Project xj resurrection

[cootees]

Heres the rundown. Bought it for $550 with a blown headgasket only to find a "heep" of other unexpected problems. The last inspection had run out in may of 2003 so it had been sitting for over 5 years before we bought it. There was 110k on the odometer so I knew that the bottom end should be in decent shape.

Here it is(from the good side) when we bought it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v92/cootees/other/IMAGE_00001.jpg

To date I have
Replaced\Fixed
Passenger Floor Pan
Head job
New Fuel Tank
New Fuel Pump
Exhaust system
All sorts of small odds and ends


Mods
Canyon Wheels
31x10.50 tires
3" lift


In the floor waiting to be put in
Midland cb radio
ZJ overhead console
Power steering reservoir
5x7 Speakers for the hatch


Here is how it currently sits from the bad side. The picture does not really do it justice.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v92/cootees/P1000080.jpg

[cootees]

Well it is supposed to be decent this saturday so I will probably work on the headliner, zj overhead console and mounting the cb radio in the ohc. Anyone happen to know where I can find a wiring diagram for the ohc? From what I have read I should be able to get the compass and lights to function properly but not anything else.

[cootees]

Here is a pic of the overhead console. I have a lot to do today but Still hoping I at least get to reupholster the ohc and figure out the wiring.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v92/cootees/jeep/P1000163.jpg

The cb radio is going to be mounted inside the rear most compartment and I will run a mic extension cord all the way down and out of the center console so that there is no dangling wires.

[cootees]

did a few things today. Installed the front rubi shocks.. doing the rear tomorrow and we finally got around to replacing the ps reservoir. I had my wife slaving over her jeep today so it was a fun day to say the least.

[RUparrothead]

Good luck with the rear upper shock bolts. XJ's are notorious for them snapping. I've had some that came right out. I've had some that I was able to get out with "easy outs". I've had some that I had to cut an access hole in the rear floorboard and punch them out that way.

Let us know how it goes.

[xjtrailrider]

Good luck with the rear upper shock bolts. XJ's are notorious for them snapping. I've had some that came right out. I've had some that I was able to get out with "easy outs". I've had some that I had to cut an access hole in the rear floorboard and punch them out that way.

Let us know how it goes.

They most likely will snap, all of my late models have but the old 90 just came right out. What I do is put a punch bit on my air hammer and pop out the nutsert and broken bolt then tack some welding wire to the top of the bolt and feed out about a foot of wire, use that to fish new grade 8 5/16-18 bolts in from the top with some lock washers on them. You could probably get 3/8 bolts in there but its tight and you have to hit the hole just right so I just use the 5/16 grade 8's.

[xjmudman96]

Good luck with the rear upper shock bolts.I've had some that I had to cut an access hole in the rear floorboard and punch them out that way.



I had to do that on mine. I just tacked two bolts down through my hole.It's holding thus far:rolleyes-1:

[cootees]

Well it went painless for the first 3 upper shock bolts and the last one(closest to my tailpipe) sure enough the head snapped off. I endd up drilling it out and luckily had another m8x1.25 tap on hand from doing the elocker in my yota. So it went easy enough just a little time consuming.

[cootees]

Haven't had time to touch it yet. Still waiting to get the yota out of the garage before I start fooling with it. We did score another canyon wheel from craiglist this weekend for $25 so now we have a matching spare including a matching tire. Need to source another center cap for it is all.

[cootees]

As some of you know. The motor locked up a while back. Got a replacement from jt a few days ago. I'll start pulling the old motor tomorrow and swapping parts. I'll get some pics tomorrow.

[cootees]

Hey everyone, Its Marie......we stared the motor pull yesterday and all went well until it came time to get to the 3 bolts on the bell housing.....how the hell are we supposed to get to it to undo it?

[YJeXtreme]

give me a call after 2 when i get off.

[xjtrailrider]

Hey everyone, Its Marie......we stared the motor pull yesterday and all went well until it came time to get to the 3 bolts on the bell housing.....how the hell are we supposed to get to it to undo it?

Take the front motor mounts off and drop the engine all the way down to the axle, then you can get them from the top. You will need a reversed torx socket (#12 if i remember correctly) to remove the upper 2 bolts. I would remove the CPS so you do not damage it when pulling the motor. Also do not forget the flex plate.

The XJ is one of the easier vehicles to R&R a engine in, 2 hours out max maybe 4 going back in.

[cootees]

ha 2 hours... maybe for you. Not for me.. several hours for me. I finally got everything out but I snagged all sorts of junk on the way out.. next time I am going to take a part the front clip before trying to squeeze it out of the bay.

[xjtrailrider]

ha 2 hours... maybe for you. Not for me.. several hours for me. I finally got everything out but I snagged all sorts of junk on the way out.. next time I am going to take a part the front clip before trying to squeeze it out of the bay.


I usually just pull the radiator and never remove the hood (just prop it up as far as it will go) and the beast will come out albeit a little sideways. I also lay a blanket over the front bulkhead to keep from banging it up.

[cootees]

Here are a few pics.. and a question. I haven't really worked on it since last weekend but this is what we have. The motor is from an 89 commanche. I've got everything moved over to the new motor. Only a few things left to do before I put it back in.

The coil one the motor I pulled out was mounted on the block and in the commanche it was mounted on the fender well so I am going to have to fab a bracket to hold the coil to the block. I've also gotta fix the ear that broke when the motorstand fell over.

There are a few sensors that are in this block that were not in the motor I pulled so i am not sure what to do with them yet. I'll ask those questions when we get to the pics.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v92/cootees/jeep/P1000708.jpg

The old
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v92/cootees/jeep/P1000709.jpg

The new.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v92/cootees/jeep/P1000710.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v92/cootees/jeep/P1000712.jpg

Here are the sensors. The one above the motor mount and the one below to the right of the motor mount. On our block there was a plug in the block where the upper sensor was and there is nothing but a hole where the lower sensor was. So I am assuming I could take the lower sensor out and call it a day without having to worry about plugging it? The upper sensor I would need to plug if I pull it out?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v92/cootees/jeep/P1000711.jpg

The only other thing I am uncertain aout is the crankshaft pullys. They look the same for the most part except for holes that are in them. Do I need to swap these or was that jeeps fine way of balancing the pulleys?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v92/cootees/jeep/P1000713.jpg

[xjtrailrider]

The upper sensor is the CTS (coolant temp sensor) for the RENIX, you should have your coolant sensor in the T-stat housing for the HO motor (the sending unit for the guage is at the rear of the head, drivers side). Just take the CTS sensor out and put a pipe plug in the hole in the block.

The lower sensor is the "Knock Sensor", it senses detonation/ping in the motor and tells the ECU to retard timing. It is not needed on the HO motor and its not needed on the RENIX motor either as far as that goes.

Your coil bracket should swap over from the ho motor to the RENIX block but if it wont then a little fab work can fix that.

I think the harmonic balancers are the same but a quick look on line at part numbers could confirm that.

[cootees]

Yep, thanks jon. They are the same. Thats what I needed to know.

[xjtrailrider]

Yep, thanks jon. They are the same. Thats what I needed to know.

Glad I could help