator flush/fill on 2.4.13
Took it to a mechanic who said that the timing chain had a heavy rattle.

I purchased a scope and scoped the entire engine, found the heaviest of the rattling in the cylinder 5 & 6 area (foreshadowing).
When I scoped the timing cover, there was very little rattle coming from it.
Pulled the inspection cover and found the flexplate in perfect operating condition.
Changed/cooked the plugs on 2.5.13
Greased the chassis and sprayed PB on the entire suspension on 2.6.13
Parked it on 2.8.13 after discovering an increasingly heavy amount of sludge on the oil fill cap.
Also, the oil pressure was dropping and it was beginning to WANT to overheat.

More to come, with fancy new powerplant pix!!

Feel free to pass judgement, weep, raise a flagon, or whatever floats your goat.