75sv1

I've had two 1 year old thermostats fail on me. One was a Mr. Gasket. The other a Motor Rad. Yeah, not fun, when temps don't get up enough to heat the cabin. I try and get NOS off of Ebay. I try to get a 193F to 197F. The RENIX system does have a pressure release as in the cap of the Purge bottle. Other might help you on that. Or if needed. Some convert to an open system. Placing the Radiator cap inline with the top radiator hose. What is your location?

Also, might try putting a sheet of cardboard in front of the radiator. Try to block the front grill off.

OK, 170 is an issue. Some say to run at 180 F. I like 200 to 205. I think two things. First replace the radiator cap, if not done in the past 5 years. Second, replace the thermostat. Not sure what is good at the parts stores anymore. I have a stash of some old makes. Carrol is one of them. They fit, yet have to trim the gasket a bit.

In some or most part stores, there is a brake bleeder from Mint Craft or others. It cost about $10. Its a small plastic bottle, with a plastic line coming out the top. It looks like it won't work. One of the plastic fitting on the tube coming out, must be a one-way valve. Anyways, a small section of rubber hose or Vacuum hose to attach to a bleeder nipple. Then open the bleeder nipple and pump about 10 times. Check bottle and repeat. Follow as above, Rt Rear, Left Rear, Rt Front, Left front. Also wonder if your master cylinder is bad. Also, on flushing the system. I suck or pump out what I can from the Master cylinder. I might do that a few times. Some sections of the newer ones, are hard to get to. Then bleed the system.

The RENIX has a bunch of tubes in the front. I do not know the functions in the block, that the front tube of the Valve Cover goes into, then into the Airbox. If there is a leak from some part or an obstruction, then oil in the airbox. I have suggested a valve cover filter like on hot rods, in the past. Some say that might mess with the MAF sensor or such. Still, might be a temporary fix. Then again, it depends in what State you are in. Also, the late model XJs had a larger CCV tube and fitting. I did adapt that and a '95 VC to my '88 MJ.

Also, thinking to check the spark plugs. If one of them or a few are clean, then cracked head or head gasket. I don't think a catch can would fit the amount the OP is getting into the system. If it was just oil, then the CCV system might be out of whack. Yes, I did deal with this with my '88 MJ. One guy thought I had blown my engine. I haven't run a catch can. I do have one for my Avalanche. I'll see how it goes.

My thoughts: You have a blown head gasket. Hence the extra water. I could be wrong. I hope I am. I did have blow-by in my '88. My issues was getting a good seal on the valve cover. I'd use one of the Fel-Pro rubber or is it silicone ones. Their about $35. The cork ones would collapse on my in a few weeks. I'd got to a later Valve cover. The first time, I went to an early HO one, 91-95. Then I went to a ZJ 93-95 valve cover. Sort of a hybrid of the oil towers and the late style CCV grommets. Or you could try the late style steel valve cover. I think they control the blow-by gasses the best. I run the ZJs on my '00 XJ. I ran one on my '98 XJ. That is with the Cruiser mod. Do you know your engine temps? Since it has been cold, there might be more water vapor. I'm dealing with an LS 5.3 in an Avalanche. So, reading on the PVC system and oil catch cans. Seems in the winter, you have to 'service' the catch can a bit more. A lot more water gets into the system.

First, I think doing the header or getting one that is already ceramic coated is the first step. Kill two issues. First less overall under hood temps. That relates to less heat to the intake manifold. Most of my info on ceramic coating is from David Vizard's books. I am building an LS for a 2001 XJ. I planned on doing ceramics on that one. I did get a set of Thermal Barrier coated pistons from Speed Pro or such. I remember $350. So, not much more than Stock type hyper eutectic. I still have those pistons slated for the LS for the XJ. I did buy a Chevy Avalanche and a lifter dropped. So, I rebuild the motor. The heads for the XJ LS went to that. I did have Swain coat the pistons though. Vizzard says valves first, Swain says Piston tops. On the intake and exhaust Vizard was doing a 4 cyl Chrysler ports. So somewhat the same as the Jeep 4.0L. A lot of ??? until I get some things running. Another thing I want to try on the LS for the XJ is a dry sump. Its suppose to keep temps down among other advantages. Looking at Adavid. Then maybe use Evan's polypropylene glycol. I have that in my Bricklin. Not entirely confident in it. Temps run higher. Suppose to scavenge the heat better though.

I have the horseshoe type 99+ Intake on my 2000 XJ that is ceramic coated. I did have it on my MJ on a WJ block. I didn't run the WJ motor. I've only run the ceramic coated on about 200-500 miles. So, I can't give results from that. I am also running one of my ceramic coated Doug Thorley's. Now for even more fun, I did have the valves for my '10 Chevy Avalanche ceramic or thermal barrier coated. Yeah, haven't run that yet either. Close though. Looking at ceramic coating valves and intake ports in the future.

I might try to ceramic coat and then wrap a header at some point. Probably way over kill on the XJ/MJ. Also, I think Banks headers had early issues, and then cropped up again recently. Also, I think Borla had issues. I've seen two of them cracked.

