Progress is being made

[83Eagle!]

Man my topic was gone when I went to add the picture of my partially assembled engine.  Oh well, I guess I will have to repost.  When I posted these pictures before I mentioned that I am looking for a particular set of center caps.  That look like this. 



Anyway, Smitty, could you repost the closeup picture of your SX/4's wheels.  I would like to show that to my AMC Club next month.  And I would like to make a set of my Eagle once I find the center caps. 

Okay, here are the pictures of my Eagle in progress... 

First, we have a couple of pictures from the Eagle before the current modifications.  These were taken right before I had to take the rice grinder to the Dakota AMC Winter Meet, because the Eagle was deemed not roadworthy (a result of a tired engine). 




Next we have a picture of the new wheels I bought locally on Ebay from an '06 Wrangler (minus the center caps, of course). 



Now, here is the Eagle with the empty engine bay.  Right now my engine is in the process of being painted black.  It is about half assembled right now.  Hopefully in the next week or two my mechanics and I will have it completed.  Also, in this picture the Eagle still has the original broken grille.  I pulled one off a wagon at the junk yard.  I am going to touch up the black paint and install it hopefully soon.  I also included a picture of the old engine for comparison. 




As soon as I get the engine pictures loaded to this computer I will post them on this topic as well.  Enjoy. 

[IowaEagle]

Sorry about the lost posts.   You got caught up in the post April 27th time warp.

[Bird-o-Prey]

Starting to look good.  I wish I had the time right now to pull my engine...wait that didn't come out right!  I have an elusive oil leak and it makes it hard to get it painted till I nail it down.  I have an 80 eagle as well so I guess I'll just rebuild that engine first.  Keep the pics coming.

[83Eagle!]

Update.  I have pictures of the painted engine installed on my laptop.  But I am waiting to post them until I get some pictures of the complete engine installed.  We are rebuilding the carburetor this weekend.  Hopefully the Eagle will be done in the next week.  I am anxious to drive it with all the new stuff.  I need to put at least 500 miles on it and change the oil again before I take it to the Dakota AMC meeting on the 10th of June.  The next project will be tackling the AC.  My Eagle's AC does not work at all.  It needs to be coverted and recharged.  Mechanically, the system seems to work well. 

[83Eagle!]

Oh my God does my Eagle drive a lot nicer now.  I just picked up the Eagle from my buddy's shop today.  He rebuilt the carb for me, and I asked him to test drive it while I was at work (a couple blocks away) yesterday.  I was out in the parking lot talking to a staff member, when I startled the poor woman yelling, "Hey there goes my Car!!"  Then of course I had to explain one of the many issues that I have... 

Anyway I hustled over to the shop after work, but I could not take my old bird home.  They were having trouble figuring out why it would stall after it was run and the engine warmed up.  I helped trial and error style diagnose for an hour, then I had to head home. 

I had a meeting this afternoon, so I had the cell in silent mode, and I missed the call.  Right before I left the office I checked my messages.  The Eagle was ready to fly.  I ran down there, and had them print a list of what I owed.  I made payment arraingements, and thanked the mechanics and drove away. 

I drove the Eagle (minus the "new" Grill) basically all evening.  I took it over to two friends houses to show it off.  I need to get used to the sound of a healthy 4.2L engine (which is not anything that I have ever encountered before). 

I will post pictures this weekend.  I have pictures of the engine assembly in various stages, as well as the installed yet unhooked engine picture.  I cannot wait to post the pictures and see what you think, 

Later,

Brandon

[IowaEagle]

We can't wait either Brandon.  Its good to have another satisifed AMC Eagle driver with a healthy 4.2 moving nearly 2 tons of Kenosha or Brampton Iron down the road.

[83Eagle!]

Man it looks like I really need to update this message board.  I hope I will have time to post the more recent pictures of the Eagle this weekend. 

[Smitty]

Sorry for the delay.  Just found this post.  Here is the center cap. 


Hope this helps.

[Budwisr]

 You can get those "Eagle" emblems made here.http://www.edecals.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=edecals&Product_Code=WCC117  "Handel" or "Garden" fonts are fairly close to the factory font. I just bought some Jeep wheels on Ebay and was going to have some emblems made. Bud

[83Eagle!]

Smitty, thank you for reposting the picture.  I have not ordered the Center Caps yet.  I am going to order them from Collins Brother Jeep in Colorado. 

Budwisr, thanks for the insight about the text for the center caps.  I was trying to figure out how to have those labels made.  Everyone here in town either laughs or looks at me like i am from another planet. 

[83Eagle!]

Okay, I have finally gotten around to unloading the old digital camera.  I am including pictures of the Eagle engine swap from the empty engine bay to the finished product.  I bought the remanufactured block and pistons from Gopher engines.  We reused as many of the parts as we could (which seemed logical, because many of the assessories on the engine had been replaced within the last 3000 miles prior to the swap. 

I got the Eagle back on the road in early June, and took a trip to Mitchell, South Dakota for the summer meeting of the Dakota AMC Car Club. 

Here are the pictures... 




This first picture is from when we got the new shocks installed, and the 06 Wrangler Take off wheels mounted.  I am still waiting for the right amount of money to be able to order the proper center caps that I need from Collins Brothers jeep in Colorado. 



This second photo depicts the remanfatured 4.2 during the assembly stage.  We were about half way finished with painting the engine black at this stage.  I really like the looks of this shot, so I had to include it.





These last two photos show the engine after we got it in the Eagle.  We were still in the process of hooking up all of the odds and ends with the wiring and hoses when this photo was taken.  We had not filled the radiator yet either.  Overall, I am happy with the engine swap.  We were able to use most of the newer parts from the old engine, which helped keep the cost down.  I am a little unhappy that we did not rebuild or replace the alternator though.  I was working fine in the time leading up to the swap, but it is currently fading in and out right now.  I really do not want to have to replace the alternator right away. 

The Old bird runs beautifully now, since the swap was completed.  I have a lot more power, and I absolutely love the sound of a healthy 4.2L I6.  There is nothing quite like it. 

Enjoy.  -- Brandon

[IowaEagle]

Looking good Brandon.  If you get the chance could you share with others any issues you encountered.  And the pleasant surprises too.

[83Eagle!]

We did not really run into any other problems.  We used a few different 4.0 Liter parts, suchh as the oil pan.  Our research said that this would hold up better than stock.  We also had to replace the stock starter system, and as a result of talking to various Jeep guys, we opted for the best starter money could buy. 

Whether you think you need a new one or not, replace your alternator if you have the engine out of the car.  It will save a lot of time and head aches. 

[83Eagle!]

Looks like I need to add some updates.  I will try to add some pictures this week.  After I get my hatch reattached.  I took out the headliner completely, and I am working on a new way to redo the headliner, but I have not found one item that I need to complete it.

I am still looking for a set of center caps.  Like the ones above.  Anyone have any to spare?  I have the money now. 

[83Eagle!]

A few weeks ago I did get the two center caps.  I just need to put them on my Eagle.  I am thinking of just putting them on the back for right now.  Would it look too strange with the back two wheels with the same center caps, and the front two with the same just a different design than the back.  I will really try to take pictures of the engine and the Newly painted fender.  The fender now does not have the pin stripe, and I think I am eventually going to do the whole car that way.  I like it.