M1-204A. Return and get OEM? 1997 Jeep 4.0 150k miles

[Kruse]

I'm not a Jeep man at all, but I've owned four 4.0 Jeeps from about the same era as your vehicle. (Two '96 Cherokees, a '98 Grand Cherokee and a '99 Cherokee)
IMO, the brand of oil filter is the least of your concerns. If you have a Mobil oil filter, run it. If you have a Wix, Fram, or just about any other brand, just run it. There are always suggestions to run a bigger filter. I feel it's just not worth it. Run your PH16-sized filter (what the factory calls for) and leave the PH8A-sized filter on the shelf. Worry more about the 90° filter adapter, the rear main seal or the valve cover leaking oil. Worry more about the piston skirt that might break off.
If a certain brand of oil filter construction worries you, alternate brands between each oil change. Just drive. You've got a large fraction of the automotive population putting millions of miles with quickie-lube filters (not me! ) and they are doing just fine.

 

[mattwithcats]

The Mopar M0-090 and Mopar 5281090AB are the same filter…

Note the 090 at the end…

 

[OLEJOE]

I thought the 4.0 I-6 cam was gear driven and no chain. I may be remembering this wrong since it has been a looong time since I had one apart.

 

[Kruse]

I thought the 4.0 I-6 cam was gear driven and no chain. I may be remembering this wrong since it has been a looong time since I had one apart.

One good thing about RockAuto is that they show pictures of the parts. Go on the site and it will show photos of the cam gear, crankshaft gear, the chain wiper and the chain.

 

[Furious]

I went ahead and stuck the Mobil one filter in. Engine did not disintegrate or melt on startup, and has some oil pressure. Old Jeep moves, as slowly as usual. I guess everything will be OK.

Thanks everyone.

Of course it didn't, it's a 4.0.

Don't forget the HPL

 

[bullwinkle]

My son once got the '98 4.0 XJ so hot in a traffic jam in 95F weather the ENGINE LOCKED UP!! 2 hours & 2 quarts of oil later, it started and ran like nothing ever happened! (And, yes, I ran OG Ultra XG8A filters & 10W40 in it the old high mileage beast) It ran until the body started to rust in half, guy bought it for a trail rig/farm truck. Last I heard, he ripped the receiver hitch off it pulling a 10K backhoe on a trailer. Still running, though!

 

[Aston4]

My son once got the '98 4.0 XJ so hot in a traffic jam in 95F weather the ENGINE LOCKED UP!! 2 hours & 2 quarts of oil later, it started and ran like nothing ever happened! (And, yes, I ran OG Ultra XG8A filters & 10W40 in it the old high mileage beast) It ran until the body started to rust in half, guy bought it for a trail rig/farm truck. Last I heard, he ripped the receiver hitch off it pulling a 10K backhoe on a trailer. Still running, though!

Yeah I also have an XJ with the same motor as the TJ. The XJ cooling system is garbage.

 

[Aston4]

I'm not a Jeep man at all, but I've owned four 4.0 Jeeps from about the same era as your vehicle. (Two '96 Cherokees, a '98 Grand Cherokee and a '99 Cherokee)
IMO, the brand of oil filter is the least of your concerns. If you have a Mobil oil filter, run it. If you have a Wix, Fram, or just about any other brand, just run it. There are always suggestions to run a bigger filter. I feel it's just not worth it. Run your PH16-sized filter (what the factory calls for) and leave the PH8A-sized filter on the shelf. Worry more about the 90° filter adapter, the rear main seal or the valve cover leaking oil. Worry more about the piston skirt that might break off.
If a certain brand of oil filter construction worries you, alternate brands between each oil change. Just drive. You've got a large fraction of the automotive population putting millions of miles with quickie-lube filters (not me! ) and they are doing just fine.

Please never mention piston skirts. I don't need that kind of low level continuous stress in my life.

 

[jeepman3071]

Yeah I also have an XJ with the same motor as the TJ. The XJ cooling system is garbage.

The XJ cooling system was marginal when it was new. Add some age, rust build-up in the system, and things like failing fan clutches and plugged radiators and they overheat super easily. Every 4.0L I've owned and my friends have owned has gotten a coolant filter, since most were bought used and even after continuous flushes the coolant ends up rusty a few months later.

As for piston skirts, it is a rare issue. Much more rare than the dreaded cracked cylinder head which isn't all that common.

 

[Aston4]

The XJ cooling system was marginal when it was new. Add some age, rust build-up in the system, and things like failing fan clutches and plugged radiators and they overheat super easily. Every 4.0L I've owned and my friends have owned has gotten a coolant filter, since most were bought used and even after continuous flushes the coolant ends up rusty a few months later.

As for piston skirts, it is a rare issue. Much more rare than the dreaded cracked cylinder head which isn't all that common.

I had a momentary overheat in the XJ, about 4 years ago, ok a LONG uphill, over 100F, in Utah, at 85mph. It was my own fault. My coolant mix was probably 70-80% water (long story), and when it hit 230F on the gauge, I had instant flash boilover, sudden pegging of the temp gauge, steam all over the place, spewing coolant out of the reservoir, and instant drop of oil pressure to zero (it was only about 10 lbs going up that hill). I shut it down instantly, let it cool off for a few hours on the side of the interstate, dumped in some bottled water I had, and continued on without issue since it was dark outside and only in the 80s. That was about 30,000 miles ago, and the engine is the same as it ever was, around 170K miles now. I also switched to 10w40 after that, which keeps oil pressure up a lot better.

That entirely cast iron pig of an engine is a very special pig. An aluminum engine would have taken major damage. They definitely don't make them like that any more.

The great tradgedy of our time, is so many of those old 4.0s were deliberately destroyed in cash for clunkers.