Okay got that over with so here is the information. I bought a 1983 black SX4 way up and PA and brought it down to the south in North Carolina where it belongs. I actually bought it from the original owner's family since he passed away 2 years ago and the family was finally ready to give it up. It had been sitting since 1998 in the same place in their drive way and they trusted me (a 20 year old punk kid) to take it away from them! The car had 119,xxx miles on it and it wasn't running when we bought it. I brought it home, strapped a new starter on, put a battery in and it cranked right up. It ran for about 2 minutes and then BAM, started knocking. The oil pump was shot so I pulled the engine out and tore it apart because I figured it would be best to just throw a $500 rebuild kit into it and call it good. Strapped it back in after the rebuild and it runs like a beauty. Enough talk though and lets get to the pictures!
(http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o635/Chazhill14/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/529275_10151856079257004_342241076_n_zps81f92d2f.jpg) (http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/Chazhill14/media/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/529275_10151856079257004_342241076_n_zps81f92d2f.jpg.html)
There she is after I first got home from Stroudsburg, PA. I took the hood off, it didn't come like that. I'm getting ready to take the engine out in this picture.
(http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o635/Chazhill14/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130220_164423_zpsa6928154.jpg) (http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/Chazhill14/media/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130220_164423_zpsa6928154.jpg.html)
Engine is out. This is the kind of help I get.....haha that's not me in the picture. Now to look at the rust damage which was significantly worse than what I had anticipated.
(http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o635/Chazhill14/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130220_165522_zpsfcd62981.jpg) (http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/Chazhill14/media/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130220_165522_zpsfcd62981.jpg.html)
There is the driver side. The whole inside of the frame behind the steering box was missing and the shock tower was completely separated from the frame. Passenger side wasn't much better.
(http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o635/Chazhill14/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130223_102206_zps6387697e.jpg) (http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/Chazhill14/media/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130223_102206_zps6387697e.jpg.html)
(http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o635/Chazhill14/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130223_102220_zpsd7690821.jpg) (http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/Chazhill14/media/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130223_102220_zpsd7690821.jpg.html)
Now for the fun part of repairing the rust with a 1/8 inch piece of sheet metal and crappy welding skills. Enjoy the pictures haha
(http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o635/Chazhill14/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130308_173611_zpsa76f2b63.jpg) (http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/Chazhill14/media/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130308_173611_zpsa76f2b63.jpg.html)
(http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o635/Chazhill14/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130310_125524_zps2009ab3c.jpg) (http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/Chazhill14/media/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130310_125524_zps2009ab3c.jpg.html)
Okay well I don't want to bore you with boring rust pictures. Let's get to the fun part which was rebuilding the engine!
(http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o635/Chazhill14/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130323_171457_zpsc28b3578.jpg) (http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/Chazhill14/media/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130323_171457_zpsc28b3578.jpg.html)
Back from the machine shop. Decked, tanked and bored to .030 over
(http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o635/Chazhill14/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130324_132314_zps0b22ca2e.jpg) (http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/Chazhill14/media/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130324_132314_zps0b22ca2e.jpg.html)
Pistons, crank and timing set on.
(http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o635/Chazhill14/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130326_123816_zpsd0e55d3e.jpg) (http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/Chazhill14/media/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130326_123816_zpsd0e55d3e.jpg.html)
(http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o635/Chazhill14/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130327_175528_zpsf888ed8d.jpg) (http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/Chazhill14/media/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130327_175528_zpsf888ed8d.jpg.html)
(http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o635/Chazhill14/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130330_162505_zpsccea249a.jpg) (http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/Chazhill14/media/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130330_162505_zpsccea249a.jpg.html)
Okay and here's where it gets good. Quick story. I have my own gas can in our garage. I had it filled up with gas when I started the eagle before the engine rebuild so I ASSUMED it still had gas in it after the rebuild since I had never touched it. Well that bit me in the a** because apparently someone filled it up with diesel. Yes this is headed to where you think it's headed, I ran diesel through a brand new rebuild gas engine and then that lead to this.....
(http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o635/Chazhill14/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130417_171342_zpsbdba88a4.jpg) (http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/Chazhill14/media/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130417_171342_zpsbdba88a4.jpg.html)
A brand new Weber conversion carburetor because I thought the original carter feedback piece of sh*t had pooped out and that's why it wasn't running. We eventually figured out it was diesel when the weber didn't work either and got it running fine.
Then I decided that I wanted to paint the car but didn't want to spend the time doing body work and spend the money on PPG or Sikens so I did what every redneck does, I went over to Home Depot and bought 12 cans of satin black spray paint. Here's the aftermath.
(http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o635/Chazhill14/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130513_175100_zps16339e68.jpg) (http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/Chazhill14/media/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130513_175100_zps16339e68.jpg.html)
THEN, (I know I know the story never ends) my awesome amazing dad bought me some wheels and tires for my baby and that made the car POP. He got me 15" steelies with 235/75R15 BF Goodrich Mud Terrain KM2s and we found out the hard way that they were not going to come close to fitting with the fender flares on. So I ended up having to strip the flares off and cut the fenders a little but it was worth it.
(http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o635/Chazhill14/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130516_111208_zpsde384159.jpg) (http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/Chazhill14/media/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130516_111208_zpsde384159.jpg.html)
(http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o635/Chazhill14/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130516_140246_zps0f13d006.jpg) (http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/Chazhill14/media/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130516_140246_zps0f13d006.jpg.html)
And this meant it was time to go off for inspection!
