jeepsrock said:
A nice list of things that can be done not to expensively.
1. spark plugs (use champion only)
2. wires (use dealer)
3. distributor cap and rotor (use dealer)
4. change oil and filter (use mopar, bosch, wix or purolator)
5. drain tranny fluid and replace/clean tranny filter and fill with mercon/dexron III fluid
6. check vacuum lines
7. remove throttle body assy and clean, clean IAC motor and tps lightly.
8. replace o2 sensor
9. flush coolant and replace fresh 50/50 mix.
good luck
pete
1) Why Champion only? I use nothing but Autolite Platinum plugs - which seem to work better than Champion (and I get better emissions numbers...) I haven't used Champions since I had a set explode (literally!) in my '66 Bug years ago...
2) MSD makes excellent wires, and I believe they have a kit for the 4.0. Granted, I'm about due for another roll of bulk wire, but I like to take the DIY approach, and make things a little cleaner than stock.
3) Distributor Cap and Rotor - Borg-Warner works well for me. It has brass terminals on the cap and rotor, and costs about half of what the dealer wants. I don't usually go OEMR unless I just can't find it anywhere else.
4) Baldwin filters are my first choice, Wix my second. Wix should be findable pretty much anywhere, and I think the NAPA house brand is Wix (but ask. If they don't know, spend the extra money on Wix. Don't ask "Are your filters made by Wix?" ask "Who makes your filters?" Leading questions are more likely to get the answer you're looking for, whether it's correct or not...)
5) Correct. Clean the filter the first time (no need to replace it outright - it's just a strainer,) and every third or fourth time afterwards. The pan does have a drain plug. I like to put a magnet in the drain pan and let the fluid drain over it - if the magnet comes out "fuzzy," I'll drop the pan and take a closer look.
7) BE CAREFUL cleaning the tbody - the TPS does NOT like to get wet! Definitely remove it to clean, and I find that carburettor cleaner or acetone, and a toothbrush for scrubbing, work quite well. This only needs to be done every few years, so detail pays.
9) The cooling system should, in fact, be flushed and the coolant replaced about every other year. DO NOT use tap water, or you might as well not flush the system. Distilled or "reverse osmosis" filtered water is just fine - you should be able to get a 5-gallon or so water jug, and you can fill it at the coin-op machines (it's what I do.) Don't use "drinking water" unless it's distilled or R/O filtered - otherwise, there are dissolved solids and dissolved metals that will deposit within your system and degrade its efficiency. The same tip goes for batteries, when you can refill the cells. Tap water can (and usually will) cause the battery cells to short out internally, and I've seen this happen. If you have to use tap water in an emergency, plan to get a new battery soon. Why take chances?
Apart from that, Pete has given you good advice (I think we just need to work on details and flexibility...:lecture:
5-90