terrawombat

I'm going to be meeting my new buddy Zeke at 5pm. It's a solid two hour drive from my place, but well worth the trip. I'm just worried that the owner might have second thoughts! She was an emotional mess on the phone. I spent the better part of our conversation consoling her and assuring her that this pup will be going into a great home and with an owner that is looking to spend some serious time with him :)

Unfortunately the Malamute lady isn't returning my e-mails. I did, however, find a woman who has five dogs and is looking to rehome most of them due to an upcoming surgery where she knows she won't be able to give her dogs the exercise they need. I e-mailed her and got a phone call this morning. We chatted for a good while and I told her about my property, previous husky experience, yadda yadda yadda. She tells me that she likes me and feels comfortable with me, but just has to talk to her husband and is going to give me a call back later today with a yay or nay. If it's a yay, I should be able to get the pup as early as this afternoon. She also sent me a couple of cell phone photos of the guy. He's a big boy and got into a fight with a porcupine last week. Had over 50 quills in his nose and they were able to pull all out but one, but the vet seemed confident that it would fall out on it's own in a week. If it doesn't, it'll require surgery, which I am fully prepare to do and, more importantly, finance. Couple things with this pup, though. He got out of their yard a month or so ago and went down to their neighbors farm and killed two ducks and three of their chickens - so this dog clearly isn't a fan of small animals. My room mate said she would help me to train him to break that habit - she had to do the same with her current dog (he loves to chase cats). He's definitely going to be a bit more work than I had anticipated, but he is house trained and knows basic commands (but doesn't seem to want obey 'come' commands). Here are some pics - his nose is still a bit swollen from his porcupine fight.

If you have intentions of leaving your dog outside, then forget it, the adoption agencies will look right over your application and go onto the next one right away. I think I may have finally found a pup. Found her on Craigslist and actually got a response back from the seller, but I'm still a bit suspicious. The pup is a 6 month old Alaskan Malamute. House trained, crate trained, UTD on shots, loves people and other dogs. Love to play and seems to be a good lookin' pup. The owner claims she is purebred, but I haven't heard or seen anything about AKC papers or certs yet. The pup also comes with a transferable health insurance plan, which is kind of nice! The owner needs to give her up due to financial reasons, but I'm suspicious because of the way I'm currently communicating with the owner, which is via e-mail. She continues to contact me via her BlackBerry using a lot of abbreviated words and acronyms, probably because she's typing on such a small keyboard. She hasn't given me her name, phone number, and most importantly (in my mind, at least), the name of the pup! Do I also need to mention that her e-mail address tied to her BlackBerry is xosexylexie19xo@******.com? But she DID give me a couple of pics!

No moral or ethic debate from me. I just think it's hilarious that you randomly find these abandoned cars scattered about the woods and nothing is done with them for months....years...

Believe me, I completely understand where these adoption agencies are coming from. What kind of upset me about this particular one that I dealt with is that they wouldn't take any phone calls until they had an application in their hands. Even after I sent the application, the lady I was corresponding with wouldn't give me her phone number and kept dodging the question whenever I would ask for it. Filling out ambiguous applications online and e-mailing back and forth is no real way to judge how a person will handle a dog. At the very least, allow me the opportunity to speak on the phone so you know that I'm not a total airhead that thinks huskies look cool and that's why I want one. But, the real way to judge me is to meet me face-to-face, which she did do, but the atmosphere in which she did wasn't ideal - it was at a town fair, there were hundreds of people walking around, and everyone was coming up to the cute, little doggies and asking her a billion questions. I didn't want to leave there without getting her to agree to a more private one-on-one meeting where she could get a better understanding of myself and how I would handle one of her pups. She told me she wanted to do a home inspection later that week, but that never panned out. After seeing the adoption agency at that fair, I have a lot of respect for what these people do. This agency was strictly volunteer work and they really ought to be getting paid for their services. Having to deal with some of these people is tiring, especially when young kids want to constantly hold and handle the puppies. This was just my place to vent a little. I feel better now and I suppose it's time to move on and look at other shelters. Now I know what these shelters will pick out as being a 'bad owner' and what I should leave off of my application. I don't feel that lying or hiding the truth is the way to go about getting a pup, but that seems to be the game I'm going to have to play if I want to adopt.

