Akula69

Next update is here! Sorry about the long lapses between updates but between work and life, I only get max 15 hours a week on him! Most all of the loose ends are coming together, completed the emission control system and front end has been buttoned up. installed the accumulator dryer and vacuumed the system the other night - left the pump hooked up and turned off at -25 hg - when I came out the next morning it was still at -25 hg.....I think this AC system is gonna be a good one! Anyway - to the pictures: I hooked up the exhaust header and down pipe the other day - struggled with it for quite some time until realized the support on the transmission was the wrong one...didn't even know they made two styles! See the difference? old style new style Front end all buttoned up - Finally! Engine bay. Only waiting for the air cleaner. I have found its easier to check for leaks during brake bleeding when its out of the way. Interior coming along - carpet will not be down until I can check for water leaks. Hand brake install (with portion of the old MJ foot brake at the rear). Fitting the belts and installing noise/thermal barrier. Had to pull the belts out of the housing and soak them overnight in laundry detergent. They stunk that bad.... Under bed arrangement. There is a lot less available landscape to attach things on a short bed... Same shot with light. Tank before first install attempt. The blocks are pressure treated 4x4 with rubberized coating. They are necessary for the height of the fuel sender from the tank. New tank straps. It is actually tie down straping used for mobile homes in high wind areas - sold at Lowes for ~ 14.00. Cut to 120 " and doubled over, then I welded the frame rail ends from the factory straps in between. When I'm ready to install them, I take a floor jack and hold the tank into position and measure the correct distance with a cloth tape, then cut and bend. Finished strap. Another Lowes find - rubber seal for garage door bottom works great for strap-to-tank insulation to prevent rubbing holes in the tank.

Check the body harness to tail light harness plug for corrosion and use an Ohm meter to check for continuity between the bulb socket for brake circuit and the harness plug. The common hot lead for the brake illumination should be a white wire with tan stripe. If not that, check for continuity between the brake switch and the body harness plug. Its entirely possible that a wire has become separated inside the insulation.

It may take time to find the right truck at the right price. My current project is 4 years in the making and with the original purchase price added in it will end up in the $5,000.00 investment range. It has never been a parts issue because (1) only a few are truly not available (unobtainum) and (2) most of the members here will help you out if you get in a jamb and need a part (if they have it). If all else fails there are yards in California who have parts...for a price. I have never had a situation where we could not find a part we needed. Most of the time money or life (like Shelbyluvv said) gets in the way. My current one one is a labor of love for me....but it doesn't have to be if you are trying to bring a young mans skills up. We renovated our first one (my son's) twice we liked working on it so much!

I never thought about the ceramic coating - thanks. I imagine its expensive (I just checked - uh yeah) but with heat being an issue in these engines I was casting around for ideas. Gonna have to save up for this one though.

Thanks guys. I really do not like the way the exhaust downpipe is so close to the oil pan - there has got to be some serious heat intrusion going on there (by the looks of the oil pans on engines I have rebuilt, evidence by way of baked on oil would indicate it must be almost boiling in there on the driver's side of the pan). I have looked at many different wraps for the manifolds and down pipes but have no confidence in them lasting for any amount of time (last check on Ryan's with digital thermometer produced readings above 500 degrees after warm up). Thinking about it still though..... :hmm:

Update: Have been steadily putting things back where they belong. Most aggravating thing is remembering where I stashed the parts....it has been somewhat of an adventure this time (even with them all carefully labeled!). Anyway - pictures: Most of the interior dash is installed and all the electronics are now working. The passenger side door had three breaks in the harness for the power windows problem resolution... drivers side had three breaks in the speaker leads. Had some trouble with the brake light switch until I realized I'd installed the pre-97 booster with the shorter pushrod.. :doh: Center console. Replaced all the Chrysler rocker switches with Daystar KU80011's in blue. Almost perfect fit with only 1/8 inch plastic removal with a Dremel. Have hooked one to the cargo bed LED's, the other two will be fog and driving lights (when bumper is installed) Putting his heart back in. Re-installing the exhaust downpipe and Cat took some vertical maneuvering and three jacks. Maybe I should have put it in before the engine/transmission? Major items left: gas tank and radiator install. More to come

Good to hear you can get it done - but sorry to hear about the health. Get better and then make a road trip - bring your block - got plenty of room!

