Not Raptor - Dealer Cracked Head in JK During Routine Repair - Any Advice?

[BendSprinter]

Need advice - mods feel free to move couldn’t figure out where to put it but hoping for some advice.

Took 2014 Wrangler (24k miles) to Jeep for oil sender unit replacement. Common repair for this year. Dealer “does them all the time”.

Repair is done after some usually Jeep Service Writer bull****. (If you ever get frustrated with Ford buy a Jeep- you will think Ford is amazing) Bring the Jeep out front and it dies. Smells like gas and won’t restart. They push it back in and 30 minutes later tell me the tech must have dropped a bolt into cylinder 5 and it has cracked the head.

They are replacing the head and I will have a 2 year warranty on the parts from the repair. Is this the right fix, are there more precautions I should take, I am pretty naive when it comes to engine internals and repairs like this.

I’m pretty disappointed since now the selling process is going to involve this story which will certainly lower buyer confidence. I was planning on selling after the initial repair already.

 

[757Nomad]

Make sure the piston and cylinder wall are still in good shape. If he dropped a bolt into the into the head and someone cranked the engine, it could have damaged the piston as well. My .02

 

[jzweedyk]

I agree Jeep dealer service is not great. I have had many Jeeps and only found one dealer that has a good department. (and I travel all over the country)

If it cracked a head, there is a good probability that other damage was done as well. At the least the piston will be scarred. My 2 cents.

 

[EricM]

Don't buy Chrysler products in the future is my advice.

 

[Truckzor]

Tell them you want to see the piston and cylinder wall. There's no way they aren't damaged.

 

[zemuron99]

Agree. Have them bore-scope the cylinder when the piston is at BDC (Bottom dead center) so you can see the entire cylinder wall. Look at the top of the piston VERY closely for cracks. If there's much carbon on the top they may be hard to see so a leak-down test in there is probably a good idea as well both when cold and when hot. If it cracked the head it may have done a lot of damage to the piston-I can't imagine they're that much stronger than the head, but might be wrong on that. If/when you do take it back, watch oil consumption very closely, and pull the spark plug every 1000 miles or so to check for oil/fuel fouling.

I'm not sure how/why for an oil sender they'd even be able to get anything inside the cylinder. Typically these senders are mounted on the side of the engine to read pressure in the oil galley/passages. To get something inside the cylinder they'd have needed to pull the spark plug(s). Why would they even need to do that for an oil pressure sender? Is it in a weird location on top of the engine? Also, I'd think a bolt in a cylinder would have made a hellacious noise when running. How did it sound before it died?

 

[TexasTexas95]

Yea....Like Jeep is gonna let anyone (consumer Joe) come in there and start commanding to look at cylinder walls and want leak down tests and this that and the other. I have two Chrysler’s, a Jeep Grand Cherokee and a Ram 2500. The Jeep when under warranty was the absolute biggest nightmare. I hate how they (Chrysler dealerships) operate. I can’t wait to sell the Jeep.

 

[BendSprinter]

Thank you all for the advice!

The oil sender for the JK involves removing the manifold and a bunch of other nonsense is my understanding from the “internet”. The parts list showed (6) intake manifold gaskets and (6) intake plenum gaskets. Again given my engine knowledge might have well said (6) diamonds-

Will continue to push having them document and check out all parts thoroughly. I don’t have the ability to hang around and look over their work (not to mention I wouldn’t know what to look for). They are the only Jeep Dealer within 200 miles so have to rely on them to fix.

Anyone want to buy a beautiful Jeep, 24k miles on 5 heads and 0 on one.

Sincerely - thanks for the advice!

 

[pastorwug]

My experience with our local Jeep dealer was far from ever being good. They hire High School graduates that end up ******** everything up and then attempt to blame it on a mod or on the owner.
NEVER go to a dealership (jeep) for anything, including oil changes!

Off Road Evolution in Fullerton, CA - the best fabricators, suspension and maintenance shop I have ever found for Jeeps.

 

[757Nomad]

Thank you all for the advice!

The oil sender for the JK involves removing the manifold and a bunch of other nonsense is my understanding from the “internet”. The parts list showed (6) intake manifold gaskets and (6) intake plenum gaskets. Again given my engine knowledge might have well said (6) diamonds-

Will continue to push having them document and check out all parts thoroughly. I don’t have the ability to hang around and look over their work (not to mention I wouldn’t know what to look for). They are the only Jeep Dealer within 200 miles so have to rely on them to fix.

Anyone want to buy a beautiful Jeep, 24k miles on 5 heads and 0 on one.

Sincerely - thanks for the advice!

Yup, based on your description I can guess the tech pulled the manifold and lost a bolt into the head. Probably tried to fish it out with a magnet and couldn't get it and it found its way into a cylinder. When he couldn't get it out, prayed it wasn't in a cylinder and buttoned the motor back up. Then, click tang ping BOOM. Cracked head and probably torn up piston, cylinder wall, and valves.

Losing a bolt while the top end is opened up is scary. Nobody likes to pull a head when you don't have to. *top tip, always tape over any hole that leads to the valve train or cylinders when the manifold is off*

Good luck and keep an eye on your oil consumption and tailpipe for blueish smoke.