Driveway Ornament To Daily Driver: 7 Years!

[Minuit]

@relyt: Not currently. Next time I make it to the JY I'm probably going to snag one as well as some other odds and ends. I'm hoping to make a tour of the Nashville area's junkyards either this weekend or next week.

 

@Crash: My experience is that the parts store oil filter O-ring set only had one or two (can't remember) of the O-rings I needed. It was a long time ago so I really don't remember the details though.

 

@everyone: Yes, I have the $$$$$ blue valve cover gasket. I let someone else install it (as we all know, I have great luck with letting other people work on my truck) and it feels like they got the bolts way too tight. In any case I'm likely going to install a late model valve cover, since the '91 valve cover seems to enjoy seeping oil from all the connections on top of it, and I'm getting quite a bit of oil in the air filter. Another 40 bucks down the tubes, but if it makes the truck happy it makes me happy. Probably a decision I should've made before buying a $40 old-style valve cover gasket :doh:

 

Pretty sure I fixed the seepage from the front of the engine. Will update later if I did.

 

I also forgot to mention that the driveline vibration and "road noise" that I mentioned in post #111 was caused by an improperly seated U-joint ( :doh: ) as I had feared. Taking it to someone who knew what he was doing fixed it right up.

[relyt120]

:oops: I've got one in my garage if you want it 

[Minuit]

I'll hit you up if I come up short, for sure :thumbsup:

[Minuit]

Truck Is Fine: June 2015

 

Alright, now that I'm no longer leaving huge gaps in my pics, time for a regular update!

 

First thing I did this month was plug the holes in the doors left by the old mirrors. Some of you ain't going to like how I did it:

 

 

Taken mid-tire rotation.

 

I know, primer and Bondo kind of cheapen the whole "clean survivor" vibe this truck has, but the paint is far from perfect - it just photographs well. Very little clearcoat remains on the roof. What is there is waxed fairly regularly to prevent it from getting worse, though. As we speak I'm saving up to have it professionally repainted in the original color.

 

Yep, same picture.

 

The next thing I did was rotate the tires (it's slightly overdue), and in the process give everything a nice check-up. I also installed a center cap on the wheel that was missing one (thanks relyt120!). I'm happy to report that the tires are wearing pretty much perfectly.

 

To the tire shop that last worked on my truck: Since you clearly installed my wheels with a rattle-gun set to "full retard," you won't ever be touching any of my vehicles again. I really do enjoy standing on a breaker bar with a 3ft length of cheater pipe slipped on it to get my wheels off.

 

 

I write on the tires using model paint to reduce confusion. The paint says "FL" for front left - the position the tire should be in after the rotation is finished. Within the first mile or so the paint will wear off, so no issues there.

 

 

The brakes at all corners look fantastic. All front end parts check out with notable exception of the upper control arm bushings. Expect the replacement of those in the next update.

 

 

The shallow groove worn in my drums (see the brake job update in post 67 for details) is disappearing, too.

 

 

This dude shows up pretty much every time I'm working in the garage. He's the neighbor's cat, but our dog plays with him so he sticks around.

 

I've already mentioned in several other threads that I'm not exactly impressed with the quality of the Dorman oil pan I put on. The end result of this is that, to stop it leaking, I needed to put what I would consider excessive torque on the bolts holding the oil pan on. I'm as much for following FSM torque specs as the next guy, but the with the 7 to 11 ft-lbs specced in the manual, it leaked in multiple places until tightening the bolts further. Yes, it works. No, I'm not messing with it. I'm very tired of staring at the bottom of this engine.

 

Last weekend we used the truck to help a family member move (multiple trips between Columbia, Nashville and Franklin totaling roughly 100 miles) in this ridiculous 100+ degree heat. If there were cooling system issues waiting to strike, they would have done it then. I did encounter and fix two minor issues:

 

- Check engine light came on in a parking lot. The code was 14 (it may have been 13), MAP sensor fault. The vacuum line to the sensor wasn't pushed on all the way. Pushing it back on turned off the CEL and slightly improved the idle.

