Yeah amazing...I'm of the opinion that something this critical. Let a reputable shop do it. Chances are they will give some sort of guarantee/warranty so if they botch it it's on THEM but you do it cheaper and botch it it's on YOU. Spend a few extra bucks get it done right
The jeep dealerships so overworked replacing parts that are not bad, they rushed the job only to tell him his water pump was also bad! But also the case of beer concept works, in many cases its the same quality of work. Most the guys at the dealership got sick of the games and opened there own shops like Raymond has.
Bro I shit you not I ran a straight 6 with 220,000 miles on it for like 6 months with no oil until it finally blew on the freeway one day. Those little motors are fucking bullet proof.
Im thinking the person that replaced the thermostat thought they screwed the bottom bolt home but missed the hole and tightened it the way you found it 😂😂
My friends dad was a mechanic. One time a guy who didn’t speak English was showing him that the horn didn’t work. Glen opened the hood. The wire came off the horn. He put it back on. The guy tried to give him money. Glen laughed and said no. He was such a good influence on me. A good honest man like Ray. Glen’s wife was such a sweet woman. Like the wife unit. They both helped me a lot. From the age of 13.
Once replaced my spark plugs in my 76 Mustang II and it ran horribly missing. Not knowing what was wrong took it to my mechanic Mario (Italian). An hour later he called back to get the car. I showed up and he's smiling at me. "Who muck upa da plugs?" "huh?" "WHO MUCK UPA DA PLUGS? She'sa cross treaded in number 6" He dropped a helicoil in and checked the rest, but his response to me always stuck with me.
The 4.0 Inline Six was one of the BEST engines ever made! A shop I worked at near MOAB Utah used to upgrade these engines with performance parts. These engines like to have their oil changed on a regular basis (every 3,000 miles) regardless of the type (regular or synthetic) and their coolant changed more frequently (every two years). Other than that they are fantastic engines (almost bullet proof)!
FWIW: You might want to consider going down to Lowes, HomeDepot, etc. and buying a couple of black plastic motar boxes to mitigate various wide spread, potential oil, or coolant spills in leu of those small, green plastic pans that you tend to use. Just a thought now:-) PS: they also make for great canine beds after throwing an old blanket or two as a mattress.
If you start the bottom bolt by fingers then jam the socket against the belt with the free hand it will deflect enough to let you tighten it....I was in there four times in one day testing thermostats so I figured out what worked.
Some mechanics would have up sold, the owner a water pump and only fixed the real problem. Thank you Ray for your honesty and for taking us along, great video sir.
How many times did the engine over heat, with the amount of coolant leaking out of it. Could have a head warped, and blowing between cylinders as well. Whoever worked on it before should have known that there was a problem with it leaking. They may have told the owner that the water pump was a problem in order to past the blame on something else besides their failure.
30:45 I love the crash sound closing the drivers door, that tells me someone busted out the drivers door window it got replaced but the shop that put a new window in didn't vacum out all the glass shards. So when you slam the door shut you hear a crash sound.
Another great info-taining video. I laughed when the wife unit delivered green tea. I recalled that green tea improves memory. Every time I drink some, I remember it tastes like crap !!. Thx.
Oh thank you for brining Lauren in for her mandatory appearance. LOL She is such a sweetheart brining you coffee and lunch. I was always told never to work with family....it never ends well. But you guys seem to work amazingly together! You guys are both amazing!
Reminds me of my '85 Cherokee abortion. Hydraulic clutch multiple problems but the crowning achievement of the dealer was replacing the water pump leaker with a reman that had the impeller on backwards. Overheated about 2 miles down the road, drove back to the dealer who took 5 days to figure out the problem. No further charge and got a free car wash out of it.
Is the check engine light blown out? No flashing CEL... Also why are you suspecting valves before plugs and wires are looked at? As you know it can also be a fuel delivery issue... weak pump, fuel injectors, etc...
Fun fact. A little bit of chamfer put on the bolt holes of the machined surface side of the thermostat housing gives room for an O ring which will hold the bolts in place for reassembly.
Buddy says that we need to see something in his Jeep, NOW. We run down to the parking lot to see the clock on the dash change from 10:58, 10:59, 10:60, 11:00. Quality stuff, the same truck would warp the front rotors on long highway drives. The dealership couldn't find any problems and would throw a set of disks at it, free! Then I did some internet searches and found that this is a common problem with seized calipers that would drag on the disks and overheat them. The dealership was pretty grumpy. If buddy had waited just 3 more months, he would have had to pay for a set of calipers and disks instead of it being under warranty. It's a Jeep thing.
