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22K views 139 replies 24 participants last post by  VegasGT 
#1 ·
Vassago's 2001 LCOG Expedition Build

Hello JF friends old and new! haven't been around for a while, searchign here and there. my old build thread basically fell apart, pictures lost blah blah. so here's a new one.

a recap...

Purchased my 2001 XJ Upcountry in 2007 with 52k 4.0 AW4 LP30/D35 3.55, NP242, tracloc, abs, full factory skids and tow hooks, bigger alternator and a trans cooler 30" ATs stock. Instantly lifted it with a RE 4.5 superflex (the old RE quality) 32x11.5 BFG at's and d windows, sliders my dad made. OME nitro chargers.

Picture right after lifting, First trip to VT.


after a while playing around the flares came off


then came trimming and 33" KM2's




a show action shot since i have so few action shots.


at 80k, the 0331 head cracked, replaced it with an 02 0331 head. i'll post pictures when i find them.

i drive a lot and this was my daily driver for years, it took it's toll having a long commute to work. The D30 was in bad shape, always blew up pinion bearing and unit bearings and u joints. Over the years i've accumulated everything need to do a Rubicon TJ D44 front and rear swap. Swapped the front in with RedZJ in March of 2012.

another random flex for the people who only look at pictures :thumbsup:


May of 2012 i bought and Audi A4 for a daily, in hopes to finish the jeep, that didn't happen. I had a bad injury that cost me a lot of money, the audi cost me a lot of money, and the jeep just sat. Started driving again only to discover the head cracked AGAIN...
 
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#2 ·
Which brings me to the following list of things to do, and i will be doing as much updating as my time will allow.

1 Replace cracked head with Clearwater Reman head (completed 12-17-13)
2 Oil pan gasket, rear main seal, new oil pump
3 AW4 flush and clean, new gasket for the cover as well, NSS cleaning too
4 Same goes for the TC
5 Finish rear axle and install (only parts needed are shafts and gear install/bearing kit)
6 Rear disc conversion with parking brake
7 Paint and rust repair
8 OBA setup for airing up tires and operating factory Rubi air lockers
9 Interior upgrades! rip out everything, replace front seats with Corbeau's, install overhead console with switches for lockers, lights and hidden CB, rear custom storage for trunk area that will hold spares, tools, OBA, probably a subwoofer since i have one in the garage, drain plugs, not sure about carpet or no carpet,
10 Build mid/longarms frame plating
11 Build bumpers, front with hidden winch warn 9.0RC most likely, rear with modular tire carrier, possibly for cut/fold
12 TBD

Finally, i'm glad to be back, i missed the jeep community
 
#84 ·
Awesome... Just stumbled on your new and improved build.

Which brings me to the following list of things to do, and i will be doing as much updating as my time will allow.

1 Replace cracked head with Clearwater Reman head (completed 12-17-13)
2 Oil pan gasket, rear main seal, new oil pump - Bring it down to my place and I'll help you out. The hardest part of this is getting the damn oil pan out
3 AW4 flush and clean, new gasket for the cover as well, NSS cleaning too
4 Same goes for the TC
5 Finish rear axle and install (only parts needed are shafts and gear install/bearing kit)
6 Rear disc conversion with parking brake
7 Paint and rust repair
8 OBA setup for airing up tires and operating factory Rubi air lockers - what setup are you going with? I eventually want to turn my A/C compressor into OBA since I run doorless and don't use A/C anyway /COLOR]
9 Interior upgrades! rip out everything, replace front seats with Corbeau's, install overhead console with switches for lockers, lights and hidden CB, rear custom storage for trunk area that will hold spares, tools, OBA, probably a subwoofer since i have one in the garage, drain plugs, not sure about carpet or no carpet, - I really want some suspension seats too, but I'll have to wait and find a good deal on some used ones. I also vote no carpet and either Raptor liner or Monstaliner. I've installed Raptor liner twice, but I think I may do the entire outside of the HEEP with monstaliner to check it out.
10 Build mid/longarms frame plating
11 Build bumpers, front with hidden winch warn 9.0RC most likely, rear with modular tire carrier, possibly for cut/fold - I picked my rear bumper with side protection and swing out tire carrier from a guy (Kreider's Kustoms) up around Rausch. He met me in Harrisburg to deliver it. Check him out on facebook. Total was around $425. The thing is BEEFY at 126lbs
12 TBD

