do i have a blown headgasket?

[thumpher30]

i have a 89 cherokee laredo with 200 plus miles on it .i noticed a few weeks ago after i had the clutch completely redone i started to have sputtering problems.the is the first time i noticed this.i saw what looked like a creamy coffee residue coming from the front of the valve cover.flowing into the air filter i cleaned the hose out but havent seen the mixture since i have not driven the truck but i let it idle for awhile also noticed the engine getting warmer then usual. i check the thermostat and to my surprise it did not have one so i put one in,now i have a cracked thermostat housing and also noticed no water flowing through my top radiator hose,sorry so long but this is where i am now. i am going to replace the housing and waterpump asap any suggestions from there,

[jaykaye12]

check your dipstick and if there is a cloudy substance on it, then you most likely either have a cracked cylinder head or head gasket. The cloudy stuff is antifreeze which has seeped into the engine and drained down to your oilpan.

[thumpher30]

thats the thing i see no residue looks clean no oil in the water resevoir hope i spelled that correct

[jaykaye12]

hya thumpher,

well, if there ain't any cloudy white stuff on your dipstick, then it probably is your waterpump, which is the lesser of the 2 evils, in my opinion. As for the coffee residue, i replaced the valve cover on my jeep cherokee and found something that looked like coffee grounds coating the inside. That was the previous owner who apparently never did oil changes. A friend told me a good way to clean this up was to wipe as much as possible out of the valve cover area, reseal it, put a bottle of Auto Tran fluid in it, drive for about 30 mins, then get a complete oil change done. Apparently the ATF helps to break down the buildup. I was a bit nervous about doing it at first, but so far no harm done.
i don't know if that helps at all. good luck.
jay

[thumpher30]

i am going do a pressure test from the resevoir this weekend just to check,then i will look at the water pump things for the suggestion

[Krazed Jeep]

the creamy residue in the hose is most likely for condensation in the engine. it is not unusual to find it in the pcv hose going to the air filter box, or on the inside of the valve cover. If your dipstick looks good and you don't have oil in the antifreeze you should be alright. As for the heating problem I am at a loss for an easy solution for you, check you levels and make sure you don't have an air lock ( air in the cooling system ). There are a few posts on this forum to help eliminate the air lock. Good luck hope this helps.