The 1300 dollar fixer upper surprise project

[JayRamb]

That's a great breakdown with pictures.  That is really awesome that you are taking care of teh survivor.  You will reap the rewards after you are completed.   

[tougeagle]

where did you find an 02 bung.they are a standardized size basically across the board, but its an oddball metric size that fastenal doesn't carry. i forget what the thread count was. might have been 18mm. the thread count was the problem. i just took a old 02 sensor possibly from a 90's aerostar to plug the hole

www.summitracing.com They have everything you'd need for an exhaust system, and it's 18mmx1.5. Some are super expensive and backorder, but I got a cheap one (5.95) that is getting sent out with the rest of my stuff. You have to weld it on, but if you want, you could send a section of pipe to me with the hole and bung and I could weld it very nicely for you with my mig.

[tougeagle]

Time for updates!

First off: How to pull a pilot bearing in fifteen minutes - 5/8x 2.5 or 3 in bolt, corresponding washer and nut, and corresponding tools. Thread the nut to the top of the bolt, then add the washer.  Attempt to thread the bolt into the pilot bearing, and don't worry if it goes in perfectly straight, for as long as it's close. After it bites in, torque it about two revolutions with a socket wrench. Since our pilot bearings are made of brass or copper (that I've seen) the bolt will gouge into the metal and grip well. After it's in the bearing, start torquing down on the nut, which will push against the washer, and pull the bearing with it. When you're done, it should look like this:


Second, my new 2.5in/out muffler came yesterday, along with my header reducer (the first two inches of tube that bolts to the end of the collector), and 02 bung

The rusty lookin pipe in the box is what's left of the jeep midpipe I got from the junkyard, with a new 2.5" cat welded at the end.


I also found a 4.0 starter at the junkyard (well, I found several, but this one had all wiring intact), and wired it up according to the diagrams

It's hard to tell from that pic, so I'll have more coming later. I used the stock 4.0 battery cable in place of what I'd had, and bolted the pcm side (from a 97, the contact had one hole instead of two) to the starter solenoid, on the positive side, and used the other red cable taken from a 95 to bolt to the pcm. The thicker of the two cables coming off the stock 4.0 battery cable set goes directly to the starter. The smaller green wire is run to the negative side of the starter solenoid, from the starter.

I also happened to find a 97 clutch slave cylinder and master cylinder. At first, I thought I could just remove my stock one, perhaps drill the necessary holes if needed, since the 4.0's studs were much further apart, and install the whole thing. However, the firewall connector is DIRECTLY above the stock clutch master, so that won't happen, since the master cylinder rod has to have level travel. Instead, I need to find some compression fittings to work with the plastic line on the slave. I did discover the slave has a threaded hole on top that just happens to be the right size for the stock clutch line on my car. However, I still have to do something about the plastic line to plug it off. Any suggestions on that?


The transmission and transfer case, now having sat for over two months all lonely.....

(this one taken with good camera)
AX15 and NP249J. I installed the shifter to make sure the trans would shift and spin through the gears properly, especially since I had to remove the tail housing to clean out some grit that made it in there.

"new" diff cover.... wondering if I should paint it?


I finally installed my stereo yesterday too, took a LOT less time than I thought. Then again, the speaker wires were previously labeled from the aftermarket tape deck that had been installed, so I just had to look up the pinout from my receiver and go from there . I did discover that the best way to get constant power to the unit is to install a spade tip connector on the end of some primary wire, going from the battery + wire of the head unit, and hook it into one of the BAT slots on the left side of the interior fuse panel. ALso means if your car will sit for a long period of time you can pull that wire out and save your battery (since it still powers the clock in the head unit when connected). My ashtray has since been replaced, I just had to take it out to get the pod out. I can't find the black trim ring I used to have that covers up the exposed edge of the tray the head unit sits in. Go figure, I walked right past one at the junkyard a few days ago thinking "I might need that...nah..." Though I am grateful I found a rear diff cover in good shape (it was just layin out), since mine is warped and leaking.



I also installed the Sport wagon instrument cluster, though that was about a month ago:


Earlier tonight I picked up some more of the good red radiator fluid, and a temp switch for the head, since I misplaced mine when I installed the head, along with some exhaust hardware. Last time I filled the radiator, the head leaked. This time, the thermostat housing leaks >_< I'll have to see if I can sand it flat with my orbital...

