Kuntryboy's surprise YJ rebuild!!

Quote from Hardkor

I can come up if you need a hand. Don't get off till 330 tho.

Thanks for the offer, it means a lot! I don't want ya to have to drive all the way up here after working all day just to freeze to death in my driveway!

I think I might be okay with it and I'll give it my best effort to see how it goes first. It'll take a day or two to get everything bolted back together unless the install goes easier/better than expected. I have a new downpipe on the exhaust I'm going to install while this is all apart. As bad as I want my Jeep back on the road, I need to take a minute to do some of the little things while I have easier access and while I'm elbow deep in rust and grease.

This is how it normally goes... pull a broken vacuum line, replace tub!... change the spark plugs, replace frame!... pull out a drain plug, rebuild motor!

Mike Perry knows my pain!

I only had a few hours to chip away at it Saturday. I tried mounting the intake/exhaust but couldn't get them to line up properly. Found out I didn't have the intake on the mounting tab so I fixed that. Then I couldn't get the exhaust to line up properly. The EGR tube on my exhaust was a solid curved pipe and it was the issue. So next I took the exhaust that Steve gave me as it has a flexible EGR tube and mounted that to the intake. It's a good thing because I found the crack in my exhaust manifold while I was switching them out. It was still off a little and my brother and I were having problems trying to wrestle it into the proper alignment. It was dark and getting colder so we called it a night.

Sunday, I woke up, ate breakfast and started to haul my tools out to the driveway. Then it promptly started snowing! I can't win for losing with this project! I think if I disconnect the EGR tube between the exhaust and intake then they should sit properly against the block enough to get all of the bolts started. I'm not relishing the fact of trying to connect that EGR tube AFTER the install but it's looking like my only option.

Quote from ironhide06

Did you get it all settled. I would be glad to help if you need it. I am in Pike Creek. I am no mechanic, but I can definitely play one on Television!!!! Let me know.

I'm with ya on that!
[img alt=Tim Allen Home Improvement]http://www.bobgarontraining.co…mprovement-Tim-Taylor.jpg[/img]

Quote from XJ318

if you don't get it fixed I have a heated garage in elkton

Thanks for the offer. I'm hoping to get it squared away today as long as the ice melts enough to open the hood by the time I get off of work.

I've been working on this effing PO'S for 6 effing hours and I'm so effing pissed off I'm contemplating emptying 2 mags into the damn block!! After having good to keep taking the damn exhaust off to grind down the area for 2 of the mounting tabs I finally gOT all that crap on. Had to tap 2 of the holes on the intake for the power steering pump bracket. Now I can't get the damn belt back on.... I hate this damn thing right now!!

[youtube]86jbnMOAcy0[/youtube]

Okay, I'm still not happy but I got a little further along. I had to take off the PS bracket again to get the belt on so that's now done. I pulled the heater core hoses to replace them. Connected the CTO, EGR, brake booster vacuum port and hose. I have a bit of vacuum hosing to replace as well as the coolant line into the intake. Then the new down pipe for the exhaust... Seems like my list is getting smaller, THANK GOD!!

I did have one problem with a mounting bolt on the exhaust manifold. The rear bolt next to the firewall wouldn't seat right. I installed the exhaust and intake separately and I was sure I had that bolt started as it was the first one I did. But as I was tightening the bolts according to the sequence in my Haynes manual it wasn't seated and I couldn't get it to. It is solely for the exhaust mani and not a shared bolt with the intake. Will this cause any issues? All of the rest of the bolts are torqued to spec.

Can anyone see the youtube video above??

I'm not positive but it may be a sheared off bolt on that back edge. For some reason I don't remember removing a bolt that far back against the firewall and I was one bolt short IIRC on the manis.... at least I think that I stole one of the PS bracket bolts and used it on the manis b/c I had to use 2 flat washers in place of a missing thicker mani bolt/washer.

I think I'll run it first to see what happens. I'm over taking that manifold off and on for now. I just want to get this thing back on the road!!!!!!!!

BACK.IN.BUSINESS.

Spent a good 6 hours after working 1/2 a shift today. Here's a list, not in any particular order:
Mounted carb, replaced & reconnected vac lines and almost all of the t-junctions, eliminated unused vac lines-pulse air manifold-vac canister, eliminated unused wiring for the stepper motor-oxygen sensor-etc., reconnected sensors, cut new coolant lines for heater core and thermo to intake, installed new down pipe after plugging the small bung/sensor port with bolt, connected cat to down pipe, cleaned/oiled K&N filter, reconnected battery, replaced relay for Hellas (broke it when I sat on the fender), topped off coolant, started it up, adjusted idle.... ugh, so tired! Enough of the list... I let it idle for about 30 mins while I cleaned up. No leaks, no overheating, idles great, turned heat up full blast and worx great... too tired to continue, so before I fall asleep typing this, I'm going to go for a test drive.

Well, I did not make it out for the test drive as I promptly fell asleep. This morning I started up the Jeep and let it warm up as I was getting ready for work. Came out and saw a small dripping and could smell the sweet sweet aroma of antifreeze! Took a quick look and it was dripping from the outlet side of the intake mani at the hose clamp onto the new downpipe. This has me wondering if the heater core is about to go kaput. Yesterday I'm guessing that it was warm enough to allow the fluid to move freely but with it dropping around the freezing mark I'd suspect a frozen blockage? Seems unlikely though becasue the coolant is flowing through there which would mean antifreeze... and the heat was going full blast as it was warming up. I'll try tightening the clamp when I get home from work but I think the heater core should be replaced too. No telling when or if it's ever been done and when I back-flushed it there was some nasty junk flowing out of it. The core itself is inexpensive but I've heard it was a nasty job to do. While I'm in there I think I may upgrade to the Blazer blower motor as well (...so powerful it can blow a woman's clothes off!) as it's not that expensive either.

Any tips, tricks, shortcuts to doing the heater core? Is it possible/safe for me to bypass the core temporarily until I have a good amount of time to work on it again? I'm sure my parents would like their car back at some point in the near future....

PS- Thread title edited to reflect reality of the situation!!

Well everyone, this story concludes to a happy ending. After work, I started her up and she was still leaking a little. Tightened up the hose clamp and voila! problem solved! Somebody must've snuck in there and loosened it up on me while I wasn't looking. If it wasn't for them meddling kids...

Thank you to all for the help with all this madness!! Now time to order my SYE & Tatton driveshaft! I'm sure that'll involve replacing the tub and patching the frame but that's a story for another thread! Duhn, duhn, duuuuuuuuuuhn!