Sir Sam

Ya it did, I was considering having to buy rosette rivets to get it to look OEM, I'm glad I didn't.

Logistics of getting my plates on it, getting it to the muffler shop, alignment etc, time is running out fast if I want to use it for my July 4th timeframe. I also have to travel for work next week, so I will lose some work time from that trip. Still that being said, I got the doors mounted, adjusted, and the newer style striker patches installed. So here we are, working doors: https://youtu.be/ndVGthPadpY

Yes it is! Getting closer everyday to be ready! Here is another small step to being ready from this afternoon: https://youtu.be/3ZGgI2-EG04

With the help of freerider(thanks again!) I got the WJ steering arms shortened and reinforced after cutting about 4.5” out of the middle. Also got the raised sway bar link brackets welded. Got everything in And hooked up, rough aligned, and took it for a spin around the circle. It runs, steers and stops! Drivetrain is nearly done. Making progress! https://youtu.be/tbqe9X9Zpts

I will strongly disagree with this. For real wheeling I think the auto performs better. Being able to crawl with the auto vs needing three feet in a manual is what sells it for me. Had both, done both, for a rig I take wheeling its auto. If I had a jeep that was mostly daily driver duty, I would enjoy the manual. Bear in mind that most of my vehicles are manuals, and its just the XJ, MJ, and KJ that are auto.

They know how to get people to spend money. I've considered a new Jeep for years, and with the Diesel Gladiator I just might do it. Maybe. But for years my frustration was having to spend the rubicon coin just to get a 44 front and elockers. I don't care about the transfer case, crappy stock skids, or any of that. I just want to know that I have reliable axles and E lockers. So for me to really get what I would want, I would have to drop the money on the Rubicon. If I got a sport or whatever and spent the nearly 2k on elockers.......well I'm almost to the point of rubicon anyway.

You can, and its called a Rubicon.

The Dana 35 was only in the 2doors in 07......which to be fair there were more 2 doors sold in 07 than any other year before Jeep wised up an realized that the 4 door was the bigger seller and to switch around production. Still, the 35 had no business in the TJ, especially when the 8.25 was available. In all seriousness the 8.25 for all TJs in the rear would have been great, and a decent 44 front option for the rubicon would have been nice. As is the TJ 44 front is barely anything about a D30, and commands just stupid high prices. The JK D44 front is far better.....but just not a bolt in to a TJ/XJ.

Ya its because they are going for the Max Tow rating, putting in a manual would mean a lower tow rating since the manuals cannot hold up to the task. Its also why the Manual Trans Diesel KJs were detuned to make less torque, so they wouldn't tear up the drivetrain. For better or worse, automatic transmissions have surpassed manuals in everything except fun-ness.

I also throw my hat in the ring for the C8.25 out of a 2003+ KJ. I just finished swapping mine in the stroker project and I have to say I think its about as easy as it comes. The brake cables work with the factory parking brake splitter/adjuster. The soft line mounted to the rear frame rails easily. The bracket to hold the soft line to the caliper worked perfectly to bolt to my perch. All in all about as easy as come for an axle with disk brakes. However the ford 8.8 is stronger, and does seem to have more aftermarket support, and is more readily available with 4.10s. So if you want 4.10s from the get go you don't have to mess with gears. Most KJs you will find have 3.55, the diesel XJs and diesel KJs had 3.73, and the 4 cyl KJs had 4.10s. 4 cyl KJs are fairly rare.

They are not used at all. The new Axles in the JLs and JTs share nothing with the previous generations of D30, D35, and D44. They still get referred to that way because people sort of know the name, but they are not. The standard front duty axle is the Dana M186. The Standard Duty Rear is the Dana M200. The Heavy Duty front is the Dana M210, and the Heavy Duty rear is the Dana M220. But thats not all! So Its even more complex! Gladiator gets the M210/M220 combo, but the rubicon gets the Wide track M210 front, and so does the sport max tow. So buying a gladiator sport with max tow gets you the rubicon axles, without the other rubicon stuff, for a bit cheaper. Gonna confusing for parts in the future making sure to get the right axles shafts.

