Engine replacement yes/no

Boomerang · **Joined:** Tue Jul 26, 2011 7:46 pm **Posts:** 184

dieselenthusiast wrote:

Boomerang wrote:

My heads are being replaced and the vavle system rebuilt. $3k
47k on the mileage.

What year is your KJ? What brand and weight of motor oil were you using?

2006 Limited / 3.7L
I had used some quality standard oil (Castrol GTX, Penzoil, half synthetics as well from them), but I also use Amsoil and Royal Purple full synthetic, all have been 5W-30

I've taken good care of it since i got it about 10k miles ago

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Wed Aug 29, 2012 5:53 pm

Boomerang, did the mechanic say what caused your problem? Was it under warranty?

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Wed Aug 29, 2012 5:57 pm

MALiberty, any updates?

Boomerang · **Joined:** Tue Jul 26, 2011 7:46 pm **Posts:** 184

dieselenthusiast wrote:

Boomerang, did the mechanic say what caused your problem? Was it under warranty?

I had to authorize the $3k engine teardown and the warranty "adjuster" stops by the ensure no one is lying aboput what needs to be done and decide if they will cover it. The adjuster has not yet shown up and my Jeeps been apart for a week. Still waiting to hear.

The mechanic said the problem was exactly what i thought it was - valves going bad and not closing fully. There was a Service Bulletin by Jeep put out on this known KJ problem a long time ago. I'll let you know when I find anything out...

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Wed Aug 29, 2012 9:25 pm

Thanks for the information Boomerang. Keep us posted.

MALiberty · **Posted:** Thu Aug 30, 2012 11:48 am

dieselenthusiast wrote:

MALiberty, any updates?

Good timing to ask... as of last nights communication from my guy rebuilding the motor...

"I haven't had any good news...lets see the machine shops RH cylinder head to replace your damaged one turned out to be wrong so Paul at the machine shop had the local junk yard tear down a 3.7 to buy a RH head that he would recondition and he said that one was worse than yours! So.... after visits to machine shop Tuesday night and this noon time and a few choice words on the time it's taking. I ordered a reconditioned head out of Florida that will be shipped out of NY warehouse and as of 5pm today the block, LH cylinder head, Crank and used piston are ready to go. We will start assembling tomorrow night, but with the machine shop delays and Labor day weekend coming up and I don't think we will see RH cylinder head till Tuesday. We are looking at another week I'm sorry to say. if you have any questions or can't follow my rambling feel free to give me a call."

Thanks

So, the good news is that my daughter whose jeep this is goes back to college Sunday in Boston and won't need the jeep until coming home....

More to follow.....

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sat Sep 22, 2012 12:44 pm

Here's some interesting data that I took on the 3.7L. There's no doubt that our engine runs warm, especially when loaded down with armor, etc. This might also explain why jeep didn’t run the trany cooling system through the radiator.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=71734&p=753778#p753778

MALiberty · **Posted:** Mon Sep 24, 2012 9:09 am

So to update everyone following the thread... I got a call from the guy working on the Liberty and it will be ready this week. It is/was back together after a 10 business day wait for a used oil pan (old one rusted and used was $50 vs $100 new). One guy drove it home 25 miles each way with the scanner hooked up and everything ran fine.... they noticed two things back at the shop... the transmission oil pan was rusty and a bit dented from having a jack under it during engine r/r and it was rusty... $35 new pan all set.... then as I had recalled they spotted a radiator leak so in the spirit of doing it right we're changing out the radiator ($174 minus $50 coupon at Advance Autoparts). That's going in today/tonight and I can pick her up this week.

Damage with everything, $2,923...... parts, labor etc...

I will update again when we pick her up...