 

- At a gas station, a small coolant leak appeared. The worm clamp on the upper radiator hose at the thermostat was loose. Hose clamp tightened and system refilled.

 

 

Total Expenditures since January 2015: $550.86 (this is closer to the actual number for last update. Forgot a couple of things)

Junkyard Parts:

Courtesy lights: 1994 Jeep Cherokee Country

Door panels: 1991 Jeep Cherokee Laredo
Front bumper guards: 1992 Jeep Cherokee Sport

Front sway bar: Addco unit found in junkyard, 1993 Jeep Cherokee Sport

Interior rear quarter panels: 1989 Jeep Comanche

Mud flaps: 1987 Jeep Comanche

Tailgate handle: 1989 Jeep Comanche
Windshield wiper motor: 1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport

 

 

Maintenance Status:
Oil changed 6qt generic 10W-30, 155,735

Brake pads, rotors, fluid and calipers replaced at 152,455

Brake shoes, drums, hardware and wheel cylinders replaced at 152,295

All gaskets replaced at 155,735

Tires rotated at 155,769

 

Odometer: 155,977

 

. :MJ 1: .

 

I may film a video about the finer points of what I've done later.

[Minuit]

My truck has a clone! This is almost exactly what mine would have looked like in 1991:

 

http://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/cto/5091467256.html

 

 

[dunnc1991]

The super rare 93 Comanche... Still looks like a good deal if it's as clean asthe pictures show.

[Minuit]

Yeah, that's really not a bad deal at all.

[Minuit]

The A/C works now! :banana:

[buxmj]

Congrats on getting your a/c going again.  That is something I really want to get fixed in mine, every spring I think I will have the money to do it and the money goes elsewhere.  If I drove my mj more I would definitely find the money, luckily it is no longer the daily driver.  Great mj you have, keep up the great work, enjoying all the updates.  

Buck.

[Minuit]

Thanks Buck! Glad you appreciate it. Having A/C sure is nice especially in this weather. The heat's not so bad, but the d@mn humidity ruins everything. It was a good experience to drive my truck and NOT be profusely sweating before I left the driveway.

 

Now for the heater core... :fs1:

 

I'll be going to the junkyard tomorrow for some unnecessary but nice goodies. All I need right now is more Jeep parts sitting around. :doh:

[relyt120]

The A/C works now! :banana:

 

What did you do to fix it?

 

I got a line on some r12 i need to follow up on to attempt to get mine working in this heat.

[Minuit]

Well, I replaced the expansion valve back in 2013, which got it working the first time. While the truck was sitting (6 months) and a couple of months before that the system hadn't been run. At the time I suspected the line coming out of the compressor was leaking. Not feeling like diagnosing yet ANOTHER leak, I took it down to the only shop I trust and they told me it wasn't leaking (the refrigerant will always naturally seep out over time even if the system is in tip-top shape), so they charged it up and it's working great.

 

I was cold coming back from Pull 'n' Save today and mine is running R134a. With R12 it would be even better.

[Megadan]

Right about now, I wish my AC worked.  My problem is, the only thing I hate working on more than wiring is HVAC..

[Minuit]

Ladies (do any ladies follow this thread? Probably not) and gentlemen, we now have... a TACH! ...and a CLOCK! ... and some other things. More detailed writeup coming soon, probably the day after tomorrow. I have quite a bit to cover.

 

 

Initial impressions are that this motor doesn't spin nearly as fast as it sounds like it does. It almost never goes above 2500 RPM in city driving and if I really get on it, the AW4 shifts at just over 4k. I am running 235/75/15 tires, so it is geared down a bit from stock, though. Temp and oil pressure gauges are currently non-functional. Still need to get the senders for those. Also the odometer is off by exactly 12k miles so I still need to get a speedo to reflect the truck's actual mileage as soon as I have a couple bucks. I think I can hear an exhaust leak at about 2-3k RPM. I'll make a recording of the sound to get a second opinion later.

