neohic

Any thoughts on having a functioning factory tach?

Does just fine in two wheel. The front obviously hops around on pavement in four wheel, but the drivability is way better now. Only difference between locked/welded and locked/locked is now the rear makes a slight clunking sound around corners and while pulling into parking spots instead of sounding like a yappy little dog while chewing up the rear tires! :rotf: It's been burping and farting more than usual too lately. Have to cycle the key in order for it to start right up, the pump is getting noisy, and the fuel pressure is all over the map. New fuel pump module on the way! Hopefully I'll get it just in time to run the tank empty. :crossfingers:

New locker... new sticker! Just a few more pieces than the four gears that should've been in there. Oof. :laughin:

Not much for miles put on this truck this year... not under its own power, anyhow. It made the trip west just fine and the weather is finally cool enough out here to wash it up before putting it away for the year.

The factory tachometer signal can get tapped off of the coil for an aftermarket gauge but it'd be the same wire that goes to the factory tach in the cluster. If a signal converter would be used, one would be able to retain a full factory cluster, right? Does the factory tach run off of a six pulse signal?

Meh... I'd run that. :rotf:

Moved. :D

All of the original senders for the new engine would need to be retained to function properly. I was thinking more of using then along with adding the RENIX senders for the original cluster. So... my main question was about what's between the senders and the gauges themselves. What about the tachometer? Is it possible to figure a way to use the stock RENIX cluster tachometer in an eight cylinder application?

I have my next hypothetical build happening in my head right now. Here's what I'm thinking right now for a recipe: GM 5.3 LS, 4L60 trans, and a GM/Jeep 231 bastard t-case. I know there are tons of warnings about cooling a V8 in a XJ/MJ and I know that there are plenty of reasons to keep a Jeep engine in a Jeep... that's not what we're talking about right now. :D What I'm thinking about is final details. Why not, right? Typically I need to think through and research every aspect and detail about a project before I even start. Tonight's topic is gauges. RENIX clusters... There isn't anything between the senders and the gauge cluster besides the wire themselves, correct? If I were to use factory sending units (on the already said 5.3), run new wires to their appropriate gauge (assuming that everything as far as wiring under the hood would be a clean slate), then everything should function as it should... yes? The odd balls would be the speedometer, the fuel gauge, and the tachometer. I think the speedometer would be fine being I'd be using the back half of a Jeep 231 so I'd be able to retain the stock speedometer gear housing. The fuel gauge would be remedied by using a stock fuel tank (or build one that uses a stock fuel sending unit) so that I could use the stock gauge sender in the tank, delete the in-tank pump, and use a 5.3 compatible inline pump... or compatible in-tank pump. The tachometer has me stumped. :hmm: I know that the early RENIX clusters have the adjustable potentiometer that would make up the difference in signal pulses between the 2.5 and the 4.0s, but would there be enough adjustability for an eight cylinder engine? Now, many newer gauge clusters use a single pulse signal so they can read off of a single coil pack, but I doubt that I'd be lucky enough to use cylinder number one coil pack as a signal for a stock RENIX tachometer to read correctly. Push comes to shove, I'd probably use a cluster with the giant fuel gauge in place of the tachometer and substitute an aftermarket gauge mounted elsewhere. I'd prefer not to, though. Right now, everything is just hypothetical. That's not to say that I'm not planning a new build for a wheeling rig at some point... stay tuned for that. Let's get the conversation going, shall we? Keep in mind that I do not want to use aftermarket gauges for anything. I want a stock looking dash. Here's a picture I found of a couple clusters... 'cause people love pics. :laughin:

I think Pirate4x4 is a really bad place to be trying to find solid information for a daily driver. Sure, there's tons of builds and information, but that only forces you to sift through it all to find what you actually need. I'd say that most of the "four/three link for dummies" webpages out there will say something along the lines keeping your arms as close to the same length and have your upper link(s) as close to parallel to the ground at ride height. Whenever I get around to building my next wheeling rig I want it to be streetable as well. If you were to measure for front links and figure that you could be using a beefy transmission crossmember as a frame mount location, use that as the numbers(ish) for the rear too. That'd make for a closer balance for street driving. What my plan will (probably) be is to not have a stupid long set of control arms in the front. Maybe halfway between the factory mounts and the trans crossmember?... call it a "mid arm"? With that though, I have no intent to have a sway bar. I'll be keeping leafs in the rear in an attempt to keep some stability. I'm sure I (you too) could find a junkyard swaybar that'd work, but I just have no interest in it. Lots of good aftermarket options though... expensive too. You're still talking about a lot of variables. Having a daily driver/wheeler/road trip truck is a tall order to cover all those bases.

