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Calling that a CF is downplaying that. I did not have any trouble when I replaced the lower tranny line. I was doing a radiator, noticed that the lower tranny line had a notch in the rubber part from rubbing the steering gear box, so said screw it and replaced it. My quick connect disconnect tool worked fine but I did separate the elbow from the radiator so I could clean out all the crap in the quick connect. Also a little Vaseline for the O Ring. I used the Napa one which I am almost positive is just a rebranded Dorman.
After screwing up several of the connections by accidentally unseating the o-rings, I consulted with my Uncle (one of the aforementioned Mechanics) who told me that very thing... use o-ring grease or vaseline, and put it directly on the o-rings. That will definitely be "featured" in any write up I do on this!
The last replacement part of a replacement part has arrived, now to unbox it and see if it's the correct part, then on to hopefully wrapping this CF up successfully!
So far, so good!
Replaced the brand new line that was leaking and just as I thought, it was the o-rings. They were completely unseated, twisted, and pushed down into the line. Ran the engine until it reached operating temperature, added 1/2 a quart of fluid and ran it some more,
Didn't see any leaks.
Pulled back into the carport and parked, put white cardboard underneath the Jeep, directly under all of the new connections and checked it this morning- no spots!
Now to start pulling the dashboard and instrument cluster to repair the no bus issue which thankfully is the kind that only kills the gauges and not the engine.
And try to figure out the brand new and unsettling noise that sounds like something loose rattling around when the Jeep is sitting still. Haven't pinned down exactly where it is coming from.
I think the no bus issue is resolved as well. Took the dash apart, pulled the instrument cluster, cleaned with CRC contact cleaner, put it all back together. All gauges seem to be working. Going to test drive it a little today and make sure the speedometer is working correctly as well.
FOLLOW UP:
It appears that the transmission leak is fixed. The level on the dip stick has remained constant and there are no more tell-tale red spots appearing on the concrete under the Jeep!
I have not experienced another nobus error since cleaning the contacts on the back of the instrument cluster!
However, now an oil leak has appeared, or at least become more obvious. Perhaps this is why nobody could determine initially if the leak I was experiencing was Transmission Fluid or Engine Oil as they would have been "mixing" as the leaked?.
A few years ago, we replaced the Rear Main Seal, Oil Pan Gasket, and the Valve Cover Gasket. Haven't been able to determine where the oil leak is coming from yet, and the level on the dip stick isn't dropping noticeably.
Still getting intermittent knocking that makes me think the flex plate may be cracked.
OUCH
I've neglected this account for too long.
Just fixed a LONG running leak in the transfer case, will post photos on how to do it soon.
About to delve into AC controls, power window/locks issues, and have 4 replacement tires on order that cost $1,561.08- that hurt!
Long story short...
Flex plate WAS cracked and the bolt holes were worn out and too big.
Couldn't find a shop that was willing to touch it because of the lift. The HC Longarm kit replaces the stock tranny mounting plate with a much heavier one that the long arms also connect to.
Jeep was parked for a while for anything other than short runs into town. Finally found a guy to do it right as covid hit. Old guy used to have a tranny shop and did all the county vehicles. He replaced flex plate (another CF) but failed to seal the transfer case. T case leaked allot, he stopped answering his phone.
By the Grace of God, I was able to reseal the T case myself. Got new BFG KM3 MT tires and on the way home both front calipers locked and refused to disengage. More work.
Resealing transfer case:
When I had the flex plate replaced, I asked the guy to check the transfer case b/c it would pop out of 4L since he had to completely dismount the tranny anyway. He replaced the spacers in the transfer case which were worn out. Unfortunately, he didn't adequately reseal the transfer case when he put everything back together. It leaked allot. This was when all the sheep were in full panic mode over covid and he stopped answering his phone. So much for the guarantee.
Had allot going on and just recently got back to getting the Jeep road worthy for more than short trips into town.
Problem was, nobody wanted to touch this because of the lift. Everyone said the transfer case had to be removed, which required dropping the transmission. Found a place that would reseal the transfer case ONLY if I removed it and brought it to them. I couldn't drop the transmission (didn't have the equipment) and searched for ways to reseal the transfer case without removing it but didn't find anything. Now that it's done, I'll probably get links to dozens of posts on how to do it - LOL
I took a chance, prayed ALLOT, and it worked out well.
1. I drained the transfer case.
2. Disconnected the speedometer sensor/gear
3. Disconnected the rear drive shaft.
4. Removed the Rear output shaft yoke.
5. Carefully removed all of the bolts that hold the transfer case halves together. These are not the bolts that mount it to the transmission.
6. Placed a bucket under the case to catch remaining fluid and SLOWLY pried the rear case half back apprx 3/8" from the front half. I allowed it to drain until it wasn't dripping.
7. Using a 5 in 1 tool and paper towel, I carefully cleaned the mating surfaces of both the front and rear case halves.
8. I squeezed a bead of Permatex Anaerobic gasket maker 51813 on the bottom half to 2/3 of the mating surface of the front half.
9. Slowly slid the rear half forward to meet the front, and bolted back together.
10. Wiped up the material that had been squeezed out.
ELEVEN AND A HALF YEARS
That's how long I rode on those BFG KM2's from when we originally lifted our Jeep in 2011. They still had slightly more tread left on them than the highway tires that come on new Jeeps when we replaced them a week ago.
Ordered 4 new BFG MT KM3's that finally came in. Prices have gone UP.
2011: 5 new pro-comp wheels and 5 new BFG MT KM2's mounted, balanced, with road hazard - $1,600
2023: 4 new BFG MT KM3's mounted, balanced, with road hazard - $1,561
They weren't happy when I told them I was keeping the old tires.
On the way home, both front brakes seized and would not disengage. Had to have it towed back to the house. (side note: brand new town truck, Jeep was first vehicle ever towed on it)
I have not figured out what caused BOTH front calipers to stick at the same time. The old pads were cooked and fragged. Oddly enough, the rotors were fine. Any ideas???
Replaced all the front pads and both calipers and by the Grace of God it working great. Acts like it did brand new.
Still going!
Power steering fluid is leaking at an alarming rate. Honestly, it has been for a while. It started out barely leaking but has progressed to losing 1/3 to 1/2 the fluid in the reservoir every 2 to 3 days. I think the reservoir is leaking b/c it leaks after driving for a while. The whole area is soaked (yep, I wiped everything down trying to locate the source) and best I can figure it seems to be coming out between the reservoir and the pump body.
Got a replacement reservoir from rockauto and am waiting for my wife to get a couple of days off without any errands so I can have the truck available.
Changed the headlights to LED, and the HELLA 500 lights wiring fried, so replaced them with Auxbeam LED pods. Those things are BRIGHT!
XJ glamour shot... just because. Taken Easter Sunday at our pond.
ELEVEN AND A HALF YEARS
That's how long I rode on those BFG KM2's from when we originally lifted our Jeep in 2011. They still had slightly more tread left on them than the highway tires that come on new Jeeps when we replaced them a week ago.
Ordered 4 new BFG MT KM3's that finally came in. Prices have gone UP.
2011: 5 new pro-comp wheels and 5 new BFG MT KM2's mounted, balanced, with road hazard - $1,600
2023: 4 new BFG MT KM3's mounted, balanced, with road hazard - $1,561
They weren't happy when I told them I was keeping the old tires.
On the way home, both front brakes seized and would not disengage. Had to have it towed back to the house. (side note: brand new town truck, Jeep was first vehicle ever towed on it)
I have not figured out what caused BOTH front calipers to stick at the same time. The old pads were cooked and fragged. Oddly enough, the rotors were fine. Any ideas???
Replaced all the front pads and both calipers and by the Grace of God it working great. Acts like it did brand new.
Warped rotors? Bent or damaged guide pins? Bad compound in the pads? Are the mount points on the knuckles still square to the axle rotation?
Power steering fluid has been leaking and the leak has been getting increasingly worse so...
After a few rounds of cleaning and checking it appears that the fluid is leaking from between the reservoir and the pump itself.
This is not a stock XJ pump. The original lasted for 5 years after the lift and mods were done in 2011. I replaced the original with rebuilds but they all failed quickly. In about a month I went through 3 so- I got on the phone with PSC, answered some questions about our XJ and bought a new pump from them in 2017. Everything seemed to be going well until early 2025 when I noticed new stains under the XJ. Turned out to be power steering fluid.
After determining that it was leaking from the connecting point between the reservoir and the pump, I pulled the pump and dismounted the reservoir. Turns out that the reservoir and pump mate via a single point where a nipple from the reservoir seats into a recess in the pump with nothing more than an o-ring to create a seal. Then, the reservoir is held on to the pump with two clips.
The previous o-ring was mangled. I'm not sure when or how that happened as I put this pump on in 2017 and is started leaking in 2025.
I ordered a replacement reservoir, pulled the pump, replaced the reservoir and o-ring, remounted everything and... bad leak, same place.
Pulled the pump again, put original reservoir back on with a new o-ring, replaced low pressure return hose and... bad leak, same place.
I'm guessing that I'm putting the o-ring on incorrectly? I have the tech manual (2,100 pages) and did it the way it's illustrated but obviously this is operator error.
Getting VERY tired of the mess and time of pulling this all apart, replacing a 25 cent o-ring, and putting it all back together just to see it leak again.
I bought a remanufactured power steering pump from NAPA several years ago when mine went out. Lifetime warranty. Sadly, I've used the warranty twice. The original pump lasted almost 20 years. Next time mine goes out, I plan to scrap the warranty and get an Edelmann pump.