I'm sure he probably did just didn't show it on the video. However, not all head gasket leaks turn the oil milky so that's not a sure fire way to say you have a leaking head gasket. I've seen more than one where the oil is perfectly fine. The best ways to tell aside from this is to use a chemical or electronic gas analyzer to see if you have combustion gases in the coolant or to do what Ray did and look for bubbles coming through the radiator.
@@LMG3000-s8f I Understand, no disagreement. I am a fan of all the videos, and some people of varying experience read comments. I have found some thought provoking gems in the comments, and since it was not shown in video (That I saw) on the chance that the overheating as stated was such that water found it's way to the oil, as simple as it is to check, I would consider finding that out as it might affect my decisions to let it run any longer than needed for other diagnostics, or repair confirmations.
Thanks for the video of this repair Ray. Your description of what was causing it and your careful repair process are an education in itself. To the owner I would label this event as 'Gross Negligence' and suspend his use of the vehicle until he gets everything else with the Jeep repaired (backfire, ABS and whatever else turns up).
Thermostat problem not noticed - air bleed hole missing. The Jeep Service Manual (I have the 1996 edition, see pages 7-32 & 7-33.) states there should be a 1/16" to 3/32" air bleed hole in the flange of the thermostat on the 4.0L I6 and this hole should be at the top, 12 o'clock, position. A factory part was the hole, but aftermarket thermostats never do, so it must be drilled. If this isn't done, air is trapped in the head causing hot spots until the tstat opens.
You know, I was considering buying a jeep. I've always liked them and now they are coming out of the factory with lifts and nice wheels, trying to entice me but after seeing the litany of problems Jeeps are prone to I have changed my mind and I'm sticking to my preferred makes and models...great video, thank you Mr. Ray. Have a great day and an even better tomorrow...
The AMC/Chrysler 4.0L inline 6 is an excellent engine. But like all vehicles, they are only as good as the maintenance that the owner does. Now, the Pentastar/Fiat engine and transmissions are pretty much junk.
The 4.0 is a great motor but have a bit of chatter on top end and high fuel consumption.The 318 in older jeeps are also good motors but suffer from high fuel consumption.@@mattbrown5511
My '06 has had 2 clutches put in and it swell over 150K miles. I also had the timing chain done at 100K just ease of my mind. And the clutches were my fault for training my daughter to drive manual in it.@@dogsense3773
Check the plug wires Ray. They very well could be the originals and are deteriorated and saturated with anti-freeze which could make them arc to any metal they are routed close to. That condition could also be exacerbated by the spark plug gap being too wide.
Ray, check the engine ground/dipstick mount stud . . It can be loose/corroded and cause a very difficult to diagnose misfire only under load. Also check that theres not a vacuum leak where the intake/exhaust bolt to the head, because thats a 4.o thing. Also, I'd bet the driver side engine mount is broken. It's a Jeep thing.
Red, blue or black schmooze (in very small amounts) is useful to keep the gasket in place while getting the bolts started. Soft hose, chewed up belt, change them before they leave you walking. I feel that battery may have a parasitic draw because it seemed to start fine after the alternator ran for just a little bit. But I'm just a parts changer, not a mechanic.
Had work done at The Blind Mechanic down the road. Jeep specific creeper… my aren’t we moving up in the world!😄 Sanding discs on an angle grinder make much cleaner cuts (ask me how I know).
That radiator top rubber hose looks like a sponge. It's definitely too soft. That idler pulley look like is at the end of its life. Those misfires are quite severe, never seen anything that bad.
You should buy a bore a scope like the one that Ivan has at PHAD it has lens on the side which gives an almost 360 degree view & it was really cheap & extremely clear.
My working carrier has many years of repairing electronics. Mostly car radios and communications equipment. In my experience I learned that the customer rarely actually knew what the issue with their item was. Some even argued when the item repair was completed and returned to them. I have noticed the same thing in some of the videos you have put on your channel. I appreciate seeing a mechanic who understands what needs to be done and does the repair in a responsible and complete manner. I wish all were the same, but sadly that is not the case and you all get the bad rap because of it.
I've pretty much gotten to the point with my 97 XJ that when it comes time for a cooling system service, I just replace it all in one go. Parts are so cheap, and you have to take it all apart anyway, why not?
Big fan of the 4.0. Had a '98 ZJ with that engine and it took all the abuse I could throw at it. Sold it in a fit of weakness when I saw something I thought I'd like better. Heh. Guess what? :) Still, I'll get another one soon.
