Build Thread 1986 CJ7 Rebuild - Chasing my youth

[mdeluca]

Really looking good. I appreciate you taking the time to photo-document your progress. That color looks a lot like mine. I thought I was looking at my booth shots...!

 

[Ultrunner]

You did a great job man. Looks fantastic and you’re right. Often when thinking of pricing people forget the ancillary items, which can really add up. Regardless, glad you saved a boat load.

Keep going.


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[Masscj7]

Really looking good. I appreciate you taking the time to photo-document your progress. That color looks a lot like mine. I thought I was looking at my booth shots...!

Haha, your color was my inspiration! It was part of my initial spray out, but I went with a little more gold.


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[Masscj7]

Finally started to get some stuff put back in.

One thing I’ve got to remember is that it’s a Jeep and probably most things are not square, level, or evenly spaced. What I thought would be a simple back seat bolt in took almost an hour of getting the brackets flipped every which way to got it so that it sit as close to even on each side as possible. I am a little irritated rear seat mounts don’t hit flat on floor and scuffed my liner already. But got to let it go I guess.





Also got HVAC stuff in. Note to others - you cannot put those hose on your YJ windshield squirters above the cowl as you won’t be able to fit them back into the hole. Connect first! Also, trimmed some double sided tape to protect the paint, of course, I did twice cause first time the tape squished out too far.




I went with some nylon washers on stuff because I was sick of greasing washers to prevent paint cracks.




Lastly, I don’t think I saw it mentioned on the blower motor upgrades, but you need to drill a hole for the power connection. I couldn’t figure out why hardly any threads were coming through the firewall on the lower mounting stud. Top 3 came through no problem, then saw the spade terminal was hitting. Damn, have to drill a hole into brand new paint. Fixed but FYI for all of you doing it while still mocking up.





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[Ultrunner]

Looking amazing. And nice call on the nylon washers.


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[Ultrunner]

BTW that rear seat looks good.


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[Masscj7]

It was a good score


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[Masscj7]

So lots of small stuff going on.

First phased my distributor and also got my coil mounted. Should have mocked up and done the insert nuts before paint, but with some masking tape down, was able to drill without chipping paint. And some nylon washers glued to backside to buffer off the tub and minimize paint wear.






Fought the battery tray that I got with the Jeep. After lots of fighting and swearing, it appears to be an after market dual battery tray from a 93-95 YJ. Fighting this hodgepodge of existing parts is frustrating. Finally just got a new one for short money from Crown that fit perfect. Also added the fresh air box drain, which I couldn’t find any used OEM for reasonable money, so got one from the only place I could find from Vintage Air.


Also finally sat down and rebuilt both brake assemblies. I was going to go into detail with the ebrake rebuild, but after 3 hours of trying to decipher my breakdown pics and trying to add extra nylon washers to prevent paint wear, I got it and was too frazzled to go into detail. My recommendation is ensure you get nylocks as you can’t over tighten the bolts and even though unused Eastwood 2k on them, I think they’re going to chip and wear, so recommend probably powder coating.





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[Masscj7]

The brake pedal assembly drove me nuts as well. I ordered a new pedal pad months ago for when I rebuilt and I got it and found that it didn’t fit.


Ok, must be a YJ pedal. Have my Crown contact send me a YJ automatic pedal pad. Nope! WTH!




Talk to my contact again, give him dimensions again and says, don’t know. No other pads fit that they have. I ask how much for a pedal, says they don’t carry pedals and he’s not sure who does. Sure enough, couldn’t find an aftermarket replacement for a CJ or YJ pedal. Only used OEM stuff that was the full assembly for crazy money. Local yards had nothing.

Screw it, grabbed the cutting wheel and went to town and made it fit. Finally got it all back together after hair pulling.





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[Belizean]

Maybe another Jeep like a Cherokee.

 

[Masscj7]

I thought it might be that, but the pedal assemblies look different. Pretty sure what the PO did was weld on a different step pad. Cause the rest of the pedal matched all the pics I found online and the pad looked like really booger welded to the arm. So pretty sure he just grabbed something non Jeep.


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[Masscj7]

So the last week and a half have been really frustrating. Fighting too short plug wires on just a couple cylinders, headers have tough bends for symmetrical wire or even safe wiring, throttle cable and linkage set up is not straightforward, think I’m going to have issues with fuel line routing and where my proportioning valve is located, so this was definitely needed...