Small progress tonight but still progress. I got the rear flex line mounted to the body, the last bit of brake line fabbed. I got the second WJ caliper drilled on 5x4.5. I got both calipers mounted, YJ brake lines bent to work with WJ calipers. Brake pads installed.Started putting fluid in the system. Both rear lines at caliper were leaking. Turns out I had them installed backwards so they did not tighten onto the crush washers correctly. I fixed that, had one more leak in the engine bay where the passenger line splits into two pieces near the heater hoses.And got it bled and working, brake pressure feels good.So hydraulic brakes work, parking brake works, ac works, heater works.Still no steering, track bar etc. work in progress.Doors need to be mounted, or rather mounted so I can get the striker figured out.Still the cab back wiring modifications needed. Plenty to do, but it’s getting closer.

Ok so no pics, but the AC is working! It held vacuum overnight, then I had to break the vacuum to add oil, then filled with some redtek r12. Its blowing cold and kicking on as it should. The charge of redtek is a little low, before I start driving it on the regular I will add some more, but in case I have to break the seal there is only one can in right now. Next up I pulled out my new tubing flare tool, The stainless line came in today so I got to making lines. It went pretty well and I got the rear axle lines made up to the T. Used the factory clip to put some hose around for anti rub like the factory did, then added a couple of more pieces further up for the same purpose: So tomorrow I will build the last bit of line from the Cherokee rear line which ends by the gas tank, to the rear softline. Also need to mount the softline to the frame.

I've posted it before here going back a decade or so. Last time I saw him I told him about comanche club but he didn't seem interested in swinging by.

Checking out the JKS spacer on the new unit bearing: Got the housing stripped out. New Bushing, but old balljoints. Nice being able to do this on a bench. Working on setting up gears, no idea at what point I was at with this and the bent carrier. When I ran to the junkyard I spotted this MJ, Ive seen him at the junkyards several times over the years, I don't think the last time I saw the jeep he had a 97/98 interior which is what he has now. Interesting way to plug the vacuum line when the reservoir is gone. Checking pinion angle: Checking driveshaft: Plenty of clearance: Got one rotor drilled, checking out the WJ big brakes: Sway bar link interference: Rear end removed for Perch welding by freerider: Empty again: Draining gear oil: Rusted bump stops, had to torch the hell outta them before they would break loose. Brakes are huge! Sitting back after perch welding: The used line is what was on the donor jeep, the brake line is pressed into the fitting, and the bent metal line is all sorts of wrong shapes to run to the T. Someone gave me these new rear lines some years back and luckily they are the perfect thing for what I need to do. So I drilled two holes, the keeper hole to keep it from spinning, and then the bolt hole which I tapped out to M6. Then I used the KJ stock retaining bracket. Very nice solution, about as easy as it gets. Now the stock KJ rear softline seems to be long enough if I make it reach the frame right above it. If it turns out to be too short then I will look at some other stock line for an extended rear line. I will either drill and tap, or use a nutsert if the frame is too thin there. Installed the last of the AC lines and pulled a vacuum, seems to be holding for the few hours I left it on, I will check again tomorrow and if it still holds I will charge the system and test. I really wanted to charge it tonight and try and test the AC system. I would love to know the AC system is working.

Driveshaft delayed untill monday. Also, fck fck fck fck fck. I have wasted so much time from this. Lost days to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z6JDgUxwj0

I had to open up the LCA bracket in the drop bracket to get the caster angle adjuster in place. Used a bolt and nut to "press" it apart. Worked pretty well. Drop brackets installed finally, control arms loosely bolted untill axle is in and I can torque them. No idea what this barcode was for, the newer jeeps don't have this: Masked off the vin plate, ready for paint: Looks so much better with fresh paint: Got the 20 ton harbor frieght press today: Rear seat bolts drilled: Heated seat install: Nice having a large benchtop to work on instead of working on the ground: Build time and date of seat: And back together: Freakin cig burns! Ugj. This is a super nice seat, 45k miles, from an 01, about as new as you can get. The vynil is in good shape, the foam is in great shape, the fabric is really nice(now that its cleaned), and it has the fukkin burn marks. It'll have to do for now untill I can figure out something nicer, but these burns are gonna bother me. 2door seat folding mechanism: Installed for testing! For the first time in a decade I got to sit in it! Video showing the seats a bit: So then I started building a harness to go from the simple overhead light to the console with compass. Had to splice in a plug since I didn't have an intact harness to swap in. And then tested the mini overhead console from the sunroof ZJ, and it works! Then I got to messing with this connector under the passenger seat: I always thought this connector was for power seats, but then it didn't make sense why it was under the passenger but not the driver, especially since the power driver seat was more common than the dual power seats. The dual power seats only seem to have been around in the last few years when heated leather was an option, and even then only on the heated leather seats. But then I got to comparing the connectors on my OEM heated leather seats and they don't match, so I was wondering what it is. Then I poked around, it has one small wire that is a switched source, and another large wire that is dead. I quickly traced the large wire back to the junction block and verified continuity. After poking around the connector it is C6 at the junction block, and after even more poking it gets power not through a fuse but a circuit breaker! The vertical circuit breaker closest is CB30, and its for the wipers, the horizontal one furthest away(blurry) is CB28 and its for the window power, and CB29 with the empty spot is for the power seat power! So I just need to rob a wiper circuit breaker from the junkyard and that wiring will have the exact power I need for power seats or heated seats. This also means its super easy to add seat heaters to a jeep with manual seats.