[Minuit]

:banana: 10,000 views! :banana:

 

I'm internet famous I guess... no, not really. Fine. Although this means that if each time this thread was viewed, you looked at it for 5 minutes, then I've wasted almost 834 hours of your time over the course of the past couple of years.

 

I've been stupidly busy this past two weeks, so that means the update I promised last post may not happen for a while.

 

I'm pretty sure my truck has the factory (for the puny 195/75/15 bicycle tires it came with) speedometer gear in it now. At "70 mph" the tach reads about 2300 rpm, which with my combination of rear end ratio and tire size puts me at about 75 mph. The correct 34 tooth speedo gear has been ordered. Not sure why, but I had the idea in my mind that my truck had the speedo gear for the 215/75/15 tires it had when I got it, which only would throw the speedometer off by less than 5%. 5% doesn't bother me, but I can't live with it being off by 10%. This also means I've been getting way better gas mileage than I thought I was... very nice.

 

Tip: Get your speedometer gears from Ebay instead of buying them at a retailer! Don't pay $40 for a plastic gear. MJs, no matter what year, will use the long shaft speedometer gear. The change to the short-shaft gear happened in 1993.

[Minuit]

UPGRADE!: July-September 2015

 

For this update, we'll go way back to the tail end of my summer break, a time when I wasn't staying up until 3am studying, and I had time for truck fixin'. I think we'll all agree that I'd rather do truck fixin'.

 

A couple of months ago, I made a thread about the 94+ bumper seals that are installed to the A-pillar. Since nobody else had ever really even acknowledged their existence, I decided to see for myself:

 

Not a good start.

 

Anyway, they are held by double-sided adhesive to the A-"piller" here:

 

While the seals weren't of very high quality (the adhesive failed a couple of days after I installed them - I replaced it with double-sided tape), they made a slight but noticeable difference in wind noise.

 

My door seals were torn to crap and slightly leaky, so I ordered a new set of 97+ door weatherstripping from Team Cherokee.

 

 

Old and busted on the right, new hotness on the left. Also, toes.

 

Installation is pretty simple - just take off or pull back every interior trim piece that goes around the seals, then just take the old seal off, install the new one and cut to length. I would strongly recommend anyone who cares about the condition of their truck to replace their original door seals immediately if they are damaged. If you let them go too long, it starts to look like this underneath:

 

:eek:  :fs1: :fs1:

 

:eek: :eek: :eek: I did not try, but I bet that spot would fail the screwdriver test. Repair will happen as soon as I have more than a day or two to work with.

 

I had a few minor fitment issues and I would describe their quality as being a bit "overseas-y" but overall they made for a pretty good improvement over what was there.

 

Make sure to transfer this piece over to the new seals if yours don't come with it. It bridges the gap where the seal is cut.

 

 

The 97+ seals are substantially thicker than the old ones and will make the doors very difficult to close at first. After a few days, they will loosen up but the doors will always be harder to close than they were. On the plus side, I'm dry when it rains now!

 

A few weeks later, I decided that I was bored and started to take the dash apart. I had been collecting upgrade parts (clock, full gauge cluster, etc) for a while, and I also thought I was going to replace the heater core. I don't have many pics of this process, since my A/C works again and I didn't want to discharge it to replace the heater core in the middle of summer. (and have to recharge it and replace the accumulator AGAIN at no small cost after I'd had it done a month before)

 

Instead of replacing the heater core, I went on an inside-out rampage of making improvements, fixing stuff, and generally doing a better job of things than I had done before. (hint: when I put the interior back together at the beginning of this thread I did a very sloppy job, including leaving loose bolts. Three years later I'm not having a bit of that. I was a rather lazy 15 year old)

 

I pulled the Oh $#!& Handle out of the roof the last time I let my dad drive the truck. It was reinstalled promptly and made very tight.