MALiberty · **Posted:** Tue Sep 25, 2012 3:08 pm

So the radiator went in fine... one guy took it home to put some more miles on it and it was misfiring... gonna put the scanner on it tonight..... what a process :evil:

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Tue Sep 25, 2012 3:21 pm

MALiberty wrote:

one guy took it home to put some more miles on it and it was misfiring... gonna put the scanner on it tonight..... what a process :evil:

Sorry to hear the news. This is exactly why we own three vehicles. If one goes down, then it's no big deal because we have two backup vehicles. We only need one vehicle to get to work since my wife and I have always worked at the same job location. We pay them off and keep them. Yes, I'm a redneck..... :mrgreen:

MALiberty · **Posted:** Tue Sep 25, 2012 3:52 pm

MALiberty wrote:

So the radiator went in fine... one guy took it home to put some more miles on it and it was misfiring... gonna put the scanner on it tonight..... what a process :evil:

I agree... multiple vehicles... good practice.... I have three jeeps now.... the 2002 Liberty being worked on (my daughters vehicle), the 2000 Cherokee Limited I just picked up and the 2012 Liberty

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Tue Sep 25, 2012 4:04 pm

MALiberty wrote:

I agree... multiple vehicles... good practice.... I have three jeeps now.... the 2002 Liberty being worked on (my daughters vehicle), the 2000 Cherokee Limited I just picked up and the 2012 Liberty.

That's a nice lineup.

MALiberty · **Posted:** Thu Sep 27, 2012 9:52 am

To update all who have been following along.... the Liberty was ready earlier this week but after 50 miles it coded... lol... a misfire in #2 cyl..... *hit.... that's the cyl we repaired... turns out a bad plug... phew.. . Picked up the vehicle last night and it runs better than ever.... all-in-all I am very satisfied and my daughter is psyched to get her Jeep back.

Thanks to everyone for the support and interest in this project!!

JJ :JEEPIN:

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Thu Sep 27, 2012 10:01 am

It took two months to get it done, but that’s no biggie if time is on your side. Hopefully the Jeep will hold up for another 100,000 miles. :JEEPIN:

MALiberty · **Posted:** Thu Sep 27, 2012 4:20 pm

dieselenthusiast wrote:

It took two months to get it done, but that’s no biggie if time is on your side. Hopefully the Jeep will hold up for another 100,000 miles. :JEEPIN:

I was fortunate that I had another vehicle and that my ex bought our 17 y.o daughter a 2008 Honda Accord w/ 30k miles... she could do some shuttling... after my oldest went back to college in Boston at Labor Day, I only needed my truck..... THEN I picked up the 2000 Cherokee.... I never owned a Jeep before the 2002 Liberty was bought 2 years back... now I own three....

Thanks for the support here and for the :2cents:

!!

MALiberty · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2013 4:57 pm

So things were fine for 1,800 miles.... smooth, quiet... pretty much better than ever.... then New Years Eve afternoon my daughter is going to work... calls me... she heard a rattle (exhaust I told her) then a short time later rumble and stumble form under the hood.... loss of power... still ran but rough. Had to tow it home.

Bought a scanner at Advance Autoparts with a online coupon... pulled P0302 misfire in #2 cyl.
Called the guy who worked on it and he was in Northern Maine in -10 weather snow machining....
So I read up a bit and changed out the plug and the coil pack... same problem....

When he came back he picked it up with his trailer (70 mile tow... not) and took it back to NH to his heated garage.... said he thought it did not sound catastrophic like last time... perhaps a lifter was stuck... plug was blackened so he thought maybe the exhaust valve was not opening.... waiting to hear...... uuurrrrggghhhhh.

:dead:

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2013 6:55 pm

Bummer! You should have bought her an XJ. :mrgreen:

Keep us posted (Round 2)

MALiberty · **Posted:** Thu Jan 10, 2013 4:15 pm

So we found the #2 and #4 cyl rocker arms off..... apparently not uncommon. Put them back on and it ran fine for a very short period and threw them again only this time it looks like the valves on each cylinder might have bent.... here's youtube link to the problem and how one guy does a work-around....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjtSStaNfPI

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Thu Jan 10, 2013 4:28 pm

Very interesting and great video! Thanks! I wonder how “common” this really is and why it happens to some engines and not others.

Draco · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2013 12:03 am

Sorry to hear you're having the rocker arm issues. But a very interesting story and good information for all!

Engine replacement yes/no

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