She’s officially mine!


I bought this from a storage locker that didn’t sell at auction. The state of Mass is one of the most stringent pain in the arse for RMV things. I had to back door register in Vermont for a year, all kinds of documents from the storage place, but finally mine! Was sweating it after all 3 years and thousands of dollars invested.


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[Belizean]

Paperwork is always good to have.

 

[Masscj7]

Lots of small stuff done. Redid and installed gas filler.






Think I’ve got my throttle cable set up finished. Used a cut to length Lokar universal throttle cable. I did have to modify my pedal because I’m not ready to spend the bling on a Lokar adjustable pedal assembly. So a little cutting and welding and I’m able to get WOT with stock Jeep pedal. It might end up being too sensitive, but it’ll work for now.

Both pedal assemblies in as well.

Finally finished the two cut to length spark plug wires. Got the looms installed and spaced above headers. Also plumbed up the PCV, new brake booster, and heater core. Unfortunately the Sniper covers the only available vaccum port on the Edlebrock intake so I had to order a new fitting to use the front vacuum port on the sniper. I spent two weeks ordering all the right fittings needed for all plumbing. Thanks AmaZon






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[Masscj7]

Order up more spring clamps (think 4th different order and size from Amazon) as I just don’t like hose clamps. And got hose plumbing done.



Also got my DD dash in and test fit before sending to the painter. Things is super high quality and fit great! Needed to just open up two holes slightly.





I still have to get a vacuum line run from the tranny to the Sniper. It has been a real arse ache to try to source right size hose and hard line and a proper sized 90 or 180 degree rubber line at the modulator. Definitely should have done before the tub was put on.

Also my OCD kicked in and the scratch in the bed from my seat bracket landing on the stamping caused me to yank the seat and scuff the rear again, as I’m going to reshoot the bottom with Raptor again . I have just enough tint left.





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[Ultrunner]

You’re attention to detail and craftsmanship are excellent. This project is really coming together. It’ll be awesome to see it all finished.


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[Belizean]

Always good to get that first scratch out of the way. Nice job. Looks great.

 

[Masscj7]

I’m very excited that I was able to blend in another coat of raptor on the rear floor pan to fix the scratch I put in it. I was able to feather it in on the sides to avoid any tape lines too. Had barely just enough tint left, but color matched great.




Next, fabbed up some temp struts to put a spare grill in and the radiator. Then the biggest hunt began for radiator hoses. There are lots of posts across many forums that detail who’s used which hoses. Well, 3 trips to the store, only one part number worked for a lower hose. I bent up a piece of brake line and brought it in. The kid went out back and came back with a winner!




So both hoses were from Napa, both needed trimming, but fit really well in the end. Upper hose was used in a Bravada and Enclave, part # 9284 and the lower was part # 8723.

The upper was the most difficult to match. None of the previous part numbers people had used seemed to work. I think you’re goose neck positioning will impact which one will work. Mine points straight forward and slightly upward. I ordered a swivel one (didn’t even know they made one) while I was having trouble finding one, but found the fixed one worked best for my application.







Also got my transmission vacuum line finished up. Took a couple trips again to get the right pieces, but finally some 3/16” copper lines and hose ends worked.

Next is what I think is the last of the plumbing, the transmission cooler lines. I think I may just have a local guy make up some braided lines instead of fighting all the bends and angles to make copper lines work.


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[Masscj7]

I’ve been dreading trying to bend up my two transmission cooler lines. Twice tried to get some 1/4” copper lines from loca parts store and each time they tried to give me 3/16” and too short.

So I went to local plastics and hose supplier, I have a contact there that did my power steering hoses and he says, I got something specific for you. It’s called Jiffy Hose, will carry any fluid and tough walls to not collapse.



You use these special barbed fittings and you just push on the fitting with some soapy water. They have a real aggressive barb.




So add some flare adapters and boom, done. No special tools or clamps and here’s the crazy part, rated to 300 psi! Now the hoses is pretty reasonable, but the fittings are expensive. For 10 feet of hose, 4 barb fittings, and 4 flare fitting adapters were $85. But for the 8 minutes it took me to build and run the two lines, so much better than trying to do 5 magical bends for getting around starter and headers.




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[Belizean]

Any problem cutting it ?