 

I added a dash clock found in the junkyard from a very nice 1991 XJ. This is probably the cheapest upgrade I ever have done, and probably my favorite. A ballpoint pen is now standard equipment in the glovebox for clock adjustments, as was the way years ago.

 

This dash bezel is quite possibly the most perfect part I have ever found in the junkyard. Its former owner was a stripper 1993 XJ - 2.5, 5speed with in excess of 300,000 miles. It even has the under-steering column piece!

 

The full gauge cluster from a 1996 XJ. The odometer reads exactly 12,000 miles higher than the actual mileage of the truck. This is a bolt-in mod, the only things you need to do is replace the oil pressure sender by the oil filter and the coolant temperature sender on the back of the cylinder head (not the one on the thermostat housing). The tach and voltmeter will work without any changes. You will also lose the column shift indicator, but I can pretty much tell by feel what gear the transmission is in and I will shortly be converting the AW4 to floor shift anyway. The 1996 cluster has a slightly different arrangement of warning lights on the left side but it all works out. The only real difference is that the check engine light is now orange.

 

I found an old mounting kit to install my radio in the stock location, rather than cutting out the dash bezel. You can see the surround for the radio a little bit but it's not a big deal.

 

I found a somewhat rare steering column in the junkyard - black, tilt, intermittent wipers. This will be installed when I change the interior to bucket seats with floor shift. I did not get the steering wheel with it - I will be transferring mine over. It's just one of those little things that I don't want to change.

 

I grabbed these seat covers out of the same XJ the column came from. I've decided I want to upgrade the interior, but keep the stock theme of it. These covers match the pattern of my bench. There is a single cigarette sized hole in each side (seriously, why would you do that?) and they are dirty, but the hole can be fixed and a couple of runs in the wash machine will clean 'em right up. I already have MJ bucket seats and brackets almost ready to go in, but they have badly ripped vinyl covers that I wasn't too crazy about anyway. While I was at the JY, I removed the dashes from two different XJs and harvested all of their bolts and screws to make sure I had enough and spares for mine. (At this rate, I think I've pulled more XJ dashes than bumpers, and that's a pretty big number. I think I'm down to about 35 minutes per dash)

 

I will fix this abomination at some point, as well as install a factory radio. Don't use wire nuts for automotive wiring, people. Crimp 'n' shrink is the way to go. Yes, I have the hands of a 9 year old girl. No, I am not a 9 year old girl.

 

Re-installing the bolts I didn't put back in last time. The factory clearly put the dash in before the windshield.

 

All put back together, minus the Power/Comfort switch, which I broke removing (it has since been replaced.) It took three days to do, but at least now I know it's done right. I even plugged the glovebox light back in! :doh: (seriously, 15 year old me needs his @$$ kicked)

 

My jack hold-down equipment was missing, so I procured one from schardein. Great seller. There is a clip that goes on the D-shaped bracket on the back of the cab, but I haven't been able to find one and mine is missing.

 

This is how it all works, if your sticker is missing.

 

Then I gave it a bath, and it was ready to take on the pavement again, with a tach, a clock, and plenty of other goodies! (I am painfully aware of the clearcoat failure on the roof. I am saving up for a professional quality paintjob, although it will be years before I can get it done)

 

During this time I replaced the outer tie rod ends, wheel bearings, and brakes on the Buick in the background. Great car, but the steering was really loose. A little love and it was back to driving like a couch again.

 

That brings us to this weekend. I knew my speedometer was off, but I didn't know by how much. Looking at the tach and a little research told me that my speedometer was about 9% off. My truck originally came with 195/75/15s and it now has 235/75/15s. That's a 9.1% difference in size - which is very significant. This was confirmed by my resetting my trip meter at a mile marker and the trip meter rolling over 0.9 miles as I pass the next one. Fortunately, I know exactly how many miles I've driven since increasing the tire size, so I can figure the exact mileage of the truck. The correct fix for this is to replace the speedometer gear that was in there originally with a 34 tooth, long shaft version.

