Brigham Alcorn

Here is my 85 Jeep Photo Dump
**trigger warning**
There is the contents of a 3x3 box crate that sat outside for 3 years, and the parts are... lost.

I got this jeep 3 years ago from my uncle. He had done a lot of work on it while he owned it, and had done an engine rebuild that he could not get to fire up again. He was moving, and was done with the project. He passed on his 'rabbit hole' to me. It sat in my field for 3 years. The crate of parts sat outside... getting rained on... unfortunately.

In March I decided to fart around on it, and I found out he had the top end and fuel pump 2 teeth off from the bottom end(we'll get to that more later) so once i got that situated it fired right up.
At that point, I drove it from the field to my shop, and my wife and I began gutting the interior(like i said, it sat there for 3 years, and those years took its toll on the interior). We pulled out the carpets, scrubbed up all the panels, and ordered up an ACC vinyl floor kit(front kit only).

Getting it running gave us the inspiration to clean it up and buy tires for it. And over the next few months we got all the interior put in, and got it nice and cleaned up.
I licensed it Monday, and put a hundred or so miles on it. Thursday I took the valve cover off to adjust the valves. I found out that 3 of the 5 cast cam journals had cracked loose. Essecntially they were now like bearing caps. I was gutted. But decided I could either send it or salvage it. So I drilled out the head, tapped them, and made them into caps. There are now 8mm bolts holding the rocker arm shaft caps onto the cam caps. 250 miles and holding.
I have friends in Europe looking for a new head for me, as this is a farmer fix for sure.

Looking forward to seeing more ideas for my RestoMod Cherokee!

AlbertoGR

Welcome to the forum!

I have the exam same model, a bit younger (a '94), with the same engine, you'll see it's a sturdy tiny engine but a bit underpowered. Any help I could give (if you need parts, the engine is from a Renault 21 TD, here there are a ton of them) to put your friends on the track to find the parts you need I'll do it gladly

TwistedWrench

Welcome to CF man, really cool project!

Brigham Alcorn

Thanks! Gonna find a head to keep it going, and a starter next... The current one sounds gravelly...

Brigham Alcorn

much appreciated friend! Thank you!

Brigham Alcorn

My most horrifying moment in this project thus far.. That bearing cap is not supposed to be removable. 3 of mine are now. So we shall see how long my farmer fix of bolting them down holds.

Brigham Alcorn

Farmer fix lasted about 1100 miles.
Gonna try helicoiling the bolt holes this time and order up a new head and gasket set.

AlbertoGR

You mean one of this?
https://es.aliexpress.com/store/product/cylinder-head-7701468224-908-047-for-ENGIEN-J8S-600-J8S-622-J8S-758-J8S-600-J8S/1360933_32824469656.html?spm=a219c.search0104.3.92 .608e630cLZa04P&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0%2Csearchwe b201602_1_10152_10151_10065_10344_10068_10342_1054 7_10343_10340_10548_10341_10696_10084_5013011_1008 3_10618_10307_10820_10301_10821_10303_5012811_1005 9_100031_309_10103_5012711_10624_10623_10622_10621 _5012911_10620_525%2Csearchweb201603_16%2CppcSwitc h_4&algo_expid=77ce35f7-c10d-4a69-ac85-0c1c230041d3-14&algo_pvid=77ce35f7-c10d-4a69-ac85-0c1c230041d3&priceBeautifyAB=0

p.s you can find the gasket and injector heads there too, renault ****ed up their production sending the blueprints to Chine trying to earn some more money lol

Brigham Alcorn

i haven't dug too deep for the gaskets yet. But that was the head I've been eyballing. The Winnebago place here in the states wants 850 for a "remanufactured" head. It comes with valves. But I've got another set of valves to put in a china head.