I've said hello before, but I'm saying hello again.

[greymarooneightytwo]

This forum is great, I just wish there were better profiles, and you could have albums... this place needs more pictures.

I purchased a 1982 Eagle Eagle with some fancy extras, in July, up here in Anchorage Alaska.

(used to be Silver, now it's Gray, has maroon trim and fat plastic fender flares, non-bulge hood.)

I bought it from the original owner, who is 80 years old, and worked as a mechanic for GM long ago.
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It came with the optional gauge cluster in the center.

It did not come with a roof rack.

It has as much chrome as a harley.

The rear window wiper needs rewired, and the defroster as well.

The heater blower motor is crap, but the heater itself gets HOT.
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He had replaced the valve cover three times, the head gasket once, said the transmission might be original. He replaced the chain in the transfer case one time, the viscous coupling twice, the front suspension was replaced less than 4 years ago, the roof has no leaks, and there are very few problems with the electrical (or rather, things I think are electrical, :water reservoir: vacuum lines everywhere!) It was in a mild front end collision eons ago, and there is a small dent in the rear bumper... that he got while he also broke the right tail light backing out of an optometrists office two years ago, before he decided to park it.

I've since:

Replaced the valve cover with an aluminum one, because I was leaking a quart every three days...

Replaced the belts fuel filter and air filter, as well the oil filter two or three times

Mounted a stereo in the dash with without any brackets, using a soldering iron to cut the plastic

(it's just hanging out... actually very sturdy though)

Replaced all of the very old speakers (thinking of using small home heater covers as grills)

Removed the ashtray and installed a cb in it's stead... cheap midland 1001lwx, crappy. Still, it fits absolutely perfect.

Once again, somewhat made to fit by a soldering iron, and then wedged in.
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I just purchased some decent all weather tires on rims, sized 215/75/R15's I believe (is that 29"? can I really fit 31"s?), right after the recent snowfall, which has been the only decent one this year.

Best part is I bought them in a grocery store parking lot, from a gypsy...

(the man wore earrings and a romanian flag on his rearview; they came off of a CARAVAN for christs sake, I'm not even elaborating).
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I dropped the front differential because I was having problems... ended up replacing a clip on the left side axle shaft, cleaned up the cover, and just put it back today...

I was getting a terrible noise that the old guy first said was a cv, then suspected was the differential...

I figured since I was dropping it I might as well clean it up a bit... 30 years worth of grease dirt and rust later, I put a layer of acrylic on it..

But I don't think that's the issue, I think it's the transfer case, after seeing a youtube video of a new process transfer case with a skipping chain, that's what it sounds like to me. Hope to heck it's not the viscous coupling or I'm just buying a rebuilt transfer case, probably an np231, maybe?

I liked that idea because of the low range, the 2wd option, and the lack of viscous coupler.

Is this a bad decision? What would be the advantage of the 242?
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Regardless, I'm rebuilding some CV's right now, because broke the two I had and I bolted the spline shafts into my wheel ends... reversible, maybe.

Still, luckily I was given two complete front differentials several days ago, both Dana 30's, and one with some decent CV parts. I've never done this, hope it goes okay.

I was also given a rear bumper, wheel end components, and the part I'm most excited for, the OEM ROOF RACK.

It more than makes up for the fact that the D30's don't match my rear ratio, and he didn't have the tail light I was hoping he might have.

At this point, I'm still without 4wd, but I feel like I'm getting closer, or, at least, almost back to where I started.
I'm going to change the rear diff fluid soon too.
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Oh, that's right, the shift linkage isn't lined up right, to I can shift into park... so my parking brake broke a few days later, at the pedal, mechanically. I'm chalking tires these days!

I also bought a transmission filter and some fluid the other day. That might happen some time. (what's this about 3 rows, and a separate transmission cooler? I think I'm running cool, or at least my temp gauge says so. It's bottomed out when I start it, and a few minutes later it sits at the bottom of the green... but I've never seen it go up past that so I'm not sure.
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RPM gauge stopped working the other day... and I don't know if the vacuum gauge has worked at all, how can I tell?

Battery gauge WORKS...

Gas gauge does not.

Oil pressure sensor still leaking, Oil pressure gauge therefore doesn't work. I can't find a replacement... All of the ones the parts store carries have threads that are too big... though some guy the other day suggested checking out a bronco II pressure sender... I guess I will. Is this something I can rebuild if I have to?

The oil pan is leaking, very minimally.
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I want to ECM Test the thing, everything I've read about doing it sounds great... and necessary, it doesn't run great. Good excuse to do the timing. What is this about carburetor needles? That part sounds hard. I think I have a rebuilt holley carb, am I affected?

