Build Thread 1986 CJ7 Rebuild - Chasing my youth

[Masscj7]

Cuts like normal hose and the normal tough internal threads. Just make sure you have square cuts.


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[Ultrunner]

Very good post. I’m tagging this one for when I get to that portion of getting the hoses. Hell, I might just get them now so they’re on stand by. Now that you’ve done the leg work for me haha.

Your Jeep is really getting there man. Nice work.

Where’d you get the spare grille?


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[Masscj7]

I bought that grill to get the chrome overlay from it. It’s in rough shape, worse than my original grill.

But now glad I have it so I’m not stalled waiting for my painter.


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[Masscj7]

Now that plumbing is all done. Started the big one this week. Rehab and install of the electrical.

Decided to start easy and start with the rear harness. Previous owner had cut it up a little and tapped in some weird after market reverse lights.




Then taped it down to the table and started cleaning.



I’m not grounding anything to the tub, for both reliability and I’m not scraping any paint after all the money in body work. So I tapped in dedicated ground wires to the taillights, sender, and fuel pump and loomed everything back up. All new stainless hardware with nut and bolts, no machine screws digging into the paint.





Does anyone know how this harness is supposed to transition the B pillar? This is ugly



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[Basod]

That's about where it transitions on mine - the rollbar and cover will hide it. I bought some magnetic ziptie hold downs to manage the RCA and power wires for underseat amp install.
I did find they can be a little iffy holding to rhino liner, but they don't make holes and are easily repositioned. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08MWLJCWQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Belizean]

This is the cover that came from the factory. Aluminum. This is looking down from inside the door.

 

[Masscj7]

Oh wow, never knew and don’t know if I’ve ever seen used. Not that I would have been looking. That looks low in the tub though, so does it follow the wheel well down?


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[Belizean]

It's actually a 2 piece cover that goes up the pillar

 

[Ultrunner]

I have an extra hold-down for that bundle behind the B-Pillar of your need it.

Looks great, excited to see it coming to this phase.


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[Masscj7]

Belizean,
great follow up pics!

Ultra,
I will take it, I need to clean up that wire run. Add it to the pile you’ll be sending me!


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[Masscj7]

Not a lot to see, interior wire harness is in decent shape, just need to replace one bulb socket behind the cluster.

But did get my dash back and could it wait to install my insanely over priced NOS dash lights!




Polished up my wiper and light ones and they cleaned up pretty good.




Now on to the switches (hopefully they work), some new cables, and gauges.

Speaking of gauges, does anyone know if the actual gauge housings need to be grounded? Any needed grounds will be home run, so there will be no scraping of paint.


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[Gary W]

Well pending approval, here goes.

Been on the site for awhile now, soaking it all in and been wrenching every night on mine project. Finally got the time to sit down and start a build after doing all the photo upload work.

I had an 82 CJ7 my senior year of high school and through college. Had lots of time wheeling it and hanging with my buddies. At some point, told Dad wanted to put a V8 in it. So great project with my Dad and my good buddy (they gave their consent for pictures lol) and a 304 was transplanted. Was a great project, but eventually sold it after college to grow up.

https://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/phot...or_001&ins=orig_2_gallery_link_below&alb=all#

https://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/photo_popup.php?cp=vbgallery&page=&e=vB_Editor_001&ins=orig&alb=all#

Fast forward 20 years and I decide I'm in a spot to try to find another CJ. One last project with my father and chase some memories and create some new ones.

In December, my best friend says, "hey come check out this storage locker I just bought". I roll on down and go, "oh damn!" Basically a full 86 CJ7 in the middle of a partial resto. Full drive train, two motors. I need to have it, we work out a great deal, wife gives the permission and it's loaded up and brought home to it's new home for surgery.

https://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/photo_popup.php?e=vB_Editor_001#

https://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/photo_popup.php?e=vB_Editor_001#

https://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/photo_popup.php?e=vB_Editor_001#

And we'll see if the pic links work, that'll be the greatest challenge in this whole thing

MassCJ7 I too am reliving mu youth, I has a 83 Renegade, just bought a 84 yesterday to fix up. I'll be posting some pics when it stops raining. Good luck!

 

[Masscj7]

Still trying to find out if any of the gauge housing need to be grounded, I’m thinking maybe the speedo only.

Anyways following [mention]shum8 [/mention] great instructional posts, disassembled by gauges, gave them a good cleaning, a little chrome polish and good old Testors model paint, redid my needles.






Next both of the small gauges. Learned on the 2nd one to uncrimp as little of the housing as possible cause when you reassemble you can see all the crimp marks.





Got the component woofers mounted and their cross overs. Took quite awhile to decide where I was going to put them and decided to do under side of glove box. Out of the way and with the new plastic glove box, holds well.






Saw this trick in another post and really liked it. Went to the depot and got some long 1/4 -20 rod and works perfect to hang the dash but still get behind it.



Moving along slowly.


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[Belizean]

That dash trick really works well with the wheel out. Got a plastic glove box 30 some years ago, i think from JCW. Where are they selling now ?

 

[Masscj7]

I can’t remember if I got that box from, I think Crown. Figured even they couldn’t screw up a plastic glove box.


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[Masscj7]

Swapped over my ignition switch from my fixed column to my new tilt column. No pics as there are several videos out there on this.
Been chasing this one for awhile, but needed a grommet for large firewall hole. Ended using this, for perfect after a little heat.





Also was made my own where the clutch hole was. ABS plastic, some 3M strip caulk, and basic rubber grommet.


Got in this really nice looking Speedhut tach and wired up.




Next tackled my wiring harness and battery. My harness was pretty jacked up from the PO. I’m probably going swap a new harness in, but I wanted to get it temp in to get closer to starting. New battery with extra set of posts, dedicated ground block. Got my 100% oxygen free battery cables and cut to length. Heat shrink the ends with some dialectic grease. New 0 gauge ground strap as well both heads grounded to ensure good grounds.






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[Masscj7]

I had to extend my all my under hood wires as they were all hacked. I have rough run all wires to general locations. Mounted my ignition CD box temp mount it on the temp grill strut. Verified I have a clean switched 12v and 12v at my starter. All sniper components wired and ready.





After all the wiring was done, I got my fuel pressure gauge installed and primed the fuel pump. Under about 50lbs of pressure, I found I had a leaking AN fitting at the 2nd fuel filter and was getting some leakage at the fuel pump fittings. Of course it’s at the tank and I had put 5 gallons in the tank. I had to drop the tank and add some plumbers tape. Did three pressure tests in last two days and no leaks finally.



Lastly added a temp mechanical oil pressure gauge. My plan is to use the stock gauge, but for the initial start up I want a mechanical gauge for to ensure pressure.



So we’re close.


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[CJ]

Looks great!
You have a well thought out and very nice build.

 

[Masscj7]

Thanks CJ, but if there is one thing I’ve learned through this process is that as much as I think I’ve planned, I didn’t plan enough! Example, I put my tank in before the tub was on, ran my fuel lines all neat and tight lines with no excess. But when you need to drop the tank, now you’re swearing cause you cannot get wrench on the AN fittings with the tank all the way bolted in and with little slack in the braided lines, the tank barely dropped.
The joys of Jeep ownership


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[Masscj7]

So Saturday was the day. Certainly made some rookie mistakes and if it was for a friend, never would have gotten her going. Still, she didn’t throw a rod or burn down, it does need a good tune once it’s driving.

There’s a weird echo on the video which makes it sound like a big clanking noise, but that’s echo from the garage. There is is slight exhaust leak on the even bank that seems like I have a bad gasket.

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