Will do, Jim. I'll get both blocks lined up side by side and take some photographs of the differences. The TJ engine is a complete engine up on a stand, but the XJ engine was pulled from my '01 and I began to disassemble it for a rebuild. I'm not even sure if I have the cylinder head for it anymore, but I'm confident that the cylinder heads (the crummy 0331 casting, which is sometimes known for it's wonderful ability to crack) are the same.

I have a 2001 XJ engine and a 2000 TJ engine side by side. There are subtle differences in the two. The water pumps are different. I believe that all of the engine mount bosses are there, but they may need to be threaded on one of the engines (I forget which). I can check this out tomorrow if you'd like. The 2000 TJ engine is the same as the 2001 WJ engine. Also, if he wants to bring that car to NJ, I've been looking for a '99+ WJ with a blown 4.0L to put my TJ engine into :) Even a TJ with a blown engine fetches a premium around here...

I've been in contact with a county shelter that does a similar thing - they have a bunch of their adoptables at a local Petsmart. I may take a ride down to see that pup this weekend, but the only thing that concerns me is that she is on the older side (7 years) and from her pictures already seems to be displaying hip dysplasia, but it could just be a bad picture (maybe she was in the middle of a 'sit' command when the shot was taken). I'm just worried that an older pup won't be nearly as active as I am, but I also like that it will be much more relaxed and trustworthy around the home. This particular pup is a malamute/siberian mix, which is sometimes a good blend since you get the good genetics of the siberian (they seem to stay pretty healthy throughout their life) and the cool, fluffy coat of the malamute.

Thanks Jim. My parent's husky is about 8 years old now and I still remember the day we brought him home. He's been a great dog and is incredibly loyal. He has his quirks, but what dog doesn't? I'm certainly going to keep on looking for a Sibe, but it's a real shame that this particular shelter turned me down. They seem to snatch up all of the huskies in my area from the local pounds. When the pounds get a Sibe in their possession, the first call they make is to this shelter and now I'm basically barred from any of their pets. I am also extremely interested in the Malamute and am in contact with a lady that is looking to re-home hers. I found her on Craigslist and I really hope it pans out, but I hold very little hope for any Craigslist postings. I have a 1 in 10 response rate from people that list their pets on Craigslist...

It's immensely frustrating. My advice to people looking to adopt - be patient. VERY patient. If you get a inclination of wanting a dog one day and want to get it the next, adoption is NOT for you. Visit the pound and adopt one of their pups - they are normally much more lenient and if you seem like a decent person they'll let you walk away with the dog that day. Adoption place, especially those who specialize in a certain breed, are just downright annoying. You basically have to 'build credit' by purchasing a puppy of that breed, raising him and gaining the credibility they're looking for. Even then you might not be qualified because you live 30 miles outside of their radius. The reason they do that is because they want the animals to stay close so they can pop in every now and again to see what you've been up to with 'their' dog. It's never really yours...