I have no idea what most of the vacuum lines are for, though I'm beginning to be able to recognize some of them... familiarly unknown, that makes sense right?

I'm going to replace the spark plugs when I do the ECM Test, should I do the distributor wires at the same time?

Should I eventually do an ignition upgrade? MUI HEI? I'm so lost.

TFI?
___________________________________________________________________________________

Oh, when I pulled the cat today, there was what I think must have been an egr line? What do I do about that? Cap the spot where it went in to that fat hose, for now? Leave it open?

What impact is this decision going to have on the function of my vehicle? Sounds like a dumb question to me, but I'm
just concerned about causing some sort of damage that I haven't considered.

I had exhaust leaks at every part of my exhaust... so I pulled the cat and everything back from it. As emissions were abolished last year, I'm going to put a pipe and a muffler on and call it good, because I'm too broke for a cat right now, and mine is practically full of holes

Sorry greenpeace, sierra club, all of you, I'll make it up to you later I promise.
Ask the earth to forgive me; I'm poor and stuck in a capitalist slave pen, I've been trying to get out, sorry.
___________________________________________________________________________________

I really want to mount this new roof rack, any suggestions? What is the right way to do this?
___________________________________________________________________________________

What do I do about the craptastic hinges?

I have determined that the hatch hinges may be comprised of pot metal and feces, and one is now broken... the hood springs are amazing though, awesome.
___________________________________________________________________________________

Dash lights? Anyone replaced with led yet?

Dome light cover was missing, I found it, or at least half of it.
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Headlights are all pointed in crazy directions... and I need to replace a bright. Is the wiring the same? If I wanted to replace it with a normal lamp is that okay? I've always had halogen bulbs in the past, this stuff is before my time.
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I'm scouring the internet for a right tail light... no one on ebay seems to want to ship to Alaska.

I have paypal.
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I want to add a tow hitch, can I trust uhaul to not eff it all up?
___________________________________________________________________________________

I've heard rumors of the gas tanks leaking due to the straps rubbing holes in them, someone described something crazy invoving coating the tank with plexi after heating it in the oven. WHAT?
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The rear is sagging, add a leaf or replace them?
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Sorry I'm in need of so much advice but please, bombard me with information!

[eaglefreek]

Welcome. I'm sorry but I don't have the time to read all that right now. Maybe some others can help you with your questions.

[TheWraith]

I'm not really the person to be giving specific advice as I do not own an Eagle...yet.  Until then I troll around on here so I can learn and offer general mechanical advice when I can help.

First, I give you high marks for jumping in feet first.  It seems you are fairly new to the wonderful world of DIY mechanics but are not afraid to tackle large problems.  Stay the course and in time you'll have a fully functional vehicle that you will know like the back of your hand, and you'll love it dearly.  Many get discouraged.  Best of luck with it.

In reference to your TC question, as a non-Eagle owner but as a off-road enthusiast that has been playing in the dirt for a little while now, I am of the opinion that you should try to salvage what you have first.  A non-functional VC is not a detriment, so you can drive without fear of damaging the rest of the TC.  Fixing what you have will be much faster and easier then swapping to a different TC.

In time if you decide to swap to a different TC, after doing a lot of looking and reading on here, weighing the different candidates, and applying my off-road experience I settled on the NP242.  Of course this is a preference (what do you like more, chocolate of vanilla?).  I like the shift on the fly, high range, low range, and low range lock offerings of the NP242, it is readily available at most any salvage yard, and the swap has been done before (and is documented on here somewhere I believe, if I find the link I'll post it here for you).  There is also a SYE (slip yoke eliminator) kit in DIY form available.  This appeals to the off-road enthusiast in me.
http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoSYEconversion.htm

In terms of your exhaust, I understand you don't have a great deal of cash, but you might consider looking for a free flowing cat from a salvage yard and paying a local shop $150 to build you a complete new system.  I built the exhaust on my big Chevrolet diesel truck, but it was time consuming and I didn't save any money.  In the end I have a better/solid system that should last me a very long time, but it took me some time to get it all together.  There is something to be said for farming these type of jobs out to a shop that is well equipped to make short work of it and get you back on the road.

Suggest you focus on just getting it running and driving safely so you can use it and enjoy it.  Post up your progress as I for one love following along.  I'm sure plenty of members will come to your aid on here and help you with your issues.  Best of luck with your project.

[carnuck]

This forum is great, I just wish there were better profiles, and you could have albums... this place needs more pictures.

I purchased a 1982 Eagle Eagle, with some fancy extras in July, up here in Anchorage Alaska.

