'88 Eliminator... Feb. 2009 - Nov. 2024

[jdog]

49 minutes ago, neohic said:

“Why can’t we bring it home?”

She's a keeper, glad to see it home without to much of a issue

[89 MJ]

Bout dang time!

Happy to hear it’s home. 

[neohic]

And then a year later?… it still hasn’t gotten worked on.  I’ve been busy getting my shop in order and I came across some parts that were allocated for it though. The center console got cleaned up some by putting a nicer insert in it and I changed a burned out bulb while I had it apart. Not sure why the four cylinder trucks got a way better radiator overflow bottle, but they did and I had one in the pile. That got installed. 
 

 

Then something else I’ve been wanting to put back on are the rubber side moldings. I need to clean them up and get some molding tape. 
 

 

… and one “proof of existence” picture.  
 

[eaglescout526]

1 hour ago, neohic said:

Not sure why the four cylinder trucks got a way better radiator overflow bottle

Were cool like that. Hahaha. 

[neohic]

2006 called. It wants its Kenwood deck back. 
 

 

Wrong dash bezel also. This came out of a ‘96 XJ because I needed one and that’s what I could get in good shape. So?

 

 

I had a good factory deck that I did the auxiliary input mod. 
 

 

Added a USB port and got rid of the lighter that has never worked. 
 

 

Nope… none of this keeps the leaking fluids in it that I should be fixing but… wha’ev’s. 

[Pete M]

got plans for that cig lighter panel?

[neohic]

4 hours ago, Pete M said:

got plans for that cig lighter panel?

Nope. The old panel went into the spare parts bin that the blank panel came out of. I like the blank in the dash better. 

[neohic]

It went off the property today!

 

 

Made a bench out of leftover stuff and delivered it to a neighbor’s place. Just around the block, but on the road is on the road. Guess it deserves a wash finally. 
 

 

… dirt trap is nearly full!  Anyone have a good recommendation for a car cover to keep the dust off through the winter?

[neohic]

New plate day. Truck pretty much got the equivalent of an AARP card. 
 

[Pete M]

a dust cover for while it's outside or while it's inside?  for inside, I prefer just a couple bed sheets.  does the job and is easily washable.    for outside, I prefer using nothing since dust is easily removable, but scratches from a strong wind whipping around a cover are less so. 

[neohic]

33 minutes ago, Pete M said:

a dust cover for while it's outside or while it's inside?  for inside, I prefer just a couple bed sheets.  does the job and is easily washable.    for outside, I prefer using nothing since dust is easily removable, but scratches from a strong wind whipping around a cover are less so. 

Indoor. It’ll be parked in the shop all winter. The plan is to park it closer to the north wall in there and as close to the big doors as possible. When it’s parked for winter, that’s where it’ll stay. 

[neohic]

Time to get washed and put away. 
 

Had a nice time with the truck a couple days ago. Used it to put the trailer down the hill then over to the car wash. This hill always feels steeper than it is when backing a trailer down. 
 

 

Did some running around town with it too. Parked it down the hill and?…

 

 

… here I thought we were having a nice time. That axle seal is totally wasted. Regardless, it got put away and covered up and out away until next year. 

 

Got the shop ready for winter. Sleep well, buddy. 

[Pete M]

seems like the new heated shop is a great place to get that axle seal taken care of during winter  

[neohic]

On 11/25/2022 at 7:30 PM, Pete M said:

seems like the new heated shop is a great place to get that axle seal taken care of during winter  

So it would seem. We’ll see if I get to it this winter. It’d also be a good time to pull the trans and see what’s going on behind the torque converter.

 

I actually uncovered it for one last hurrah this week to move the trailer again. On an incline, the transmission definitely feels low on fluid. 
 

 

… and then put it away again… again.

[fiatslug87]

  

[neohic]

Picked up an AW4 input seal and outer seals for the 8.25. Not sure when I’ll get to it but they’re on my table to judge me for not taking care of them sooner. 
 

[Pete M]

draw an angry, disapproving face on the boxes.    we've all been there.  not much fun in replacing a part.  much more fun to create something. 