Part of the problem is that the flange might not cover the exhaust ports on earlier heads. I use ceramic coated headers. On my Xjs, I use Doug Thorley's. I have use a Pace Setter on the Comanche. The old style ones. I didn't like the coupling sleeve on the old style. The new ones for the Wranglers, I like the coupling system. I did buy one used. Then had it modified to fit an XJ. I did install it, but gave away that XJ. The new XJ ones have two tubes that are slip ons. I think better than the old style. Still, I wish they used the spherical flange. Ceramics cut about 40%-50% heat or so. Wraps do a bit better, though rust is an issue. I did install a ceramic coated compact header to replace the CI exhaust manifold on my 2000 XJ. PITA.

I built the battery and starter cables for some of my XJs. I do like the design of the Jeep Calbes. More strands is better. Some say better electrical flow. It does bend better. I have use marine grade cables, ie tin coated. I haven't upgraded the alternator cable yet.

Also, I keep planning on 'upgrading' from the Fusable Link to a Maxi fuse. 6ga wire and using a battery clamp bolt. Might be a bit of an issue with a 2000 XJ. The wire to the alt is a plug in.

I put in a GC alternator. I had to grind the bracket. I think I swapped the pulley from the XJ's alternator. This was on a 98 XJ.

Boostwerks makes a conversion unit for the late model XJs. I have two of them. They suggest the Aeromotive pump. Might be worth looking at their site. I will be using one of them for my LS swap. Also, one for a 4.0L Stroker. Not sure on what I'll do on the Comanche. The Boostwerk does use the stock Fuel Pump frame work. It replaces the top to convert to a return system like the earlier XJs. Also adds in an external pressure regulator. Thats more of an aftermarket fuel rail though.

I use Hylomar on the gaskets. I like the blue better than the red. I feel they peel off better, if I need to replace stuff down the road. Not on head gaskets though, nor the intake gasket.

It will be interesting if and when Newcomer post dyno results. I hope they post some of the lower lifts. One of the main advantage of a roller cam, is that it can have more aggressive ramping. I do see in some LS posted dyno run, that the lower lifts stay about even with the higher ones, till the higher RMPs. I get annoyed with some claiming XXXHP. At what RPM?

I had that issue with my place in WV. A bit colder around Thanksgiving than usual. So, I had to thaw out the water heater, toilets etc. before putting in antifreeze. There was my first Thanksgiving there. Or just before it. Ate out and food poisoning. I was staying at a Motel, as I hadn't fixed up the place. Looked outside, and the Hunter's vehicles were gone. Sort of odd, I thought. Turned on the Tube and 11 inches were headed my way. I had to wait a few hours till I recovered a bit. Made it out of the Mountains around 11 pm or so. 68 was a bit dicey though. This Thanksgiving there was snow and it was dark. Not fun in the mountains. Struggle to do 25 mph.

I don't think Johnson make lifters for the 4.0L any more. I nabs some off of EBay. Have to look closely on some US brands or made ones. They'll be marked Johnson. Not sure of how many I have. Not a lot. I did get some SPI (???). Made in Mexico. I could tell the surface was not very Spherical Radius. It was splotchy. I do measure similar parts at work. After a while you can look at the surface an tell. Some sources say a Roller Cam is worth say 35 additional HP. Also, the cam sprocket with Torrington bearings worth 8 hp.

I did open a box of injector Orings last night. They were from NAPA. Possibly, I purchased them 2-3 years ago, or even last year. There some brown ones and some black ones.

Clean Engine bay. Might need a touch of cleaning, though. Not sure if I would replace the coolant pressure bottle or not.

The flat edge on the Oring is that it has collapsed and failed. Probably your problem. As has been stated before. If there are two different colors, the black ones go to the fuel rail. The reddish brown ones go to the manifold side. I've used Vaseline previously. Some say petroleum products are not good for Orings. I have been using an Oring grease in the past few years. I bought it at a Ture Value, in the plumbing supplies. I did have an Oring rot on me the past year. I had put 12 hole injector in about 2 years before that. They were rebuilt ones. I do not know the country of origin of the Orings. I did replace them with some Gray-Silver ones from COMETIC. I bought them at Oreily's. Many report rubber parts sourced from China fail early and often.

Yeah, WOW. If rust free and interior VG, as it does look, then as said before 15 to 20K. I'd at least say $10K and up. 2wd or 4WD? Also, a picture of the engine bay. I see 8-90 on one of the documents. So, probably still a RENIX. I think the paper work, might not add a bunch of value, Yet, might help sell it.

I did have the KYB silvers on the front of an XJ. I remember the rears were WJ or such take offs. I liked how it handled etc. The KYB Silvers are supposed to be made in Japan. Basically, a stock Plus shock.

I have KYP MonoMax on the front of my 2000 XJ. I had some white box shocks on the rear. Sort of the lowest Rancho. Sort of felt the fort a bit to much. I put on Rancho 9000s on the rear. They are adjustable. At mid adjustment, I felt the front a lot less. Seems balanced to me. I did this for a few reasons. I have a MB 240D. So a heavy motor up front. Some run a heavier shock up front, sport shock in the MB world. Then run a softer one in the rear. The comfort. Seems Ok on my 240D. I also searched around on the Web. I found 2 others doing what I planed. One on a Wrangler and Another on a Dodge Truck. The guy with the Wrangler carriers some weight in Jeep discussions. Also, I can adjust the rear, weather towing or wheeling.