I decided to pull back the scope and not use the CRD engine for now. Everything else I am currently working through would need to be done, but to properly install the CRD I was going to be doing some pretty major vehicle rewiring. For now the 4.6/AW4 gives me a useable vehicle while I work through everything else. My plan is to get it as a running driving vehicle as soon as possible. Then work on the bodywork and repaint, 2500 front end etc. When that is complete and everything is sorted out and running great, then I will consider what it will take to swap in the diesel. But before I go back around to the diesel I have other vehicular projects to make some progress on. Basically this is my way of getting it out of project hell and dialing back the scope so I can actually use this thing.

So I set the pinion angle(not totally final, but as close as I can tell) and measured the driveshaft length. Trying to order from Tom Woods but they do not list the companion flange for the 8.25 rear end, and it appears to be different from the ford 8.8 options of 2.5" and 3". KJ flange appears to be about 2.65" Phone just rings so I have an email off to them, hopefully someone is monitoring they contact me email box regularly.

Thanks, I'm very pleased with it, its much better than having to use a relay to ground the switch. I'm going to de pin the rear window wiper connector and use the wiring from that for the high idle switch for the headlight glow and ground. then I just have one wire to solder and run through C100 and into the engine harness connector. I will install the pins into C100 in the factory location. Just trying to follow the factory install method as close as possible!

So the other night when doing the break in after running it at high RPM I was looking around at the engine for leaks and such, my power steering was spitting a little fluid out as it was bleeding down air and such. So I was looking around that area when I noticed a giant red patch of ATF pooled on the intake manifold! WTF? So I get to looking around and I realize its not ATF, I was seeing a triangle shaped hole in the casting and behind that was a glowing hot exhaust manifold! I managed to grab some pics, but it cooled off quick enough that I didn't get to grab a picture as the super red it was right after I stopped my break in run. Got the hack n tap done last night. I need to measure and get my driveshaft ordered for the rear, hopefully I will get that done tonight. Going with this length I have 100% engagement of the splines on the transfer case: So big ticket items remaining: -Set pinion angle and weld perches(likely get pinion pretty close tonight for purpose of drive shaft length measurement. -Door latch modifications. -Drop arm bracket install (need some new hardware and maybe some tweaks to install). Front end: -Gear setup. -WJ Brake setup(weld spacers to knuckles is biggest part of this). -HD steering setup. -Track bar bracket and stabilizer -Track bar(likely need custom length or adjustable) Body wiring: Cab interior, need to finish cleanup and strip down of XJ wiring. Body rear, need to decide how tail lights will be wired and how tail light wiring, fuel pump wiring, and trailer tow harness wiring will exit the MJ and reach the back. Extra's: Need to run wiring for EXT IDLE, power for heated seats, power for electric seat bases. Need to decide how to control heated seats, I am wondering if its possible to use the XJ heated seat controller with the aftermarket heated elements. Need to research this possibility. Need to drill hole for antenna to pass into cabin, should have done this before AC box and dash was in.....woops. Work on interior install, body wiring being sorted is critical path now for the interior install. Finish AC line install and check AC system for vac. Finish Rear bumper grinding, decide on paint vs galvanized option.

