1998 Jeep ZJ Limited won't start
 

Helping a friend fix up a 1998 Jeep 5.9 Limited we scored off CL for $400.00. Truck overall is in great condition and I couldn't believe people came to look at it and never bought it before we rolled up.

Started it up and the seller was "shocked" of coolant belching out the front of the motor. Drivers door was destroyed, HVAC blower didn't work. Otherwise it seemed totally legit. The truck was his daughters who decided to slam the drivers door repeatedly when it wouldn't close, ended up ripping the latch out of the inside of the door frame destroying it.


We determined after getting the truck home coolant was coming between the front timing cover and the block. Ripped it all apart and discovered the timing chain was VERY sloppy (178k miles) so that was replaced. I wasn't present when he put the chain and rest of the vehicle back together so not really sure if something might've gone wrong.



Thats all it'll do now. That screams ignition timing is off to me. Manged to locate a FSM online which says the base timing is not adjustable. WTF were those fuckers at Chrylser thinking?? Guess we're gonna pull it back apart and make sure the timing set is lined up correctly.. Anyone have any experience with the Chrysler 5.9 not starting after a timing set replacement?

The good news is no more coolant leak.. haha

So coolant coming from between timing cover and block... so the sloppy timing chain was replaced? I mean yea replace the chain, but what happened to the leak?

Def sounds like timing is shit. Is that an interference engine?

Coolant was leaking from between the block and timing cover. While there, he noticed the timing chain was VERY loose. Like, he could lift it almost 1/4" off the upper sprocket..

New gasket and sealant fixed the leak, now it just won't stay running for very long. No idea if its an interference engine or not.

just swap in a 2jz. be a boss.

My first step would be to verify the chain was indeed installed correctly.

To ad some humor to this thread, I was like a Jeep ZJ? What's a Z J?
Then I thought of this...

Okay, we ripped it back apart lastnight and here is the timing set:

http://i53.tinypic.com/wi1uvm.jpg

If that isn't lined up correctly then the Sky isn't blue and Chlorophyll doesn't make some plants green. Still doesn't start. We ripped the PCM out of this truck and installed in another 1998 5.9 limited and let it rip with no issues. We're completely out of ideas. This truck ran fine until we replaced the timing chain and it makes no fucking sense at all. Has fuel pressure, the pump runs when you key-on, its getting spark, there are no sensors on the front of the motor which maybe didn't get hooked back up.......WHAT THE FUCK!?!?!?!?!?

is there a distributor?

sounds like that's the issue.

WAIT.

I may be wrong on this, BUT I do believe the distributor must be lined up correctly for the thing to start and run. (this is assuming that it has one) Timing isn't adjustable but the distributor is essentially the cam signal for the PCM and I don't think it likes when the crank and cam signal aren't synchronized.

This is based completely on memory so take what I'm saying with a grain of salt.

I believe there is even a code for crank/cam signal out of sync/correlation error...I'd hook up a scanner, see if you can look at live data and see anything funny.

Jesus.....I don't even want to post this..



We're completely out of options. I pressed down the schrader valve on the fuel rail to see if anything came out while he switched the key on. A little dribbled out, but the pump was running to prime. Swapped to the other 5.9 and performed the same test to have fuel spray all over the place.

I beat on the gas tank which sounded, well, empty. Guess the fuel sending unit doesn't work either. :facepalm: Shows a half tank of fuel. Put 10 gallons of fuel in it and fired right up. Thanks for the replies everyone, the beast is now alive!!!

hahahhahahahhahahahahaha, I did the SAME thing with my Miata. it took me hours to realize I wasn't hearing the usual buzz of the Walboro and, to be quite honest, I was drunk as all hell.

Yeah. My only comment was "Really??" :facepalm:

not much you can do at that point except drive to Cabella's and buy some $3.79 steel-cased Russian ammo for all your bros at MT :)

I had a similar truck (97' Dakota 5.2), have fun replacing the bushings!

Their case is completely full of the Roooski steel cased stuff but its back to $5.99 a box. :vash: I've got my eye on it and when they go back down I'm gonna jump all over that shit

Bushings? We don't need no stinkin' bushings!

I've got cash sitting in my Paypal ready to rock.

I just did this two days ago with my miata. Put all the harness back on hooked up the ecu and cranked and cranked. Got a little sputter checked the harness and then same thing shot starter fluid in it and it spun over. It was not until another 30 minutes later of checking connectors did I think to pour gas in it.lol

:laugh: