Cracked Head?

I'm at my wits end. Bought an 01 Cherokee with 65k a little over a year ago that ran like new up until a couple a months ago. I was running on the interstate going about 80 when out of nowhere it overheated on me and shut down. After about a 65 mile tow(250 bucks!), I tore the top end off, took the head to a local machine shop, had it cleaned, inspected and had the warped surface planed. Put it all back together with new gaskets, headbolts, etc. Started right up but ran a little rough. I was in the process of relocating from Indiana to Arizona at the time so I gave up on it at this point and trailered it to Phoenix. Once there and got settled in, I scanned it and found P0302(cylinder #2 misfire). Took it to a recommended mechanic, he dagnosed the problem as having a bad seal or warped valve on #2. He thought the machine shop did not check the valves the 1st time the head was off. It made sense, so I had him once again tear the head off, check everything out again and redo the valves. About 900 bucks later everything seemed fine aside from it shutting off every now and then at idle at a stop light. Well, this weekend I was about an hour into a road trip, going up hill, overdrive kicked in, and so did the temp gauge. It ran all the way to the 250, stayed there for a few minutes then dropped down to 210. It immediately started running rough, I was in the middle of the desert so I kept going for another 5 miles before I pulled over at a gas station. I let it cool down for about 10 minutes, checked the fluids, radiator lost a little fluid but not a whole lot like the 1st time it overheated. I decided to cancel the road trip, take my chances and drive the jeep the hour back home. It ran rough, like I had no spark in one of the cylinders, at lower rpms, sucked alot of gas, bought I made it home alright. Went by autozone scanned it, and have a P0302 error again. I've already spent way too much to get it running like it was before without any luck and am going crazy. I'm working about 60+hrs a week so don't have time to tear into it myself. What do you guys think I should do? Should I take it back to this last mechanic, have him fix it for free and/or get my money back? I know these newer heads a proned to crack, should have taken you guy's advice and swapped out the head for and older one the first time. Thanks in advance for the advice.
Tom

If you don't have time to work on it yourself, your next best option is to take it back the last guy that worked on it and see if he will do a warranty repair. He might not cover it all, but it never hurts to ask.

well just swapping the head for and older one isn't a plug and play job, you would have to make an adapter for your current exhaust(since the ports are smaller on the newer heads) and also have to make a bracket for spark plug rail(cant remember what its really called). If im right Alabama Cylinder head made new castings that have been reinforce where they usually crack,http://www.quadratec.com/products/51108_102_07.htm. I should have swaped to the older head but i didnt even though it would have been easy for me since i eliminated the precats and put on a header when mine cracked.

don't mean to thread jack but I'm thinkin bout buying a 2000 xj classic with 136k miles, it is leaking coolant into the oil... just wondered if anyone has installed the Alabama Cylider head that xj01-08 mentioned, i was looking into getting one of them, they sound good to me?

Mbjeep91 said:

don't mean to thread jack but I'm thinkin bout buying a 2000 xj classic with 136k miles, it is leaking coolant into the oil... just wondered if anyone has installed the Alabama Cylider head that xj01-08 mentioned, i was looking into getting one of them, they sound good to me?

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dont know, but they only come with a 90 day limited warranty.