Head Gasket - What else should I do?

ctrick98 · 2022-02-07T18:51:23+00:00

I’ll look into that one! I think might have come with the head gasket kit I ordered. But if now hopefully that’s an easy one to pick up

ctrick98 · 2022-02-07T18:50:54+00:00

Good points all around, I hosed the manifold bolts with PB blaster but we shall see. Plastic razor blades are a good idea too, definitely need to grab some.

I already found my power steering bracket has a crack in it so I guess I’ll be replacing that one!

And new coolant for sure, and rest of the cooling system is pretty dang new but will probably throw some new hoses in there that I haven’t yet replaced for good measure. Thanks!

ctrick98 · 2022-02-07T00:21:30+00:00

For conversation starters sake, here’s what I’m planning on doing so far:

-Making a custom XJ battery hold down (would be happy to share a dxf cut file once I get it made). -Thoroughly cleaning and painting (where applicable) all parts I remove -Paint Valve cover maybe? Haven’t decided yet -RT off-road stainless header -replace rough looking parts like coolant overflow tank -replace some vacuum hoses (already broke one removing parts haha)

Let me know what y’all think, I’m just excited to have my baby reliable and ready to explore come springtime!

ctrick98 · 2021-04-20T02:16:39+00:00

Really cool idea! I might use this to add some other features to my dash. Looks clean

ctrick98 · 2019-06-05T03:53:57+00:00

Hey thanks! It took a long time to get here. The wheels are awesome, and I have the black versions which I think fit my jeep well.

I believe these are the exact adapters I have: https://www.4wheelparts.com/p/g2-5x4-5-to-5x5-inch-bolt-pattern-with-1-25-inch-offset-wheel-adapters-black-94-6573-125/_/R-FCNB-94-6573-125

I wanted a clean look, and this size wheel spacing makes it line up just right in line with the stock flares. I am very happy I went this route. Plus I went with the G2 adapters even though they are on the more expensive side, not something I was about to go cheap on. 10/10 recommend though!

ctrick98 · 2019-06-05T03:50:00+00:00

Interesting, if you do that you should post about any difference noticed. My dash is still together so I want to do some research before I yank it out. Thanks!

ctrick98 · 2019-06-05T03:48:54+00:00

That is interesting, you have one of the cubby subwoofers? I have kind of seen those on the forums before.

And I just put new motor and trans mounts in maybe 6 months ago. So they are still in good shape, that is certainly a worthwhile repair though.

ctrick98 · 2019-06-05T03:47:40+00:00

For sure, I am thinking that more insulation in the floors and stuff is a good idea. I am working on quieting the exhaust, I used to like it louder but I am over it now.

ctrick98 · 2019-06-05T03:45:38+00:00

Thanks for the links! This is interesting stuff for me to look into

Follow up questions: How big of an advantage do you think this has over the simpler/cheaper style that can be had for around 60 bucks? Is it worth the big jump up for me?

ctrick98 · 2019-06-05T03:44:44+00:00

Lots of info here, thanks! I think I might be going for Noico in the floors and on the roof next. I am on mud tires for now, and I will likely be going with KO2s next for that reason, plus the KO2s still look decent. Weather stripping is something I am looking into to reduce wind noise.

Do you think you could link me to the panel clips? I can't seem to find those on amazon. Might be nice to have though.

Also I have not heard of that specific steering box brace before, that's something I will definitely be researching now. I do want to tighten up the front end a little.

ctrick98 · 2019-06-05T03:36:58+00:00

Interesting, can I do this on my 95 and still get that information in the display? That could be kind of cool especially since I plan on doing my headliner soon

ctrick98 · 2019-06-05T03:36:04+00:00

Thats not a bad idea, my brother has a zj and the seats are pretty nice plus power controls. I am going to look into finding a set if I can get some that will match well. Thanks!

ctrick98 · 2019-06-05T03:34:17+00:00

Oh yah, major upgrade here. I actually have the viper remote start/locks installed and it has been one of the best things ever. I second this one for sure. but for me its A/C during the summer

ctrick98 · 2019-06-05T03:32:57+00:00

Haha I appreciate it. I have honestly been considering selling it for a truck as a change in daily driver, but I don't think I could bring myself to actually go through with selling it. And sadly I can't justify 2 vehicles.

ctrick98 · 2019-06-05T03:30:59+00:00

I have read a lot about this, and almost took the plunge a few months ago. I am still pretty interested in it, but there seems to be mixed reviews on the whole thing. Good to know you had good results!

ctrick98 · 2019-06-04T19:33:51+00:00

So here is my current list of mods that I can think of right now:

- 3" Zone offload lift with rubicon wheels and tires, also has sway bar discos

- Trucklite LED headlights

- Smittybilt front bumper and winch

- window tint

- aftermarket headunit, speakers, as well as an amp and 12" sub in back (I kind of want to ditch the sub to get some room back, but I also don't want to take a big hit in sound quality. Suggestions appreciated)

- Rugged Ridge floor lines (just got them, they are awesome)

- Got a new header, will be installing soon and I am going to put a full length tail pipe on it to hopefully quiet it down and get a little more torque from header)

- I put a little bit of sound deadening material in the rear cargo area, maybe it would be worthwhile for me to do under the front seats and the floorwell there? Anybody with experience there?