I found this as well, and couldn't resist, since they didn't charge much for it. Just in case mine still leaks, since I had to weld a crack in it when I got the 4.0. The gasket was only slightly discolored, so this is basically brand new....



As the engine bay looks currently:



I also received my flywheel about two weeks ago.

 My clutch should be coming later today

cold air intake with temperature sensor (pcm two-contact) mounted inside. Apparently, it allows the pcm to better tune the fuel curve from receiving a cooler reading. I'm not ricing my car out, I just happened to have it from when I had my jeep, and it made a difference.


Also, ANY input/suggestions as to where to put the darn PCM without making any mods/purchases would be REALLY helpful. The engine bay is getting tighter and tighter, and I can't find a feasible spot for it...

[txjeeptx]

You need something from an adapter company to allow you to use the factory Eagle master cylinder and the Jeep slave cylinder. I wouldn't rely on a compression fitting to mate the plastic line from the Jeep slave to a steel line. I'm sure someone has done it, and it probably works great for them, but it would just fail under Murphy's law if I did it to anything of mine. Look here - http://advanceadapters.com/category/55/Hydraulic-Hoses-%26-Fittings.html for the fitting to adapt the plastic pressed-in line to a flare fitting, allowing you to use regular steel hydraulic line or even their fancy braided stainless flex hose line. I cant recall which one I bought from them, and I have yet to use it . . since my car is still in pieces, but a call to these guys will get you the right fitting. I wonder where I put that little bugger, I havent seen it in a long time. Lost in the heap of junk I call my shop.

Oh, and nice project, thanks for all the excellent pictures!

[tougeagle]

if you fill the pilot bearing with graqse you can than use a correct sizecentering tool and punch it out in seconds

Filled it with grease, but I didn't have anything that fit the bearing exactly. Plus the bolt nut and washer came to less than 3 dollars at Lowe's

[tougeagle]

You need something from an adapter company to allow you to use the factory Eagle master cylinder and the Jeep slave cylinder. I wouldn't rely on a compression fitting to mate the plastic line from the Jeep slave to a steel line. I'm sure someone has done it, and it probably works great for them, but it would just fail under Murphy's law if I did it to anything of mine. Look here - http://advanceadapters.com/category/55/Hydraulic-Hoses-%26-Fittings.html for the fitting to adapt the plastic pressed-in line to a flare fitting, allowing you to use regular steel hydraulic line or even their fancy braided stainless flex hose line. I cant recall which one I bought from them, and I have yet to use it . . since my car is still in pieces, but a call to these guys will get you the right fitting. I wonder where I put that little bugger, I havent seen it in a long time. Lost in the heap of junk I call my shop.

Oh, and nice project, thanks for all the excellent pictures!

Thanks for the info, though that fitting's a bit pricey. hardware stores have a pretty large array of brass fittings like those pictured, so I'll check that out first and if I can't find anything suitable I'll go with that. I'd like to simply plug the plastic line, and hook the metal line directly into the fitting at the top of the slave cylinder.

[tougeagle]

Got more stuff in today! It was like Christmas all over again opening up those boxes. I received my 2.25" mandrel bend, which I'll be cutting up and welding from the collector reducer to the cherokee midpipe, routing around the front diff, along with my fuel pump, filter, diode, and clutch kit.


I chose the mpi trail pak kit, because the fuel pump in that kit works for single line systems such as mine, and provides up to 100 psi, though I'll be needing less than half of that. I'm hoping my fuel pressure regulator will come soon. It's a universal one in, one out. ALso you may have noticed the cps sensor. It looks like it's one made specifically for the damper kit, which I did not purchase/use so if anyone's interested, it's theirs for ten bucks + shipping (which should be cheap cus I can stuff it in a bubble envelope).

I went with 2.25" pipe from collector to midpipe because the collector outlet itself is exactly the same diameter and I didn't see a reason to put anything larger in that section. It will make the fab work and installation much cleaner as well. From midpipe back I went with 2.5".