Finally, i'm glad to be back, i missed the jeep community


and welcome back! I'm attempting to make my own comeback and finally get back on the road for the first time in a few years.
 
#4 ·
Saturday I had off work for a change, so i changed the oil, replaced the front pads and rotors and did a bleed/flush, and fixed the heat that's been broken for 2 years


 
#8 ·
I remember this Jeep, nice rig and glad to see you back on board with a healthy to do list. Sorry to hear about the injury but its good that you didnt give up and sell the XJ. Keep up the good work!
 
#10 ·
Thanks guys, can't wait to get the head in and get rid of the Audi, clutch is about to go on that and needs some other things that cost too much, cheaper right now to just finish the XJ so I can daily it again for a little while til I can save up for a proper dailydriver and this can truly be for expedition and trail use only. It'll never be a trailer queen, just want to keep it forever type of rig. It's given me 6 years 130k in the first 5 all lifted.

Been driving it to work the past few days just to run a tank through things and loosen it her up a bit. Noticed I need a new fan clutch, and I get a slight bit of a misfire afters it's been run too long in the hot weather, I remember it doing that after getting wet constantly driving after hurricane Irene. Figure it's gotta be electrical, planned on cleaning all the connections to everything while I'm doing the head and waterproofing everything too.
 
#11 ·
look what showed up today! still need the gaskets, gotta pay rent first and make sure the girlfriend is set for her birthday so i don't get **** :thumbsup:





and i got bored and color matched my lebaron vents since the black was cracked anyway and i had a can of the body color in the garage

 
#14 ·
they are JCR offroad panels, they've changed them a little, kind wish i had waited and gotten the newer ones but oh well. easy, make a template, and cut, they used some aluminum angle iron and a few nuts and bolts to secure the fit. next chance i get i'll take a picture of the underside

Great looking xj V. I love that color. Glad you're back on your feet and back in XJ mode. I'm surprised you had so much trouble with the 331. Wonder why the newer head didn't work for you. Oh well you have a good one now.

Keep up the good work.
Thank you, the newer head wasn't TUPY it was an 02, i didn't know better at the time. I love this color too, but the paint is in pretty bad shape, and with the northeast winters i want to repaint within the next year. debating a color change, possibly the new JK green, or Forest service green, or keep it the same.
 
#15 ·
it snowed the other day. here's a picture. because pictures of it being taken apart are coming up soon.

 
#18 ·
thank you!

My XJ will be pulled into the garage tonight or first this in the morning depending on how the day goes. Been working on the getting the garage into a functioning shop all week.

On the agenda:
Install Clearwater cylinder head
Flush EVERYTHING having do with the cooling system and replace hoses and such as needed.
Fix heat, it's winter after all
Rework headlight wiring harness to make room for the stock airbox for the snorkel
Realign snorkel and repair crack from my door
Immaculate cleaning of engine bay to trace leaks and such
Shorten trackbar
Change trans fluid and filter
Clean NSS
Clean throttle body
Diagnose noise from front end

It's a long list for 2 days with the biggest goal being the cylinder head and cooling system above all else. Wish me luck.
 
#19 ·
How does the snorkel work when its really cold (-10 and below)? Do you have snow dust issues for example plugging up the filter if you are offroad in snow a lot? Or is it a non issue?
Wife thinks my tracked jeep needs a snorkel but i'm worried about it sucking in snow dust and having filter issues (like the rangers and rzr's do if they are tracked without a cab).
 