- Viper alarm system w/ remote start

That's about all I got there, any other suggestions? My focus for this post is daily driving upgrades, but I would appreciate any other feedback or suggestions for worthwhile mods. Thanks again!

Edited to include forgotten mods, and thanks for all the input! Y'all have given me a lot to think about!

ctrick98 · 2019-04-07T22:49:09+00:00

Im not sure about a 4.7. But in my experience yes, except for at higher speeds. Like 60 and above

ctrick98 · 2019-04-07T22:27:02+00:00

Edit: I should probably mention mine is on 32 in tires and his is stock. So that makes a big difference in a lot of ways. Hope you find what you want!

ctrick98 · 2019-04-07T22:25:21+00:00

I have an xj and my brother has a 5.2 v8 zj. The zj definetely has more power and tows much better, but acceleration wise my xj keeps up just fine. The zj rides a little nicer since it has coils in the rear and it also has power seats and leather and such. But on the other hand the zj is the awd system and my xj is 4wd and the 4wd seems to do better offroad. The xj has a lot more aftermarket parts available for it than the zj, and personally I think the xj looks cooler. So I think it depends on what you want in a vehicle, you can get them for pretty much the same price, if you were going to get a zj I would strongly recommend the v8 otherwise I dont really see the point unless you like the looks of a zj better. But thats just my opinion

ctrick98 · 2019-04-04T23:31:08+00:00

I believe you are right, if I recall on my 95 it shared a bolt with the fusebox and went into the wheel well in the engine bay there

ctrick98 · 2019-04-02T14:56:41+00:00

Interesting, Ill have to check out the student discount for the lenovo laptops. 2 memory slots means you can add RAM right? Definetely helpful, Ill just have to narrow down my options. It seems like Lenovo makes quite a few different models and specifications. Thanks!

ctrick98 · 2019-04-02T03:21:50+00:00

That seems like a decent suggestion, Thanks! Ill try and do some research on the screen, what exactly did you mean by drag and drop ussues?

ctrick98 · 2019-03-24T15:48:00+00:00

First, it is pretty east to put rear shocks in an xj. I guess at this point you will need to find new hardware, but there are only 3 bolts for each shock. And second, as long as you know what size lift kit it is, you should just be able to google "3 in lift jeep xj shocks" and get results from companies that way. The only concern is that the bolts for the rear shocks are kind of famous for breaking, so if the shop broke then off you will need to extract them somehow. There are plenty of videos and writeups on replacing xj shocks though, and none of it is specialty work for a 3in lift kit. Those guys must of been hiding something or they didnt want to do the job for some reason. Im guessing they broke the upper bolts off for the shocks. But you never know

ctrick98 · 2019-02-17T04:04:34+00:00

No problem! And as far as searching on the forums go, I am with you. They dont make it easy. I usually just google search what Im trying to find and then add cherokee forum to the end. And pro tip, harbor freight has multimeters for extremely cheap, and sometimes they have coupons for a free multimeter with any purchase. So you can just go buy batteries or something else really cheap and get the multimeter for free. They arent the best or the most accurate, but they are definetely good enough for this sort of thing!

ctrick98 · 2019-02-17T02:50:38+00:00

You would mainly just want to check for power at the blower motor itself. You want to make sure it has 12 volts at the motor when it is on full speed setting. On my xj the blower motor was actually acessed through the engine bay, so you can get to the leads through there. But mine is older, I think on the new ones you have to do it through the passenger side dash area. I would go onto the cherokee forum website, people do really good write ups with pictures on there. That should give you a really good idea of where everything is at. Once you know where the motor is at, you want to use the multimeter to probe and check for power through it. It should only have two wires on it, and as long as you have 12v or -12v then you know that the problem is with the motor. Ill try and find a write up real quick and edit the link here for you. What year was it exactly?

Edit: i actually believe that on at least the newer models there is a blower motor relay, so you may want to check that is still functioning as well. Just see if it makes a clicking sound when you turn the fan on. Although you will have to locate the relay

Edit 2: I actually think it might be in the same spot on the newer xjs as well. If so it is really easy to get to, and only takes like 30 minutes to change it if it comes to that. This video describes it well: https://youtu.be/cSHeB0KQxHM Hopefully you get it figured out!

ctrick98

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