AZJeff

The concept that someone would think that other moving chassis parts hitting the gas tank is an acceptable situation just mystifies me. NOTHING good (or even acceptable) is going to come out of that condition. It needs to be fixed by some means. PLEASE do not consider this a “livable” condition, even in the short term.

That’s a bit more sporty,

Follow up to my original post: I put the new CPS on, and the machine fired right up and stayed running. I even think the slight irregular idle I was seeing is bone as well. Thanks for the advice, guys.👍

You autocrossed an XJ? Cool. Yes, I am being a smart @$$.

Off to order a Mopar CPS through Amazon

My Chero-manche has the engine/trans and control system from a 2001 XJ in it. It was running great, and passed it's annual emissions test a few months ago. Now that the weather is warming up (above 70* here in AZ), it has a weird behavior. It will start and run, and then while sitting and idling, it will die. A restart usually requires a couple of tries, and sometimes some throttle to get it going. Once it restarts, it's fine, usually. Today it started normally and then died, and now it won't restart. It doesn't throw any OBD-II codes. Here is what is new to the engine control system in the past 12 months: new IAC, new MAP sensor, new TPS (all Mopar). New spark plugs (Champion OEM). The fuel pump runs and is less than 2 years old (Bosch OEM type). I am thinking the issue is some sort of sensor I have not replaced (some of the sensors I found on the machine were not Mopar, and I know that can be an issue for durability on the XJ.) The FSM doesn't say anything, since Chrysler has a totally separate manual for emissions systems that I don't have, and it interfaaces to their "DRB Scanner", which I don't have. I am looking for advice from anyone with OBD-II diagnostics. I am leaning towards the CPS, but I don't want to just throw parts at it.

Adjustable control arms are employed when the vehicle is lifted beyond an inch or two above stock ride height. (They are needed to restore the proper steering caster angle.) Higher lifts are generally used when tires MUCH larger than normal are fitted. You say you want to run larger tires. How much larger did you have in mind?

I used SEM paint on the MJ interior pieces to get them to match the "Agate" gray color of my 2000 XJ dashboard. The result was perfect.

I think a LOT of how well a used engine performs has to do with the junkyard in question. The really good junkyards pull good engines from low-mileage vehicles and store them indoors. The lesser bone yards let the potential buyer find the engine out in the vehicle, exposed to the elements, and let him take a chance...

I agree with Dzimm. There is a real good possibility to obtain a very decent engine from a junkyard, in which case, rebuilding your old engine becomes unnecessary, or at the very least, a low priority. Many junkyards will offer some level of warranty on a used engine, which would increase the confidence in buying used.

You are probably right. I am being anal retentive about wanting to get the caster angles back to as close to OEM as possible, and smaller spacers help me do that. i could leave it as is, and I can "live" with it. I guess I am sweating the small stuff here.

The actual vertical load imposed on the hub assembly "should" be carrried by the shoulder of the hub that fits inside the bore of the steering knuckle. The bolts that attached the hub to the knuckle are primarily there to keep that shoulder inside the bore, and "probably" don't carry much of the load of the vehicle down into the front wheel. That means a clearance cut made in the edge of the hub (away from the bolting tabs) probably won't affect the integrity of the hub. I have attached a sketch of what I am thinking of doing, and the dark semi-circular line on the edge of the hub represents the cut I would make. Anyone want to comment about this idea? Hub.pdf

I was wondering about the idea of cutting (via an end mill) a clearance cut on the "fixed" portion of the hub in one location that would allow the old studs to be pressed out, and new longer studs pressed in. So you think that is feasible without trashing the hub integrity, huh?

I have the shop manual for the 1988 XJ, which would cover a large part of what is the MJ. If you want that, I can burn a CD and send it to you via snail mail. (It's a 26mB file)

I assume you mean are my existing 1 inch spacers hub-centric, and the answer is yes, the center on the hub portion that extends above the plane onto which the wheel normally seats.

Dzimm found photos of my situation. The spacers that are installed now have the integral lug studs, and are 1 inch thick, like the first picture. What I want to do is to go to something like what he shows in the second picture, where I can use the existing lug studs (lengthened as needed).

My MJ currently has one inch wheel spacers on the front hubs, which were put on sometime in its past. My current tires only need no more than 1/2" of spacer, but with that much added, I would need longer lug studs. The only problem is that I don't see how to install any longer studs into the OEM type hub bearing assemblies. does anyone have any suggestions, or do I have to live with the oversized one inch spacers?

Side bar--from my XJ days, I was unaware of any way to do a "bolt in" alternator relocation by removing the AC compressor. Anything you do would be "custom engineering"

Yup. I was thinking the same thing. And also do do the oil filter adapter o-rings while u r at it.

I am a fan of Hella E-code lamps with their separate bulbs and the focused lens.

That assembly is called the "equalizer" The two wheel cables attach to a cross-bar that has a hole for the pedal cable between them. Into to that hole goes a slightly dished washer, plus a nut and a flat washer, all on the rear side. The threaded rod from the pedal cable goes in through the front side. I 'think' the rod is SAE/imperial/"English" thread. The nut would be self-locking, but two conventional nuts jammed together would work just fine. The dished washer can be replaced by a couple of ordinary washers or a short steel spacer.

If Cruiser54 is correct, the pulley diameter (and hence maximum speed) of the alternator will be about the same as what the OP is proposing. Find what brand/size of bearing is used in the alternator, and you would be good to go.

Just because the bearing is made in PRC isn't automatically mean it's crap. NSK is a worldwide brand (just like Timken, Toyo, Fafnir, etc.) NSK probably has factories worldwide, and they all build to the same corporate standards. The much-vaunted Timken front hub bearings for the MJ/XJ are made nowadays in the Czech Republic, and meet the same standards as the old US-made hubs.

That is probably the most cost effective solution if you don't want to deal with a major electrical upgrade.

Thats pretty amazing. I always assumed the taill light lenses were made from ABS for the rear (reflector) half, and acrylic for the lens portion. Neither of those plastic resins like to be exposed to pure acetone. I wonder if the nail polish remover isn't really much acetone in the mix. There is another possible choice for the OP: ice blasting. Ice blasting uses tiny ice particles to remove paint on soft/sensitive surfaces. It's used to remove paint on the exterior of aircraft. OP might try finding a paint shop at an airfield that does ice blasting.