 

Under the truck, on the drivers side of the transmission. The speedometer gear is located under the housing in the center of the picture. If your truck is 4x4, this housing will be on the transfer case. Mine is a '91 with an electric VSS speedometer, so I have a two wire connector instead of a speedometer cable. Regardless, the procedure is the same and extremely easy.

 

Just undo this bolt with a 1/2" socket and the half-circle fork will come out. The fork has teeth that will lock into the speedometer housing to stop it from moving.

 

Once you have taken the fork off, just pull the speedometer housing straight out. The speedometer gear will come out with it. Transmission fluid will probably spill out, so make sure to have a catch pan ready. See the numbers on the housing? The numbers correspond to the number of teeth on your speedometer gear. Make sure to turn the housing to match the tooth count of the new speedometer gear. If you're installing a 34 tooth gear like I am, turn the housing until the line on the transmission is close to the "32-38" mark on the housing. If this is not adjusted correctly the speedometer will not work.

 

New 34 tooth speedometer gear on the left, old 36 tooth gear on the right. Simply pull the old gear out and put the new gear back in, and adjust the housing as described above. When you install the fork and bolt, make sure that the teeth on the fork lock with the notches on the housing. After that, you're done! Go for a short test drive and verify that your speedometer works. If not, make sure the adjustment is correct.

 

Took the spare out from under the truck to check the air in it. This is actually a pretty decent tire, considering I bought it at the junkyard. Sidewall looks great and it holds air. It's not pretty but if I need it, I can make it home.

 

I recently got my hands on these Gearwrench 120 tooth ratchets. They are easily the best ratchets I have ever used, and they aren't expensive at all compared to some other ratchets out there (looking at you, Snap-on). The top is a 1/4" drive and as long as a typical 3/8" drive ratchet, and the bottom is a 3/8" drive, as long as one of my 1/2" drive breaker bars. If you're in the market for more ratchets (I do freely admit I have a slight tool problem) I'd strongly consider these. Unfortunately, they're made in Taiwan - I try to buy as many USA made tools as possible. They seem like good quality, but I'm anxious to see how well they hold up.

(Disclaimer: I am not an employee of Gearwrench or any tool company. I bought these with my own money and these are my actual opinions, not an advertisement. I just like tools.)

 

Unfortunately, I don't have any numbers for money spent or any of that stuff since I don't have my main computer with me right now. I will try to get these numbers tomorrow. This update took nearly 2 hours to put together - I don't have 2 hours of free time on weekdays. That's why this update took so long to come.

 

. :MJ 1: .

[Minuit]

Mostly Just Boring Maintenance: October 2015

 

I'm quite overdue for an oil change, and for that matter, another spill 'n' fill of the transmission. 

 

Time to make a mess.

 

Notice that everything sitting there is a synthetic fluid. I'm going to be seeing how the Rotella T6 (5W-40 synthetic diesel oil) and the Valvoline Maxlife Dex/Merc synthetic ATF play with my truck for a maintenance interval. I've heard very good things about both fluids. I'll let you know what I think, and I'll probably get a used oil analysis when I change it next.

 

About a week ago, I started hearing really loud, annoying rattling sound coming from somewhere on the right side of the interior. After a thorough and scientific percussive diagnosis, I found the sound to be coming from somewhere in the passenger side door. After I tore the door apart, I discovered this:

 

 

Yuck. Here's how I fix something like that:

 

 

 

I think this is something that's only used for power window regulators. Didn't seem like it was doing anything but make noise, so I drilled the rivets out and didn't bother putting it back in.

 

 

I also dug out a bunch of broken glass I missed when I busted the window out early this year. Now everything is much quieter.

 

The next thing I did may be a little controversial:

 

 

I picked these up a couple of weeks ago at the Pull-a-Part from a 1993 XJ. I've always wanted the opening vent windows, and I figured I could either deal with or fix their notorious leaking issues.