(http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o635/Chazhill14/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130516_182333_zps7ab76bc4.jpg) (http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/Chazhill14/media/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4/20130516_182333_zps7ab76bc4.jpg.html)
Those are all the pictures I have on my computer right now but I have since done the following:
I replaced the T4 tranny with a brand new (not reman) NV3550 that I got off craiglist with a NP231 T-case for $700. So I also put the NP231 in and pulled a shifter handle off a 94 Cherokee in the junk yard. Now with the new bell housing for the NV3550, I couldn't use the eagle slave cylinder for the clutch (which I just bought brand new and now have no use for) so I went to the junk yard again and got a master and slave cylinder off of a 94 Cherokee which had an AX5 in it but still used the same slave cylinder. I took the push rod out of my brand new master cylinder and put it in the new master cylinder since it was longer and retrofitted the Cherokee clutch master cylinder to my firewall and had to change the geometry on the pedal a little. The system works beautifully. I also had to make a rear drive shaft and the front drive shaft I pulled out of a mid 80's chevy truck and it turned out to fit perfectly with the longer transmission I used. Then I went on to do fun stuff like replace all the hardware in the drum brakes, new brake lines, new rotors and pads and I also added a leaf to the spring packs and replaced one broken leaf. I had a 1966 donor mustang that I pulled the leafs out of to use for the eagle. Sits up better in the back now.
Now the only problem I have to fix is that my brakes keep gradually putting pressure on the front pads and dragging the brakes about every 5 miles. The only way I can fix it is if I unscrew the brake line from the master a little and relieve the pressure. I think the front rubber hoses are collapsing in on themselves so I will change those tomorrow hopefully. I'll let you know how it goes and I hope you enjoy my post. I have 180 pictures so far of this car and they can all be viewed here:
http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/Chazhill14/library/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4?sort=3&page=1 (http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/Chazhill14/library/1983%20AMC%20Eagle%20SX4?sort=3&page=1)
Great job on the Eagle!! Way to rescue it! You deserve an egg. :)
Welcome to the Nest. Excellent work.
Very nice work!
Welcome to the nest
Welcome to the Nest and great work you're doing on that SX/4. I always like the look of a fresh blue AMC engine!
Quote from: vangremlin on May 31, 2013, 08:10:10 AM
Welcome to the Nest and great work you're doing on that SX/4. I always like the look of a fresh blue AMC engine!
I love that colour! I'm thinking of painting my Corvette that colour. Anyone know a paint code for it?
Quote from: priya on May 31, 2013, 12:29:23 PM
Quote from: vangremlin on May 31, 2013, 08:10:10 AM
Welcome to the Nest and great work you're doing on that SX/4. I always like the look of a fresh blue AMC engine!
I love that colour! I'm thinking of painting my Corvette that colour. Anyone know a paint code for it?
AMC Blue is my second fave color for engines. My choice is the copper color of the 343's in 67.
When I redid my engine I had the local paint store mix me up some industrial paint in amc blue
I have a whole gallon for less than the cost of two cans
It's very very glossy though, but it makes it easy to keep clean
I now have enough to paint 30 or 40 engines and maybe a whole car too!
If anybody needs their engine painted let me know!
I can get the paint code from my dad. He got it from a local paint shop and they knew exactly what he meant when he said AMC blue. This engine was painted blue and then clear coated so it's only glossy because of the clear coat.
Much appreciated Chazhill14.
It's so weird to see an SX/4 and it's even worse that I'm catching weird continuity errors in the photos like magically replaced hubcaps and foglamps. Ahaha! ::)
That rust looks so nasty and I wouldn't have the patience to work with that.
I am quickly approaching the point where I want to do something similar. FULL teardown, repaint, reconstruction with some older system and design interchange(Hornet, Cherokee, Rambler, Concord, Wagoneer...), hunt around for a 4L block to bore out and make a nice and square VAM 282 clone out of it, toss the crappy Torqueflite for a 5 or 6 speed manual and maybe put in new axles that I hope to God won't snap.
I really like how you handled this project and I'd be impressed to see something like this come of an old Rambler or Wagoneer. This SX/4 looks so nice that it reminds me of the kind of point I need to make when it comes to collecting parts from them in the junkyard. The grill looks better than the original and you somehow managed to figure out a way to make the hood and mirrors look interesting without all the shiny chrome. This is good. :occasion14:
I really appreciate all the compliments on the car! Almost finished my roof rack today, might go out later tonight and weld some more but I have some new information.
The AMC blue color code is 6858. Hope that helps. I can take a picture of the can and post it too if that makes things easier.
Also, I remember there being some confusion on where to get a new universal for the drive shaft because it had to have two ends with internal C-clips and the other two had to be the external clips. Well when I changed my transmission and transfer case I had to cut and make a new drive shaft. I used the slip yoke off of a 94 Cherokee for the transfer case end and was able to find a moog universal joint that was a direct replacement for the stock eagle spicer universal joint. The part number is 319 and I was able to get mine from advance auto parts.
I hope this information helps you guys. I modified a lot of stuff off that 94 Cherokee and was also able to find a lot of weird replacement parts if anyone needs help finding cross over part numbers.
Oh, sweet! Thanks Chazhill14, I really apreciate that. :)
Quote from: priya on June 01, 2013, 10:21:54 PM
Oh, sweet! Thanks Chazhill14, I really apreciate that. :)
Anytime! I hope your able to get some AMC blue paint and paint your house! I mean your engine!!!
You went to all that work and kept the plastic valve cover? ???
Ah shoot, you noticed! I'm planning on doing a 4.0L head swap with fuel injection at somepoint when I can find a good deal on a wrecked cherokee. So it's kinda long-term temporary and it doesn't seem to be giving me any issues yet. I'm ashamed of it, no need to pour salt into the wound. ;)