5-Speed

Any chance you took the engine to Waynes? They did all the machine work on my engine.

Should have brought it to me instead! I am a lot cheaper as I take beer as a form of payment haha. Too late now I know but hit me up if you need anything. I am just around the corner from you.

outersketcher

I took the longblock to Buds over in Lakewood.

Cost more then I expected to pay. But I got chance to look at the completed engine and it looks like good work.

I plan to get another Cherokee for my kids to drive around. So, we'll most likely be tearing into that engine as well.

I'll give you a hallar for sure..

Also.. Since I'm relatively new up here in Washington. Any suggestions on great places to go weekend wheeling?

5-Speed

Ahh man, I forgot you said you moved. I was going off your old Corona location in your info. Scratch what I previously said....

outersketcher

awww bummer 5-speed. Wish we'd met before I had moved. I've been all over the mountians down there. Just simple, weekend wheeling with my wife and kids for the most part.

Have you ever driven out to Alfred Mine out by Barstow?

XJIrish4x4

There are a few places to wheel up here in Washington. Not sure exactly where you are located but Browns Camp just over the Oregon border is a great place if your south! Walker Valley up by Mt. Vernon little more advanced place to wheel but they do have some mild trails. Evans Creek is another place little North East. Then Naches trail as well. Those are just a few places that come to my mind but I have only been to Browns Camp OHV park and that was a week ago with my new to me JK.

5-Speed

Ya its too bad! You live in a much better area now though haha.

Cant say I have been to the Alfred Mine before. I will have to look it up and visit it when the weather starts cooling back down.

outersketcher

Thank you XJIrish4X4. I'm excited to try those places you listed.

And 5-Speed, my family used to visit Alfred mine almost every year in the spring when the wildflowers are out.

We would drive up along the ancient dirt road up to the stone remains of a cabin. And we would often sleep in there.. laying out our sleeping bags on the stone foundation. (blow up pads of course). We'd lay there, looking up at the stars.

We'd set up targets and shoot.. then CLEAN up our targets. Then, we'd go into the mine entrance, directly across the ravine from the stone cabin.

I suppose the county of Barstow periodically tried to fill in the entrance.. but people would always dig it out again. We'd always bring a shovel and dig out a bunch of it again ourselves.

It was a great place to visit. A mine right out of Indiana Jones. With wooden support beams.. wooden ore shoots coming in from side passages.. and when the main tunnel opens up.. you find yourself standing at the entrance to a large cavern. with wooden scaffolding and old ladders STILL THERE on the sides.

Way cool man.

There is a pit in the center of the cavern. Someone installed a steel rail around it. But that didn't keep our stupid dog from walking right under it bouncing.. yelping.. the 40 ft down to the bottom of the pit. (We figure it's 40 ft, because we had a 30 foot rope.. and when my dad went down for the dumb little mutt. He had to let go of the rope and manage the last ten feet on his own.

Turned out the dog was okay. startled.. and winded but okay. You see.. what had SAVED him was the wooden platform that had received his body and bounced him like a trampoline. Absorbing some of the impact from the little guys fall. When my dad dropped to the floor of the pit. And saw the dust on the floor bounce up into the air.. he later said it made the sweat on his skin chill instantly. Realizing that he was standing on a wooden cover.. built back in the 20's maybe? The only thing between him and that mutt from plummeting down another who-knows-how-many more feet into the mine.

Aaanywaay.. long story short. He got that dog tied to the rope.. we pulled him up.. and then we got my dad outa that pit real quick.

You used to be able to cross that cavern, and climb up the other side.. to an opening that lead you to the very top of that small mountain. And up there.. are veins of jade you can chip out with a pickax. We used to bring home little chunks.

Trouble is.. I haven't been back in almost 15 years. And the LAST time I went. I was severely disappointed in the state of the place. Others have discovered the mine. And they've filled the canyon with tin cans, shot-up old washing machines.. broken bottles beer cans and general garbage. Plus, some lovely graffiti scrawled on the sides of that ancient old stone cabins walls.

