The 1300 dollar fixer upper surprise project

[tougeagle]

I had a front Cherokee driveshaft shortened four inches for $50 for my 4.0/231 set-up. I didn't have to disassemble the cardan.

I'm curious to see if your speed sensor works. Typically, three wire sensors are a HEP style that produce a fixed amplitude square wave on/off signal. Two wire sensors are usually a magnetic pick-up type that produce a varying amplitude sine wave. Usually these two inputs can not be interchanged. But there is always the exception.

I'm curious too... Though I've done hours upon hours of research on this little sensor, and everything I've found has said to use this particular one. And by the way, that's some freakin awesome knowledge

As for the driveshaft, the eagle one works, I just wanted to avoid having to pay 16 bucks on E*** for a set of stinkin U-bolts, but it's better than fifty. Fifty, at this point, would be just the perfect amount needed to have everythng squared away on my car, all the way down to gas XD


I managed to get the dash back together today. I had to loosen the dash completely, from each side next to the door frames, and on top, so that it could come out and down a few inches. I had to remove a bit of insulation as well, so the sensor end could get past the 90 degree angle sheet metal behind the cluster. After it was all back in, hooking up the speedo was fairly easy, though I had to pull the speedo cable about an inch out to guide the tip into the sensor, before I could screw the housing on to the back. I also hooked up my tach, yellow to switched 12V, and green to the tach wire from the 4.0 harness (gray/blue stripe). I spent ten bucks and two hours fiddling with a turnstyle (I think that's what it's called) and carriage bolt to try and bring the clutch pedal out a bit, but discovered that half an inch on the pedal post means three inches to the pedal, so I'll just stick with mashing the clutch to the floor to shift, for now. I'll revisit it later, when I get a smaller diameter turnstyle (shorter) and the patience to do the grinding and cutting again.

[eaglefreek]

You can get those u bolts at Pep Boys in the Help section.

[tougeagle]

Thanks guys, I ended up getting them off of ebay a few days ago, before I even saw your replies x-x. They actually arrived today Gonna wait to put the driveshaft in though, in case the city tows my car. They're not gonna care if it's in gear or if the driveshafts are in or out, so just in case....

[eaglefreek]

So you don't have anywhere to put the car to keep the city from taking it? I just saw your previous post about getting it in the garage. Do you need help getting it in the garage? Are you going to be around tomorrow? Paul AKA Strike Eagle is coming by tomorrow morning. Maybe I can wrangle him in to helping me help you get it in the garage. I think you have my number but I'll pm it to you.

[tougeagle]

So you don't have anywhere to put the car to keep the city from taking it? I just saw your previous post about getting it in the garage. Do you need help getting it in the garage? Are you going to be around tomorrow? Paul AKA Strike Eagle is coming by tomorrow morning. Maybe I can wrangle him in to helping me help you get it in the garage. I think you have my number but I'll pm it to you.

Thanks for the pm dude. The garage is the only place I can put it.

[tougeagle]

Two eggs to you EF! Thanks for coming over tonight! Now I know my baby's safe from the bad guys with the flatbed truck and a total disregard for AWD running gear. This is the first time since I've lived at this house that my car has seen the inside of my garage....Perhaps now I'll be a lot less dirty when I work on her

[tougeagle]

I found a way to fab a diff bracket that allows me to continue using my 4.0 header and downpipe, using some 3/4" square tube steel and some steel strip, about 1/4" thick. It's halfway done and my battery's out on my sawzall, but I'll take/post some pics tomorrow once everything is pieced together. This project would have been done already if I had a work bench with a vice. INstead I have to settle for inserting the steel into the transmission mount and bendng it up or down from there.

On another note, I finally put my interior back together, at least, the passenger/driver compartment. I also secured the center console to the floor by cutting strips of 18 gauge steel and bolting them to the floor under the carpet, then to the console. My waggy's not a sport model, so it didn't come with those mounting points.  I still have to reinstall a few panels n the cargo area, but I'll probably wait on that until I can find a decent set of jeep speakers at the junkyard. My cherokee's speakers sounded surprisingly good with my aftermarket head unit, very clear with decent, but not obnoxious bump, so I'll just go that route again. It looks like, for much of what's left, I'll end up having to wait until I have the cash for a new battery and some more fuel line, along with a valve cover. I can't secure the fuel pump until I bolt the gas tank back up, which I can't do until I get some more line and hose clamps, and even then, I won't be able to wire the pump and test the circuit until I get another battery, which also (obviously) keeps me from test-starting the car, which I also can't do until I get that line.

[tougeagle]

FINALLY after six hours x-x of cutting, grinding, drilling and frustration, I have a front diff bracket again, that completely avoids my 4.0 exhaust pipe, and is built fairly strong. I had to also go and purchase some bolts from the specialty fastener section at Lowes (the one with the drawers), since 7/16X14 bolts apparently aren't very widely used, and happen to be the ones I need for the mounting bosses. I also now realize that it was a mistake to helicoil the transmission, as those were 7/16's as well, come to think of it.

Here, have some crappy pics





Also, though it's been installed for quite some time now, what I ended up having to do to the vSS

JB Weld

I can't get over how totally awesome it is to be able to work on the pavement again....

[tougeagle]

My (almost) inlaws want us to come see them for Christmas so badly they bought everything else that was needed for my car; the fuel line, valve cover, battery and some spare cash for a tank of gas. This is a huge blessing.....This means Caroline's on the final stage, and we get to see family for Christmas

[IowaEagle]

That was great of them to do.

[tougeagle]

That was great of them to do.

Indeed. It would be another few months without their help..

[guitar eagle]

those upgrades are awsome, i wish i had the means of doing all that to my sx/4. oh ya i do have the means. i have mick and evolution 4x4 in my home town. lol

[tougeagle]

those upgrades are awsome, i wish i had the means of doing all that to my sx/4. oh ya i do have the means. i have mick and evolution 4x4 in my home town. lol

lol. You'll have a heck of an easier time doing it than I did then XD
,
Said bye bye to the pretty white cover and replaced it with the right one, jeep black of course. I really, really, REALLY -hate- the pcv elbow and grommets used on the 4.0. I really....hate... them. It's close to impossible to remove one without breaking off the edge of it unless it's a hundred degrees outside, and the rubber seal inside the grommet plasticizes, which is what makes it so difficult. I don't know why they did it the way they did. Oh well, it's in now, and I just need to get some fuel line and emissions tubing hooked up, then a battery, a means to secure the fuel pump, and some gasoline

As for having the means, I DID for a while, but have had very very little to spend for quite some time now. I did do this nearly entirely junkyard, which made the overall cost less than four figures (not counting my mistakes), and got an AX15 and NP249 out of it as well (included in that figure).

[jim]

Aw, come on, tell us how you really feel about those elbows and grommets.

[tougeagle]

Aw, come on, tell us how you really feel about those elbows and grommets.

lol.

Ran into a snag tonight. Was hoping to have the car at least running if nothing else, but after having hooked everything up and tried to pressurize the system, ran the into the first hangup. Five of the 6 fuel injectors have bad o rings, for some reason, and were leaking gas so badly the fuel rail couldn't build pressure. I put new rings in the injectors when I installed them on the rail and manifold. That was somewhere around eight months ago though...

At least this issue isn't an expensive fix...