Think I may have a head gasket problem...

I hate when my gut is correct. Regardless, I'd still perform the leak down test.

Considering you know that the donor engine is good, I'd replace the rear main seal, reseal the oil pan, change the cooling hoses and O ring for the external cooler, valve cover gaskets, etc.

Think of it as a learning experience. A somewhat costly one in time and in the wallet.
 
Shouldn't be more than a couple hundred bucks in parts but it will definitely be a ton of time.

OH well

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I need to look at that folder of maintenance records and see what was all done recently on that engine.

Also, I'm not even going to bother with the blue devil crap. Might as well do it right and just get the job done.

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That blows, I think if the head was cracked it wouldn't have lasted 20,000K & it doesn't sound like any bearings were warped when it was overheated either. You would have had some serious tapping going on. The motor sounds salvageable to me. Throw in the donor motor & rebuild the old one at your leisure so you'll have a backup ready. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
 
Last edited:
Scramble said:
That blows, I think if the head was cracked it wouldn't have lasted 20,000K & it doesn't sound like any bearings were warped when it was overheated either. You would have had some serious tapping going on. The motor sounds salvageable to me. Throw in the doaner motor & rebuild the old one at your leisure so you'll have a backup ready. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
Click to expand...

I think that's a solid plan.

The donor motor should come out relatively quickly. A buddy at work is going to help me pull it on Saturday. I have a engine hoist but a friend is borrowing it right now.

We do have cranes at work that I could use (where the donor truck is now). I'm thinking when its time to pull it (with the hood removed), I'll use a crane to lift it out.

What I do need help with at this point is where to attach the chains to. I know there is one hook bracket thingy on the drivers side but where do you attach it to on the passenger side. I saw a picture of a threaded hole being used at the bottom of the motor, can anyone confirm this and what size bolt is needed?

Thoughts?

P.S. I'll be making a new thread to document this latest "adventure" with my 4R....
 
I watched it and Tim didn't say the bolt size in the video but at least I know where they attached a chain too. I'll see if I can find the location and if I have a bolt to use.

A buddy at work is going to help me on Saturday pull the motor on my donor truck. Hopefully it all goes well and doesn't take too long, it shouldn't since the tranny is already out.
 
thegipper said:
I watched it and Tim didn't say the bolt size in the video but at least I know where they attached a chain too. I'll see if I can find the location and if I have a bolt to use.

A buddy at work is going to help me on Saturday pull the motor on my donor truck. Hopefully it all goes well and doesn't take too long, it shouldn't since the tranny is already out.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure it was an M8 bolt with a 1.25 pitch. Watch out that the chain doesn't crunch into the throttle body. Maybe take off the throttle body to protect it.
 
mtbtim said:
I'm pretty sure it was an M8 bolt with a 1.25 pitch. Watch out that the chain doesn't crunch into the throttle body. Maybe take off the throttle body to protect it.
Click to expand...
I'll check tomorrow and make sure I have a bolt for it.

Thanks for the help Tim.

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Forgive me for asking but what makes you so convinced the HG has failed? I would think if the compression test and leak down tests show otherwise then the HG is not the problem.
 
This morning on a cold start it was running rough again. This time it was billowing white smoke out of the exhaust that smelt and tasted like coolant.

What's weird is I did the dye test again and it still doesn't turn yellow. I think the dye tests are essentially worthless unless you have a massive HG leak.

I'll probably do the leak down test just for grins but why else would it be billowing white sweet smoke out of the exhaust and running rough on a cold start?

It sucks but I've accepted it...
 
This sounds like what I was dealing with a month ago but it was a 2000 Cherokee. I had the same issues even the random rough cold start ups. I had no obvious signs of HG issues.

Have you tried peeking into the reservoir while the vehicle is running and see if it bubbles? Mine would bubble every 3-5 seconds and I knew I had exhaust leaking into the coolant and vice versa. It explained my coolant loss. I received a tip to remove radiator cap, tie a rubber or latex glove over the radiator cap neck, and run it. See if the glove starts to fill up with exhaust fumes.
 
I'd bet a hundred bucks that your head is cracked. It's actually a common problem with these engines when they are overheated. The area in the center cracks between the spark plug and the valve, there's not much material there to withstand the heat. That allows coolant to leak into the combustion chamber. I know because I had this issue... :)

A leakdown test will tell for sure, but I would swap engines and be done with it.
 
I can say with 100% certainty that my head gasket is blown on #3. I finally got time to do the leak down test and before I could even bring the pressure all the way up, bubbles starting blowing out of the radiator.

Don't waste your time with a dye test, just do a leak down test.

Lesson learned. Looks like my motor swap is a go (already started).

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Nothing beats the leak down test to really gauge the health of one's engine. The only drawback is having to own a compressor to provide air.

I now only use my compression tester on 2 cycle engines.
 
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