This is one of those moments where either the owner or his friend said, "It's only a thermostat, I can do that easily." MOST times they're right but they also have a chance at screwing it up. This time they lost and you saved their butt, Ray. Well done.
Great video Ray, as usual. That backfiring is strange. Those usually last 200K without any serious problems. Several of my friends own Jeeps with that engine and we've only had to change water pumps, thermostats, and power steering pumps. One of my friends has an old CJ with the 4 cyl.
OTOH, it seems to happen more on the 3.7 V6s! The 3.7 V6, which was usually only used in the Liberty, were used in 2006-2009 (or 2006-2010?) Grand Cherokees. They were also used in Durangos right after the 3.9 V6 and 318 V8 got discontinued. (after 2001, most likely) If you have the 3.7, prepare to get another ECU. :(
I think some one missed the hole for the bolt put in it stared to tighten and they thought cool done! as you can see how you had to remove it but that is MY thoughts
Leaking valves? Yes with a p 300 code. As you know this head has inserts for the valves. I replaced my head with a improved head (heavier) that corrected a cracking problem in stock heads. Dealer wanted to rebuild the head. NOPE! No more problems and was cheaper.
as for the backfiring/cut out........ those jeeps had a problem with the ecm shorting to the frame, the fix is to shorten the screws that hold it in..... dont ask me how I know
Good morning Mr Ray, Happy Friday sir, hope y'all have a wonderful day and weekend. Just wanted to thank you for all your videos, I have used a lot of them to help me fix these old cars lol
Only 113k on a 20 yr old 4.0 liter is very minimal. I had a '99 WJ with 220k miles up until about a year ago when I sold it, still ran like a top. Mind you it had creaks & rattles and the shocks were shot but everything still worked pretty well on it. This one here seems to have suffered a considerable amount of neglect IMO. Funny that it's misfiring so badly but there's no money light on (check engine). My guess is the light is out and it probably has about a million codes stored.
Hi Ray ------- Curious on the bolt that missed the thermostat housing that was wedged in, the bolt was cranked into a metal line in the front of the engine (vacuum line going to the HCV?) so that may be causing your timing and backfire issues? Removing the wedged in bolt that was cutting the metal tubing and created a vacuum leak and rough idle and backfires.
Had a 2000 Cherokee. It developed that miss fire. It had 3 injectors that were just trashed. They would not close at all. It had just under 200k. A set of rebuilt injectors and off it went for an additional 50k when Idols it to move across the country.
I think this may be an example of why you start bolts by hand first. Suspect that lower bolt was run in under power with no sensory feedback it was misaligned. Thanks for the video.
You can actually fit a 12 point socket on the drain valve on the radiator. Can't remember the size but there is one that fits perfectly. Put the socket on a long handle ratchet and it'll come off without an issue. Those Jeep 4.0 straight 6 are almost bullet proof. But not so much if a bad mechanic works on it. I've seen many exceed 300k+. Maybe the new Hurricane 6 Jeep/Ram is now using will be as great. I believe the 4.0 was originally developed by American Motors ? My sweet wifey tries all the time to give me green tea. No way Ray.
First thing I would have checked is for water in the oil. Miss fire? Bad wires, or spark plug. How about pressure testing the cooling system? Back fire is caused buy a lean condition. A dirty air filter is causing a rich condition, the 02 censer picks this up and leans tells the computer to lean it out causing the back fire....Ken
Have you ever tried using a vacuum assist coolant refiller? It's easy to know if it leaks if it doesn't hold a vacuum. Then you waste less time and coolant. It may not be apt for this application, but I've never seen you use one.
Ray stuff a rag/papertowels into opening before clean up to keep contamination out of head. How about system flush before thermostat install,if head looks that bad, radiator/ heater core probably bad too. Don't you have a cooling system pressure tester? To test for head gasket have a combustion gas tester?
@@wayneessar7489If thermostat/waterpump cost was ok a few dollars more than the gasket was still well below authorization and good insurance with that level of corrosion/possible system blockage
Ray Ray you really should fasten that grinder to the table brother. You get to grinding hard like the plumbing company and that thing is gonna unravel your hand
Those non-woven wheels really get ya once in a while. I use them in fabrication all the time and when I nick myself.. it's more painful than a regular cut, without much abrasion, just the burn of it. ouch!