Damm... really sad. I hold a special hatred for graffitiers.. pissing their destructive little scrawls all over pieces of history. I look forward to my first chance to catch some dude in the act. And introduce him to my opinion of his artwork.

Still. I would suggest you give visiting the mine a shot. The mine itself.. provided it hasn't been ruined by vandals.. is WORTH visiting.

Okay.. the 4.0.. where am I with it?. I got it back from the machine shop.


Looks pretty good. Was easier to get OUT of the back-end of my Dodge Durango that it was to get it IN.





For some reason, they felt the need to smear on a bunch of extra silicon around the end of this freezeplug. That makes me nervous. I'll call them about it.



This freeze plug is on the back end of the engine. I want to be SURE this is okay. Don't want one THIS freezeplug leaking after I go to all the trouble of installing the engine. If I have to replace it.. anybody got a single, extra freeze plug they wanna sell?




The machine shop gave me the rest of the engine gasket kit. But there were no instructions or sheet indicating what went where. I've pretty much figured out where most of the gaskets and seals go. But not all. AAND.. the kit is MISSING the stupid Timing chain guide. That little plastic doohickie that slips into the inside of the timing chain cover. I've already ordered it's replacement from AutoZone.


Okay.. I have figured out the the following..
1. Timing chain valve cover gasket
2. ??? No idea. I'm guessing new o-ring seals for the fuel injectors?
3. Water pump gasket
4. Thermostat housing gasket
5. Oil Pan gasket
6. Valve cover gasket. (think I will ditch this cork version in favor of the felpro gasket. I like thiers much better.

7. Exhaust and Intake manifold gasket
8. ??? Dunno. This package of mysterious o-rings makes me nervous. They look important. (Edit: I later realized that TWO of those o rings are for the inner core of the Oil Filter Adapter assembly. I'm assuming.. that maybe the other three remaining o-rings are for the distributor shaft?

9. ??? No idea what component this gasket is for.
10. Thermostat housing gasket
11. Oil Filter Adapter to block gasket.
12. ??? air intake body gasket? maybe?
13. Timing Chain cover seal.


Kay.. that's all for now. I've done some sub assembly. But this post is getting too long.


I'll continue in the next post.

outersketcher

Alright, I've installed the water pump and the thermostat.

cleaned off the bolts. Torqued down to 17 ft lbs for the water pump housing and 13 for the thermostat cover.







Reinstalled the oil stick tube. And replaced the oil seals on the oil filter adapter. Don't forget to pop out the center core so you can replace the two inner o-rings as well on that oil filter adapter.I just placed the adapter housing into my bench vice and gave the threaded end of the core piece a gentle smack with a urethane mallet. Popped right out.









Also installed the old oil pickup tube and screen onto the NEW oil pump. The melling directions say to fill the pan with oil.. and stick a screwdriver shaft on the end of an electric drill down to the slotted receiver and spin it till you see oil spurt out the filter side of the adapter...

I also used some plumbers thread tape on the threads of the oil senser unit. don't want no leaks here.




Aaand I got into BIG trouble for using the bathtub as a parts cleaning tank.

"BAD HUSBAND! BAD! NO sex!"
"awww..."

outersketcher

Hobbes is waiting... so sad.. so lonely... poor Hobbes.




I've bolted back on the following.. Oil pump, oil pan, dipstick, timing chain cover, alternator and brackets, water pump, thermostat.. (then pulled it off because I want to drill a hole in the thermostat).

Scored a brand new distributor cap and rotor at a junkyard. But found that the rotor wont fit on the shaft of my original distributer. dang..

When bolting on the engine mounts. I discovered that one of them had sheered off.. just from hand screwing the bolt in.
Was a major pain in the heiny to take a bus to the local Ace Hardware, pick up a hardened steel drill bit and extractor... and then drill a hole and remove that bolt end.

