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Murray, my partner's 2003 4.0 Jeep Wrangler, went into the shop and came out with a diagnosis of fragmented #2 piston. We opted out of resolving the issue, as after 225,000 miles it's outlived its purpose of reliable daily driver. As it has been parked in the driveway, I can hear it beckoning. I've done an engine swap before, and with some upcoming time off it sounds like it may be meant to be. I'm trying to decide between two options. I could do an overhaul of existing engine if the block isn't borked. This would be new territory for me, but overhaul kits are affordable and it would be fun. I am concerned that I might be setting myself up to get stuck if any machining is required. I don't have the tools for that. Second option is to throw money at it with a reman unit. I don't want to find out at the end that this chassis has succumbed to some common Jeep problem that ends up turning this whole thing into a huge waste of money and time. What should I be on the lookout for, and what is the best option for a shade tree mechanic that isn't in a hurry?
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Jun 29, 2023 17:58
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| # ¿ May 10, 2024 02:54 |
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kastein posted:If you caught it at the mild tapping point of piston disintegration you can likely rebuild it It had been tapping for a month or two. I could tell it was getting worse so I said it better get looked at before a $300 problem turns into a $3000 problem. This is what the shop sent us - https://imgur.com/H4TE1NS https://imgur.com/O733jSU I'm not familiar enough to know if that's mild or not. I can't imagine that kind of damage not having some impact on the cylinder walls, though. This is a fantastic info dump and I'm super grateful. Time to start disassembling and see what the options are.
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Jun 29, 2023 20:54
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I couldn't wait for my time off. With some incremental progress on nights and weekends, I'm happy to report Murray lives! Thanks to all for the advice, especially kastein. Here's the offending piston, on the precipice of causing some very serious problems.  I went buck wild on disassembly, so I'll need to recharge the ac, and the shop that diagnosed unceremoniously chopped up the back half of the exhaust. I don't blame them. It was junk. I'll find a way to resolve those issues once I can drive it without the feeling of impending doom. The exhaust I could probably bodge, but I'll probably have to ask around or take it in for the ac. I'd like to vacuum check, and I don't trust the little refill cans. Especially for filling it up from empty. I thought this process might convert me into a Jeep guy, but it hasn't sunk in. It is an absolutely delightful little contraption, though, and super satisfying to work on.
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Jul 19, 2023 00:11
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