My ole Jeep

4JeepNfun · 07-03-2009, 04:23 PM

My cowl seal finaly gave up, have not had my CJ out of the carport except on sunny days. Can't wash it, too wild with the water hose. Found seal, no instructions. Found this site while looking for instructions on installing a cowl seal. I hope to work that into my weekend fixes. Hubby says I can't install it myself, the shop that usualy does my work said I have to take it to a dealer with a hoist (for the hard top). At this time I don't believe I'll have to take that top completely off.... Will let you know how that goes.

I special ordered my garnet body/tan interior/hardtop w hard doors and softtop w softdoors 1986 CJ7 in Sept of '85. You can know your a Renegade without having it plastered on your ride. So my CJ7 is like one without the Levi seats or white lettering. In 1976 I bought a new yellow body/tan soft top 1976 CJ7wQuadatrac with standard seats that weathered well (as top was down more than up in hot Oklahoma weather) for three years.

Been in AR 11 yrs now, two of us can get the hardtop off, but it takes 4 to get it back on and I just never took time to design a block/tackle hoist...seems like I always need the hard top to be on.

I had a full hvy duty rear bumper and trailer hitch installed shortly after purchase of 1986 CJ7, had the engine overhauled at 172,000 miles. At 74,000 had the passenger seat refited with a seat adj slide and switched with the driver seat, the plan was to alternate those on a regular basis...that guy retired, we moved to AR, haven't found time in the schedule for that. Had new odometer/cable installed at 175,000 (old housing rusted thru....cowl seal not working). Shop dented my instrument panel...repaired that at no charge to me...they should have been more careful. I know it's an old Jeep, but it's my old Jeep!

I'm a part-time Registered Dental Hygienist and my CJ7 is one of my many, many loves. Got to go move the cars around under the carport so I can get more light on my Jeep. I think we're forecast for popup showers again.

coldwater · 07-03-2009, 04:44 PM

Welcome to our humble site, we're thrilled to have you join us! Now on to the seal. All you need to do is unbolt the top and slide it back a few inches. Then remove the two hand screws on eather side of the dash, and drop the windshield down. you can replace the seal with a simple screw driver, no adhesive is used. Then put the windshield back up, bolt it down, and replace the top. This is an easy part to replace, and should give you no trouble at all.

hole · 07-04-2009, 01:24 AM

Welcome! I too need to get around to doing the cowl gasket as mine seeps slightly. Hope to have time to get it done this summer, I only have 75,000 other things on my hunny-do list, good thing summers are long in so cal

Renegade86 · 07-04-2009, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4JeepNfun

You can know your a Renegade without having it plastered on your ride.

Welcome aboard. It's a pleasure to have you join us. Well my '86 has Renegade plastered on it, but I didn't do it, somebody in Toledo did.

You and yours have a safe and pleasant 4th!

elwood blues · 07-04-2009, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4JeepNfun

. You can know your a Renegade without having it plastered on your ride.

You're right, I'm not a big fan of having Renegade plastered on the hood;

I like my eagle better!

Renegade86 · 07-04-2009, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elwood blues

You're right, I'm not a big fan of having Renegade plastered on the hood;

I like my eagle better!

Happy 4th Mr. Blues!

elwood blues · 07-04-2009, 10:59 AM

Thanks, you too.

gert · 07-04-2009, 12:28 PM

happy 4th of July to all. welcome aboard 4JeepNfun. Hope you enjoy the website. Your cowl seal is fairly easy to replace. Good luck with it I would also just slide the top far enough back to clear the windsheild and fold the windsheild down to work on it.

4JeepNfun · 07-04-2009, 01:56 PM

Happy 4th to all!!!!!!!!! Thanks for the welcome and installation info.

Update on cowl seal....the hard top had not been off for 13 yrs....so when Hubby came back outside to finish mowing, he helped me lift the hardtop back just enough to clear the windshield. Followed Coldwater's instructions (Thank you very much!)....biggest problem was reinsertion of that screw that holds the wires. The windsheild had not been back for 21 yrs...no problems with that. The gunk under the old seal came off with a "credit card type" old membership card I keep in the tool box for just such occasions. Started this project at 3:30 pm, got everything in place and back together (by myself) by 7 PM with the exception of the 5 hex screws into the top of windshield. ("Tropical" Arkansas heat got to me with the frustration of that screw with wires....so had to go in and "chill" (really) for an hr and 15 min.

For yrs those hex screws would vibrate out, last time we put the hardtop back on, I used screw plastic sleeves...was getting too dark and I need to see if I have more of those. Today, when the shade gets closer to the water hose, I plan to finish that job and wash moj (my ole Jeep).

Mr. Blues...I do like your hood eagle!

Project should not take that long, if you have a "shorty" phillips screw driver where it's supposed to be, you don't get overheated or too frustrated with that screw for the wires, your not vertically challenged and have to go get the 2-step stool and your hinged knee brace for your torn meniscus slows you down.....then again, this project could take as long as you needed........