I would guess that whoever attempted to do one of the easiest fixes thought they blindly had the bolt in the hole and screwed it between the housing and hose. It probably bottomed out and they thought it was tight though tight didn't seem to matter on the other bolt
I think a cylinder is intermittently losing spark to ground causing the backfire. A bad valve usually causes a more consistent backfire. Hopefully we'll get to see!!
Ray....................xlnt vid as usual. May I make a suggestion ? Um....er........ PLEASE don't use a grinder in that state. Bolt it to the bench, put the guards and tool rest back. I saw a guy nearly lose his sight once on an improperly amounted unit and it's the first thing auditors look at during a Safety Inspection. Good grinder = probably a safe shop. Hope you don't mind. If I lived closer, I'd fix it for free, but it just snowed here so I can't.
You should be able to change ign timing on these. You use scan tool to set to 0deg and you move the cam sensor off what used to be a distributer to match the scan tool zero. Essentially making sure the cam sensor in the distributer housing (not a full distributer) to the crank sensor. This sets the baseline for the computer to rin the coil pack timing
Sadly, my father's 3.7 V6 is acting a lot like this, with the bucking! (2012 Liberty, one of the last in production!) I expect it to epically fail emissions testing before it's repaired! :( That's why he's been driving my sister's 2021 MY Cherokee, with the Pentastar 3.2.
Whoever replaced the thermostat put the top bolt in and the bottom bolt was out of his sight. He misplaced the bolt under the thermostat housing not in the correct hole then ratcheted it in. That's my take on what happened.
I one video I watched, the host said he NEVER uses the drain petcock to remove coolant, He said they are prone to breakage and when that happens you need to replace the rad, so he just pulls the lower rad hose, a messy endevour but better than replacing a rad. On a different note, I don't know why more mechanics don't clean off the threads of bolts before reinstalling them.
This is a "I KNOW SOMEONE WHO CAN DO IT CHEAPER" moment😊
Yeah amazing...I'm of the opinion that something this critical. Let a reputable shop do it. Chances are they will give some sort of guarantee/warranty so if they botch it it's on THEM but you do it cheaper and botch it it's on YOU. Spend a few extra bucks get it done right
@Jed1421 and then it started leaking and over heating so a professional with insurance was the last to work on it in case he cooked it.
The jeep dealerships so overworked replacing parts that are not bad, they rushed the job only to tell him his water pump was also bad!
But also the case of beer concept works, in many cases its the same quality of work. Most the guys at the dealership got sick of the games and opened there own shops like Raymond has.
@@bobbg9041 "........ replacing parts that are not bad,...." Awesome. Classic stealership move!
4.0 straight 6...good engine. Lucky for this owner they're hard to kill
Bro I shit you not I ran a straight 6 with 220,000 miles on it for like 6 months with no oil until it finally blew on the freeway one day. Those little motors are fucking bullet proof.
I'm a rural mail carrier and my 4.0 has over 500,000 miles on it. :)
Because it was designed by AMC, not Chrysler.
Some of the early ones have a bad head. But they are not terrible to replace.
@@johnquinn4680Imagine how long it would go with oil! :)
I wish more people were like Ray .. you can tell he truly cares about doing things the right way ...
Im thinking the person that replaced the thermostat thought they screwed the bottom bolt home but missed the hole and tightened it the way you found it 😂😂
Exactly my thought....
1000 agreed and def wasn't a true mechanic because they would've realized it wasn't tight as well as the top one
Definite diy attempt fail
Exactly
Kinda makes me feel sorry for his wife.
My friends dad was a mechanic. One time a guy who didn’t speak English was showing him that the horn didn’t work. Glen opened the hood. The wire came off the horn. He put it back on. The guy tried to give him money. Glen laughed and said no. He was such a good influence on me. A good honest man like Ray. Glen’s wife was such a sweet woman. Like the wife unit. They both helped me a lot. From the age of 13.
Dare I suggest that the owner found the limits of his automotive expertise and botched it all?
Once replaced my spark plugs in my 76 Mustang II and it ran horribly missing. Not knowing what was wrong took it to my mechanic Mario (Italian). An hour later he called back to get the car. I showed up and he's smiling at me. "Who muck upa da plugs?" "huh?" "WHO MUCK UPA DA PLUGS? She'sa cross treaded in number 6" He dropped a helicoil in and checked the rest, but his response to me always stuck with me.
I concur.....sir.
RTV on the cooling system always indicates somebody didn't know what they were doing. (I totally have done that before 😭)
I’ve learned that most men think they are auto mechanics, body and fender repairman, and lawyers! 😂😂😂
The 4.0 Inline Six was one of the BEST engines ever made! A shop I worked at near MOAB Utah used to upgrade these engines with performance parts. These engines like to have their oil changed on a regular basis (every 3,000 miles) regardless of the type (regular or synthetic) and their coolant changed more frequently (every two years). Other than that they are fantastic engines (almost bullet proof)!