The reducer fits perfectly in the stock retainer



It took me a minute or two to figure out exactly how the throwout bearing clips into the clutch fork, cus I'm a bit slow in the head. For anyone else who can relate:


When I first got the clutch kit, I compared the old pilot bushing to the new one and almost #&$% a brick because the newer one had a slightly smaller outer diameter. However, after a quick Google, I found the part number in Jeepforums.com : 14674 (should be correct). Basically, the pilot bushing behind any V8 CJ between 73 and 76. According to the post, it will fit any amc crank. This by the way is for the later model AX15 (97 and up I believe, external slave) with .75" input shaft diameter. So now it's on backorder at the Zone and will be there Saturday If anyone wants my 4.0 pilot bushing (the new one) it's yours for price of shipping and bubble envelope. I keep offering extras up cus I don't need them and I'm sure someone else can benefit from them.

Difference:


Also decided to stock up on some essential tools: A US/Euro bolt/nut/washer kit and some RTV, both a must when working on Eagles, as I've discovered..


And lastly, my alternator diode. I'm not exactly sure how to connect it (though I know where), but I have the hesco MPI kit installation instructions, which have proved quite helpful even though this is almost entirely junkyard parts.


I might wire up my fuel pump tomorrow if it's not raining/snowing like it was today.. If so, I'll post lots of pics, including splices.

[tougeagle]

Got the correct pilot bushing earlier, and as soon as I got home, even though it was/is 30 degrees , I went out and installed the bushing, flywheel, and clutch assembly. This time of course, that installation involved the use of the included alignment tool. The pilot bearing was a tight fit, I had to pound on the male end of a 1/2" drive extension for a good half hour (not hard), which I'm sure is just what the neighbors wanted to hear at 3 AM lol. However, it's all in there and together now. I am quite pleased and amazed that jeep kept the same flywheel bolt pattern, spacing and one way only fit that AMC had. That makes me very happy, in fact. But then again, it's one of the reasons I chose an Eagle as one of my ultimate classic dream cars

Also removed the battery and set it to charge overnight, so now it's good to go and I can eliminate it as a perp in the numerous bugs I'm sure I'll be encountering with the wiring, including the #$%$ fuel pump >_<

I'll post pics tomorrow, I had the camera outside for a while tonight and the batteries got cold enough to completely lose charge

[IowaEagle]

Congratulations on your late night, well early morning achievement.   Yes, Chrysler never did let on how much they did not change when they took over AMC.  Lee may have strongly disliked AMC but I guess those under him knew good things when they saw them.

[eaglefreek]

It was a lot colder than 30 degrees at 3 am. More like 18. Glad to see you're making some progress. Hopefully you'll be up and running in time for some big snow.

You say you got the fuel pump for a single line. You mean without a return line aka returnless? If so what regulator are you using? You need one specifically for a returnless system like in this kit http://hesco.us/shop.asp?action=details&inventoryID=43029&catId=7973 . Also the Trail Pak includes the CPS.

[tougeagle]

It was a lot colder than 30 degrees at 3 am. More like 18. Glad to see you're making some progress. Hopefully you'll be up and running in time for some big snow.

You say you got the fuel pump for a single line. You mean without a return line aka returnless? If so what regulator are you using? You need one specifically for a returnless system like in this kit http://hesco.us/shop.asp?action=details&inventoryID=43029&catId=7973 . Also the Trail Pak includes the CPS.

I got a universal standalone fpr from ebay, and the cps in the kit is specifically for the crank damper, which I didn't get. I'm gonna use the stock cps configuration. Wow, it was 18 degrees last night? I was pretty focused then XD no wonder the pilot bearing was a pain, it was probably much warmer than the crank and therefore a little larger.

[tougeagle]

Congratulations on your late night, well early morning achievement.   Yes, Chrysler never did let on how much they did not change when they took over AMC.  Lee may have strongly disliked AMC but I guess those under him knew good things when they saw them.

Thanks! And yeah, the more I work on the car the more it's becoming apparent. Heck, the ignition coil bracket bolts right up to the old fuel pump holes in the block, any transfer case bolts up with our trannies (if 23 spline anyway, like the T5), and of course the crank interchangeability, which I'll eventually put to use in that 4.0 block in my back yard....