 

 

Believe it or not, these non-opening vent windows have been a considerable source of wind noise since I've had the truck. That and they block out some of the view for no benefit...

 

...so they went away:

 

 

Tip: The screws on top of the vent window assemblies are NOT PHILLIPS. They are Pozidriv Size 2. Use of a Philips driver is very likely to ruin the screws (and your day, since you won't be able to get the window out). You can tell this because the Pozidriv screw has small diagonal cutouts in the head:

 

 

Swapping the windows over is a simple matter of remove and replace. They are kind of a bear to get lined up when installing into the door, though. Take your time and do not force the windows. Make sure the gaskets all fit in their tracks without bunching up or you'll get a bunch of wind noise. The end result? No whistle, overall less noise, more air, and only minor leaking from only the passenger side.

 

While I was in there, I also swapped in a set of good, non-folding mirrors with better manual controls. No pics, but they pretty much look the same. The only trick to these is the cleverly hidden T6 set screw you have to loosen:

 

 

After that, three T30 screws gets the mirror out. An interesting thing I noticed is that the non-folding mirrors don't seem to use gaskets where they meet up with the body. They're also a little bit closer to the door since they don't have the (very fragile) folding mechanism, which improves visibility a little bit.

 

When I got done with the doors, they looked like this:

 

 

I may be one of a single digit number of people who actually swapped TO the vent windows instead of ripping them out in frustration. I think it's worth it though. And they're DAMN good at getting air in your face especially above about 40mph, even though my A/C works fine.

 

Next, I decided to tear into the dash and fix a few things that had been bothering me. First off, I should have done a better job checking the bulbs in the new cluster when I put it in, since the bulb in the middle between the speedo and tach was blown out. I tested the lights, but it was light outside when I did the swap, so I didn't notice. Easy enough, I took the cluster and swapped out the bulbs from my old cluster, which were all fine.

 

 

Easy peasy.

 

What you probably can't see in that pic is the cluster surround. After only a week or so I decided I didn't like the grey surround on the new cluster, so I decided to swap my black one in. For anyone with a pre-'91 truck, this takes no modification at all, since the trip reset button comes from the speedo, not the surround. For us '91 and '92 owners, we have to drill a hole in the cluster surround for the trip meter:

 

 

Each cluster with its respective parts. We'll need to drill a hole in the black cluster surround, and use the lens from the full cluster. Other than that, they are exactly the same.

 

 

Using the full cluster lens as a guide, drill a ~3/16" hole straight down to the cluster surround. It's very important that you drill this hole straight, or you'll have trouble. Go slow and don't force the drill, since these are rather flimsy pieces. 

 

 

Done.

 

Once you're happy with the hole, put the cluster back together and make sure you can reset the trip meter without it binding. When you're done, your cluster looks like this:

 

 

 

So much better. They should've come like this from the factory.

 

 

I think you're a little big for my truck, buddy.

 

 

I also fixed up my Power/Comfort switch. Pain in the butt-tocks but now there's no holes in the dash.

 

Maintenance Status:

 

- Oil: Rotella T6 5W-40 changed at 158,185 (cluster shows 12k more than true mileage) w/Purolator filter

- ATF: Valvoline Maxlife Dex/Merc drained and filled (~50% of transmission capacity) at 158,185

 

Odometer: 158,221 (cluster shows 170,221)

 

Not sure if I want to keep putting the cost information at the end of each post. It's getting very difficult to keep track of, but this thread is ultimately for you guys' enjoyment, so let me know what you think.

 

  :papers:

[Minuit]

My actual content:mindless rambling ratio has gotten a little bit too high, so it's time to go over my plans for the conclusion of this build. Once all of this is completed, I'll be as close to "done" as you could possibly imagine.

 

- Locate and rebuild a rear axle.

