Im about to take my Cherokee behind the barn and shoot it

Well I've always wanted a Cherokee (I've had about everything else, 70s chevys, TJ, ZJ, CJ, FS Cherokee, Scout, Sami........) and I was telling the guys at work to keep their eyes open for a good deal. One of my partners said I got a deal for you, "I have a 4dr 4 wd V6 '86 sitting my driveway you can have, I havent driven it in 3yrs but its non-oped"

So on my day off I head over to his house, when I get there its idleing in the drive way.
The 86 with a V6, is actually an 87 with a 4.0 and a D44 :thumbup:

So I say thanks and pull out of the drive way with my wife close behind in the Suburban. As I try to accelerate it coughs and sputters, and the only way to keep it moving is to rapidly pump the gas pedal. ( top speed maybe 25) I go around the block and pull back into his driveway (BARELY)

Next days off I head over with a flat bed, and try to start it to pull it on the trailer and no go. I put a little gas in the TB and it fires and runs untill gas is gone.(looks like there is dirt in the TB caked on) So I bring my TJ over and winch it on the trailer.

I get it into my shop, drain the tank, replace fuel filter, put fresh gas in and try to turn it over. It tries to start and almost gets there, and no go. It has started up a couple times, barely running, and as soon as I touch the skinny pedal it dies.

I've searched all over the place and havent been able to find these symptoms.

So Im about to dig a hole behind the barn and shoot it.

Does anyone have any ideas, I dont want to throw a bunch of parts at it as its Christmas and there are a bunch of cool toys I want, I mean my kids want.

Any help would be great.
Thanks
-Steve

Shoot it? No, how dare you

Could be a crank sensor or throttle position sensor. Just a few "might-be's."

Don't shoot it.

Blaine thanks for the ideas, if you folks keep throwing helpful ideas at me i wont shoot it.

On a side note my 5yo son just walked up and looked at the screen, saw the smileys, and is now walking around the house doing this :doh: .

-Steve

Could also be that the 3 year old gas hosed up the injectors, pull em and clean em or have them cleaned or pick up a new set from fiveomotorsports. They carry pulls but come with full warranty. Seriously, after 3 years of sitting I bet your buddy about turned himself inside out getting that XJ to run the first time when you came over. I can almost picture it in my mind the first time he got it running and the 'Holy $hit' that MUST have passed thru his lips....
Might even want to blow the fuel lines out with air or run some cleaner thru them. Also look at the vac hoses, 86, 21 years old.

RichP said:

Could also be that the 3 year old gas hosed up the injectors, pull em and clean em or have them cleaned or pick up a new set from fiveomotorsports. They carry pulls but come with full warranty. Seriously, after 3 years of sitting I bet your buddy about turned himself inside out getting that XJ to run the first time when you came over. I can almost picture it in my mind the first time he got it running and the 'Holy $hit' that MUST have passed thru his lips....
Might even want to blow the fuel lines out with air or run some cleaner thru them. Also look at the vac hoses, 86, 21 years old.

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If you think thats good, you should have seen his wifes face drop when I pulled back into the driveway, If I could read minds Im sure it was a bunch of 4 letter words.:smsoap:

-Steve

The 44 is about the only thing keeping it from the firing squad.

-Steve

a free Xj and you wanna shoot it????
I am trying to pay for a D44 around here.

Sounds like your CPS, only cuz thats exactly what was happening to mine a few years ago.

Ok, I never said anything about shooting the d44. Just everything else, not to mention the gun fire would scare the horses, wife would get mad, not good.

-Steve

beakie said:

a free Xj and you wanna shoot it????
I am trying to pay for a D44 around here.

Sounds like your CPS, only cuz thats exactly what was happening to mine a few years ago.

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It sounds to me like you need to drop and drain the tank and have it cleaned and replace the fuel pump.....or at least replace the pump if you don't have the tank cleaned.

How low was the gas? It could have alot of gunk stuck on the sock.

I would ask how low the gas is too. You might need to put in half a tank. Everything everyone is saying makes sense. Have you checked rotor, cap, plugs and air filter (tune up)? That's a good deal, free. I'll take the D44 too.

I didnt even think about the sock, it was pretty low.
And if I decide to shoot I will give one of you guys the 44.
-Steve

Jess said:

How low was the gas? It could have alot of gunk stuck on the sock.

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I'll take your 44 Magnum.

new sock and fuel pump would be on my list with the way the XJ's mount them, along with 10 gallons of gas. Don't know about the sock and pump on your year, but the other stuff I would have to guess is under $30 (plugs, wire, rotor, cap). Where was I when this guy was giving this away? I just paid a mint for an XJ with under 50K miles that needs at the least a new crank sensor.

First pull the throttle body off and clean everything up. Get the IAC clean. Change the plugs! Change the oil cause I'm sure there is alot of wash down from you and the PO cranking it to death. Make sure you have good spark! Put some fuel stablizer in the tank with some fresh gas. Get a can of eather and shoot it a couple times when you try to start it.

A quality (Delphi) fuel pump/sock set me back about $125, from a parts DC I found here in town.

X 2 On the pump.

EGR may be toast. Pull the vac hose from it and try to get it started (but I am betting bad gas, like everybody else).

quit trying to get it running, and go buy a case of brake cleaner and some shop towels. start cleaning, cleaning, cleaning and cleaning.

take the throttle body off and clean it until it sparkles, test the sensors, do a tune-up, etc..etc..etc..

you can also try running it off of a can of brake cleaner directly in the throttle body. if you can run it good and steady and rev it up while increasing/decreasing the spray of brake cleaner and it works fine, then you know it's a fuel issue.

BE CAREFULL AND HAVE A FIRE EXTINQUISHER NEARBY. ALSO WEAR GOOD EYE PROTECTION AND ATTEMPT AT YOUR OWN RISK.

also check all the wiring and relay connections on the passenger side wheel well. i was wheeling with a renix age XJ once that nobody could get running. after unplugging all the wire and relays and plugging them back in, it ran fine the rest of the day.

Try the seafoam trick... or sell it to me cheap.

Test fuel pressure. That is where I'd start.