firstXJ said:
I recently looked at the ccv on the valve cover and it is gummed up with rust colored goo. Also the the breather tube at the front of the valve cover is pushing smoke into the air cleaner box. i definitely bought myself a worn engine. There is no doubt that the rings are worn with that much blowby going on. I haven't had a compression check yet though, so there isn't any actual numbers i can report on that yet. At 190,000+ miles I would like to do everything possible to save it, but I realize that a rebuild most likely will be in order. I will definitely do the above mentioned thorough cleaning and anything else anyone can suggest to keep her kicking.
Paul
OK, since funds are low, here's what you can do over a weekend to keep the old girl chugging along for a little longer.
Saturday:
1. Remove the valve cover and clean the insides thoroughly (including the CCV baffles).
2. Remove both CCV grommets from the valve cover and let them soak in gasoline to dissolve all the grunge. Then blow compressed air through them to remove any remaining gubbins.
3. Remove all the rocker arms with bridges, soak in gasoline to remove caked on sludge, and check for worn/damaged rockers.
4. Remove pushrods, soak in gasoline, and check if any are bent or have worn tips. Blow compressed air through the oiling holes to clear them.
5. Clean as much sludge from the top of the head as you can. A shop vac would be useful to suck up debris before it falls down oiling holes.
Reassemble everything using a new valve cover gasket and replace any worn/damaged parts that you may find. With the valve cover off, you can diagnose a collapsed lifter (pushrod will feel loose and valve spring won't compress fully).
Sunday:
1. Drain oil and remove oil pan (you'll need to jack up the Jeep by the frame rails to let the front axle droop, remove the starter, remove the steering damper, remove the engine mount bolts, and lift the engine with a jackstand underneath the crank pulley (put a block of wood between the jackstand and the pulley to avoid damaging it).
2. Clean the inside of the oil pan thoroughly until all the caked on sludge is removed.
3. Remove the old oil pump assembly and replace with a new one.
4. Replace old rod bearings with new 0.001" undersize units.
5. Reinstall the oil pan and bolt everything else back up. I recommend the Victor-Reinz one piece rubber oil pan gasket.
6. Replace the oil filter.
7. Add 6 quarts of 20W-50 dino oil.
8. Remove coil lead to distributor and crank the engine for a few seconds to prime the oil pump & filter.
9. Reattach coil lead.
10. Cross your fingers.
11. Fire up the engine.
Good luck. Hopefully you'll gain some oil pressure, the valvetrain noise will be reduced, and you might alleviate the blowby problem (for now).