loss of power and bad vibrations after overheating

So here's what happened. Starting about a month ago, I started having problems with my 90 XJ overheating. Just to clear up any questions it has the 4.0 and it's an auto. Anyway, it was overheating and after chasing down what I thought was problem areas it ran ok, meaning a little hotter than normal, until about two weeks ago when the temp spiked and the engine shut down. Finally got it started and everything is really rough. I changed out the water pump, thermostat, and a few hoses. The next thing I need to change is the radiator, it has a hole in it and leaking all my coolant now. It didn't have a hole before the spike in temp either. Anyway, what I mean by running rough is everything is vibrating and I have lost most to all of my power. I trailored it out to my parents house and had to floor it to inch up the trailor ramps. Another aspect of the problem is when I was working on getting the engine started, it would crank and crank and crank and then finally shoot my dipstick almost out from underneath my hood and smoke would come out of the dipstick hole and airbox. I haven't had that problem sense I got it started but thought that I would mention it. Someone help me out!!!

headgasket!!!

Loss of power, engine missing=lack of compression

There was a thread about replacing it not too long ago, 1 or 2 days maybe. It's not a bad job if you take your time.

yeah what he sez mabey you didn't warp/trash the head

is there a way to find out if I warped the head without throwing a ton of money at it just to waste it?

I'm thinking of a hole in a piston with that much blow by. The only way to really tell is to pull the head and look.

I do have quite a bit blow by......every time I put a new air filter in it just gets soaked with oil.......pulled the valve cover and cleaned everything out, replaced the PCV and all the hoses, and still got blow by.

You toasted it.....get a used motor...the problem is way worse than a head gasket...you have at least one hole with 100% leakdown....at the very least, the pistons and cylinder walls are fried. I'm willing to bet you can tie the piston rings in knots.

is it something that I can just rebuild or is it cheaper to get a used one?

also is there a problem with getting a newer motor from a newer Cherokee? Differences? Problems in swap?