That is precisely what I have been wrestling with for most of 2017.
Or is it 
? My analysis paralysis is what's resulted in the CRD sitting all of last year.Obviously when I (foolishly) did the RMS the xfer case and transmission came out, and I used that opportunity to replace the torque converter and fluid pump on the transmission at the same time, and I considered just doing that again. The reasoning for me not to do it again this way is twofold:
1. I don't have a lift, and pulling the xfer case and transmission from underneath is really rough. I'd prefer not to pay someone to do this work a second time - but I've been seriously considering it
2. I feel fairly strongly that lacking any service history that the head gasket and timing belt should be done, and it's just so much easier to do that work on a stand than crammed into the engine bay
I resolved that it's more efficient to pull the engine out for head gasket & timing belt & oil leak, than pull the xfer case and transmission out and THEN dismantle half the engine for head gasket & timing belt. If it was *just* the leak, I'd almost certainly leave the engine in place. Again. (I hate saying that)
I do know that pulling the engine is gonna be no fun at all, but the Jeep has been sitting for about 13 months and if it takes me another two months to do this work it doesn't matter... I can move really slowly. We're heading into spring here in NorCal and the weather will be really nice. Putting a few hours in per weekend for a couple months will get the job done stress-free. So, as awful as the job itself is, I can take it easy. I've read the FSM procedure probably a dozen times over the last year and am feeling pretty well prepared for the work mentally. I just wanted to be sure I wasn't overlooking something & had all the right pieces before digging in. You know when you get into a good DIY groove having to put the brakes on to source a special tool or NLA part really, really sucks.
Still, I'm motivated to get this done... I have a fun engine swap to do (Saab 2.3 turbo into an '88 XR4Ti) and I promised myself I wouldn't take anything apart until the Jeep was done.
I *think* the hangup for me right now is exactly what I want to buy for the head. I'm really torn on whether or not to spend the extra an ARP hardware and whether or not to replace the valve train. It's a lot of money that I'd rather be spending on coilovers for the XR4Ti.
