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Last month I decided that I wanted a reliable DD that I can take snowboarding, wheeling and camping. I just purchased my first Jeep for $2200. Its a 1996 XJ with 146k on the engine. The previous owner rebuild the head gasket after putting a branch through the radiator and overheating it two years ago. His son drove it for the next year and he wanted a hybrid car instead for going to college . It has sat in a garage for the past year. I noticed it was running hot and the check engine light was on for the oxygen sensors (pre and post cat). I took it to the stealership and they identified the following problems and wanted to charge an insane amount to fix them:

1) Cluster Temp Sensor 252.34
2) Hood release handle and cable 311.94
3) Broken Valve breather tube 14.16
4)Fan Shroud 239.10
5) Left Front outer tie rod end 301.87
6) Front Brakes labor only 240.00
7)Sway bar bushings and end links 387.40
8) Upstream and Downstream O2 sensors 547.95

I have owned multiple Japanese sports cars (240sx, supra, rx-7) and enjoyed working on them with friends. I ordered the parts for close to 10% of what they quoted me including shipping.

I have not ordered the cluster temp sensor yet because I don't know if its the same part number as the water temp sensor for the ECU.

After I fix all the small problems, I plan on doing the following mods:

- 3in Lift
- 31in All Terrain Tiers
- Fender Flares
- Front and Rear bumpers
- Roof Rack
- Custom Flowmaster Exhaust
- Cold Air Intake
- Tinted Windows
- HID Headlights

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I got all of the parts to fix my Jeep and immediately noticed some complications:

1. The temp sender is in the block sideways and resting against the valve cover. Do I have to take the valve cover off to thread it in? Should I remove the sender and risk that it is stripped? What is the best way of "re-threading it" if it is stripped? The dealership told me the jeep was running at a "normal operating temperature" and it needs a new sender to read properly. The temperature is always showing 220-230 and sometimes even higher. Could a bad temp sender really read higher then the actual temperature?

2. I unscrewed the Oxygen sensor. It was welded and the threads are also stripped. I am thinking the best bet is to take it to an exhaust shop and have them weld a new exhaust with the threads for the new sensors.

3. Is there any way to install the fan shroud without removing the clutch fan?

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Latest updates:

- I bought a ScanGauge and the temp is reading at around 200 constantly. I am going to leave the bad temp sender for now...
- I installed a new MagnaFlow Exhaust and replaced my oxygen sensors
- I started debadging it and painted the Jeep symboll on the front and the wheels black
- I started researching lift kits and cold air intakes.
- The stock headlights are worthless, I am going to go to H4 projectors with a new harness soon.