#20 ·
steiny93 said:
How does the snorkel work when its really cold (-10 and below)? Do you have snow dust issues for example plugging up the filter if you are offroad in snow a lot? Or is it a non issue?
Wife thinks my tracked jeep needs a snorkel but i'm worried about it sucking in snow dust and having filter issues (like the rangers and rzr's do if they are tracked without a cab).
I don't really get those kinds of conditions in NJ to worry about it. Can just turn the top of the snorkel around for slower speed snow dust conditions if you're worried about sucking anything in.
 
#21 ·
Got the cylinder head installed and cooling system flushed, it's going to need another flush it was really gunky. I had coolant in my oil and oil in my coolant.

Pics and details tomorrow.
 
#24 ·
Okay time for an update.

This is the first time any vehicle has been in the garage since i've lived in this house for the past 3 year (old roommates have a photography studio in there) needs more work to get perfect but between my jeep, and my new roommate's 240sx drift car build, we'll get it figured out.





Ran into my first and only problem of the head swap. A broken steering pump bolt, still acts like a stud so i just left it like that. I'll tackle it when i upgrade the steering box and pump in the future.



Then i got to witness this mess! :eyebulge:



Luckily, the rockers and valves didn't look quite as bad.



Here's a picture of my crack ;)



Torn apart at the halfway point, took 3 1/2 hours to get it to this point taking my time without help.



New head gasket



Clearwater head installed. Yes, i reused my head bolts as they were brand new Mopar bolts i had installed last time i did this and it's okay to reuse them once.



Called it a night on monday at this point, i had taken too long of a break and hit a bunch of traffic doing last minute run around stuff.



And test drive went fine. Check one thing off the list!



One thing i'm still concerned with is i don't have much heat, it's warmish but not hot. I need to flush the heater core again (water is turned off but it's going to be warm this weekend so i'm sure i'll get it flushed then) My no heat issue started after installed a CSF 3row radiator and flowkooler high-flow water pump. Maybe they're too efficient? anyone car to chime in on the subject?
 
#26 ·
I had been changing my oil every week. What was there was insanely thin viscosity though. Driven it to work yesterday and today. 90 miles since the swap and the motor os so quiet now i HAVE to fix the exhaust it's annoying.

Also, my Audi should be sold tonight! That means I get to do a parts ordering spree! Need to figure out the best order to do that in. :rtft:
 
#29 ·
Well the Audi is GONE, glad to have that mistake of a purchase behind me!

Orders have been placed for the following:

TNT Customs 1" UBE's
JKS Upper shock mount (my damn landlord threw out the one I had purchased from hotrodhooligan years ago)
Liquid Iron Industries bolt-on slider boxes.

Now I just need axle shafts and a master install kit for the differential, I will be getting those through the shop assembling the axle. I know, I know, I should be doing it myself and I would prefer that, but is the essence of time and not owning a welder (yet) it's simply easier this way and I dont have to worry about having an issue because I screwed it up.
 
#35 ·
Thanks! Glad to be back!

From the test drive pic, it looks like your Jeep is getting up to temp. What thermostat do you have in there? I'm betting there is a bunch of crap in the heater core. I had the same problem on mine, and had to flush it a few times to get heat. Mix up some lemon juice and white vinegar and let it sit in the core for an hour or two then flush back and forth with a garden hose. You might need to do this a few times.

Jeep looks good by the way! :cheers2:
I will try this, i'm not quite getting up to temp, about 15 degrees shy, going to buy a mopar tstat first (i have a stant). i didn't flush the core a few times with water but this trick sounds easy enough i'll give it a shot, thanks!

Yay, someone else running sliders.
I've been drooling over them for too long! HeavyMetalXJ's experience helped the most with my decision to run them.

How are the sliders by the way? Noisy? Binding? Flex pics?
Not installed yet, i'll update when i get there. only problems i've heard are getting bent on rocks, i don't do a **** load of heavy crawling so i'm sure i'll be happy with their performance.
 
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