What are you doing to your rig - the continuing saga

yeah, I upgraded my stock 117A to a 05 Durango 160A, since I was in there, ya know?
 
Ahh, the mod bug, AKA "while I was in there"-itis... it led me to turn an engine replacement into a lift, 5 speed swap, 4x4 swap, front locker, radiator replacement, Durango box and 96+ intake/PS pump/tensioner swap, rearend swap, rear disc swap, and tire/rim upgrade :confused1

... oh. And that engine swap I started out with, too. You know, while I was in there.

I mean, if I'm gonna pull the engine, there's no way I'm putting a 2wd trans back in after, it's only a few more bolts... and if I'm doing that, why wouldn't I swap to the manual I have sitting in the shed? But at that point (4x4/manual swaps), I'm changing driveshaft length, so I might as well do the rearend swap I had planned anyways to avoid changing the driveshaft more than once... might as well do the lift at the same time since the pinion angle will change... hmmm... got that locker sitting there too... and discs... easier to do those on the bench than in the jeep... ahhhhh! WTF happened!
 
kastein said:
Ahh, the mod bug, AKA "while I was in there"-itis... it led me to turn an engine replacement into a lift, 5 speed swap, 4x4 swap, front locker, radiator replacement, Durango box and 96+ intake/PS pump/tensioner swap, rearend swap, rear disc swap, and tire/rim upgrade :confused1

... oh. And that engine swap I started out with, too. You know, while I was in there.

I mean, if I'm gonna pull the engine, there's no way I'm putting a 2wd trans back in after, it's only a few more bolts... and if I'm doing that, why wouldn't I swap to the manual I have sitting in the shed? But at that point (4x4/manual swaps), I'm changing driveshaft length, so I might as well do the rearend swap I had planned anyways to avoid changing the driveshaft more than once... might as well do the lift at the same time since the pinion angle will change... hmmm... got that locker sitting there too... and discs... easier to do those on the bench than in the jeep... ahhhhh! WTF happened!
Click to expand...

ROR -- been there, but not this time. The Durango alt. was cheaper than the stock WJ, with 40% more power, and bolt in. no brainer!:cheers:
 
crazy, huh? :D
 
doh !! got some other good news on my 1989 MJ
did some more ground wire and wiring repairs today.
it used to have horrible stumble and stutter while holding steady speed.
cleaned wiring and grounds and it went away.
specifically i cleaned the ground and wires and the bolt on the driver's side apron ground.
removed the coil and cleaned and packed with dielectric grease the spring terminals and the contacts.
also cleaned and greased the ground under the driver side tail light.
and spent about 45 mins with the pressure washer at work on the motor it was very dirty
also--
valve cover was LOOSE all bolts, fixed.
exhaust manifold LOOSE , fixed .
trying to do my part for teh Renix guys here. grounds and wiring fixes will bring back functionality and performance.

:cheers:
 
IMG_0144_zps92093a7f.jpg
IMG_0143_zps41ac2961.jpg


the terminals under the coil that need to be checked and cleaned up.
 
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Re: semi related to the alternator issue

my high dollar battery holder.
keeps that sucker from moving around !
dont beat me up on the wiring...it is getting fixed and cleaned up as i go.
IMG_0118_zps13cccbc2.jpg
 
this is how i wired mine. it has by that 194 bulb holder a 50 Ohm resistor so if the bulb breaks/burns out the alternator still senses the resistance of the "bulb"/resistor and keeps exciting the field and keeping my alternator working. i ll re do it later and make it all look like a pro did it. right now it is not exactly "pro" lmao
pic was from the internet, thanks for whoever made it.


alternator-connection-12_zps7da29688.jpg
 
by wiring it this way i believe i have removed the charging from the MJ's harness and from the less than robust grounds and all their issues of the Renix era 4.0 engines.
and the resistor alongside the alt lamp is an added plus for redundancy. i should never be stranded for a bad bulb with this setup. or have to deal with the dash to fix the bulb out on the road or trail.

:attom:
 
These Rockrails have been on the jeep for over 10 years, maybe 13, I think I put them on before my first Moab trip.



Led's been giving me grief about how they look for years, and their mounting was a little sketchy, although they did hold the jeep's weight, so I decided to pull them off and fix things.



I think the arguments I've read against powder coating are correct. :)
 
Well, my end caps and fender flares are gone and I got some help cuttin' up my fenders.

Now I gotta concentrate on drivetrain dependability. Goal is D44, front and rear drive shafts, wheels with about 1.5" more backspacing, 33" tires, V8 ZJ Pitman arm and tie rod swap, and if for some reason the budget allows it; bumpers.

Before October.

Probly shocks too.
 
yeah i got straps etc worked out.
fuel cans too. 2 wedco ww2 german style. i guess they stopped making them.damn safety nazis!
various tools sorted .
d rings, cable extension, straps etc.
soon to have a tent -cot thingie for the overnight stays.
so i am pondering a shovel.
http://www.coldsteel.com/Product/92SFS/SPECIAL_FORCES_SHOVEL_W_SHEATH.aspx
this one can serve multiple duty--
shovel/axe/emergency edged weapon in case ninjas attack!!
and it is small..so not using it for a deadman .i wont dig a hole that big with a small shovel. i d rather walk out LOL.

thanks
 
So I was going to get my POS smog tested on Friday until I realized that I needed a functional speedometer in-order for the facility to run it on the dyno.

Damn....

Once upon a time, the PO sheered off the end of the speedometer cable at the TC and never bothered to repair it - hence why the speedometer didn't work. On a positive note, I found the source of my tranny leak when I realized that he had the speedometer housing assembly loosely held in by a washer with a nut welded to the end of it. :twak:




Went junkyard diving with Yellaheep and found a pristine speedo cable and installed it yesterday.

But alas - It could never be that easy, could it? NO! :nono:

So I go to install my new cable. Pulled the dash apart (which apparently if you have a roll cage is a complete PITA!) and found that the speed sensor that patches in to the computer was disconnected. (keep in mind that one of the PO's swapped in a 98' motor into this thing, so it's a rat nest of wires ATM).



Found the male tab ziptied under the dash and figured "what the Hell" and reconnected the new speed sensor. Took it out for a spin and....Eureka the speedo worked!

But suddenly the engine's RPMs starting going absolutely bonkers, sputtered, backfired, and ran like complete and total crapola. Pulled over to the shoulder and disconnected the speed sensor and cycled the computer by unhooking the battery for a few minutes. Put it all back together and drove home.

The speed sensor connector was never hooked up before so I may just leave it off. I guess whatever they did when they did the swap, didn't include that sensor, so I'll just leave it alone.

Never a dull day.

Jim
 
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That speed sensor is a variable reluctance type, it's actually exactly the one I referenced in your thread. It's very easy to build a circuit to make it drive the ECU's signal pin properly - the issue with feeding it directly off that signal is that it's producing an AC signal that varies from around 120 millivolts peak to peak up to around 12 volts peak to peak at highway speed, and the ECU isn't expecting the signal to vary that much because the later ones are built to use a Hall effect sensor that always produces a perfect square wave of whatever voltage the ECU's sensor regulator produces, usually 5, 7, 8, or 12 volts.

That speed sensor actually has nothing to do with the RENIX ECU, it is only used by the RENIX cruise control module, which is probably also under your dash if the PO didn't redneck it.
 
Yeah, I dunno what's up with the set up on SeeingSpot's rig...... his newer engine is just the block. From what I understand, it's still using the Renix system......
 
huh. From what he said, it had the ZJ computer swapped in too, unless I'm thinking of someone else.
 
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