The D35's health has not improved recently. I've put it off for a while, but the time is coming to find its replacement. While I'd love for an MJ D44 to fall into my lap, the more likely candidate is going to be a 97+ Chrysler 8.25 modified to fit like a factory MJ rear end. I can get these at my local junkyard for just south of a hundred bucks, so it will probably be the most cost effective solution even after modifications. I'm looking to have the donor rebuilt (not something I feel comfortable doing myself) and converted to disc brakes while I'm at it. A limited slip solution is not out of the question. Provisions for a rear sway bar will be added.

Projected cost: $500 after rebuild and disc brake conversion (using factory parts either from a KJ or ZJ)

 

- Rebuild the rear suspension.

During the process of the above swap, the rear suspension will be rebuilt with new bushings, new spring pads, etc. The rear suspension as it is makes a lot of noise - nothing disconcerting but it's obviously worn out a bit. The springs themselves are in good shape and are within a half inch of factory ride height still.

Projected cost: $200?

 

- Lift the front.

Currently the truck has a disgusting rake on it. A lift of either an inch or two will make it look a lot better.

Projected cost: $150 including any possible changes to correct alignment.

 

- Overhaul the brakes.

There's nothing wrong with my brakes (at least, not after fixing the prop valve), but they still aren't anything to write home about. I have a dual diaphragm setup waiting to go in, and maybe I should stop being lazy and get it done with at some point. The proportioning valve can also go away.

Projected cost: Nothing. I already have the parts.

 

- Deal with the driveline vibration.

This one is really annoying. I've pretty much narrowed it down to somewhere between the transmission and rear end. It's one of the last things wrong with this truck. With it gone I'd have one hell of a highway cruiser.

Projected cost: $200 for a new driveshaft if necessary.

 

- Continue upgrading the interior.

I intend to upgrade the interior while keeping the same theme it has now - black trim, with seat covers that match that of the current bench. I have a set of bucket seats that need to be joined to brackets, the appropriate steering column, and one of the seat covers. I need an uncracked lower dash panel, another seat cover, a console, and the hardware to convert the AW4 from column to floor shift, as well as carpet.

Projected cost: $300?

 

- Make it quiet inside.

I intend to fully sound deaden the interior. I haven't made my mind up on what product exactly to use. I like this company's line, but I still need to do my research. Not planning on half arsing this. Maybe I'll finally put some speakers in the doors while I'm at it? (the observant followers of this build will notice that I've had holes in my door panels nearly since I've had the truck)

Projected cost: $300-500

 

- Do something engine wise.

A stroker is in the plans for much, much later but for now I need to know if I should keep sinking money into the current engine. It runs superbly but the look of the cam lobes didn't fill me full of hope and it's also got a chip knocked out of the RMS area. It seems to have an appetite for timing chains.

Projected cost: Not even gonna guess.

 

- PAINT!

The factory clear coat is failing. It looks nice in pictures but from most angles you can see flawed paint. The truck will be repainted in the original color, the bodywork made perfect and the stripes will probably be remade also. I won't be happy until this truck looks just like it did the second it rolled off the lot.

Projected cost: However much it takes.

[1stDeuce]

Love your MJ!!   I'm working on bringing one back that was quite a bit more neglected...

 

I was reading your thread last night, and I see something I'm surprised nobody else has piped up about...  I'm going to help you fix your somewhat lacking rear brakes...   Your proportioning valve lever and relay rod are not oriented correctly...   I noticed it in a much older post, but I see from this one you still haven't fixed it...

Tire. Wheel. Shiny diff cover. Springs. More wheels. Box.

 

The lever that comes out of the valve should be horizonal, pointing to the passenger side, and the round relay rod that goes from the diff cover bracket to the lever should be vertical.   Oriented the way yours is, it isn't doing anything as you load or unload the bed, and it's got your rear brakes pretty much shut off I think.

 

Here's how it's supposed to go:   http://repairguide.autozone.com/znetrgs/repair_guide_content/en_us/images/0900c152/80/0a/a1/05/medium/0900c152800aa105.gif

 

If you fix this, you'll probably find out that the dual diaphram booster isn't even necessary.  