Did a 10 minute break in, I'll do some more tomorrow. Got the aftermarket high idle switch installed, but then I got to thinking about it. It does not have a backlight for the text when the headlight is on. But I realized you can swap the switch cover over to the OEM switch........so I realized I could install it on a spare fog switch. But then I got to looking, and realized I could also install it on a spare defroster switch...... The high idle works by grounding the ECU pin that tells the ECU to goto high idle. The fog switch, and the aftermarket switch work by providing 12V.....not ground. So you have to use the switch to turn on a relay, which instead of providing a larger 12V power source will provide a ground. This works fine, but its some complication. However if I use a spare defroster switch and modify it with the new cover to set on instead of toggle.........So I have a defroster switch that simply toggles on, then on the back one of the wires provides ground! Normally when you press the defroster switch down it momentarily provides ground to set the timer relay. By modifying the defroster switch to stay on, NOT as a momentary pushbutton, when it is in the down position the ground is connected, up ground is off, so in effect I have reproduced the stock high idle switch! Pretty pumped about such a small thing, but its the details that get ya. Switch down, continuity to ground: Switch up, open circuit: Moved it to a different spot to be closer to the stock wiring that I will use from the rear wiper. I had to modify the electric seat base to fit the rear floor of the MJ, the mount closest to the bottom of the frame was too low, and caused the seat to "rock" on the floor, a little bit of hammering and a the bracket fits like a glove. Next up I drill a plate to act as a load disperser on the bottom side. for bolting the seat down. Its Miller time! Miller moth that is, this is what I came out to when leaving my parents for the night.......and this was without any garage lights on, they come inside seeking warmth at night an congregate where its warmer. Heaven forbid you leave a light on even....

Got another aw4 from a 2000. Took about 3 hours. Pulled the engine trans and transfer case together then separated them on the ground. Easier than trying to pull the transmission only. Looked like the engine had been rebuilt, has brass freeze plugs and a lead seal stamped on one of the freeze plugs. So now I need to pressure wash the new used one, get the drivetrain back out, swap it in, and get everything back up in place. I’d really like to be moving on and working on other things like getting the doors on, or the front end built. So it’s a setback. It sure is a bummer start it up and immediately see that you will be pulling it back out. Got the engine and trans dropped out of the MJ. Got the transfer case off and trans off. Sure enough the transmission input seal was bad. Scored a couple of these at the junkyard today, Gentex ZTVHL3. Has 3 homelink garage door openers, auto dim, compass, and outside temp. Uses standard base so it can be added to many different vehicles. I'm still looking for a holy grail, all of the above with courtesy lights. Pulled an engine/trans/transfer case from a 2000 XJ. Then took the transmission only. Also got a nice front driveshaft for $20. And then pulled the engine/trans/transfer case from the MJ: Empty already: This is what caused the leak, input seal ripped, likely would have been fine with a replaced seal, but I've gotten to the point where I don't trust this transmission and would just rather try another right now. New used transmission, need to pressure wash tomorrow and then get it hooked up, and hopefully back in and running by the end of the day. Sad to see it empty! I'd like to move on, get my driveshaft ordered, get the front end built and installed. And finish up with the seats, I have this seat heater kit waiting to be installed, and I have the electric bases to install. I'm looking forward to some of the more "fun" stuff like getting the interior together. I'm looking forward to having the interior complete and a Jeep I can sit in! (of course, if it doesn't drive it doesn't matter if its sits)

Video of it running: https://youtu.be/5hUmUKtjfvM I guess I should be happy, engine seems to run right and doesn’t seem to piss fluids, so far my build of the engine is better than the used transmission.

Well I got it together enough yesterday to start filling fluids. Had a thermostat housing that refused to seal with just the paper gasket. The freeze plugs seeped some water at first but the stopped pretty quick. Seems to run fine, hvac box is working. Now the downside, transmission dumps fluid out the input area, just pouring out the bellhousing. So I think it’s fukked. Gonna goto junkyard tomorrow and try and get another aw4. All bolted in and running, but trans fukked. So I’m gonna pull the whole shebang back out to replace trans. Still pretty easy to drop out the bottom since there is no front end in the way. But just FML. It’s always something, it’s been really fighting me this past week, I basically spent since last Sunday night fighting the transmission. So at this point I’ve wasted about a week on the trans issues.