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My YJ LT1 build

423K views 1K replies 227 participants last post by  TxTJ32 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello all,

Buying my second YJ Thursday, my first was a brand new 94' 4.0, did a few mods on it, then sold it in 2000 in mint condition w/36k on the odometer (Had company truck). I sold it for a 96' Grand Cherokee 4x4 to impress a girl, who I later married, figured zip up windows wouldn't work. I kick myself the a$$ every time I see a YJ for getting rid of it.

Fast forward to present day, married 7 years with 2 small kids, 2 small dogs and 2 vette's. One is a 73' roadster which I restored mostly myself. I couldn't have done it without the help of a corvette forum, the assistance I received was invaluable.

I recently found an 87' YJ sitting behind a storage facility in fairly decent condition, has hardtop and doors and half steel doors, no soft top or engine. I tracked down the owner and convinced him to sell it for $1000.

I plan to make a daily driver out of it, but I'm going to start from the frame up, from there I’m still up in the air....back with a 4.0 inline 6, or small V8. Would a small V8 be practicable for an everyday driver? I don't plan on heavy offroading, mild at best (getting too old).

I’m looking forward to pestering everybody on this forum for information as my build progresses, as you can tell, I’m very long winded….

Thanks and apologies in advance :cheers2:,

Rick
 
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#543 ·
Sorry for something not thread related...

But, you just said something about the heat and it made me wonder where you were. Saw the San Antonio. I'm building a little strip center at "The Rim." Do you know the area?

Yeah, I'm contributing to the overflow of strip malls across the country. Sorry guys, it's money! :)
 
#544 ·
Very nice build, I have just begun the swap of my 2.5 to 5.3 Vortec in 89yj over the past few days . Your build is taking quite awhile but other than radiator issue looks like you and the daughter are enoying the enitre process.

I might have you beat on the slow proccess a little, my doughter and I purchased our 89 in 94, promptly order headers, mounts and trans adapter the following week, she is in college now and I finaly started the tear down 17 years later


I like a little orange (and a lot of coriander) in my wit
 
#545 ·
Very nice build, I have just begun the swap of my 2.5 to 5.3 Vortec in 89yj over the past few days . Your build is taking quite awhile but other than radiator issue looks like you and the daughter are enoying the enitre process.

I might have you beat on the slow proccess a little, my doughter and I purchased our 89 in 94, promptly order headers, mounts and trans adapter the following week, she is in college now and I finaly started the tear down 17 years later

I like a little orange (and a lot of coriander) in my wit
I'll try that in my next wit, If I would wait 17 years, I'll be to old to drive :2thumbsup:

I need to make a linkage for the transfer case, I was thinking of using 2 Heim joint ends with a rod between, what kind of offset does everyone think is could push?



Looks like I'm about an inch and a half different on a 10" rod.
 
#547 ·
i did mine using the same shifter with the np241, it lined up straight on, the issue im having is if you notice the rubber bushing inside the bracket that will keep the shift lever in 4L and 4H, all the way forward and all the way backwards... when your in 2H or neutral it will very easily shift between the two, what i did was used a rod with a washer and on the other side of the bracket a washer and cotter pin. the problem with this is it doesnt like to stay in 2H, with enough driving and vibration will go right into neutral... i believe to correct this problem im going to need to find away to incorporate the little green grommet that was originally used in the shifter linkage, i think thats what keeps that it in what gear you shift it into. or make some sort of detent to keep it from moving between the two
 
#549 ·
I remeasured and it looks like a 1/2" offset, 1 think i'm good as far as that goes...there is a 98' chevy down the street, I'll try and crawl under this weekend to look at. maybe bring a wrench lol !!
 
#551 ·
No, wouldn't help anyway, the T-case shifter I mounted is not the same distance away.... I order a couple of heim joints and I'll just cut a threaded rod to length.

Made a list of things that needed to be done before I get to drive up and down the street, before paint. I was thinking in the back of my feeble mind.. 10 to 12 on the list.....my list ended up being 28.. so far...

Thanks,
 
#554 ·
Yes, looks like it will a two step process, have the body shop shore up everything..I take it apart and let them paint, then bring them the chassis to re-install the body.

Before that, I have a list of 30 plus things I need to take of....so far :D
 
#555 ·
We have rookies, I still have 4 home games to attend, the rest I can DVR:cheers2:
 
#556 ·
Can someone send me a picture of a 87 to 91 brake switch mounted, trying to figure out how this mounts.
 
#558 ·
Rick,
Here a couple of pics, I hope they help.


http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac121/5-7YJ/IMAG0141.jpg[/IMG

Thanks !! I got it mounted..
 
#559 ·
Got the brake switch mount thanks to 5.7YJ.... I also had the remake my column mounts thicker, to get better clearance. Keep in mind that this is a vette column and my clearances don't match up, Looks like I'm also going to have issues with the power steering box connections as well....It's never ending....:rolleyes::rolleyes:

 
#560 ·
Got the transfer case linkage installed.



Finished the cooling system, I abandoned the corvette cooling system and bypassed the throttle body and ran the reverse cooling directly into the radiator, crappy pic but here it is...

 
#561 ·
Can someone confirm, is the high pressure side of the power steering box on the left side while facing the grill? It looks to be larger in diameter than the right.

Thanks,
 
#563 ·
Concur. I checked my 93 as well.

As you stand facing the front of the Jeep, the high pressure side is towards the left (passenger) of the low pressure line, and the high pressure line is "forwards" of the low pressure line.
 
#564 ·
Thanks to both of you, I'm having to get a hose spliced. Steering box end is Jeep, pump side is corvette.

It's funny, the parts of this project I thought were going to kick my butt turned of to be fairly simple, the ones I thought were simple are kicking my butt :confused::confused::confused:
 
#568 ·
Took today & tomorrow off.....I'm about finished with the power steering, had to get a vette hose spliced to a jeep high pressure hose... installed in the pic. Painted the alternator pulley, restored the gas pedal assemble (should be good for 5 HP...lol) and started working on mounts for the PCM.

I'm going to work on the throttle linkage tomorrow....gotta a feeling it's gonna be a pain.... My list of 30 is down to 25 for my test drive...

 
#569 ·
Finished the low side on the power steering, mounted the PCM and finished the throttle linkage. I mated the jeep/vette throttle cable together by shaving and drilling down both sides, added a little epoxy and this one's off my list....

Wanted to mount the PCM the other way, but wire length forced me to mount this way.



Fancy gas pedal install...
 
#570 ·
You need one of those "foot" gas pedals.
 
#571 ·
And add in some mud flaps with that Chrome chick with the impossibly enormous pointy mammaries that the truckers have on their rigs. :rofl:
 
#574 ·
Can someone tell me where the windshield washer tank is mounted? I cant find a pic online..
 
#575 ·
Drivers side inner fender, about 10 inches from the firewall, nearly flush with the fender line.
I'll try to get a pic in the daytime tomorrow if you still need.
 
#577 ·
That's where I was thinking it was....PCM is taking up that space now. I'll push that off till later....nice beer :D
 
#578 ·
You may be able to turn your washer fluid reservoir sideways, and relocate your radiator overflow to another location. I'll take a look again at the distance between the rearmost of the washer reservoir and the firewall. I saw in your photos that is where you mounted your ECM, but there may be an adequate gap there.
 
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