You're welcome.  I think...   :)

[Minuit]

You got me. You're absolutely right.

 

I just went out and fixed it. Stops 100% better now. You'd think I'd have noticed something was off all this time, but nope. Thanks man!

[Wiggilez]

unless you want the lift in the front to even things out why not put cherokee shackles in the rear when you do your spring overhaul? you're going to have that all apart anyway.

[Minuit]

That's something I've thought about and I may end up dropping the rear as well as a mild (maybe 2" at the most) lift in front. I don't want it completely level but it's significantly taller in the rear than the front, and I'd like to level it somehow by a couple of inches or so. When parked on a flat surface it looks like it's sticking its @$$ up in the air and I want to get rid of that look but keep it roughly stockish height. I still haven't done enough research or mocking up to make a real decision, though.

 

Also, follow up on brakes: I don't know how I drove this thing for 3 years the way it was - and it definitely was like that when I got it. I didn't have any clues to make me think anything was wrong, since the rears bled fine and there was visible brake dust any time I took the drums off. It stops way better, and the pedal feels way better. Imagine that.

 

I wonder whose idea it was to design the rear prop valve so that it could bolt up two ways that both seemed correct - but one all but disabled the rear brakes.  :thumbsup:

[Minuit]

No new pics for now, but things are going to happen next week. I have Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off from school, and I plan on getting the MJ on the road in that time. Here's what I plan on doing:

 

- Heater core

- Complete timing chain replacement

- Upper control arms & bushings (just wait until you see the condition of the ones in there now)

- Fix the frakking driveline vibration, by means of a new driveshaft if necessary (time permitting)

 

Basically, that means I need to get the truck running by Wednesday morning in order to get the A/C discharged and the driveshaft to the driveline shop on Wednesday. Lofty goals, but I can't put into words how tired I am of driving beater Thunderbirds and Buicks.

 

Last weekend, I got the new Cloyes timing chain installed. This one isn't perfect, but it's a lot better than what was in there. I wish it was tighter, but I'm kind of out of options unless I want to piece together a new set from NOS Mopar parts ($$$$$$) as the whole thing is NLA from every dealer I've checked.

 

Installing the camshaft sprocket is a PITA - it interfaces with a (thankfully hollow) roll pin on the camshaft. I suggest sticking something in the roll pin to make alignment easier, like so:

 

Anything that fits in the hole in the roll pin will work. This allows you to slide the entire assembly on evenly. Make sure you line the timing set up (dots facing each other, crankshaft keyway at TDC) before you try to install it. The camshaft bolt gets 80 ft-lbs of torque. Make sure not to lose the spring and pin that fit inside the bolt.

 

If you have good eyes, you might notice sparkly flakes sitting inside the blue oil pan gasket. At first, I thought this was bearing material and nearly had a heart attack, but further inspection showed that the bolt holes on the bottom of my timing cover are almost all completely stripped out, and the flakes in the oil pan gasket are aluminum shavings. Now that I've possibly introduced metal flakes into my engine, as a precaution I'll have to change out my $30 in full synthetic oil after less than 500 miles!

 

 

I plan on getting a replacement timing cover and some other odds and ends at the junkyard this weekend. I'm already sick and the forecast on Saturday is low 50s and rain...  :doh:

 

The things I do to myself for you, truck. You damn well better appreciate this.

[Lowrange2]

Great looking truck.   Your attention to detail and the fact that you want this truck to be original at your age is quite rare.   

 

Good job. 

[Minuit]

Great looking truck.   Your attention to detail and the fact that you want this truck to be original at your age is quite rare.   

 

Good job. 

 

Thanks a lot! It's comments like yours that keep me going.

 

I've always tried to do the absolute best work on this truck that I can (it's up to you all to decide if I'm successful), and for the most part I'm not a fan of cutting corners. I'm a very detail oriented person - to the point where a minor detail being off makes me very uncomfortable, and I think my truck reflects that. After all, the big picture is just a combination of a bunch of little details, right?