[tougeagle]

After five hours of head scratching, three jacks, two 2x4's, 3 cigarettes and an unusual amount of patience (at least, for me), the transmission and transfer case is finally in! I don't have pics yet cus the camera is dead and it was dark outside (I never seem to be able to have time to work on my car during the day >_<) but I will say it's quite satisfying having it all tucked up under Caroline instead of sitting in my garage.

 Then again, I spent all day (literally, from 11-5) at the junkyard, because lately they've had a REALLY good run of parts I've been wanting/needing, or know someone else can use. There's an Eagle there, 81, with auto, and exact same color as mine inside and out, but it came with a four speaker system from factory, so I ganked all of the cargo area interior panels, and finally found the mysterious missing air duct that goes behind the driver's side vent grate. I grabbed the chrome grille as well (slightly peeling in places, but much cleaner than the black sport grille), along with the headlight buckets and trim. I also snagged the rear hatch seal, so I can FINALLY have some weatherstripping back there again. I had to get a ride home because I had too many parts to take on the bus XD. W,hen I got home, I stuffed it all in the back of my car, and it completely fills the cargo area lol. Three of my rear interior panels are cracked or broken, so it's a sight for sore eyes to have some panels in good shape I also found an axle bracket, though I'm probably not going to use it, since I have metal laying around that I can use to fab a custom diff bracket so I don't have to cut up my 4.0 header.

And finally, HUGE thanks to Eyeball, because I can wire up my fuel pump now as well, since he helped me get it all figured out. I was overanalyzing it, of course XD. Tomorrow, junkyard for CPS and maybe dizzy, followed by trip to Lowes for some metal (if I have the cash), because I'm going to make an entirely custom transmission mount that should raise it up a little bit. After seeing that AX15 finally under the car, I've come to realize it's a bit bulkier than the T5 was...

[tougeagle]

Did a little modification to the cross member to support the AX15. Pics coming later. I cut out two slots in the rear facing side of the crossmember, and  used three pieces of square tube steel, welded them in, and drilled holes through for the bolts. Other than that, didn't get nearly as much done today as I wanted to, because fabbing the reinforcements for the cross member took a few hours, along with discovering the four holes in the bottom of the trans are stripped, completely. So, it looks like I'll have to get a tap and die kit, eventually. For now though, I'm out of money to spend n the car for the month. However, I still have plenty to do with what I have, like replace the cargo area interior panels, fab the exhaust, wire the fuel pump and a few other small details.

[tougeagle]

clicky-picky-tyme!

First, the crossmember:





Thank GOD someone finally came and bought the BMW interior I've had in my garage for months on end... That gave me a little bit of cash to spend (the majority goes to pay rent)...
Three of the four bolts needed are in. I had to helicoil the holes in the trans because for some reason the threads would accept 3/8" bolts, until torqued to about 15lbs, then they'd pop and fall out. I bought a set of poly sway bar end link bushings, and put two on each bolt, one between trans and mount,and one between bolt head and mount. It stole a good amount of ground clearance, but I have neither the money, time, nor desire to custom fab a cross member, as metal is a bit more expensive than I remembered it being. Also, this car's going to be a snow monster, not a rock crawler

And now, the exhaust,from 4.0 header to midpipe, lots of welding detail....















It took about four hours to do that, by hand or sawzall. I think one of the most useful tools in my garage is my welder
I managed to use up that mandrel bend almost completely, except for a straight section about a foot long. The cherokee midpipe is ready to be welded on, but I don't want to have to unbolt the pipe for the eighth time until I've got everything tacked in place, and Midas was closed today. I'll be going by tomorrow to pick up a five foot section of 2.5" OD pipe so I can tack my muffler on too. I'll worry about putting a tail pipe on after the car starts and runs. I also permanently locked my front axle earlier tonight. It was actually the last thing I did because i ran out of motivation to do any more work on the car today. Ten hours straight..... And it's not like I don't have a ton left to do XD. I need to replace the rear diff cover with the good straight one I found at the junkyard. I need to replace my rear interior panels, and put the front ones back in place. I need to install weather stripping, wire my fuel pump and plumb the fuel line, grab a slave cylinder from a mid eighties cherokee, 93-95 dizzy, and corresponding coil and CPS, find U-joint u-bolts for front drive shaft, and figure out how to fab a diff bracket with the metal I have.

I've been waiting months for my center console to finally contain a shift lever...