'89 XJ 4.0 head gasket installaton

Deereman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2008
Location
Archdale
Ok guys, as the title says, I have an 89 XJ with the 4.0. It has been sitting for a month or two because of overheating issues. I got a buddy of mine who is a mechanic(bullardbs) come by and check it out. After some investigation, we found out the head gasket was blown, so now I have to put in a new head gasket. Any tips or pointers on this would be very appreciated since I have never tackled anything like this. Thanks in advance, Jon(deereman)
 
Fairly straight forward repair. The exhaust bolts on the bottom of the exhauust manifold can be a real pain in the ass. Especially the middle one on the bottom. It's just real hard to get to. Check youtube for a video
 
Best to have a buddy to help because the head is heavy. The back head-bolt on the driver side wont come out due the firewall and you need have that in the head to re-install it all. Oh and the front driver side head-bolt has a different torque setting then the rest due to the water jacket, Best to put a little sealant on that bolt too
 
Dont forget the sealant on the front right head bolt. It protrudes into the water jacket. Pretty easy job, just take your time and get everything clean.
 
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