Jeep cherokee kj 2.8 crd 2005 CRANKSHAFT PROBLEM

[Kujtim]

Hello all,

I hope you are all having a great day. I am a new member in this forum so I apologize if I am not posting my question/problem in the appropriate section.

So here is the deal. I have a Jeep Cherokee KJ 2.8 CRD 2005 and I've been having consistent problems with my crankshaft. It is the third time that my crankshaft has cracked and it is really annoying to deal every month or two with the same problem. The first two times the crankshaft has cracked on the left side(You can find the photo of the crankshaft cracked on the left side in the attachment). Yesterday the same problem happened but this time the crankshaft has cracked on the right side. Now here is where it gets really frustrating, after purchasing and changing two crankshafts, the mechanics say that they really don't have a clue on what is causing the crankshaft to crack.
Since the mechanics are out of options, I decided to write to the forum and check if anybody had the same or similar problem and what was your way of dealing with it. I would really appreciate any insights that I could get because it really doesn't seem logical to change the crankshaft every month or two. I suspect that there should be something else that is causing the crankshaft to crack this often.

Thanks in advance.

 

[TorrentIV]

*not a helpful post*
Jfc I didn't know that was a thing that could happen
*End of useless post*
Out of curiosity, what are the signs of a cracked shaft?

 

[Billwill]

Where are you located seeing as you call it a "Cherokee"?

My 2002 Export 2.5L CRD is also called a Cherokee here in SA.

Does the engine run smooth with a new crankshaft installed.

Counter Balance shaft installed correctly?
The local agents here installed the balance shaft slightly off so I had a very rough engine!
They claimed that there are two slots for the Counter Balance Shaft to be aligned with..one for the 2.5L motor and one for the 2.8L motor slightly apart. They used the wrong slot to fit the alignment pin!

Rubber damper on front of crank in good shape?

Are the Mechanics tightening everything down using the correct torque values!

You can download the 2005 Jeep KJ Service Manual here:

www.colorado4wheel.com/manuals/Jeep/KJ/

Might be worth your while to find a used engine or block.

 

[turblediesel]

Unusual. The bottom end of the CRD is normally not a problem unless pieces from the top get in there. Harmonic balancers have gone bad but I've never heard of one breaking the crank.

 

[Kujtim]

Where are you located seeing as you call it a "Cherokee"?

My 2002 Export 2.5L CRD is also called a Cherokee here in SA.

Does the engine run smooth with a new crankshaft installed.

Counter Balance shaft installed correctly?
The local agents here installed the balance shaft slightly off so I had a very rough engine!
They claimed that there are two slots for the Counter Balance Shaft to be aligned with..one for the 2.5L motor and one for the 2.8L motor slightly apart. They used the wrong slot to fit the alignment pin!

Rubber damper on front of crank in good shape?

Are the Mechanics tightening everything down using the correct torque values!

You can download the 2005 Jeep KJ Service Manual here:

www.colorado4wheel.com/manuals/Jeep/KJ/

Might be worth your while to find a used engine or block.

Hi Bill,

I am located in Kosovo, Europe.

All of the things you mentioned were correctly set in place.

As an end result, we are thinking of buying a used engine.

Thanks, again

All the best

Kujtimi

 

[Kujtim]

Unusual. The bottom end of the CRD is normally not a problem unless pieces from the top get in there. Harmonic balancers have gone bad but I've never heard of one breaking the crank.

Yes, it is unusual indeed. :A

 

[turblediesel]

You might want to look at a post on LOSTJEEPS by CaptainDean on 3 July 2019 about proper assembly of the crank bearing carriers. Apparently it can go together wrong and block the oil supply to the crank bearings. Maybe your mechanic got it wrong.