Overheating issue on a 99'

TheBoogieman

TheBoogieman

Disturbed Jeepaholic
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Jan 1, 2019
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CharlottesHELL, VA
On my old 99' 4.0L, the PO replaced the water pump, radiator, thermostat and hoses a year before I bought it. I put about 30,000 miles on it (1 year) when the water pump failed and the radiator cracked. I figured the PO installed some cheap Chinese crap, so I used a Mopar pump, radiator and flushed the system with a good chemical flush. One year later (after I sold it) it overheated and needed a new water pump, radiator, head and gasket. Is something wrong with the Jeep or maybe it had a tiny head gasket leak that caused the previous overheating issues? I'm only asking because I was thinking of buying it back. Thanks for any insight.
 
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Some 99s have the 0331 head, so maybe it cracked? Did it have a distributor or coil rail?
 
Coolant is like sand, if the Jeep needed a head and gasket that means it probably ran with coolant in the oil for some time. That's not good for the bottom end and neither is overheating a few times. Personally I'd skip it unless the cost of a replacement block doesn't ruin the deal. The bottom end might be very tired at this point.

As far as overheating you know the drill, it is normally just a leak, thermostat or fan clutch. Not really much else to it. Once somebody else is driving the Jeep it's difficult to say what they were paying attention to and what they ignored.
 
It has a distributor. I think I'm going to pass, since I don't know the extent of any other damage or how long he ran it after it overheated. When I had it, I shut it down the second it passed 225. He won't give me a price either. He asked me what I thought.
 
TheBoogieman said:
It has a distributor. I think I'm going to pass, since I don't know the extent of any other damage or how long he ran it after it overheated. When I had it, I shut it down the second it passed 225. He won't give me a price either. He asked me what I thought.
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Did you buy it new?

If not...then you've no idea what the PO did or didn't do to it...but you bought it...

If you like it enough to buy it back...
Get it.

If not...don't.

Being skeptical on what if's...i can't live like that.

Besides...the TJ...cheapest easiest vehicle to swap an engine
4.0's all over the place with a ton of life left cheap...if it's so stressful what this person did.... just allow an extra grand in your negotiation for an engine.
Possibly you may never need one.
 
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