head gasket question for a 97 xj

well for my first post i'm gonna need a little help. i have the chance to buy a 97 xj with 135k on the clock for $500. the thing is it needs some brake parts and the head gasket is most likely not good. currently i'm truck-less. my truck, a 96 blazer 2 door, decided it's head gasket didn't want any part of it either and went. i'm mechanically declined but i have all the tools for the job basically and i'm doing my best on fixing it myself, but my truck is being difficult. so i stumbled across the xj and i want it more then my current truck, so how much more difficult would be the xj's head gasket vs. my current truck? i know its probably going to be the same or if not harder, just because its my luck. i don't want to be putting money into the jeep if it'll cost the same to fix my truck. if i would buy the jeep, a lift and 33s would be in it's future. any help would be appreciated. here's a picture of my truck in it's prime execept for the scratch and bumper, something it hasn't been in a long time

AMC242 head gaskets aren't difficult, I've done a few.

I do suggest that:

1) You get help for lifting the head. It's two feet long and cast iron, and can be a little cumbersome the first time. I can lift the head assembly (with manifolds attached) out myself, but I'm fairly large and I've been swinging wrenches for the best part of 30 years now...

2) Have you confirmed it's the head gasket?

3) If you're going to do the head gasket, you'll want to do the manifold gasket as well. It's a LOT easier to do the manifold gasket with the head assembly on the bench than it is to do in the vehicle, believe me!

4) Find out who's close to you - and see if you can bribe them into helping you. Beer usually works - or pizza, for odd people (like me) who don't like beer. Have them bring their FSM for reference, if they have one.

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for odd people (like me) who don't like beer. Have them bring their FSM for reference, if they have one.
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A mec that don't like beer! NOW I have seen it all!

You haven't specified what's making your Blazer so "uncooperative" so there's no guarantee you won't see the same thing in the XJ.

Have you gotten an estimate of having a shop replace the head gasket?

5-90 said:

1) You get help for lifting the head. It's two feet long and cast iron, and can be a little cumbersome the first time. I can lift the head assembly (with manifolds attached) out myself, but I'm fairly large and I've been swinging wrenches for the best part of 30 years now...

2) Have you confirmed it's the head gasket?

3) If you're going to do the head gasket, you'll want to do the manifold gasket as well. It's a LOT easier to do the manifold gasket with the head assembly on the bench than it is to do in the vehicle, believe me!

4) Find out who's close to you - and see if you can bribe them into helping you. Beer usually works - or pizza, for odd people (like me) who don't like beer. Have them bring their FSM for reference, if they have one.

Click to expand...

1) thanks for that info, i'll be sure to have some extra help around

2) personally no. the person i'm buying it from has said the truck is running pretty harsh and saw some leaking coming from the gasket, so thats all i had to hear. who knows, it might not be

3) good idea, if i did buy it. i would replace all the gaskets i could just to be safe and have some new life in the truck. all the plugs, wires, distributor has been replaced so i've been told. it also has a new radiator

4) i'm gonna have to ask around. haha pizza, i deliever that for my job, what a coincidence, wanna help with a head gasket, haha

Saudade said:

You haven't specified what's making your Blazer so "uncooperative" so there's no guarantee you won't see the same thing in the XJ.

Have you gotten an estimate of having a shop replace the head gasket?

Click to expand...

well to begin with, i have a chiltons manual for it and it doesn't help too much with just a head gasket. meaning, like what to remove to get to the head gasket considering i've never attempted to fix anything this big before.

i haven't brought the truck to a shop yet because i wanted to do it myself to save myself some money. i know for a fact its going to be atleast $700. my blazer also has other problems, the 4x4 isn't working too well. apparently the front motors to engage the front wheels are problematic. before anyone says its the vaccum lines, i checked. my vent system doesn't work, nor does my a/c. thats why i figure i get the jeep for $500 and just fix the head gasket/brakes and have a perfect running jeep for less then it would cost to fix the blazer

I would - but I'm on the wrong coast.

Don't like beer? Yeah - I've been told it's an "acquired" taste, and I just didn't "acquire" it. I don't mind beer overseas, but they Pasteurise it here, and that cooks all the decency right out of it. No, thanks.

I don't mind cooking with beer - I'm just not interested enough in beer over here to drink it on its own.

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