Sell, rebuild or replace?

I've been struggling with the 90 XJ 4.0 Ltd I bought a while ago with almost 200,000 on it. Got it checked out by the local stealer, who gave it a clean bill of health. Almost $2000 later, I got it to pass it's emissions check (and fixed a few other things including rear main seal, cracked manifold, water pump, 02 sensor, injectors, all the HT wiring and vacuum pipes, track rod and more). But it's still doing ~10mpg, has low oil pressure which I've sort of managed to "fix" by running 20/50w, and has developed a significant knock which I'm pretty sure is the big ends (fairly loud at idle, quietens down under load). Last thing I just discovered is that cylinder one is running at about 80psi, whilst the others are between 110 and 130.

Whilst I'm quite enjoying the wrenching, I'm getring fed up throwing money at it, and I consider myself to have three options: -
1) Cut my losses and sell it for peanuts with the remaining problems.
2) Replace the big ends, mains, fuel pump from below, and at the same time replace the rings (assuming there is a small enough ridge to get them out without going beyond my comfort factor) and also throw on an exchange cylinder head. I'm comfortable doing this myself, and recon onit costing about $500 all in.
3) Replace the engine. I'm not comfortable with doing this, and think the cost to get my local independant garage to do it for me would be about $2500 all in. Of course, the vehicle would be worth more with a new engine in it....

Advice needed please - and as soon as possible, cos if I'm going to go with (2) ... which I'm leaning towards this will be done during my two week break at Christmas.

If the rest of the XJ is in good shape how about locating a donor engine. Pulling the 4.0 is pretty much an easy weekend job.

chris

you already have 2k invested in it,unless you can recover that money I'd be going with #2 and you'll have a decent vehicle when done, providing the body's not shot.

The body is in good condition, except for the usual Jeep paint issues. Is pulling the engine really a weekend job? ... I'm sure it is for you real experts, but ......

Are there any really good write ups on pulling the engine? Any special tools I'd need other than a hoist? I must admit that if I could do it myself then replacing the engine would sidestep any problems such as knackered cylinder bores, cam/follower problems etc....

Thanks guys!

I did mine in one weekend. Friday night everything got disconnected and labled. Bolts were loosened. Saturday I took everything apart. That included the radiator and grill. Sunday I put everything back in and had it fired up that evening. The hardest most frustrating part was the most ridiculous bolts found on the top of the bellhousing.

Removing the radiator, front nose and draining fluids helps out quite a bit. It can be done. Just pay attention to the little things and it should go well for you. Plenty of people here have done quite a bit on their XJs and have a wealth of info.

Good luck

chris

Hi Graham:

I just recently bought a '91 Cherokee for $800 and put in a reman. 4.0L motor, new oil pump, all new clutch components, refaced flywheel, new 3-row radiator, new fuel injectors, new solid-core spiral spark plug wires, new O2 sensor, serpentine belt, hoses, thermostat, fluids, etc., etc.

Total cost for everything, including the initial purchase price, is less than $3500, and it's running beautifully. Oil pressure is over 60 lbs, compression is 160 in all cylinders.

Look at: http://rebuilt-auto-engines.com/ That's where I got my motor, and they are highly recommended. Motor was $1200 and came with a long, impressive list of new parts and machine work.

It took me more than a weekend to swap it out, but I could probably do it in a weekend now that I've done one already. If you are thinking of doing it, start on Friday afternoon and have a friend to help and run for parts. You can do it in a weekend with that kind of help.

So ... I guess what I'm trying to say is that it was a lot of work, but now I'm happy with it, and I'm able to focus on cool little projects like swapping out the idiot lights for gauges, things like that.

The paint will take a shine when you wax it, but it's getting tired. Next trip to Mexico, we'll get a top-notch Dupont Imron paint job for about $700, and the jeep will be awesome.

If you feel your jeep has potential, stick with it and you'll be happy you did.

-Robert

I agree with the guys here. You are into your XJ for so much already, why not keep going. If there isn't anything else major mechanically wrong (Tranny, t-case, axles, etc) then a new motor would probably do the trick for you.

You should be able to buy a 90-95 for $2500 or so (unless your area is expensive)..

Thanks all for all the advice.

Hmmm... the rebuilt-auto-engines site looks interesting, especially as I could get a cylinder head from them for under $200. I may well give them a ring and see if they would sell me a cylinder head and then possibly a short block if it turns out I need it when I open the engine up....

Does anyone have any other recommendations for good sources of rebuild engines - I'd like to explore my options before dropping a large wad of cash....

Graham, I replaced the engine in my 88 XJ two winters ago with a reman from the afore mentioned company. It was my first engine replacement, and my previous automotive experience was doing nothing more complex than changing pads, adjusting and bleeding a brake system. And, I performed the feat solo in a small, unheated unit storage space that barely had enough room to get the Jeep inside. All this is meant to let you know that you can perform the engine replacement during your two week Christmas break.

That being said, here are some items to consider. To minimize time impacts, you should plan on what parts you will need/want to replace at the same time you replace your engine (such as motor mounts, drive belts, fuel rail connectors) and acquire them ahead of time. The reman engine comes with a gasket set with all the required seals for your engine you will need, but there may be other options (like the rubber valve and oil pan gaskets from later XJs, rather the supplied cork gaskets) that you may want to substitute. You may need to purcahse a couple of specialty tools, if they are not available to you, such as a wheel/pully puller, a torx socket to deal with the top bell housing bolts previously mentioned, etc. There will be some time invested in cleaning parts, like your oil pan, for reuse. How much will depend on how meticulous you want to get. I ended up cleaning all the attachements since there is no better time to do it when the engine is out, and oil had pretty much been thrown about the engine compartment. I even retrofitted the A/C to CFC free refrigerant (in hind sight, probably a mistake). The forum was invaluable to me in completing the project.

For the actual engine swap and replacement parts, I think I spent in the neighborhood $1600-1700. This includes the core charge ($200) for the old engine that I have swallowed up to this point, as I kept the engine for a possible rebuild project in the future. Warning: engine replacement is a very satisfiying experience upon completion, but may cause unnatural bonding to your XJ. It may also become addicting, as I ended up replacing the engine in a front whhel drive car this past spring. Good luck with which ever route you choose.