[neohic]

On 11/25/2022 at 7:30 PM, Pete M said:

seems like the new heated shop is a great place to get that axle seal taken care of during winter  

 

The snowball got rolling today. It started off with needing to swap out my argon bottle from my TIG welder. That bottle is from out of state from another supplier so I go to my local AirGas drop off location and start asking questions. They can't change out any bottle that isn't stamped with the AirGas logo. Fine... I start calling around and finish up with the big retail location down in Colorado Springs. Apparently they can swap it out so in the future I can just go to my local spot. So now I need to get that bottle down the hill and I don't trust my CJ until the new engine goes in. I don't want to do that and have two vehicles down so that puts this truck back into being first in line. So now I needed a transmission jack. Nobody in town has one to buy or rent. Fine... I go down to the Springs to borrow one from my buddy. It's heavy and long so when I get back home with it the jack gets transferred into the CJ to get it down the hill to my shop. It just snowed but it's warm today so the hill is a soupy mess. The CJ goes down fine but gets sideways coming back up. I get it righted only to end up back at the bottom of the hill in fresh ruts that are very deep and the CJ doesn't want to climb out of them so I rev it up as best as it can, dump the clutch, launch mud everywhere, slowly creep up the hill with more mud getting flung all over what seems like the whole neighborhood, and then finally get back to the top of the hill to dry pavement where the front tires finally have something to grab on to so the whole Jeep makes a quick left turn to the point that it feels like it's about to tip over into the neighbor's yard.

 

Anyhow... looks like I'll be pulling the trans tomorrow to change out the input seal... finally.

[Pete M]

you should put a winch point at the top of the hill for emergencies. 

[neohic]

2 hours ago, Pete M said:

you should put a winch point at the top of the hill for emergencies. 

I should and I probably will in the future. My rule is that I don’t go down when the weather doesn’t allow it. This is maybe only the second time I’ve broken my rule and the CJ showed me who’s boss. 

[neohic]

Ugh. That’s a lot of work for a $7 seal. The rear main is in good shape… that’s all tranny fluid.  
 

 

I only had a mild blood bath on my floor today. Not quite done with the job but I’m definitely done with it. There’s just the little fiddly bits left to do but the trans is bolted to the engine, the crossmember is back in, and the cooler lines are hooked up so it’s not dripping all night.

 

Unfortunately this was an eye opener for me today. I know that I’m not an “old man” old man, but some internal issues have crept up on me over the past five or so years. One of my fondest memories from my old wheeling XJ was when the transmission took a crap on my way to the trails so I made the decision to swap it while passing through my old home town. The time from pulling it into my parent’s garage to leaving again was 5.5 hours! That felt like a precision military exercise while this was more like a physical fight over six hours. I’ll probably have a few more hours to go and then I’d like to rework some of my exhaust. Wrenching on this stuff is for sure a young man’s game. 

[neohic]

Transmission is done. Haven’t run it yet though. Everything got put back together today along with a good amount of cleaning parts. The exhaust was reworked a little to get rid of u-bolt clamps and I added a flange for easier serviceability. 
 

 

The header is a ceramic coated Pace Setter. Not sure if these are even available anymore. I like this manifold but the $#!&ty clamps they provide have always leaked and the six-in-two section has fallen off a couple times. Shouldn’t be a problem anymore.

 

Then things moved to the rear. 
 

 

Besides a coating of gear oil over everything, it’s nice to open things up and see it all as I left it year ago. I didn’t get too far into things… still pretty beat from yesterday. What I found when I pulled off the wheels was a real “Hu… oh, yeah…” type moment. When I did the disk brake swap I never changed out the lug studs for longer ones. 
 

 

I went and got ten of these and then decided that I was done for the day. 

[Pete M]

22 hours ago, neohic said:

Wrenching on this stuff is for sure a young man’s game. 

 

 

truth   

 

but now it's done.

[neohic]

1 hour ago, Pete M said:

truth   

 

but now it's done.

Mmm… can’t wait to tackle the engine in the CJ. 

[neohic]

Rear axle seals replaced, new lug studs, ran the truck around to check transmission fluid, fresh gas, and then degreased and washed the underside. 
 

 

… which is good because it’s getting put to work tomorrow. I’ve had a pile of tools and a couple big air tanks to get to a buddy of mine. My argon tank that started this whole project is tucked way under all that stuff. That’ll get exchanged tomorrow too.