How to Convince Dad to Walk Away - Jeep Cherokee Content

TL; DR: If a DIY engine replacement isn’t in the cards, does it make sense to just walk away from a Cherokee with at best a blown head gasket, or at worst a cracked block, if you can’t fix it for less than $1500-2000. And how do you convince the ultimate DIY guy of this?

OK, here is the situation:

My parents live in South Florida. My wife and kids and I live 1,000 miles away. Mom retired about 5-6 years ago, Dad intends to retire this year. In addition to a Suburban used for race car towing, they have an e30 convertible and a 2000 Cherokee classic (4.0 Auto) used as a daily. The Cherokee has been a great car for them since purchased new, but as of late at 140kmi has been causing problems. My dad mentioned it has been running very rough lately, low on coolant…now there is coolant in the oil. The question is what to do. Bad HG or block, only way to find out is tear down...

Dad has raced cars and boats for 50 years, built I forget how many racecars, and taught me all I know. But a solo engine swap isn’t going to happen. Part of me says to source a used engine, fly down for a weekend, swap done, for maybe $1-1,500 cost all in. There are really very few shops that would do this kind of job for less than $2k, if you can even find one, plus replacement engine. But at the end of the day, its just an old Cherokee that my mom happens to like. The other part of me really, really wants my folks in a comfortable, safe modern car with good A/C, something like a Mazda CX5 or Mazda6. Reliable, with warranty etc. Dad says he doesn’t really want to spend the money, because of upcoming retirement. That may be partly true, but I think part of the issue is that it also feels to him like giving up…which is not in his vocabulary.

I think I am going to go the "mom has let you screw around with racecars for years, she deserves a nice car" route. Thoughts?

I say, if it doesn't put you out too much, go swap the motor and spend the time with your dad. He won't be around forever and the time spent with him now is awesome.

I miss my dad a lot and never had the opportunity to take on a motor swap with him, that would have been cool.

On a 2000, it's a cracked head. Almost 100% guaranteed. They crack on the top of the head and blow coolant directly into the oil.

If the oil pressure at idle is still good (coolant hasn't wrecked the bearings yet), just clean the goop out, throw a new head on it (the aftermarket ones aren't prone to the cracking problem) and it should be good to go. That job is do-able without pulling the motor if that's a concern.

Almost guaranteed that the head cracked between cylinders 3 & 4, unless he let the coolant get low and overheated it, then it may be the headgasket. The 2000-2001's are pretty common for cracked heads.

As mentioned, an aftermarket head is improved and should fix him right up. Don't forget new gaskets, head bolts (technically reusable once but for $30 I replace every time), new thermostat, water pump and hoses unless they've been changed recently.

I think the big question is what it's worth on the use market to sell it like it is. If he can do a CL ad with "cracked head, no interest in fixing" then a local Cherokee guy should be able to snap it up for a good deal and dad will be have more money than if he paid someone.

ManhattanM (fka NY535iManual) wrote: I think I am going to go the "mom has let you screw around with racecars for years, she deserves a nice car" route. Thoughts?

I'd try this (perhaps within earshot of mom) and if that doesn't do it let him handle it as he sees fit. He's a smart guy and knows what's what. If he makes a bad decision based on emotion he'll figure that out as well.

I'd stay out of my parents business but be there to help if he needed it.

Personally, I'd love it if my dad would say 'Hey can you free up a weekend and come help me pull an engine / swap a head'. Free food, good beer, and I get to hang out with my dad for the weekend and get greasy. Everybody wins!

Even if he ends up selling it afterwards, you still have a cool weekend with him.

My impression, based on the Cherokees my brothers have owned, is they'll run just about forever (notwithstanding the head issue mentioned above). Fix that and he can drive it as long as he wants, if he likes the car. Trying to sell or trade it as is, it's probably not going to be worth much more than scrap value.

I'll give you another option. If it's 4x4 I would be interested in it as is and can pick it up with my trailer.

Put Dad on a mission to source the long block, then fly down and swap it. I'd give a lot to spend just one more afternoon turning wrenches with my Dad.

KyAllroad wrote: I say, if it doesn't put you out too much, go swap the motor and spend the time with your dad. He won't be around forever and the time spent with him now is awesome. I miss my dad a lot and never had the opportunity to take on a motor swap with him, that would have been cool.

This.

Or build a 4.2 stroker with him and put it in the Cherokee. Now if you mom wants another car that's different.

You know Edelbrock makes an aluminum head for the 4.0 now...Just sayin

A LKQ engine would set him back about $300. I'd put a motor in it if you Mom still likes it. Figure a fun filled weekend with dad to swap it.

Head down there, if mom really does like it swap the engine. If mom doesn't like it and was just humoring dad drop a road flare on the back seat, walk away and look surprised when the fire trucks show up. Mumble something about an electrical short in the fuel pump.

Honestly, if the motor didn't suffer bearing damage from the coolant ingestion, putting a head on it is a better bet than getting a used motor. Somewhere around 20 - 30% of the pre-04 0331 heads (used on all 4.0s with coil packs) crack (usually without being overheated or anything). So a junkyard engine would carry a not-insignificant risk of the problem happening again.

Toyman01 wrote: A LKQ engine would set him back about $300. I'd put a motor in it if you Mom still likes it. Figure a fun filled weekend with dad to swap it.

Fun is 2/3rds F U.

I only came to this thread to post Humungus.

At 140k miles, a 4.0 is just getting broken in especially if your dad has kept up with basic maintenance. I'd much rather put a new head on that engine vs swap in an unknown junkyard engine.

As an XJ guy, if I saw it listed on Craigslist with a cracked head, it would be worth less than $1000 and only that much if it was a clean, stock example. Of course I've bought a few XJ's in my time with "only needs a headgasket" that turned out to be "I drove it with no coolant until it just refused to run anymore, then I decided to park it for 6 months."

Thanks everyone for your input. Dad is very intrigued by the Edelbrock head. I told him if we went that direction he would have to buy better tires!

Mine is a GCL ZJ from 1997 instead of one of those fancy 2000 jobs.

It could be worse.

My 16-year-old was driving it local last month when the front left brake line rusted through. He didn't hit anything.

I fixed it. Three days later, he was driving it local when the left rear corner rusted through.

He didn't hit anything, and I fixed it, but he won't drive it any more. (We have always had a ratty E90 sedan for the kids to drive, but he's too humble to be seen in it. At least, he was.)

Chrysler used this wire-wrapped armored brake line that just serves to trap moisture up in the line so it rusts, and then completely conceal the line from adequate visual inspection.

Anyway, I say GET SWAPPING. These cars become members of the family. You can't ask him to take it for the last ride to the vet. He's gotta get there himself.

And think about doing the hard lines with new PolyArmor while you're down there.

In reply to ManhattanM (fka NY535iManual):

Well if you're going the Edelbrock head route, you know you're gonna need to build a 4.6 stroker block to make it worthwhile...

I say do a head swap and keep on truckin. These cars are cool and going up in value. If they keep it another few years its value will probably go up during that time way more than the repair itself will cost. Plus mom likes it?