First XJ, what to look for and repair

I just bought a '94 2 door XJ 4.0 HO. The owner thought it had a spun rod and sold it to me for $400. After I got it home and checked it out found torque converter bolts loose. Tightened them up and no knock. What should I look for as far as potential problems. After I get it dependable I will start up-grades.

Thanks,
Richard

XJ's are pretty solid. Common little things like Throttle Position Sensors and Crankshaft Position Sensors are about the most common problem spots, and those cover all the years.

How many miles on it now? That will indicate any other things you might want to keep an eye out for.

I see you're in NC too! Welcome! Hang out in the Southeast Chapter some...quite a few of us in this part of the state.

*All new fluids. They're the lifeblood of the engine. Cheap if you do it yourself
*New thermostat; check hoses and replace all 4 if there is any question. New radiator cap as well. (16 pound)
*Give it a tuneup with fresh Champion copper plugs gapped to .035, new plug wires, cap, rotor, air filter, serpentine belt if necessary
*Drive it!

Damn, birchlakeXJ beat me to it...at least we agree.

This sounds like alot but you should really be able to do ALL of it over a weekend, maybe less.

Most important IMHO is to change all your fluids to start at a baseline.
Trans. (drain & fill, 3.5 qts.)
Oil (6 qts.)
Both differentials
Power Steering (Search on how to flush old fluid)
Do a cooling system flush.
Put in a new Stant t-stat. 195*

Pull your wheels and check brakes, not only the amount of pad/shoe left but check for leaks around rear brake cylinders, brake hoses etc. You could also flush old brake fluid out and replace with fresh. Then you know when the last time all that was changed.

Check all your steering components. Grab a friend and have them turn the wheel back and forth while you lie underneath and watch, grab, jiggle, wiggle, pull, look for play or worn & broken pieces. See that your track bar bolt is tight (80 fp.) and check condition of bushings and tie rod ends. If you find any problems it's better to find them now instead of when you're out on the road.

Freshen the battery connections and especially grounds from firewall to block, dipstick stud to battery. Pull them off and shine them up and re-install. It's not enough to just look and pull at them. XJ's are dependent on grounds. Check your vacuum lines and replace any that are suspect. Just doing this will eliminate gremlins, problems and troubleshooting down the road.

Clean the engine of grease and crap, take a drive, put a clean piece of cardboard under the Jeep and look for leaks, not tiny leaks, but things that'll leave a puddle overnight.

Now, get to work, report any weirdnesses, and Welcome to the forum.

Thanks all for the tips ! I am a mechanic, so all is easy to do. Have changed all fluids and flushed trans converter, ps, and coolant. Will do tune up and check engine cyl. compression on Sat. Then have the DW wiggle steering and stuff while I check under side.

Richard