Burning smell maybe?

So I finally got my 88 XJ 4.0L started on Thursday. it was sitting for around 8 months to a year the kid who had it before me blew the tranny and just let it sit.

Well I had to replace the plug wires, distributor cap, rotor, ignition coil and I also put in new 10-40 oil and a little over 5 gallons of 92 octane gas to help out the gas that was in there.

To also get it started I put in a oil squirt can some tranny fluid and squirted about 5-6 squirts of tranny fluid into each cylinder to give it a little lube to get going. And well after all of that it fired right up and is going good.

I also filled up the reservoir tank with new radiator fluid and power steering fluid.

The temp gauge goes up to the 210 mark and the mechanical fan kicks in and cools it back down I DO NOT HAVE AN E-FAN AS I DON'T HAVE A/C the oil pressure gauge is broken but the engine doesn't sound like a lawn mower so I have oil pressure. I don't see any leaks of any kind except for all of the tranny fluid on the underside due to the bad tranny.

Now when I start it and it sits for about... oh id say 10 minutes or so give or take a couple minutes the belt starts squealing (not 100% but kinda sure) it starts soft and gets louder as it runs to the 10 minute mark and I start to see smoke/steam whatever it is coming up from the drivers side of the valve cover gasket, now I'm not for sure if its coming from the valve cover itself, but it looks like to me that it comes from that point of the engine. And for what I've looked at (which I haven't looked much) I haven't noticed any burning or hoses.

It smells like a burning of rubber/plastic hell it might even be oil or tranny fluid but I can't pin point it myself and since I just bought it I really don't want to buy a new engine or something. The smoke isn't a thick smoke just transparent like in color.

Thanks for any help you can give to a first time Jeep owner!

You check the lines for the tranny cooler for leaks? I'm just thinking maybe the smell is just tranny fluid on the exhaust and/or belts.

Ok, you need to locate the source of the sound.

Three feet of vinyl tubing, 1/2" I.D. or less, stick one end in your ear and move the other end around the front of the engine to locate the source of sound--WARNING: contact between human flesh and/or clothing with moving engine parts leads to loud screaming, cussing, and possibly spilled blood.

An alternative is to remove the belt and turn all idlers and belt driven accessories by hand. Listen and feel for any roughness, check for wobbling of the pulleys, etc.

The sound I believe is coming from the idler pulley at the top, passenger side straight top in line with the spark plugs. I put my ear to the pulley and it was the loudest when I was just over the pulley itself.

I hear those pulleys go bad a lot so that's the first thing I'm thinking of right now.

I'd pull the belt and give that pulley a spin. I think the whole pulley is under $20 at the autoparts place. Or you can press out and replace just the bearing. It's a pretty common size (6203-2RS I think, but don't quote me on that)

I'm going down to the autozone to get myself a new pulley and serpentine belt as we speak.

Will update once I get it alll replaced

Ok maybe someone can please specify as to what the valve cover bolts should be torqued down to??

I was told 11 Ft lbs then my haynes manual says either 22 for some of the bolts 45 for the others and then 100 for bolt number 11.

What is the real torque that they should be set at?

And remember I have the felpro gasket which doesn't need and sealer just put it on and your done.

55 in lb

Thanks I actually just finished because my quartz lamp just blew the bulb but all I did was hand tighten them I will tighten them a little bit more tomorrow when I can see.

DSteveXJ said:

Ok maybe someone can please specify as to what the valve cover bolts should be torqued down to??

I was told 11 Ft lbs then my haynes manual says either 22 for some of the bolts 45 for the others and then 100 for bolt number 11.

You are quoting part of the head bolt torquing sequence.

What is the real torque that they should be set at?

And remember I have the felpro gasket which doesn't need and sealer just put it on and your done.

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Please, please, please destroy the Haynes manual--it is the SPAWN OF EVIL, full of deceitful lies/errors/omissions. The path to H*LL is lined with Haynes manuals.

You can purchase a LICENSED copy of the FSM for your 88 on CD for less than $37 dollars. The manual is in PDF format, can be copied to your hard drive, and you can print/search. Here: http://www.autobooksbishko.com/search.cgi?year=1988&make=Jeep&category=Shop+Manual You can also sometimes find the Bishko CDs from vendors on eBay a little cheaper when s/h is all figured up.

DSteveXJ said:

Thanks I actually just finished because my quartz lamp just blew the bulb but all I did was hand tighten them I will tighten them a little bit more tomorrow when I can see.

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High intensity bulbs will blow quite rapidly if you touch them with your bare fingers or get any oil contamination on them.

92jeepxjOR said:

55 in lb

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Correct, 55 inch lbs.

Sweet thanks ill have to get a copy of that for myself. Do they make it in book form also? I like books more and plus my computer is broken.

Wow I'm only 23 and I just made myself sound like I'm 60 haha

DSteveXJ said:

Sweet thanks ill have to get a copy of that for myself. Do they make it in book form also? I like books more and plus my computer is broken.

Wow I'm only 23 and I just made myself sound like I'm 60 haha

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Yep, they have the LICENSED manual reprints in book form, but they are going to run you quite a bit more. They are on the same link I posted earlier.

AAHHHHH. I can't for the life of me get the serpentine belt back on the XJ jesus christ this sucks I don't know and or can't relieve any tension just to get the belt on.

I've searched but I can't find anything pertaining to my XJ

You have to loosen up the PS pump bolts and then slack off the adjuster.

Belt tension needs to be 180-200 ft lbs on a new belt, or 140-160 ft lbs on any used (15 min of operation) belt.

Good luck.