But I'm glad it happened THERE then while out driving.

I replaced ALL the engine mount bolts with grade 8, zinc plated bolts. And purchased a set of standard engine mounts from AutoZone. I don't like them. There is less rubber then the original stock. I'll use them for now. But plan to replace then with something else later.

Have been cleaning out all the threads on every bolt I use. Adding either anti-sieze.. or a drop of blue thread locker to keep the bolts from backing out while wheeling.

Incidentally.. an old-timer friend of mine told me how he and his buddies used to grind off one corner of the hexigon of the bolt heads on the motorcycle they used to trail-ride.

The idea was that the lopsided head would obey the law of gravity more then the vibration of the engine in making the bolt back itself out. The heavier side of the bolt would consistently want to hang down. Thereby inhibiting the bolt from slowly spinning itself out of its threads. He swore to me you could still fit a socket wrench over the head and unscrew the bolt when needed.

As for now.. as for me.. I've been sitting IN the engine bay, checking all the greasy, dirty wiring for kinks, breaks, dents... etc Plan to re-wrap it all in electrical tape, heat shrink tubing and that split-sided corrugated tubing that the factory used..

CRLAMBERTJR

How much was the block bored over ? I had a v8 in a Grand Cherokee ZJ redone. It was never the same. I felt like it had lost power and drank gas afterward! I had one CJ5 that I ordered a new crate 258 from Jasper. I had a blast doing that project ! Did a Weber 2-stage 2 brl with Jacobs electronic ignition, dual remote oil filter/cooler set up. Then I had another CJ5 that I swapped in a 4.0 HO from a 94 Wrongler. I wanted to gain power steering and EFI. I used the A/C compressor for on board air. Had the bumpers for air storage. I used M.O.R.E. custom motor mounts that tilted the engine for better drive line angle for the short drive shaft ! I will be subbing for more, love watching !!! Good luck !

outersketcher

Honestly CRLambertJr... I'm not sure. I'll talk to Bud and ask him. When I gave him the long block, I told him that I wasn't looking for a racehorse. I wanted a DONKEY.



He bored out the cylinders only just enough to remove scoring scars. But I had him balance all the moving parts. And put in hardened steel valve seats. Point being.. I wanted an engine that will chug for me reliably for years to come.



Haha... "Wrongler".. was that a typo? or intended? Iether way.. I love it

CRLAMBERTJR

I think that light removal approach will be better. That's what I would do next time. I envy your project ! If I'd had a good place to do it, I'd like to done mine pulled if not to just make it easier to clean and replace what I have already ! Also a good opportunity to clean up the engine bay. No typo,,, the YJs were the first to have square headlights ! I remember, everyone hated it when they changed them ! Needless to say, they went back to round !

outersketcher

Hey there everyone. Quick update. I'm in the middle of trying to find another house to rent. Our landlord wants to sell. So, I'm in a bit of a rush to at least get the block bolted back in place before I have to tow the XJ to our new place.. as soon as we find a place.. heck.. I might be finishing this build while living under a freeway bridge. pfppffpf..

Anyways... I lay out a bunch of cardboard under Hobbes. And liberally sprayed two entire cans of engine gunk remover all over the engine bay. Keeping the electrical wires up and out of the way of course. After letting that sit for 'bout 30 minutes or so. (too impatient to wait any longer) I used a garden hose and my thumb to spray off a bunch of that old grease and dirt. Toweled things down, Then sat down in the engine bay.. with a bucket of dish soap and HOT water as well as the same in a spray bottle. Brass wire brushes.. scrubber brushes.. and every old toothbrush I'd been saving for the past two years.

About two... brutally filthy, hard labor, hours of scrubbing and muttering under my breath and wiping my forehead and scrubbing some more.. and.. I finally ended up with a fairly decent and clean engine bay!

