Repair, replace or rebuild?

wet-paint

Hey folks,
I drive a '95 diesel Jeep Cherokee, and it's after developing some problem in the engine. Power is way down, and there's a lot of vibration taking off. Not burning oil though. The mechanic thinks a valve is gone in it, but hasn't gone rooting round inside it yet. He doesn't know how much it'll cost to repair if he takes the head off, or if he'll find other problems, or if it'll start burning oil upon replacing the head.
So he said go and try and price a cheap engine, to see if it'd be cheaper to just replace than repair.
And now my father is recommending having a custom place do a rebuild of it. I have no info about this, and would presume it'd be horrendously expensive.
I know it's all pretty vague, but I don't have the funds to get the mechanic to go and find the problem without knowing how much it'll cost to fix, so a replacement engine may be cheaper.

Any advice would be appreciated, what course of action would ye recommend?

fastrac

RUN Forrest RUN. Jeeps have depreciated so low it has to be replace.

Mahatma coat

best bet would be to buy an engine that has already been refurbed.

wet-paint

Yeah? Where'd I get one of them though, I doubt they're ten a penny?

And this may be a stupid question, but the model I have was sold over a number of years in Europe. I presume I can get an engine from any of those year Cherokees, and they'll fit? As in, I don't have to restrict myself to a '95, but can go for a '97?

It's the same engine in it until 2001 as far as I can figure out.

Mahatma coat

shouldnt be a problem, but its a good idea to checkwith someone that deals with them a lot, I found out the hard way that even though the engines dont change over the years the electronic control units often do.

wet-paint

Hrm, I rang Jeep and yer man said they'd most likely fit no problem, and one scrap dealer said it wouldn't fit.

We'll see, I've a few engines after ringing around and hopefully the economic climate will let me get a better bargain.

oflynno

i assume the engine you talk of is 2.5 diesel engine?

if so it so be the GM built engine,which ain't great

all is not lost though,if it is the 2.5 GM engine then its the same fitted to the opel frontera and opel omega(there were 2 for that,GM and BMW)

the best engine to chuck into it would be the 2.8td engine from the older isuzu trooper as the gearbox are the same.
the newer 3.1td trooper engine is a bored out version of the older one but doesn't last as long.the 3.0td newer engines are only okay but its the turbo that gives up and knackers the engine

the opel/vauxhall frontera,isuzu mu and isuzu tfs,tf pickup all had a 2.5d option

best bet for a replacement engine is up the north
Eddie Torrens or Traynors breakers

best of luck,let us know what happens

wet-paint

Hurrah for the recession!
Traynors didn't have the engine I was looking for. It's not a GM one, but a VM Motori one Chrysler put in it, originally a marine water pump, it was.
But after one failed attempt at getting an engine (The dam nthing was seized when it arrived to the mechanic, despite the breakers sayign it was in perfect nick) I managed to get a cheaper, younger engine with less miles on it.
And if ANYTHING goes wrong after it's put in, I'm ****ing burning it. It's a damned money pit!

oflynno

no don't burn it, pull out the lot and whack in the trooper 2.8td and gearbox,transfer case

it will keep going until the body rusts away in the year 2028

wet-paint

Oh God damn, this thing is just determined to cause heartache.
The engine finally arrived fro mthe breakers, and I received a call from the mechanic there. It needs an electronic fuel pump, not hte manual one that's in my 1995, despite the breaker saying it would work fine. So I've to return it, as I'm told to put in an el;ectronic pump would be a lot of hassle involving replacing the ECU.
So I think I'm down to the choice of putting in an engine with a blown head gasket, or scrapping the damn thing.

Time to look on autotrader methinks...:(

Bitten & Hisses

oflynno wrote: »

i assume the engine you talk of is 2.5 diesel engine?

if so it so be the GM built engine,which ain't great

all is not lost though,if it is the 2.5 GM engine then its the same fitted to the opel frontera and opel omega(there were 2 for that,GM and BMW)

the best engine to chuck into it would be the 2.8td engine from the older isuzu trooper as the gearbox are the same.
the newer 3.1td trooper engine is a bored out version of the older one but doesn't last as long.the 3.0td newer engines are only okay but its the turbo that gives up and knackers the engine

the opel/vauxhall frontera,isuzu mu and isuzu tfs,tf pickup all had a 2.5d option

best bet for a replacement engine is up the north
Eddie Torrens or Traynors breakers

best of luck,let us know what happens

Have you any source for that info about the Isuzu 2.8 slotting straight into a Cherokee?

rubys

Hey did ya get that cherokee sorted?
i'm having the same prob with my 96 pajero now, garage say replace the whole engine so gonna actually cost more than the jeep did to get it done. round 2400e. is this the start of contineous probs? don't want to spend the money unless i'll get another five years driving out of it, would cost me more money to buy a new used pajero her age and she's been great til now. other option is trying to get her sold minus engine anyone have any idea what kinda money i'd get?
how much did it cost to replace the cherokee engine?

oflynno

that garage that quoted you that much is joking.

you can pick up a good engine from traynors in the north for 500 quid and find a smaller mechanic,not a main dealer to do the swap.

find out the engine code first,it should be on the log book and get a replacement.
for a straight swapover it should take a day maximum,old out,new in

wet-paint

Still not sorted. The mechanic didn't want to go pulling at the new engine if it didn't work with the older fuel pump, as he didn't think the breaker would take it back in pieces, but the breaker said go for it, so he did. And now the new engine works, but the heating doesn't, and it's leaking water badly, as well as the Check Engine light coming on repeatedly. I picked it up from the mechanic yesterday, and left it straight back this morning. Bloody hell this is irritating.

oflynno

is it time for c-4 yet?

wet-paint

It bloody well may be. The mechanic now thinks this latest engine, the third incarnation, has a blown head, and doesn't think it worth replacing. So as soon as I get a refund from the breakers, it's off to the scrap yard.
Bloody pissed off, it's a damned money pit.

Stevo11

They have 4 seperate heads.. most likely the rear one thats gone.

Before you do.. buy a metal gasket from these guys.
Well worth ringing them for advice, they helped me out a few times, I have a '96 TD that I was advised to sell 2 years ago.. still going strong now with new hydrolic lifters, push rods + metal headgasket, not a difficult job, just time consuming. Worth having a go.. not much to loose if you are thinking you'll scrap it..

Steve

BigWill

Hi,Did you ever get sorted. Same problem here.

Stevo11

Same problem as in a leaky head?

wet-paint

Sorted, after a fashion. I'm getting a refund from the breakers, and scrapping the car. The Fiesta will have to do for the interim...

Stevo11

Sorry to hear it.. if I'd the room I might have made an offer..
If you aren't parting it out yourself, could you let me know which scrapyard you are sending it to? I need a few bits n pieces (interior bits mostly).
Thanks!
Steve

wet-paint

Hey Steve, from tomorrow morning it'll be in Galway Metal if you're still looking for it.

Stevo11

great stuff!! Thanks for the reply!