spctrbytz
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Abilene, TX
Just acquired a 2000 XJ project with 133K miles, PO said the transmission was bad. After cleaning the gear position sensor, the transmission is no longer bad.
However, Murphy wasn't done with me yet. After a few minutes, the power fell off and the temp gauge went up. I coaxed it back home and investigated.... exhaust coming out of my radiator cap.
It was suggested to me that I was the newest member of the 0331 club, which has been a going concern for a few years.
I peeked around under the hood and did a few hasty visual checks to identify the engine - noticing 2-piece exhaust and DIS spark, and ultimately decided to order a new head from Clearwater rather than mess around with changing over to one of the older style heads.
The new head is on the way so I figured on getting started. Once I got the intake manifold out of the way, I noticed a blob of plastic melted onto the head, apparently from the plastic shroud for the injector wiring. A screwdriver easily removed it. This is where it gets freaky... under the melted plastic was a casting number.... 7120.
Fasced with this new information, I checked the rail the holds the coil packs to see how that assembly was mounted.... it wasn't. The whole thing was just poked onto the spark plugs and was not mounted to anything.
At this point, I am sort of relieved - a 7120 swap is what I had originally intended to do. I decided against it to avoid having to source a different exhaust and the possibility of ticking off the ECU.
Looking this gift horse in the mouth, and with the intake and exhaust out of the way, I see that the casting number on the engine block also indicates a 1991-1995 model.
Upon removal of the head, I discover a crack in the #1 cylinder head, about an inch long and a millimeter wide. No surprise there, was a large amount of exhaust in the cooling system.
------
Now the decision: I understand that the 1999-up engines had a different cam grind to match the smaller exhaust ports of the 0331 head. If I go ahead and use the new 0331 head, will I be leaving a wad of torque on the table? I am assuming the cam in this engine is also 1991-1995 vintage.
I have a 7120 head available, should I stay with that type given the block and cam?
However, Murphy wasn't done with me yet. After a few minutes, the power fell off and the temp gauge went up. I coaxed it back home and investigated.... exhaust coming out of my radiator cap.
It was suggested to me that I was the newest member of the 0331 club, which has been a going concern for a few years.
I peeked around under the hood and did a few hasty visual checks to identify the engine - noticing 2-piece exhaust and DIS spark, and ultimately decided to order a new head from Clearwater rather than mess around with changing over to one of the older style heads.
The new head is on the way so I figured on getting started. Once I got the intake manifold out of the way, I noticed a blob of plastic melted onto the head, apparently from the plastic shroud for the injector wiring. A screwdriver easily removed it. This is where it gets freaky... under the melted plastic was a casting number.... 7120.
Fasced with this new information, I checked the rail the holds the coil packs to see how that assembly was mounted.... it wasn't. The whole thing was just poked onto the spark plugs and was not mounted to anything.
At this point, I am sort of relieved - a 7120 swap is what I had originally intended to do. I decided against it to avoid having to source a different exhaust and the possibility of ticking off the ECU.
Looking this gift horse in the mouth, and with the intake and exhaust out of the way, I see that the casting number on the engine block also indicates a 1991-1995 model.
Upon removal of the head, I discover a crack in the #1 cylinder head, about an inch long and a millimeter wide. No surprise there, was a large amount of exhaust in the cooling system.
------
Now the decision: I understand that the 1999-up engines had a different cam grind to match the smaller exhaust ports of the 0331 head. If I go ahead and use the new 0331 head, will I be leaving a wad of torque on the table? I am assuming the cam in this engine is also 1991-1995 vintage.
I have a 7120 head available, should I stay with that type given the block and cam?