Lots of questions and numbers in there that really don't make much sense unless you're laying under the truck with a tape measure. Most of the time you can really only work with the room you have to dictate control arm length. You're right though that a 60" control arm is pretty silly unless you're building a monster truck. Too long and it'll just drag over rocks. Too short and you'll sacrifice flex and make for goofy pinion angles. Run what ever your builder thinks. Better put some good sway bars on your list. If you're running coils front/rear things are going to get tippy if you want a decent daily driver. That goes double when you're running long arms.

:waving: Took a picture of the good side, eh? Glad to see it here! Be sure to keep up on updates... that is, unless you'd like to sell it already. I have been kicking around the idea of building a new rig. Not sayin' anything... just sayin'. :peek:

I keep going back to look at YOUR BUILD THREAD ON PIRATE4X4 hoping for updates. For that matter, updates here would be kinda cool too... just sayin'. :redX: Getting the itch for a new build of my own and (at the risk of stones being cast :peek: ) kind of like the idea of cutting a Comanche in half to build something special. So... what's new, Nick?

I'm curious why you didn't want to pull the intake manifold off, mill the inlet bigger, and stick the new throttle body directly to it. 'Sup wit' dat? Awesome and interesting work as usual there, Alex! :popcorn:

Looking good there, Willy. Been waiting for an update for a while now. How's the blue truck holding up?

Meanwhile, the guy behind the rental counter was like, "Pretty cool, right?! You must think you're so lucky!!" Then Troy be all, "Meh... yeah, I guess." :rotf:

Heard a clunk this morning backing out of a parking spot. Then I heard another when I put it in drive. Then another at a stop light... and another... and another... :hmm: Pulled the cover off the rear cover off after work today to find the welded spider gears all cracked apart. Very happy there weren't any teen floating around in there, but the drip pan full of gear oil still looked like I was panning for gold. That sure sealed the deal for me... no more wheeling this year. Right now the plan is to pick up some used gears from a local used parts supplier, cut out the destroyed spiders (fortunately whoever welded them didn't weld them to the carrier), and rock an open diff through winter. Could've been worse. Could've been MUCH worse. :doh:

I am very happy out here, Don. As much as I say that we should've done this years ago, I don't think things would've worked out as well as they have. Over the past month there have been more than a few "right time, right place" type of deals that really have taken the sun, stars, and the moon to be aligned for us. As far as missing MN, I've missed the things we had... not necessarily MN itself. I miss having a house, my shop, and just being closer to my family. After winter we'll be looking for property or a house, I'll have a shop again, and people are mobile. Pretty sure we'll be staying for a while. :thumbsup:

Oof... can't help but think that the ol' Ape's days are numbered. :( Had an awesome day running up into the mountains today to Buena Vista. Beautiful scenery and some good trails! Same group as the last time out so I was the little guy again... and it sure showed. All day long it was "clack, clack, clack, clack, BANG!!!, clack, clack, clack, CLANK!!!, BANG!!!, clack, clack..." from the Ape. Sure glad I cut out what was left of the rockers and replaced with tube a while back as they sure got their battle scars today. The tank skid, trans cross member, lower control arms... everything got beat up big time today. On the trails, the Jeep ran fine(ish). The fuel pump is operating fine however the check valve has gotten much worse. I used to be able to cycle the key a few times and not have any issues. Now if it sits for a few minutes and gets started again it'll pop and burp and backfire until it's done throwing its fit. The engine ("clack, clack, clack...") is making due. On the road is another story. That poor trans tries desperately to keep up and downshift but it really comes down to the fact that the engine is just clapped out and is loosing compression fast. Pretty sure the heater core is beginning to leak too. Nothing dripping on the floor or anything, but its been smelling like coolant lately and that's the last component of the system that hasn't been upgraded. Anyhow... enough with the sob story... pictures! :redX: So then, what to do?... what to do?... Kind of feels like when you've made the decision to put down a pet but you don't want to say it out loud just yet. I think its wheeling days might be over as I just don't think it has much left in it. Maybe I'll just keep it going through winter and then make a decision later?... I really don't know. :dunno: Figuring by the time I swap out the engine, fuel pump, other such odds and ends that it needs, and then end up with a few more years on borrowed time. Doesn't add up in my head and that's a real bummer. I hate to say it, but this ugly little XJ has really grown on me. We'll see, I guess. Not making any decisions tonight. As for today? Today was a good day.

I've been keeping track of this, Jim. Be safe down there. Not much happening up in the Springs other than some hazy conditions.

Sounds like a good recipe. I've got dreams of building anything from a '5 to an MB on a shortened TJ frame all with drivability/wheeling performance in mind. Looking forward to seeing where yours goes.

Yup... going to need more details. Looks good in its torn down state... if that's what you're going for. :D Like most things kind of odd and older than me, I'm a sucker for these '5s. Awaiting updates. :popcorn:

Cool! :thumbsup:

What kind of trim is around the openings for the tow hooks, Don? I used a hole saw on mine and was very happy with the results without any additional garnish.