For the past two months I've been on the prowl for a dog, particularly a siberian husky. Before any savvy dog owners give me 10 reasons not to own a husky - I already know them and lived/trained a siberian when I lived with my parents. My girlfriend just recently adopted a german shepherd/belgian malinois mix from a local shelter and it is a GREAT dog - very obedient and it came to her already house trained, crate trained, and it knew basic manners. It's also a good, hearty thing to adopt a neglected animal so I figured I would give it a shot, myself. Adopting a dog is no walk in the park. A couple of the shelters I have been dealing with have very strict rules when adopting their dogs out. First, an application is required, which asks about prior dog ownership, current living situation, current pets, current/past pets vet records, and much much more. A typical application will take about 15-30 minutes to complete. So I put my application in and a week later I finally get a call back from the shelter. They're holding an event near me and they'll have a bunch of adoptable dogs there. I go, meet the shelter staff, meet the pups, walk some of them, figure out which ones I like, which ones I don't, etc. The shelter lady sees I'm not a guy with dreams of a pup, but that I'm dead set on doing this adoption so she agrees that we need to schedule a home visit so she can "inspect" my house. A week goes by and I hear nothing. I e-mail her last night and she responds that she has some concerns about the farm I live on. I told her that during the summer my Dad uses a propane cannon to scare the birds out of the sweet corn crop and that it kind of sounds like a distant gunshot and that I know some dogs are scared of that, while others are completely oblivious. I mention this so that she knows I need a dog who isn't going to freak out at the sound of the thing. I explain this to her in another e-mail and I get one back today that says I've been rejected and here's why: My PARENTS dog that does not even live with ME or will come into much contact with my new pup didn't go to the vet from 2006-2009 and that the lapse in his vet visit disqualifies me from owning one of their dogs. There's a very sound reason why my parents dogs don't go to the vet - we live on a farm with a herd of livestock and the vet comes to US. While he's there checking on the cows, he also checks up on my parent's pups. The only time we take our dogs to an actual vet is when something serious is wrong and we need to get them attention ASAP. I understand the need for the screening process. I'm sure a lot of these shelters get some pretty bogus people that want to adopt their dog, but the fact that she met me, met my room mates, met my room mates dog and knows that I'm serious about the adoption wasn't even enough to take the next step and at least come see my home. I live on a 350-acre farm...our property is dog HEAVEN. This lady just didn't to adopt to me from the start and I was able to tell that in her body language when we met. She was completely disinterested in showing me the dogs, but was very warm and welcoming to the other lady that was looking to adopt... The next time I hear about how shelters are overflowing and we need adopters, it's going to be real hard for me to sympathize. The adoption process is NOT easy nor is it quick. It's also not very fun. I know a lot has to do with the very specific breed I'm looking at, but some of these siberian husky shelters guard these dogs like only a select few in the nation are fit to own them. Sorry - that's my rant. I could write another novel about the people who post their dogs on Craigslist, but I'll refrain from that.

You also have to remove the steering shaft from the gearbox to get to one of the sparkplugs.

It's not going to be easy or fun. It will test your creative engineering abilities and will leave you frustrated. There may be a company that makes engine mounting brackets that mate the MJ/XJ engine bay to the 4.3L Vortec engine, though. That would at least take some difficulty out of the swap. The 4.3L Vortec is a PITA to work on in the engine bay it was designed to go in. I can't imagine it'd get much better in the MJ bay.

Just some brainstorming in CAD: Would need to make alterations to the side plates in order for this design to work and fit properly.

I saw this concept at the NY auto show last year. It was pretty bada$$. There was a herd of Jeep enthusiasts gathered around it chatting about how they were going to pray every night that Chrysler put the thing into production. I tried to get one of the Chrysler reps to let me sit in it, but she wasn't budging. Corporate policy to not allow unauthorized people in the concept vehicles. She also gave me the standard line - "If I let you in, I'd have to let EVVVVVERYONE in." One of the older Jeep enthusiast guys overheard her say that and said, "Dam right you would!!"

Also, the Draw-Tite hitch DOES bolt up to the stock bumper. There is no gap like what was shown in your pictures. This is the best picture I currently have of the Draw-Tite installed on my MJ.

Figured I would throw these up for reference. This is an MJ Draw-tite hitch that looks nearly identical to the U-Haul version posted up before. Also threw this together with rough dimensions from the Draw-Tite hitch. Still needs to be refined and I need to cut some prototypes for test fit-up.

Agreed. When I get some time this week, I'll update my drawing to reflect how I think the Harbor Freight hitch would be better integrated into the whole system. It'll require a little bit more work and welding, but I think it will work out much, much better. Honestly, I'd like to not use the HF hitch if at all possible because it would make it easier for me to design the hitch the way I want it, but at 16 bucks, it's just too cheap to not consider it and somehow integrate it into my design.

