'98 Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited - What to look for when buying?

[highoctane]

Looking at picking up a '98 Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited that is for sale locally as a small project/dd. I know the viscous coupling inside the transfer case is a common problem on these, and is prone to locking into 4wd permanently. Aside from that, are there any things I should look for on a high mileage ZJ that would be a deal breaker? It does have high mileage, 181k miles, and judging by the pics looks like it's been well taken care of and unmodified. Very clean inside and out, with very minimal wear on the interior, and the paint looks great. It will be a project vehicle, but I don't want to lift it or dump a bunch of money into it. Just looking for a fun Jeep DD. Thanks in advance for any tips. :beer:

 

[tastethebeast]

Looking at picking up a '98 Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited that is for sale locally as a small project/dd. I know the viscous coupling inside the transfer case is a common problem on these, and is prone to locking into 4wd permanently. Aside from that, are there any things I should look for on a high mileage ZJ that would be a deal breaker? It does have high mileage, 181k miles, and judging by the pics looks like it's been well taken care of and unmodified. Very clean inside and out, with very minimal wear on the interior, and the paint looks great. It will be a project vehicle, but I don't want to lift it or dump a bunch of money into it. Just looking for a fun Jeep DD. Thanks in advance for any tips. :beer:

I really miss my ZJ's and I can tell you from experience that the 5.2 and 5.9 engines are solid! I put well over 100k on both of mine before I sold them for my first JK. One problem I had twice on the 5.2 was the water pump. Kept going out or leaking at the seal. I had a good shop install it both times so I feel like it may be a common problem with the OEM part. Aside from that, make sure that the fuel injectors were replaced fairly recently because not only are they expensive, but they seem to go out every 80k like clockwork. Happened on both of our Grands! The 5.9 is fast especially with the full time 4wd! No transfer case issues to speak of and the only thing I replaced was the front driveshaft after lifting it 2 inches. (I smacked it on a rock and had some nasty vibration after that.) Hope this helps!

 

[Bustedback]

The 5.9 ZJ is a rare beast with only a little over 14,000 made. Rust and electrical issues would be the main concern. The engine is almost bulletproof, but did have cylinder head cracking problems and the plenum plate on the intake will suck oil into the intake. The cylinder head cracks won't cause any water or oil leaks, you will get misfire codes due to lower compression in the effected cylinders.