Maintaining my 1998 Jeep Cherokee: Engine work on the old SUV continues

On earlier Jeep engines, the head gasket was symmetrical so you could install it upside down. Mine is not.

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Work on the Jeep continues, but slowly. This is the boring bit, cleaning everything. Which no matter how you do it, means lots of elbow grease.

I work on it for a maximum of 2 hours a day. For three reasons. One, I have an ongoing issue with a tennis elbow in my right arm. Endless back-and-forth moments (e.g. scrapping, polishing) will set it off big time.

I also use some cleaning liquids, such as WD40, thinner and so on. I don't want to be standing in those fumes for too long.

Thirdly, it is really boring stuff and 2 hours per day is the maximum boredom I can handle.

Did a couple of other jobs as well. Unpacked the packing set (pardon the pun) and compared it to the old ones. It looks like they will fit perfectly.

Note, on complicated gaskets such as the cylinder head gasket and the in-outlet header gasket, you need to make sure you put them back in the correct orientation. On earlier Jeep engines the head gasket was symmetrical so you could install it upside down. Mine is not, so it is obvious how to install it.

However, the in-outlet header gasket is not symmetrical. And there is only one way to install it properly. So the manufacturers put directions on the gasket on which end it needs to face. Very handy!

I have also been on the search for a tap for the threaded holes in the engine block. I want to run a tap through them. Finding what size bolt and what kind of thread was a bit of thing. I had to resort to Facebook and Jeep forums. Many opinions, but few know for sure.

I also learned some more stuff on American threads. Apparently, all those SAE, UNC, and UNF are now rolled up into one standard, UTS. However, nobody sells UTS taps. So I had to measure the bolt diameter, count the number of threads per inch and use a table to figure out this appears to be UNC 1/2" x 13.

Although at first glance it might appear very similar to the British (Empire) Withworth thread it is not.

Got myself a set of nice taps at HBM.

I also figured out a way to get my torque wrench on the final bolt. That is sort of hidden under a part of the chassis. We got it out and got the socket with ratchet on underneath. But all my torque wrenches are a bit thicker. So it won't fit. I took some measurements. I will cut off a bit of the thread at the topside of that bolt (see the above image). That thread sticks out of the cylinder head and is only used to attach stuff to, e.g. brackets for other components. But nothing is attached to that last bolt other than an earth strap. I will move that over to the other bolt.

Bought some more scrapers, various sizes too.

It is beginning to look the part. But I figure I will need another 2-3 2 hour session before it is really done.

The Lancia Deidra of spanner mate Peter failed its annual MOT. Play in one of the rear wheel bearings. Peter is coming round next week. He has already bought new bearings for both sides. He also managed to figure out that those nuts holding the bearings need to be torqued up to 350 Nm. That is a lot of torques!

I will need to borrow the very large torque wrench from neighbour Jack again.

I have also ordered the new engine oil (6l) and two oil filters. Also 12 liters of coolant. And a tube of Locktite 592. That one-cylinder bolt head standing in the coolant needs to be fitted with Locktite 592.

I ordered two oil filters. I plan on changing the filter after a few 100 kilometres or so. Just to be safe. With all this cleaning some debris is likely to end up in the engine. Can't be helped. But it will eventually end up in the oil filter. So one extra oil filter change seems appropriate.

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