Build Thread 1983 CJ7 ReFurb.

[PistolDave]

Minor update:

I have been driving around the neighborhood for the last few days and have put about 400 miles on "Old Smoky" so far. In the crankcase is 3 quarts 10w30, a quart of ATF, 2/3 of a bottle of marvel mystery oil, 6 ounces of seafoam, and a quart of the Rislone oil treatment in the yellow bottle. Also, after a couple hundred miles it was showing 3/4 a quart low, so I dumped in some 30w I had sitting around to top it back up. The smoking now seems to be greatly reduced, so my crankcase cocktail may be loosening up the rings after all. Here is an "action" shot from a road trip up to Plainview, TX on Sunday. When is the last time you saw one of these?

 

[PistolDave]

Another minor update:

Have just been driving this bucket around town to see how long the dodgy engine and junky wore out T5 transmission would last. To my surprise, it has been running better and better, the smoking has all but stopped, still running 1 qt ATF in the crankcase. I have driven it about 1500 miles since the last update and I have become kind of fond of this rusty leaky junkpile.

Here is my plan which I hope to start executing in the next few weeks.

I have a clean fairly low mile 3.8 I6 from a postal jeep that I am planning to swap in for the 4.2. The 4.2 is running pretty good right now but it does have a weird vibration now and then and given its history, it could explode at any moment.

Junkyard gm TBI with timing control.

T19 with 5.11 first gear from diesel F350. Already had this along with D300 output conversion kit.

Rear axle - Weld tubes, 1 pc axles, 4.11 gears, selectable locker (OX)
Front axle - 4.11 gears, selectable locker(OX) if funds allow

YJ springs front and rear, 2.5-3" lift, 1/2" (0.5") body lift, 1" longer shackles front and rear, extend bumpstops

Tires - agonizing over this, I want 33-10.50 BFG's, but this lift combo may be marginal for 33's and i do not want to trim fenders. Hoping i can keep tires out of sheet metal with bumpstops, but if not, then i will go with 31x10.50's i suppose.

Electric onboard air mainly to run locker(s).

A handful of other little maintenance items and what not.

I am going to try and get all this done before the CO trip, because I would like to take a different rig this year for some knucklehead reason.

Anyways, I will update the build thread as the things occur. Probably.

 

[gert]

sure does sound like a lot of fun i will be very interested in seeing progress

 

[PistolDave]

Have been working on the new(sort of) engine for the 83. 232 (3.8l) engine is being graciously donated by a 1976 AM General DJ-5. Odometer was showing 70k or so.

Not doing a rebuild, just minor stuff like cleaning lifters, new bearings, new gaskets and seals, new timing set, etc. Cylinder bores look good, piston clearances still seem pretty tight, brass/bronze was just starting to peek through on upper con rod bearing shells, thats why the bearings are getting replaced. Head had a fair amount of carbon build up at top of chamber, intake valves were pretty cruddy, but cleaned up nicely. Plan is to put junkyard GM TBI on this engine.

postal jeep 3.8l coming out
bead blasted head
reassembled head
dirty engine block

 

[PistolDave]

dirty engine
engine starting to clean up
filthy lifters disassembled and cleaned
getting ready for new bearings

 

[PistolDave]

head reinstalled and torqued down
new timing set installed
oil pan and timing cover cleaned up

 

[PistolDave]

more progress:

motor all cleaned up
old 4.2 coming out
modifying DUI HEI for 7-pin module for ECM control on TBI setup
motor painted

 

[PistolDave]

Ford T19 getting ready for mainshaft swap
T19 innards
Old Ford output shaft vs D300 output
T19 done

 

[PistolDave]

1989 C1500 TBI ECM harness after "unwrapping"
Harness distilled down to bare necessities: MAP, CTS, TPS, IAC, O2, Ignition module, Fuel pump relay, Injector plugs. Not used: VSS, EGR, ESC (knock sensor and timing retard control module), misc stuff like park/neutral switch, TCC lockup, top gear switch, etc.

 

[JeffP]

I was able to buy AMC Blue engine paint from Amazon. Nobody else carries it locally anymore.
There are several other colors that look better but there is only one that is “right”. It’s one of those colors that isn’t great when you see it for the first time but it grows on you.
I was happy with the paint quality. Price was average for spray paint and delivery was typical Amazon... instant.

 

[JeffP]

Ford T19 getting ready for mainshaft swap
T19 innards
Old Ford output shaft vs D300 output
T19 done

I like the stand you made! Simple and quite effective!
Hope you paint it! Cast iron engine paint looks great on transmissions! I use it on steering components as well.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Thanks for the details Pistol Dave.
PLZ keep us updated.

LG

 

[PistolDave]

Update **

When I torqued the bellhousing to transmission bolts, the threads in one of the tapped aluminum holes failed just shy of 45 ft/lb, so I decided to Heli-coil all 4 holes.

Got the new clutch (LUK) and resurfaced flywheel installed, bolted the transmission up and got the assembly ready to install. Bolted in MORE bombproof motor mounts and installed engine/transmission. Installed the transfer case and discovered that there is about .001" clearance between the shifter ears and the fat T19 housing. Modified the tcase shifter cane and mounting.

 

[PistolDave]

Xfer case shifter was up against the sheetmetal, so I decide to install my new urethane body mounts and body lift. The metal inserts in my rubber body mounts were completely rotted, so I made my own out of 3/8" plate and steel tubing. The holes in the urethane pucks are about .890" and since no one makes tubing in that size, I made my own by slicing a chunk out of some 1" tubing and squeezing them down in the vice. Next I tack welded the seam and squeezed them back to a round shape. One piece of 3/8 plate was welded flush with the end of the tube, and another piece of 3/8 used as a spacer to provide what amounts to a 3/4" body lift. The tube was cut so when fitted to the urethane puck, it is about .125" short, just like the original metal inserts would be.

As is typical, every single body mount point fought tooth and toenail, with 1 broken bolt and 2 broken loose nut plate inserts. Made 3 new nut plate inserts and bolted body back on.

 

[PistolDave]

Decided to tinker with the throttle body. Disassembled, cleaned, installed rebuild kit, installed 4.3 injectors (this tb was from a C1500 5.7) and mounted on intake.

Hacked out a little adapter plate to mount to the TB throttle lever arm so it would line up with the stock throttle linkage/mount.

Combined 5.125" TBI air cleaner mounting flange with original air cleaner. Don't know if this will work as it is awful close to the brake cylinder. Even though I have urethane engine, body, and transmission mounts, it may still flex enough to smack it on hard engine braking. I hope not, because then I suppose I will have to resort to one of those banjo snorkel cold air induction abortion things with the K&N style filter on the end, and I really do not want to do that.