It's not show room quality. But now.. if something leaks.. I'll be able to see it and deal with it.

I'll post before and after picks as soon as I can.

There are two projects I need to complete before I can reinstall the engine.

1) Electrical Wire loom clean up, repair, and seal up.

2) Run new vent hoses from the Tranny, Transfer case, Rear and front axles up into the engine bay to keep water from entering.

You know.. I've seen LOTS of folks talk about their snorkels.. And I've discovered to my horror that half those folk I meet out here with snorkels.. never bothered to run breather tubes from their drive lines!

Whats the point of having a snorkel if every key part of your drive line has breather vents gasping for air while under mud and water??

Last time I had this done.. a mechanic did it for me. I'm going to replace the lines with new ones.. and bring them all up to one area up in the engine bay. I didn't like the way the last guy routed the old tubes. Tho they did the job well enough. He just had all the tubes zip-tied to various other bits of the loom all over the engine bay. I want all the tubes bundled together in one area of the engine bay.

So.. next post.. will be all about cleaning up and repairing the wire loom. I'm a stickler for nice clean, water resistant wiring. And if I have time.. diving into replacing all the driveline vent breather tubes

MWMahoneyJr

Great thread. I love the mine story, but I think you should add a scary noise next time around. Maybe water dripping, or chains.

outersketcher

With most of the years of accumulated grease, oil, grime and caked on dirt removed from the engine bay.





I took some time to go over the engine bay wiring loom and inspect for problems.






Yah.. there were some bad spots along the loom that had been burned.. frayed, and stripped of protection. In need of some repair work. I began by wiping down every bit of the oily, grime-soaked, loom. Broke out the brittle and burned protective sheathing. Grabbed my electrical repair kit, crawled inside the engine bay and got to work.

Some people prefer to use one of those large, T-Pins our teachers used to use at the school bulletin boards. But, I found what worked best for me was one of those super-tiny little metal screwdrivers for reading-glasses screws and fine computer work.

Use that little screwdriver or T-pin to gently pry out the little colored plastic retaining clip from the male side of the connector. Careful as you pry it out, or it you might send it flying out over your shoulder and into the brush behind you. Never to be seen again.




Set that little clip aside. Then gently pry out the silicon water resistant plug from out of the back of the plug. Just pry it back and slide it back along the wires. Getting it out of the way.

Then insert the tiny screwdriver or T-pin into the front end of the connector, just above the pins. What you want to do is gently pry up the delicate little plastic tabs that hold the pin in place. While simultaneously gently pulling said pin back by its wire. If you take your time and go slow. You shouldn't have any problems. If you rush and try to force it. You'll snap that little tab and then the connector will be useless. No biggie. Just go to the junk yard and clip off another pigtail or two. (I broke my first one. Had to go to the junk yard myself. But once I figured out how to lift up those little tabs. I never broke another.)





I slipped on a length of shrink tubing and used the flame from a lighter to shrink it to the wires. Then reassembled the connector. I make it a habit of taking a snap shot of each connector before taking out the pins. That way, if I need to, I can refer to the photo to ensure that I put the right pins back in the right slots. Don't forget to snap that little plastic, colored clip back in place once you are done.









For added protection. I then added a length of 1/4" corrugated, split wire loom. Wrapped in high-strength electricians tape.




I went through the entire engine bay loom and made such repairs to the wiring. The BIGGEST problem was the crushed wiring that went to the starter. Remember this?...




Yah.. It was bad. So bad in fact. That the cable had nearly been severed completely. I went ahead and finished the amputation. I cleaned up the ends. And soldered the ends back together. I had to spend some time carefully filing the jagged ends of that massive solder job with a metal file. But once that was done, I sealed each wire with shrink tubing. Then a layer of the corrugated wire-loom for each wire. THEN they both were sealed up in a length of larger diameter corrugated wire-loom. Wrapped it all back up with electrician tape.