sounding like a diesel

[tuckerbox]

how can i confirm this is the problem ...

if so ..do i consider the rebuild now

sell the car that i have owned for 4 weeks

or just drive it till it f@#s up

ev

[cherrykee]

Fair enough KIK, when you think about it and I am not overtly mechanical, but common sense would tell me that when it comes to machinery, where there is noise caused by abnormal conditions no matter how minute, eventually there will be some sort of failure.
I hope not too soon mate the credit cards maxed out right now...

and as far as more info, yeah that would be great, also if you can find any ideas
on how to minimise damage/noise would be handy.

Cheers

[Gojeep]

Originally Posted by tuckerbox

how can i confirm this is the problem ...

if so ..do i consider the rebuild now

sell the car that i have owned for 4 weeks

or just drive it till it f@#s up

ev

Unless it is suddenly much louder than before I would not worry about it. They have been built like that in the States since the 80's with the diesel sound and they are getting 450,000 km out of them when maintained correctly. What was shown there was an extreme case and by no means normal at all. I have had a XJ Cherokee for 10 years now and and have been on XJ list and forums all that time nearly too. So I know what is normal and what is not when it comes to a XJ. I bet that one shown with the broken piston skirt was running a lower thermostat than stock too which will cause a lot of oil problems and have the engine running in open loop so not reading the O2 sensor at all! Now that is hardly going to get good engine life is it!

[tuckerbox]

thnx go jeep makes me feel a lot better ....back to concentrating on my 2 ich lift and rancho shocks ....

[kik]

Originally Posted by tuckerbox

how can i confirm this is the problem ...

if so ..do i consider the rebuild now

sell the car that i have owned for 4 weeks

or just drive it till it f@#s up

ev

Firstly pull one lead at a time,when you get to the cylinder that goes a little quieter then you have the faulty cylinder,while the lead is off rev the engine,if the knock is there both up and down then a worn skirt is your problem.

That's the best way I can explain it,a comp test will prove nothing.kik

[kik]

Originally Posted by cherrykee

Fair enough KIK, when you think about it and I am not overtly mechanical, but common sense would tell me that when it comes to machinery, where there is noise caused by abnormal conditions no matter how minute, eventually there will be some sort of failure.

You are dead right mate,things like this don't go away by wishing to the tooth fairy.

Originally Posted by cherrykee

I hope not too soon mate the credit cards maxed out right now...

Originally Posted by cherrykee

and as far as more info, yeah that would be great, also if you can find any ideas
on how to minimise damage/noise would be handy.

Cheers

The only real way to help in this situation is to run premium unleaded for a month or so,this will help clean out the engine and remove any carbon deposits on the piston tops and combustion chamber.

Also retarding the ignition will help a little,just remember though that this is just prolonging the inevitable. kik

[kik]

Originally Posted by Gojeep

Unless it is suddenly much louder than before I would not worry about it.

Surely you gest sir?,how would you feel if one person dropped a skirt because they took your advice

Originally Posted by Gojeep

I would not worry about it

and they were halfway between Alice and Darwin,would you pay the towing fee?. This is the situation I am in,I cannot afford to blurt out uninformed information just to make people feel better.

This is a manufacturers fault not an owners fault,you say

Originally Posted by Gojeep

They have been built like that in the States since the 80's with the diesel sound and they are getting 450,000 km out of them when maintained correctly

.

I wonder if you have considered quality control at all,because there is no way on this planet a slapping piston will last 450,000 Km's.
Putting mismatched pistons ie not correct weight will bring on this condition faster then normal. A good engine will get 450 no problem but not one that starts knocking at 100,000 km's.

Originally Posted by Gojeep

What was shown there was an extreme case and by no means normal at all.

No engine that has piston slap at 100,000 km's can be considered normal,the car you refer to was driven for 3 years while slapping,it was driven very carefully during that time and just made it to 200,000 km's

Originally Posted by Gojeep

I have had a XJ Cherokee for 10 years now and and have been on XJ list and forums all that time nearly too. So I know what is normal and what is not when it comes to a XJ.

Again you are trying to say that piston slap is normal,mate I am not looking for an argument here ,but you could not be more wrong,show me and the rest of the forum where it says that piston slap is normal,without consulting the deceitful Chrysler corp,or reading other peoples ignorant uninformed posts.

Originally Posted by Gojeep

I bet that one shown with the broken piston skirt was running a lower thermostat than stock too which will cause a lot of oil problems and have the engine running in open loop so not reading the O2 sensor at all! Now that is hardly going to get good engine life is it!

Again you are wrong,mate you wern't there and you did not carry out the labour I did,the thermostat was the correct heat range and when tested was ok. Sure the oil was bad and of very poor quality,but did you read the whole post? the blocked PCV and the poor oil was what expediated this engines demise not a thermostat.

I have been a mechanic for nigh on 30 years and do not appreciate having my work or my advice undermined by posts such as this.
People have the right of reply but please offer correct advice and not false reassurance and easy fixes.

PS I have tried to be as polite as I could and hope you take no offence by my responce,but the blind leading the blind just causes more people to bump their collective heads. kik