And don't use the 0W-20 oil that you put in these newer cars. This motor is old school, it wants real (thicker) oil.
@@stevemccooleq Yep! We used a 10-30 in the winter and a 15-40 or 20-50 in the summer (desert).
Very enjoyable! Hopefully the owner will allow the addressing of the backfire. Have a great day!
FWIW: You might want to consider going down to Lowes, HomeDepot, etc. and buying a couple of black plastic motar boxes to mitigate various wide spread, potential oil, or coolant spills in leu of those small, green plastic pans that you tend to use. Just a thought now:-)
PS: they also make for great canine beds after throwing an old blanket or two as a mattress.
They make a great cat litter box also.
thanks for the better shop music.
If you start the bottom bolt by fingers then jam the socket against the belt with the free hand it will deflect enough to let you tighten it....I was in there four times in one day testing thermostats so I figured out what worked.
Some mechanics would have up sold, the owner a water pump and only fixed the real problem. Thank you Ray for your honesty and for taking us along, great video sir.
Love them 4 liter inline 6 engines.
I was glad you cleaned up those bolts, I was twitching a little before you did. 🙂
Ray, I see you are using a "Jeepers Creeper" on a Jeep! It's Friday!!! 🤣🤣
Man, sometimes when you're drunk enough, you might get the wrong hole, or no hole at all, and never even know the difference.
funny
We can all pretend you were talking about the blind threaded holes for the thermostat housing, right guys?
If only the motor could say wahoo
Id say he missed the hole by a ____ hair.
How many times did the engine over heat, with the amount of coolant leaking out of it. Could have a head warped, and blowing between cylinders as well. Whoever worked on it before should have known that there was a problem with it leaking. They may have told the owner that the water pump was a problem in order to past the blame on something else besides their failure.
Thanks for showing us the coolant system colonoscopy. 😷
Love the proper clock on the top of the dash
30:45 I love the crash sound closing the drivers door, that tells me someone busted out the drivers door window it got replaced but the shop that put a new window in didn't vacum out all the glass shards. So when you slam the door shut you hear a crash sound.
Another great info-taining video. I laughed when the wife unit delivered green tea. I recalled that green tea improves memory. Every time I drink some, I remember it tastes like crap !!. Thx.
Oh thank you for brining Lauren in for her mandatory appearance. LOL She is such a sweetheart brining you coffee and lunch. I was always told never to work with family....it never ends well. But you guys seem to work amazingly together! You guys are both amazing!
Reminds me of my '85 Cherokee abortion. Hydraulic clutch multiple problems but the crowning achievement of the dealer was replacing the water pump leaker with a reman that had the impeller
on backwards. Overheated about 2 miles down the road, drove back to the dealer who took 5 days to figure out the problem. No further charge and got a free car wash out of it.
Love working on the 4.0L. Best engine ever!
Is the check engine light blown out? No flashing CEL... Also why are you suspecting valves before plugs and wires are looked at? As you know it can also be a fuel delivery issue... weak pump, fuel injectors, etc...
Fun fact. A little bit of chamfer put on the bolt holes of the machined surface side of the thermostat housing gives room for an O ring which will hold the bolts in place for reassembly.
Buddy says that we need to see something in his Jeep, NOW. We run down to the parking lot to see the clock on the dash change from 10:58, 10:59, 10:60, 11:00.
Quality stuff, the same truck would warp the front rotors on long highway drives. The dealership couldn't find any problems and would throw a set of disks at it, free! Then I did some internet searches and found that this is a common problem with seized calipers that would drag on the disks and overheat them. The dealership was pretty grumpy. If buddy had waited just 3 more months, he would have had to pay for a set of calipers and disks instead of it being under warranty.
It's a Jeep thing.
I love those 4.0 engines. Strong, reliable, easy to work on, all steel long block, timing chain (not belt)
Green tea, yech. I tried that krap way back when I was stationed in Okinawa. Never got to liking it. I did learn to eat with chop sticks though.
I was thinking looking at the oil on dip for the milky death clue before starting
I'm sure he probably did just didn't show it on the video. However, not all head gasket leaks turn the oil milky so that's not a sure fire way to say you have a leaking head gasket. I've seen more than one where the oil is perfectly fine. The best ways to tell aside from this is to use a chemical or electronic gas analyzer to see if you have combustion gases in the coolant or to do what Ray did and look for bubbles coming through the radiator.
@@LMG3000-s8f I Understand, no disagreement. I am a fan of all the videos, and some people of varying experience read comments. I have found some thought provoking gems in the comments, and since it was not shown in video (That I saw) on the chance that the overheating as stated was such that water found it's way to the oil, as simple as it is to check, I would consider finding that out as it might affect my decisions to let it run any longer than needed for other diagnostics, or repair confirmations.
If I'm not mistaken those bolts go into the water jacket! You should have put gasket sealant on them.
Thanks for the video of this repair Ray. Your description of what was causing it and your careful repair process are an education in itself. To the owner I would label this event as 'Gross Negligence' and suspend his use of the vehicle until he gets everything else with the Jeep repaired (backfire, ABS and whatever else turns up).
I gotta have one of the kiddie toy coolant funnel sets.
With thermostat housings I use my belt sander or some sandpaper on a flat surface. I have seen some housings bowed quite badly.
How much is a new housing? I would go with, since you’re in there.
Thermostat problem not noticed - air bleed hole missing. The Jeep Service Manual (I have the 1996 edition, see pages 7-32 & 7-33.) states there should be a 1/16" to 3/32" air bleed hole in the flange of the thermostat on the 4.0L I6 and this hole should be at the top, 12 o'clock, position. A factory part was the hole, but aftermarket thermostats never do, so it must be drilled. If this isn't done, air is trapped in the head causing hot spots until the tstat opens.
You know, I was considering buying a jeep. I've always liked them and now they are coming out of the factory with lifts and nice wheels, trying to entice me but after seeing the litany of problems Jeeps are prone to I have changed my mind and I'm sticking to my preferred makes and models...great video, thank you Mr. Ray. Have a great day and an even better tomorrow...
The AMC/Chrysler 4.0L inline 6 is an excellent engine. But like all vehicles, they are only as good as the maintenance that the owner does. Now, the Pentastar/Fiat engine and transmissions are pretty much junk.
The 4.0 is a great motor but have a bit of chatter on top end and high fuel consumption.The 318 in older jeeps are also good motors but suffer from high fuel consumption.@@mattbrown5511
My 2014 needs a head gasket at 72,000 miles!
My '06 has had 2 clutches put in and it swell over 150K miles. I also had the timing chain done at 100K just ease of my mind. And the clutches were my fault for training my daughter to drive manual in it.@@dogsense3773
When the thermostat came out it looked a bit sludgy in the head, almost like oil had managed to get in there too.
Check the plug wires Ray. They very well could be the originals and are deteriorated and saturated with anti-freeze which could make them arc to any metal they are routed close to. That condition could also be exacerbated by the spark plug gap being too wide.
Got over 650k on my 92 Laredo. Never cracked a valve cover. But the I am a preventative maintenance guru.
Ray, check the engine ground/dipstick mount stud . . It can be loose/corroded and cause a very difficult to diagnose misfire only under load. Also check that theres not a vacuum leak where the intake/exhaust bolt to the head, because thats a 4.o thing. Also, I'd bet the driver side engine mount is broken. It's a Jeep thing.
Red, blue or black schmooze (in very small amounts) is useful to keep the gasket in place while getting the bolts started.
Soft hose, chewed up belt, change them before they leave you walking.
I feel that battery may have a parasitic draw because it seemed to start fine after the alternator ran for just a little bit.
But I'm just a parts changer, not a mechanic.
Thank you for taking the time to wire brush the thermostat housing. It looked knarly.....I would feel better if your bench grinder was bolted down.
And used two hands.
Had work done at The Blind Mechanic down the road.
Jeep specific creeper… my aren’t we moving up in the world!😄
Sanding discs on an angle grinder make much cleaner cuts (ask me how I know).
That radiator top rubber hose looks like a sponge. It's definitely too soft. That idler pulley look like is at the end of its life. Those misfires are quite severe, never seen anything that bad.
When Ray is playing cleanup man on someone else's work this video is his insurance.
You have soooo much patience with flashlights they would be on the other side of the shop if that were me
You should buy a bore a scope like the one that Ivan has at PHAD it has lens on the side which gives an almost 360 degree view & it was really cheap & extremely clear.
My working carrier has many years of repairing electronics. Mostly car radios and communications equipment. In my experience I learned that the customer rarely actually knew what the issue with their item was. Some even argued when the item repair was completed and returned to them. I have noticed the same thing in some of the videos you have put on your channel. I appreciate seeing a mechanic who understands what needs to be done and does the repair in a responsible and complete manner. I wish all were the same, but sadly that is not the case and you all get the bad rap because of it.