Good Luck!

Things jiggling where things should not jiggle. Occupational hazard (or lack of training as you surmised). I had heard about the incident (I believe Pvt. Pemberton said he/she '...fell in the shower...') but it died off quickly from the newscasts.

Supposedly Subic is being re-opened by their navy in response to the South China Sea escalations. I wonder if USN will get shore leave there again....

Now Don - how could you say that? I prefer all moving parts to be properly lubricated. Think Magsaysay St.... :brows:

:agree: I would go to the yard and get a rebuildable core. I've been rebuilding them using Federal Mogul (under various brand names like Sealed Power) internals for around $550.00-750.00 (not including my labor, or course. If time is an issue, buy two engines: drop one in as is until you can rebuild the other. Then, rebuild the first at your leisure and always have a spare. I paid 169.00 plus tax for the last complete engine I got from the yard. If the tools are an issue (cam bearing tool, etc.) PM me and we'll work it out.

Never drove the 89 past 75 until the suspension was updated. I have not driven the 88 past 60, but once the conversions are finished we will see.

Yeah, I'm surprised some other grease experts have not yet commented. I've never tried the Frequency grease, I'll have to look it up.

Will the true bearing grease allow a more direct rotation with little or no deviation? I thought relative worked better.

I need to find a canister of relative bearing grease. It is used for the front wheel bearings. If anyone has one let me know.

Put the inner panels on the doors last night and discovered the electric door locks will unlock but will not lock. Alexia has a great video on youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdKScE_l55g that I am using, but it appears the wire color codes for the 2001 XJ I salvaged are different. Using tone generator to trace, it appears I have pink / violet orange/violet from D/S door to harness; cross body harness to C5 connector for the pink / violet but the C7 connector has no orange / violet...it magically changes on the C7: two wires only - red / black and black / white with no tone signal at all. Appears I'll have to re-open the cross body harness to see where the wire has separated or spliced. Just my luck!

Finished up all the electrical this weekend. Going with the LED tail lights and 3rd brake light/cargo light. Painted the interior plastics (B-pillar and cross cab trim). Took some experimenting cause there are like 4 shades of Agate. More to come

I have several you can pick from, but you'll have to pay the freight to get it there....or drive over to get it. The best one has a (almost) new heater core and evaporator already in it (1.5 years old). I have several fans as well (unknown condition) PM me for further.

Been slow on the updates but have made some progress: Main harnesses are installed HVAC box updated and installed Sub-dash is installed Brake booster / Master Cylinder installed Steering box / shafts installed Door components installed Wiper components installed Working on wiring harness to rear modification and going to go with the load-sensing valve delete in favor of the Willwood proportioning valve and new brake lines all around. Some pictures: Got tired of messing with running back and forth to run the lines to the rear, so rigged up a holder so I could pull all the wires at once...don't know why I didn't think of this before... Shortened existing wires and eliminated unneeded wires for the rear doors and back hatch (after figuring out which ones went to back speakers and third brake light). Underhood shot. The engine install is waiting for brake lines and vacuum lines. More to come...

Strokermjcomanche is correct. For comparison: a taser is 50,000 volts and .09 amps...they (normally) don't cause any serious harm to folks but it is quite an experience. A household electrical socket is 120 volts and varies between 15 and 20 amps. A common electrical socket is more likely to kill you because of the amps.

Uh huh... ;)

Finished up the cab last night: Also cut the hole and test fitted the 01XJ fuel sender in the JP5A tank (without the slosh pan). Its looks quite high, might have to fab a new set of tank straps and block it down from the bed.

Progress on the gas tank issues - welded the old sender cap closed and ground down. I was going to use a gasoline resistant epoxy but decided to take a more permanent route... Inside Outside Found a steel rod that was slightly larger then the holes and ground it until fit, then mig welded.

Forgot the money shot: 2 Minutes after clear....its an alien!