I had intended on doing a prototype mockup of the sideplates this weekend using some spare 14ga. steel I have lying around. I was also going to pick up some 1/4" plate and square tube and stop by harbor freight to pick up the bumper receiver hitch. Unfortunately, all of those plans got tossed out the window when my girlfriend asked me to help her paint her apartment and move all of her furniture out since she had to be out of there by today. I'll be working on this during the week when I get home from work. I will be modeling the sideplates in CAD and can provide a dimensioned shop drawing once I have it nailed down.

Yes - that's what I'm going to be doing. I like the D-ring idea, but it's only going to be 1/4" plate. I don't think it'll be sufficient enough for use as an emergency tow hook unless some extra bracing was done. I'll look into it. I have some different ideas of how the harbor freight receiver will become part of the rest of the hitch, while still bolting to the bumper. I don't necessarily feel like the receiver HAS to bolt to the stock bumper, but the extra rigidity isn't bad and all of the aftermarket bumpers seem to be designed that way so maybe I'm missing something? The thing I don't like about that design is that it primarily relies on the stock bumper to do a lot of the load handling and the beefy center section isn't really involved in that too much. My revised design will include direct usage of the center tube section.

Also, before re installation of the bearings, slather them with oil or get some engine assembly lube from your auto parts store and apply that. It's an oil-soluble grease that will save the bearings on a 'dry' startup.

And I appreciate it. I am sure you are right that that will help quite a bit. I need to shoot some pics then post a few for yall too see. I really hope by some odd chance this sucker will break free! What if I pulled the oil pan and shot those bearings up with some PB Blaster? No PB blaster in there. If you pull the pan and everything looks normal, I would start pulling bearing caps off - one at a time. Inspect the bearing. If there are marks all over it and it is scored, chances are the engine was either run without oil or the pump failed. If everything looks okay, reinstall the bearing cap to the proper torque (I don't know what that is, but it'll be different for the rod bearing caps vs. the main bearing caps). Continue down the line and keep inspecting the bearings. Take pictures and post them up here and we can tell you if they look okay or not - just make sure the pictures are CLEAR as it'll be near impossible to determine if anything is wrong with the bearing from a BLURRY picture. I suspect you're going to find something very obviously wrong when you pull the pan.

I'd pull the oil pan and take a peek around the bottom and see if there isn't anything blatantly obvious causing the whole assembly to be jammed up.

Got bored at work and decided to make a real quick mock-up of how I envision I could make this thing for, well, pretty darn cheap. Step 1) I would CNC the sideplates out out 3/16" or 1/4" steel. I could let the engineer in me run some calcs to see what different loads on the trailer hitch would do for the max. stress at the sideplates, but I'll likely just see what the 'other guys' are using for their hitches. The sideplates would be MJ-specific meaning all bolt holes will line up perfectly. Step 2) Purchase a piece of box tubing of appropriate size and thickness. This could even be round tubing if you so desired. I would likely just go with whatever the receiver hitch is made from and possibly just increase the wall thickness. Step 3), Purchase this receiver hitch from Harbor Freight: http://www.harborfreight.com/5000-lb-capacity-step-bumper-receiver-67158.html?utm_source=hftusa&utm_medium=hftusa&utm_campaign=buylink. I like how it comes with the slots for the trailer safety chain already welded in place. I also like how there are bolt holes on that top plate so I could even bolt this piece up and align it before final welding. Final product would look something like this: Note: I didn't include the trailer safety chain hook plate and other minor details because I'm at work and am not supposed to be mocking up MJ trailer hitches ;) Another note: This is a rough sketch that I pulled out of my arse with no dimensions whatsoever and could be horribly, horribly off. Once I have the draw-tite hitch off of my MJ, I can take precise measurements. I certainly wouldn't be selling these as complete units since I'm not confident enough in my welding abilities and I cannot offer any guarantees or warranties. I'd just be cutting out the sideplates and the rest is on you!

I think there'd be quite a market here and on Ebay for the side plates, the rest is cake. I'll see what I can do. I need to first get my hands on some thicker steel. I currently only have 12 and 14ga. in stock. I figure I will need at least 3/16" steel for the sideplates. I will be visiting my girlfriend this weekend who just so happens to live five minutes from a very large steel supply warehouse :brows: