1989 Cherokee Laredo 4.0 L

[limbmkr]

1075482

First of all, My girlfriend had that 1989 cherokee 4.0 EFI, rolled over couple years ago and only thing damaged is the front windshield and drivers side front side panel dented. Her Grandpa fixed it up to where she can get back home (9 hr away) WS replaced and umm I dont know what else he did. So then Couple months later, Transfer case Blew out! Chain hanging out of Transfer Case.. Me and my friend drove all the way down there 10 hours drive to pick it up and bring it home. I ended up blew 900 bucks on Rebuilt transfercase. It runs very well! *SMILE* Actually I got em for nothing!! Her step Dad want to toss em into Junk yard and I told him, I d take it. Hell of a deal huh?

Now It has been on going for awhile, Whenever I turn steer wheel both ways, It would wobble? You think tie rod or something got bented out of shape after rolled over into ditch from Ice on Interstate? It s still driveable to where It doesnt wobble going straight but to make a U turn type of turn it wobbles, you can feel while sitting and also can feel on steer wheel... Want to get feed back and I will be working on it all summer and want to get it back on the road without worrying for this Fall/winter Hunting season, Whenever I pull my boat, Water Temp rose to about half way I say around 200's (260 to 280 in red zone) it has not gone to the red zone yet but when I was pulling fishing boat It roses about to 200 so is it something to worry about? I plan on flushing them and put new coolants in and gonna replace temp sending unit and Themostat. One thing about this radiator it doesnt have cap on it? how do you fill those radiator with coolants? Fill em til it almost full then put the hoses on? Yes I saw that posting about When AC is turned on, electric fan constantly runs.. That jeep have two fans.. One is run by engine and the other is a Electric fan, Is that normal?

Also It takes about 5 to 10 seconds to fire that sucker up during warm weather but in winter time it start it up right away!! RUNS GREAT AFTER STARTING UP!!! Everything runs great Idles very nice and smooth.. Power lock/unlock & Power windows Anyone know what to do and what to inspect. None of them 4 door powered window and locking/unlocking works at all.

It also leaks oil.. Gonna replace head gasket to where I can see the black oil sitting around the head gasket. Had original engine on it with 180,000 miles on it. mostly Hwy miles.

Big summer projects to be work on before Fall/Winter. & if everything goes well, gonna put 3 inch lift kit on it and heavy duty mud tires.

Sorry for this Long long Post and I m new with Jeep, Also am glad to own an Jeep as I always wanted to, and I appreciated to whoever reply back.

Thanks! *SMILE* :-D [addsig]

 

[MudderChuck]

1075493

When my wife rolled her 87 Cherokee, it bent a whole lot of front end parts. At least, once a year, I jack up the front end and have a buddy turn the steering wheel, an inch to the left and right about 50 times and inspect all the ball joints, with a flashlight (look close). Doesn´t take much play to cause problems. While you got it, off the ground, grab a wheel top and bottom and give it a little tug (top and bottom), you can feel if the wheel bearings are worn or loose. Also rotate the tire with by hand and with the steering wheel turned a little (quarter of a turn) and look real close at the outer front axle U-joints, any play at all, by the little rubber seal and the bearing cap usually means it´s time for a change.
The temp. gauge in the Jeep is usually inaccurate. About 200 (192 F.) is normal and usually where the motor runs the best. The electric fan is supposed to come on, to help out a little, when the air conditioner is on or the temp gets above about 200. You fill the radiator by the resivoir in the upper right hand corner of the engine compartment (as your sitting in the drivers seat, upper right hand corner). Half full (cold) is usually enough. If you flush and refill, air usually gets caught in the system somewhere and can cause overheating. Parking on a steep hill and reving it up a few times (when hot) or squeezing the top radiator hose will help move the air around. The stock (replacement) thermostat has a little ball check valve, to help the air out of the system some. Some after market thermostrats don´t have this little valve. Also make sure you get a stock Jeep thermostat, as they are a little shorter, regular thermostats can be crushed by the housing when installed in certain positions.
Most of the pre 91 Cherokees, I´ve seen, require a little extra cranking to get them started (5-6 cranks) seems to be the nature of the beast.
All of your power door locks and windows being out at once, sounds like a plug came loose somewhere, maybe behind the drivers control panel. Could be a fuse or a circuit breaker down by the fuse block, but I believe the locks and windows are two different circuits, so it´s probably a plug.
I´ve rarley seen a leaky head gasket on the 4 liter. the oil is usually from the filler cap or the other hoses on top and runs down the valve cover or sometimes the valve cover gasket.
Good luck with the project.
[addsig]

 

[XJNick]

1075605

To fill the cooling system, I always dissconnect the top radiator hose, pour as much coolant as possible in, then top the system off using the overflow bottle. It takes hours to fill otherwise. Also, be sure you run the heater when refilling the system, otherwise you'll get a lot of air stuck in there.

Yes its normal for the Jeep to have a mechanical and an electrical fan. Like mudderchuck said, that fan is supposed to kick on when the coolant temp. gets over a certain point, but mine never has.

-Nick[addsig]

 

[limbmkr]

1075697

Yeah yeah Sorry for misunderstanding, Valve cover yes thats where Oil is leaking at and not head gasket!!!

BIG THANKS!!

Cya around cuz I will be back searching for some answsers and asking questions also..

Brian[addsig]

 

[Tug-n-pull]

1075699

Welcome Brian and glad to hear you are going to be around. New faces and voices are a so welcome thnin here. Tug[addsig]

 

[limbmkr]

I am so lost here now........

Thank Tug-n-pull. and everyone too!!

 

[Cherokee_MZ]

doors

could be the anti sway bars

 

[limbmkr]

Howdy!.

You re right Mudderchuck!! Ha I have to admit, I did not read the post carefully!! Like you said Buy a Jeep stock Thermostat. Actually i bought two of em from NAPA and Had a hell of a time with it temp gets too hot alittle over 210!! and once went close to redzone. Today I went to Jeep Dealer.. Bought me thermostat For Jeep kind (mopar parts with Little hole/ metal BB's) Installed it and I decided to beef up the radiator too. The old radiator was measured 7/8th of an inch thick, and Pulling a boat it s gets too hot Then I decided to buy 1 1/2" thick Radiator and Installed it tonight and mopar Thermostat installed Guess it ran WELL! I drove 30 miles and Temp stays the same (below 210) and yes It goes down quite a bit when Thermostat kicks in!!

TOMORROW!! I m gonna hook the boat up and take em on a spin 9 miles full of Hills and see how it goes Pray to god It will go well!! *SMILE* New Distrubor, Rotator, Spark plugs. Spark wires, All isntalled and runs good!! Gasket for Valve cover sealed the oil leak really good!!

Now My next project is work on the tie rods and joints and all that It started to clunk on the floor where I can feel it On drivers side so I assume something may have damaged when My girlfriend rolled it over!! If something has to replace gonna replace both of em so both side rides the same.. I know Both front wheel have new shocks! Will do that next week. Gonna take em to Jeep dealer and have them check out and find out what is causing clunking then will tell them I will come back and have you fix it cuz I m broke (shhhhhh) but Will fix it myself! heh heh They are pro's so they can find problem for me and I ll fix it!

Sorry Mudderchuck for not reading you right but I will be sure next time! *SMILE*

Take care and will be around.. I did learn alot from this wonderful board and Looking forward being a Professional Mechanic *L* yeah right!! *L* maybe rookie Professional Mechanic!! :roll: