Help!  I have a YJ that is suffering from no more "pickup" on the
freeway, except when really punched, terrible mileage (was 13.5 to 14
mpg, now 9.8 mpg), and load exhaust noise in my manifold that sounds
like a cracked pipe (but is not).  I thought that I'd be changing out
the Banks TorqueTube header for the fourth time, but no, it's just my
exhaust is loud in my manifold, probably because my (ex) mechanic
indicates that #3 and #4 lifters are sticking and slow responding.  I
took the Jeep in because they advised me that a slow oil leak under my
engine was a rear main about to go out.  So when this engine noise added
itself to my recently poor mileage (which changing plugs did not
affect), I decided to throw some money at the YJ and get it fixed.  They
pulled the valve cover off, ID'd noisy and sticking lifters, and one
that tapped loud, only one in a while, (sounding like the engine wanted
to throw a rod), and decided that since the lifters and valves could not
be serviced from above, that they'd just button it up again (1 hr. labor
+ gasket), because they didn't want to pull the head and have it worked
on, since it might cause other problems.  Hmmm...

They went ahead and changed the rear main seals (another $350 or so
labor), upper and lower, buttoned everything up, and got it back to me
(after one day rental car, my wallet).  Next day, same oil leak.    Took
it back.  They thought that the oil pan gasket didn't seal, and resealed
it.  Gave it back to me.  Next day it leaked.  Took it back.

Gee, it wasn't the rear main seal after all.  Turns out, they tell me,
that the back of the block on my 4.0L has oil plugs, and that one or
both of those were leaking.  (They actually implied that the rear main
seal job wasn't necessary)  Have to pull my tranny back to get to those
plugs.  Another rental car, another day.  Get the bad news that my local
Jeep dealer service department jacked up my tranny filler tube when they
serviced it three and a half years ago, breaking off the tip up to the
O-ring, inserting it deeper into the bell housing, and Permatexing the
crap out of the junction.  Turns out my tranny dipstick sits 2.5" deeper
than it should for the past 3.5 years, now my tranny fluid looks like
old engine oil, and they must service my tranny, since they're already
there.  New filler tube and diptsick, new day of rental car, probably
another $350 labor.  Next day, turns out oil plugs are fine, no leak.
Small tranny leak "squirting" onto rear of engine block, looking like
engine oil leak.  Will they eat the rear main job and dicking around
with the oil plugs?  Yeah, right.

Finally got my YJ back.  Still sounds like sh!t (just like a badly
cracked manifold), noisy and embarrassing as hell, with a "put-put"
quality to the noise that makes me feel like I'm driving an Autopia car
at the happiest Place on Earth, still has crappy mileage, and is no
longer an enjoyable ride.  I just put new 33s and AR rims on it,
installed new Warn bumpers front and rear (including tire carrier custom
modified to hold trail rack), and looked forward to enjoying my YJ this
summer.  Since I got my YJ back from the shop two weeks ago, I put 28
miles on it driving it back home, and haven't moved it since.  Extreme
depression going on over here.  I'm now driving my '99 durango to and
from work, and with its 5.2L RAM V-8, I'm getting 13.5 to 15 mpg.  It's
now cheaper to drive my gas guzzling Durango than my straight six 4.0L
YJ.  When I finally got the bill, I was shocked.  They actually charged
me for everything.  Slightly over $1,250, as I recall.  I went from
feeling like I was in very trusted hands, to feeling like hands were in
my back pocket.  Funny, the owner had the conscience to call me on the
phone a few days later (since I work next door), and ask why I wasn't
driving the YJ.  I tried to be polite to him, but I wanted to chew him a
new MAck truck sized rear main seal.

So here's my dilemma.  Do I get have the valves pulled and sent out, or
will this really cause me more problems down the trail?  I take care of
this Jeep like you can't imagine, and the mechanic next door knows it.
It looks relatively new, but it's a '93 with about 189K on it.  Only
work ever done inside was a manifold cleanout before replacing it three
times.  Any advice here is appreciated.  I need to get this smogged and
registered in the next week or two.  Sorry to bring such a lame story to
the group.  I'm really bummed out.

Please e-mail me, since I don't visit here very often anymore (too many
good memories, and lately way too much crap about goats).  Thanks.

Regards,

Doug Gavilanes
Garden Grove, CA.