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The zinc content alone is good for a flat tappet cam engine. Modern gas engine oils lack zinc.

Diesel oil is good for an old 4.0. I run 15W40 Rotella in my XJ with 180k miles on it. My MJ has over 200k and will run it when it's running again. I might step down to 10w30 when I rebuild the engine and it's "new" again. But probably still diesel oil.

New redneck word: aorta Aorta cut that grass down at the ball field.

Keep in mind that the 4 cylinder Jeeps came with the AX5. You don't want one of those. Stick with the 4.0 based Jeeps to find the right transmission.

If you grab everything (computer, wiring, throttle body, distributor) you can probably ask $500 on craigslist/ksl and then bargain down from there. Hose off any grease and take a bunch of pictures when you post it. And make sure you post the picture of the computer with the part number (on a sticker on the outside I think?) because there are several different ones used over the years.

To many people, fuel injection is an upgrade. And the old Chevy TBI system has a ton of support for adapting it to other engines. After living with carburetors for years, the first thing I do when thinking about an older vehicle is what I need to do to get some kind of fuel injection on it. When it comes to cold starts and being able to handle altitude changes going up in the mountains, it's near impossible to beat fuel injection. When you pull it, make sure you take the entire wiring harness intact from the computer to the engine to the transmission. Don't cut any wires if you can help it. It's a pain to be careful like that but the intact harness is worth a whole lot more than a cut one.

http://www.rockauto.com

Something let go and is jamming up when it's running. Either clutch bits or transmission internals. You'll need to drop the transmission to find out. The fact that it doesn't rattle when the clutch is pushed in makes me think it may be the transmission.

Yeah, tires for 15" rims are getting harder and harder to find these days. And 16s aren't that far behind.

I run GoodYear Duratracs on my XJ. They are a more aggressive looking tire but still an all terrain. They are great in the snow and a good all-around tire. I've also run several generations of BFG AT tires. Slightly less aggressive tread but they still do well in snow and are a good all around tire. I don't have much experience with other tires. I'm sure there are some very good options out there.

Yep. Going to be snowing off and on all week.

I have some 265/75R16 tires on my XJ. They are 32s more or less. I'm running 4.56 gears with the automatic up here in the mountains and it's a good combo. Down in Iowa I would probably like 4.10s. 3.55s just wouldn't be enough gear for me to be happy. I'm on a 3.5" lift with cutout flares.

Oof. I ended up with about half a quart because the pan doesn't fully drain all the oil. But there weren't any surprises in the pan or bottom end. So I got that going for me.

So I'm tearing down a 4.0 to rebuild for my XJ. Got it down to the short block on the engine stand. I was just about to flip it over to pull the oil pan. A little voice chimed in. "Check the oil level first." I'm glad I listen to my little voice. It was still full.

Colorado today. Snow tomorrow maybe. Go home Mother Nature. You're drunk.

@KFingerlos has some family up that direction and may have some info for you.

Firestick and Wilson make good antennas. I run a Firestick on a heavy spring myself. A quick disconnect is a good idea if you need clearance for the garage. Once you install it, you really need to tune it. Find a good CB shop if you can and get it done. Alternatively, you can buy an inexpensive SWR meter and tune it yourself. Plenty of YouTube videos to show you how.

The most expensive projects I've ever had were the ones where I tried to make a "free" part work. Between the computers needed to run it and the long term reliability concerns, your best bet is to sell it and use the money to finance a better project.

I guarantee that if you don't hook up the positive wire from the alternator you won't make it that far.

They look like generic steel wheels. As long as the weight rating is good they should run fine. There's a good chance the powder coating will not be perfect and they'll start to rust sooner or later. Most cheap steel wheels do.

Glad I'm not the only one.

I've been known to have everything wired up but spending hours troubleshooting why it won't turn on. Works better when you put the fuse in the fuse holder...

I like Good Times for a "fast" burger that's better than the other chains. 5 Guys is good but not fast. But it's just down the street so I go there too. We're getting In-N-Out here, there's a couple open in the area (Aurora and by the mall down by I25/CO470) and they're building one across the highway from me by the outlet mall. That will be a good go-to that's better than McDonald's/Burger King/Sonic as well. Culver's is here as well and they have locations in a lot of states now. They're a decent burger and their cheese curds are a good alternative to fries. Whataburger is still only a regional chain that doesn't have any stores open here in CO. They do make a good breakfast. Their burgers have meat that's on par with McDonald's. Their appeal is that they load them up with toppings that cover up the mediocre meat pretty well.

An insurance company will "total" a vehicle with damage that's like 75-80% of the total replacement value. Once it's that bad, they write it off and cash you out. They figure that a vehicle damaged that badly (or just not worth much to begin with, at least not in the open market) isn't worth fixing. If you have any sentimental value attached to your truck, it's a good idea to go beyond regular insurance and go with "agreed value" coverage. It costs more to insure it that way but if you get in a wreck, they won't write it off as easily. And if it's truly totaled, you'll get more in the settlement.

@KFingerlos has some experience with these. I helped him swap in an upgraded 545RFE into his. He may be able to give you some good advice.