(used to be Silver, now it's Gray, has maroon trim and fat plastic fender flares, non-bulge hood.)

I bought it from the original owner, who is 80 years old, and worked as a mechanic for GM long ago.
________________

You can post all the photos you want on photobucket or other sites and link back to here. Bandwidth co$t$

___________________________________________________________________

It came with the optional gauge cluster in the center.

It did not come with a roof rack.

It has as much chrome as harley.

The rear window wiper needs rewired, and the defroster as well.

The heater blower motor is crap, but the heater itself gets HOT.

It could be the fan is jammed up with pine needles, etc (see my photobucket pics under Brown Betty) but it's easy to swap out for a "universal" GM one since it's under the hood

_
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He had replaced the valve cover three times, the head gasket once, said the transmission might be original. He replaced the chain in the transfer case one time, the viscous coupling twice, the front suspension was replaced less than 4 years ago, the roof has no leaks, and there are very few problems with the electrical (or rather, things I think are electrical, :water reservoir: vacuum lines everywhere!) It was in a mild front end collision eons ago, and there is a small dent in the rear bumper... that he got while he also broke the right tail light backing out of an optometrists office two years ago, before he decided to park it.

I've since:

Replaced the valve cover with an aluminum one, because I was leaking a quart every three days...

Replaced the belts fuel filter and air filter, as well the oil filter two or three times

Mounted a stereo in the dash with without any brackets, using a soldering iron to cut the plastic

(it's just hanging out... actually very sturdy though)

Replaced all of the very old speakers (thinking of using small home heater covers as grills)

Removed the ashtray and installed a cb in it's stead... cheap midland 1001lwx, crappy. Still, it fits absolutely perfect.

Once again, somewhat made to fit by a soldering iron, and then wedged in.

Making things fit can be an art. Sounds like he had vacuum line issues with teh front axle to kill that many viscous couplers. Converting to shift on the fly would be best. I finally got my Clifford aluminum cover to stop leaking

_
___________________________________________________________________________________

I just purchased some decent all weather tires on rims, sized 215/75/R15's I believe (is that 29"? can I really fit 31"s?), right after the recent snowfall, which has been the only decent one this year.

Best part is I bought them in a grocery store parking lot, from a gypsy...

(the man wore earrings and a romanian flag on his rearview; they came off of a CARAVAN for christs sake, I'm not even elaborating).
____________________________________

With just a slight lift 235/75/15s work. Caravan rims are the wrong offset.

_
_______________________________________________

I dropped the front differential because I was having problems... ended up replacing a clip on the left side axle shaft, cleaned up the cover, and just put it back today...

I was getting a terrible noise that the old guy first said was a cv, then suspected was the differential...

I figured since I was dropping it I might as well clean it up a bit... 30 years worth of grease dirt and rust later, I put a layer of acrylic on it..

But I don't think that's the issue, I think it's the transfer case, after seeing a youtube video of a new process transfer case with a skipping chain, that's what it sounds like to me. Hope to heck it's not the viscous coupling or I'm just buying a rebuilt transfer case, probably an np231, maybe?

I liked that idea because of the low range, the 2wd option, and the lack of viscous coupler.

Is this a bad decision? What would be the advantage of the 242?

NP229 bolts in place of the Eagle tcase. (just swap the front yoke and add a lever for low range). NP228 is the same thing, but it doesn't have a VC. They are really only an issue when your vacuum operated front diff doesn't engage when it should. Other Tcases require driveshaft surgery and modifications

_
___________________________________________________________________________________

Regardless, I'm rebuilding some CV's right now, because broke the two I had and I bolted the spline shafts into my wheel ends... reversible, maybe.

Still, luckily I was given two complete front differentials several days ago, both Dana 30's, and one with some decent CV parts. I've never done this, hope it goes okay.

I was also given a rear bumper, wheel end components, and the part I'm most excited for, the OEM ROOF RACK.

It more than makes up for the fact that the D30's don't match my rear ratio, and he didn't have the tail light I was hoping he might have.

At this point, I'm still without 4wd, but I feel like I'm getting closer, or, at least, almost back to where I started.
I'm going to change the rear diff fluid soon too.

With a lift, Chev S10 of '80s vintage front axles work (3/8" longer when compressed)

_
___________________________________________________________________________________


Oh, that's right, the shift linkage isn't lined up right, to I can shift into park... so my parking brake broke a few days later, at the pedal, mechanically. I'm chalking tires these days!