Nice, you saved him from needlessly buying a new water pump!
The total of labor is still probably more than the blue book value of the whole vehicle. The customer is OBVIOUSLY an absolute imbecile.
I've pretty much gotten to the point with my 97 XJ that when it comes time for a cooling system service, I just replace it all in one go.
Parts are so cheap, and you have to take it all apart anyway, why not?
Big fan of the 4.0. Had a '98 ZJ with that engine and it took all the abuse I could throw at it. Sold it in a fit of weakness when I saw something I thought I'd like better. Heh. Guess what? :) Still, I'll get another one soon.
I used to use yellow permatex just to tack in the thermostat just to hold it in position
Considering the skill of the previous mechanic, it is amazing that the engine is still running and capable of back firing.
That funnel arrangement for the radiator is very neat. Great video as always.
This is one of those moments where either the owner or his friend said, "It's only a thermostat, I can do that easily." MOST times they're right but they also have a chance at screwing it up. This time they lost and you saved their butt, Ray. Well done.
Great video Ray, as usual. That backfiring is strange. Those usually last 200K without any serious problems. Several of my friends own Jeeps with that engine and we've only had to change water pumps, thermostats, and power steering pumps. One of my friends has an old CJ with the 4 cyl.
OTOH, it seems to happen more on the 3.7 V6s! The 3.7 V6, which was usually only used in the Liberty, were used in 2006-2009 (or 2006-2010?) Grand Cherokees. They were also used in Durangos right after the 3.9 V6 and 318 V8 got discontinued. (after 2001, most likely) If you have the 3.7, prepare to get another ECU. :(
I think some one missed the hole for the bolt put in it stared to tighten and they thought cool done! as you can see how you had to remove it
but that is MY thoughts
Leaking valves? Yes with a p 300 code. As you know this head has inserts for the valves. I replaced my head with a improved head (heavier) that corrected a cracking problem in stock heads. Dealer wanted to rebuild the head. NOPE! No more problems and was cheaper.
never loosen those plastic petcock . if it breaks ur screwed... just use the lower hose....
as for the backfiring/cut out........ those jeeps had a problem with the ecm shorting to the frame, the fix is to shorten the screws that hold it in..... dont ask me how I know
Why don’t you use a coolant system tester? You can pump the system up and see if it holds pressure
Thank you for another great video. Stay safe out there. Cheers
Nice work 👍👍
That Heep gave a whole new meaning to Shade Tree Mechanic .
I love a straight six engine! A symphony of smooth. Owned a Grand Cherokee and despite the intermittent cutting out it was a sweet engine
4.0 baby!
Great video Ray. I like that funnel thingy
Good morning Mr Ray, Happy Friday sir, hope y'all have a wonderful day and weekend. Just wanted to thank you for all your videos, I have used a lot of them to help me fix these old cars lol
Only 113k on a 20 yr old 4.0 liter is very minimal. I had a '99 WJ with 220k miles up until about a year ago when I sold it, still ran like a top. Mind you it had creaks & rattles and the shocks were shot but everything still worked pretty well on it. This one here seems to have suffered a considerable amount of neglect IMO. Funny that it's misfiring so badly but there's no money light on (check engine). My guess is the light is out and it probably has about a million codes stored.
Could’ve used this video a couple days ago, just did all that to my 03 4.0
Hi Ray ------- Curious on the bolt that missed the thermostat housing that was wedged in, the bolt was cranked into a metal line in the front of the engine (vacuum line going to the HCV?) so that may be causing your timing and backfire issues? Removing the wedged in bolt that was cutting the metal tubing and created a vacuum leak and rough idle and backfires.
I have and love an 02 wj Laredo, so this video hits close to home. You’re the best Ray! 🖤
Had a 2000 Cherokee. It developed that miss fire. It had 3 injectors that were just trashed. They would not close at all.
It had just under 200k.
A set of rebuilt injectors and off it went for an additional 50k when Idols it to move across the country.
i heard never wear gloves while using a grinder not sure about rubber but who knows if it could rip your finger off if the wheel caught the glove
I think this may be an example of why you start bolts by hand first. Suspect that lower bolt was run in under power with no sensory feedback it was misaligned. Thanks for the video.
