Project: Slippery Slope – a ’91 MJ runner

[Gjeep]

Goodbye load sensing valve setup – this MJ gets an XJ combination valve and loses the hardline that manages the rear axle valve. I’ve never liked the balance in braking that the factory MJ setup had. I swapped over to this set up on my other MJ and ran it 150K without issue/ lockup around the crazy roads and drivers of California for years. World of difference and confidence. Once I swap the front axle swap, cross drilled rotors and new braking components will complete this stopping power metamorphosis.

 

 

 

[Gjeep]

Although not completely done, I got the XJ hand brake cable/ bracket in place and connected it to the MJ parking brake splitter. To support the hand brake under the MJ floor pan I drilled out an XJ backside bracket. It stiffens the floor up well. 

 

 

 

I also installed the newer style CPS (’93-’95) and couldn’t be happier with the amount of distance it provided to keep that wiring away from the header. I needed to swap the connector as the pins are inline versus triangular as in the ‘91/’92 CPS. The wiring itself is now pressed up against the firewall, behind a brake line to keep it from moving. This era CPS with its longer connector provides an extra 1.5” of length. When removing the old CPS, which was original no doubt as bolts were unscathed, I was surprised to see there was no grommet in the bell housing for it to reside in.

 

 

[Gjeep]

Always an adventure. What I though was going to be a reasonably quick change of gasket turned into a trying of patience. PO (or I’d guess PO’s mechanic) RTV’d the oil pan to the block almost 1/4” thick and it was on there. On there good.  Lost count how many times I walked away from it. I ended up bending up the oil pan lip so much that I ordered a new one from Mopar. Front side of the pan had a thin gasket strip that I’ve never seen and no RTV. Oil was coming out regularly in this spot – mainly because the RTV was on so thick. Front side had this thin gasket or old gasket scrap that was 1/8” thinner than the rest of the junk. Crazy. On to changing rear main seal; then FelPro gasket on the pan.

 

 

Been a while since I’ve looked under a 4.0L and saw it withOUT girdle.

 

 

A stamped steel 4.0L valve cover is going on with a new FelPro gasket and New Comer Racing billet bolt grommet retainers. I had good luck having swapped this cover onto my other MJ long ago. No more oil-soaked air filer. This cover has new CCV and PCV elbows and grommets also.

 

 

Lastly, I installed the ’95 XJ dual diaphragm booster and bent up lines to the new XJ combo valve. This calls for a mix of standard flare and bubble flaring at the master cylinder. I’ll be placing the bottle jack and related tools under the hood like my other MJ.