I also bought a transmission filter and some fluid the other day. That might happen some time. (what's this about 3 rows, and a separate transmission cooler? I think I'm running cool, or at least my temp gauge says so. It's bottomed out when I start it, and a few minutes later it sits at the bottom of the green... but I've never seen it go up past that so I'm not sure.

Mine does that too. I think the wrong sensor was put in or it's corroded and throwing off the reading

_
___________________________________________________________________________________


RPM gauge stopped working the other day... and I don't know if the vacuum gauge has worked at all, how can I tell?

Battery gauge WORKS...

Gas gauge does not.

Oil pressure sensor still leaking, Oil pressure gauge therefore doesn't work. I can't find a replacement... All of the ones the parts store carries have threads that are too big... though some guy the other day suggested checking out a bronco II pressure sender... I guess I will. Is this something I can rebuild if I have to?

The oil pan is leaking, very minimally.

Find the oil pressure switch for an '84 XJ with 2.5L. It should be the same, but gauge and idiot light senders are different (backwards)

_
___________________________________________________________________________________

I want to ECM Test the thing, everything I've read about doing it sounds great... and necessary, it doesn't run great. Good excuse to do the timing. What is this about carburetor needles? That part sounds hard. I think I have a rebuilt holley carb, am I affected?

I have no idea what most of the vacuum lines are for, though I'm beginning to be able to recognize some of them... familiarly unknown, that makes sense right?

I'm going to replace the spark plugs when I do the ECM Test, should I do the distributor wires at the same time?

Should I eventually do an ignition upgrade? MUI HEI? I'm so lost.

TFI?

If you have the feedback setup, I would do HEI for simplicity

_
___________________________________________________________________________________

Oh, when I pulled the cat today, there was what I think must have been an egr line? What do I do about that? Cap the spot where it went in to that fat hose, for now? Leave it open?

What impact is this decision going to have on the function of my vehicle? Sounds like a dumb question to me, but I'm
just concerned about causing some sort of damage that I haven't considered.

I had exhaust leaks at every part of my exhaust... so I pulled the cat and everything back from it. As emissions were abolished last year, I'm going to put a pipe and a muffler on and call it good, because I'm too broke for a cat right now, and mine is practically full of holes

Sorry greenpeace, sierra club, all of you, I'll make it up to you later I promise.
Ask the earth to forgive me; I'm poor and stuck in a capitalist slave pen, I've been trying to get out, sorry.

All the Canadian ones came without a cat. Mine was forcibly installed by the PO due to the Emissi-nazis here in WA state. It runs much cleaner without it now

_
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I really want to mount this new roof rack, any suggestions? What is the right way to do this?

Well nuts are the factory way, but I put my last one on with fender washers and sealer with locknuts while the headliner was down. Zero leaks and no fear of it flying off while filly loaded at 100 mph in Montana

_
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What do I do about the craptastic hinges?

I have determined that the hatch hinges may be comprised of pot metal and feces, and one is now broken... the hood springs are amazing though, awesome.

I plan to fill mine with epoxy for strength. DON'T let the hatch fly up and it flexes the hinge and causes bends, then cracking

_
___________________________________________________________________________________

Dash lights? Anyone replaced with led yet?

Dome light cover was missing, I found it, or at least half of it.
___________________________________________________________________________________

Headlights are all pointed in crazy directions... and I need to replace a bright. Is the wiring the same? If I wanted to replace it with a normal lamp is that okay? I've always had halogen bulbs in the past, this stuff is before my time.

Sealed Halogen is about the only option anymore. I picked up a set of aftermarket ones that take H4 bulbs

_
___________________________________________________________________________________


I'm scouring the internet for a right tail light... no one on ebay seems to want to ship to Alaska.

I have paypal.
___________________________________________________________________________________


I want to add a tow hitch, can I trust uhaul to not eff it all up?

Strictly depends on the builder. I got Tork Lift Central here in Kent, WA to custom build a class 3 for me last time.

_
___________________________________________________________________________________

I've heard rumors of the gas tanks leaking due to the straps rubbing holes in them, someone described something crazy invoving coating the tank with plexi after heating it in the oven. WHAT?
______________________________

No idea. Rust is the killer AFAIK. I had planned on putting an XJ tank in mine with the pump already in it for EFI

_
_____________________________________________________

The rear is sagging, add a leaf or replace them?

Depends on whether they are rusty or not. XJ and wagon packs are supposed to interchange

_
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Sorry I'm in need of so much advice but please, bombard me with information!

Done and done!

[greymarooneightytwo]

I ordered the motorcraft 2150/HEI kit from gronk, he said he'll ship it tomorrow.. so that's going to take some of the things off of my list.

Right now I'm knee deep in exhaust leaks, and struggling to address them.