A spray adhesive for that vertical gasket helps here 😊
You can actually fit a 12 point socket on the drain valve on the radiator. Can't remember the size but there is one that fits perfectly. Put the socket on a long handle ratchet and it'll come off without an issue. Those Jeep 4.0 straight 6 are almost bullet proof. But not so much if a bad mechanic works on it. I've seen many exceed 300k+. Maybe the new Hurricane 6 Jeep/Ram is now using will be as great. I believe the 4.0 was originally developed by American Motors ? My sweet wifey tries all the time to give me green tea. No way Ray.
First thing I would have checked is for water in the oil. Miss fire? Bad wires, or spark plug. How about pressure testing the cooling system? Back fire is caused buy a lean condition. A dirty air filter is causing a rich condition, the 02 censer picks this up and leans tells the computer to lean it out causing the back fire....Ken
Have you ever tried using a vacuum assist coolant refiller? It's easy to know if it leaks if it doesn't hold a vacuum. Then you waste less time and coolant. It may not be apt for this application, but I've never seen you use one.
All that keep needs is new plugs and wires. The wires are probably arching off stuff and each other
Ray stuff a rag/papertowels into opening before clean up to keep contamination out of head. How about system flush before thermostat install,if head looks that bad, radiator/ heater core probably bad too.
Don't you have a cooling system pressure tester? To test for head gasket have a combustion gas tester?
Maybe the client did not approve that extra expense...
@@wayneessar7489If thermostat/waterpump cost was ok a few dollars more than the gasket was still well below authorization and good insurance with that level of corrosion/possible system blockage
One bolt and the rtv for the win!
Ray Ray you really should fasten that grinder to the table brother. You get to grinding hard like the plumbing company and that thing is gonna unravel your hand
Those non-woven wheels really get ya once in a while. I use them in fabrication all the time and when I nick myself.. it's more painful than a regular cut, without much abrasion, just the burn of it. ouch!
I would guess that whoever attempted to do one of the easiest fixes thought they blindly had the bolt in the hole and screwed it between the housing and hose. It probably bottomed out and they thought it was tight though tight didn't seem to matter on the other bolt
Good Morning Ray, Make yourself a hose to connect to the drain on the radiator long enough to reach into the drain pan.
I think a cylinder is intermittently losing spark to ground causing the backfire. A bad valve usually causes a more consistent backfire. Hopefully we'll get to see!!
Nice Jeep, and it has that bad hood paint mod installed from the factory!
Always nice to see professional mechanics using Harbor Freight stuff.
Are you implying something is wrong with Harbor Freight quality?
@@Gizmetti not at all.
I have a corvette once with an over heat issue after he put in $800 I found it was a radiator cap issue
Ray....................xlnt vid as usual. May I make a suggestion ? Um....er........ PLEASE don't use a grinder in that state. Bolt it to the bench, put the guards and tool rest back. I saw a guy nearly lose his sight once on an improperly amounted unit and it's the first thing auditors look at during a Safety Inspection. Good grinder = probably a safe shop.
Hope you don't mind. If I lived closer, I'd fix it for free, but it just snowed here so I can't.
I like the operation you did on this when you did a great job keep up the great work 💪💪
You should be able to change ign timing on these. You use scan tool to set to 0deg and you move the cam sensor off what used to be a distributer to match the scan tool zero. Essentially making sure the cam sensor in the distributer housing (not a full distributer) to the crank sensor.
This sets the baseline for the computer to rin the coil pack timing
Sadly, my father's 3.7 V6 is acting a lot like this, with the bucking! (2012 Liberty, one of the last in production!) I expect it to epically fail emissions testing before it's repaired! :( That's why he's been driving my sister's 2021 MY Cherokee, with the Pentastar 3.2.
They probably thought they were screwing the bolt into the mount hole but missed and got it screwed into place where it was?
Whoever replaced the thermostat put the top bolt in and the bottom bolt was out of his sight. He misplaced the bolt under the thermostat housing not in the correct hole then ratcheted it in. That's my take on what happened.
Had a 1995 Taurus that had the same misfire under load and backfiring. Was a defective spark plug wire.
Love your videos, but a wire wheel and wizzie wheel on mating surfaces (saw the sparks), is a complete no no for me and a lot of people.
I one video I watched, the host said he NEVER uses the drain petcock to remove coolant, He said they are prone to breakage and when that happens you need to replace the rad, so he just pulls the lower rad hose, a messy endevour but better than replacing a rad. On a different note, I don't know why more mechanics don't clean off the threads of bolts before reinstalling them.
I would suggest that a radiator flush be run on the engine if it passes a compression and leakdown test.