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Dan's Downunder '84 CJ7 Build

12K views 61 replies 14 participants last post by  dan-cj7 
#1 ·
Here we go with another restoration thread. I've got a 1984 CJ7. The plan is to do a frame up restoration. I started the teardown last easter and have been slowly making progress. The plan was to restore it to an original condition with a few upgrades. I was hoping to go to MPI as a minimum and started looking into the aftermarket kits. After I found out how expensive that could get for the good but marginal gains I thought I could get a donor from a wrecker for a lot less cash. After hourts of web searching I decided the early 90's head and MPI was the way to go. Here in Australia that meant an XJ. I had the Jeep in bits and no donor. I though I had time to wait for the right one to come along as I was only working on the chassis right now and wouldn't get to the engine until 2012. In about July one saturday morning I was playing around on ebay and found a dodgy looking '93 YJ (they are not common here). I was estatic. My wife didn't really like riding in the jeep without doors on and wasn't really keen on the kids in the back with only the lap belts. Here I'd found, the engine, the transmission (I was looking for an upgrade of the T5), the 1/2 doors and the family style roll bar for the back seats and it was only a hour drive away! I am now having dreams of a stroker!! Well that afternoon I had another Jeep.

Over the course of the next few months I ordered quite a few new parts for the suspension (OME 2.5" YJ springs and shackles) and had the diffs rebuilt and painted. I got the frame and all the parts for it sandblasted. I painted the frame with POR15 system and had the frame parts powdercoated.

I've started the re-assembly process now and have the frame pretty much back together. I'm waiting for some new spindle bearings and seals and I'll have the old girl back on her feet again. That pretty much gets you up date to where I am today.

Here's a few pictures of what it looked like before I took it to pieces and the YJ donor. as well as how it sits today.
 

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#4 ·
I've been chipping away the last few weeks and got it to rolling chassis stage.

I've had a few troubles getting parts shipped but in the end it's come out nicely. The swaybar I used is the original but I used YJ links to accomodate the lift. The rear brakes got a new slave and everything else was re-installed (the shoes were almost new). On the front I had to get new spindle bearings and all new seals (the PO must've installed hub bearings recently as they were like new). The rotors and pads are new and the calipers rebuilt. I had the brake fella make me some new hoses up at the same time so I had them lengthened a bit to adjust for the 2.5" lift.

I've had time to work on it this week so yesterday I got it rolling on it's wheels again!

After I put the steering box back in the tie-rod was at a horrible angle. I've decided to see how it rides with all the weight back on and decide what to do then. I may decide to swap in the YJ steering box which has a bit of a dropped arm on it.

Next I'm onto the brake lines when I am moving the to proportioning valve to the right side to suit the right hand drive.

My helpers got the first ride in the new Jeep!
 

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#5 ·
Nice work, Dan. Your place is very neat and trim, and your kids are awesome! What is the little grain bin with the PVC? Sorry... nosy neighbor and all that! :D
 
#6 ·
Thanks, here in Victoria Australia we are very water conscious and have to save as much as we can. It is an 8000L water tank that catches the rain from the shed for watering the yard and the pvc is the overflow to the undergound drain pipe. The smaller pvc is the level gauge.
 
#9 ·
If we keep on with our drought I may have to consider something like that myself! Thanks. It's interesting to see how the other side of the world lives! :thumbsup:
 
#8 ·
Those are the shackles from Old Man Emu. They prevent the shackle from inverting on a full extension of the spring. I like them becasue of the greaseable pins.
 
#10 ·
dan-cj7 said:
Those are the shackles from Old Man Emu. They prevent the shackle from inverting on a full extension of the spring. I like them becasue of the greaseable pins.
I learn something new everyday. Thanks for posting the pics. I had only heard about the OME kits and never saw one installed.
 
#12 ·
Got a bit of time to work out in the shed tonight. For the brakes I've decided to change the proportioning valve to the right hand side (right hand drive). It almost seemed like it was designed to be over that side as there is a matching set of holes on the right side. I used a home made nutsert tool for the bolts (more handy tips from lurking on this site).

I thought I'd get into the tube bending gradually so I started with the back right side.
 

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#23 ·
Awesome build, my only concern would be the clear tubing over the rear brake line will hold water and mointure and may cause premature corrosion and maybe ultimately, preforation.
 
#14 ·
This will be interesting to watch since it's got the driver controls on the wrong... er, I mean other side of the Jeep! Nice job so far.
Those clear plastic tubes on your brake lines. I assume they are to replace the wrapped wire guards that were on there? I would seal up the ends of the tubing or water / mud will get in there and lay and rust your lines out prematurely. Just a suggestion.
 
#16 ·
I'm not 100% convinced on the rubber tubing idea. I got talked into it by the brake fella that made my hoses. I was thinking the same that they would probably last longer naked without the tubing! Newer vehicles don't have anything on them so I may forget the tubing/armourgaurd altogether.

Maybe someone could offer some advice?
 
#17 ·
I know that I've seen even the ones with the wrapped wire or spring type covering hold the dirt / mud and rust out the line. I would coat them with POR, at least in places where they have contact with something such as that clamp or along the frame. Personally, I'm going to go with stainless steel.
I also take clear tubing such as you have, and cut a piece about 1 1/4", heat the end (enough to melt) and crimp it shut with a pair of pliers. Hold it shut for 30 seconds or so. Then slide these over the bleeders to keep the dirt off and the rust away. Nothin' worse then trying to loosen a bleeder only to have the hex portion round off because it's rusted so bad. Been doing that for decades with success.
 
#18 ·
Fuel line route ?????

I've been working on getting the engine out of the YJ to build my stroker. I'm always thinking 100 steps in advance and thought of something I would like to ask the CJ gang.

I'm using the 4.0 intake for my build and YJ's have the fuel line run down the left side frame rail, where the CJ with the fuel pump on the right had the line up that side. The exhaust for the YJ swaps over to the right. Do I need to worry about heat from the exhaust if I run the fuel lines like the YJ? How much radiant heat actually gets to the fuel line? It seems like a long way to run it down the left to the front across under the radiator and up to the rail on the right hand side. What have the guys with MPFI done with thier fuel lines? What about the heat transfer from CJ's with V8's and running duel exhaust?

Sorry for the long winded question.
 
#20 ·
Sorry I wasn't clear on my question. I was worried about the fuel getting heated causing vapour locking or efficiency issues with warmer fuel entering the fuel injector.

I may ask this in a separate thread to get a response.
 
#21 ·
You can run it up and across the bulkhead and back down the other side, no need to go round the front as such.
 
#22 ·
Quick update,

I've set the chassis to the side for a bit and have the engine block in at the engine reconditioners getting tanked this week. I took the AX15 apart last night and she looks very clean. Didn't even have any filings in the bottom! So I've opted to order new seals and gaskets only and will get it cleaned up and I'll put it back together. Also ordered the Novak adapter to mate it with the D300. It didn't give me any dramas when it was running so I've just ordered new seal and gaskets for it as well. A good cleanup and a lick of paint is all it should need.

Hopefully the news from the engine shop is just as good.
 
#26 ·
Boy, it's been a while since I had anything to add to the tread. The momentum always gets killed when you have to wait for parts to be shipped.

I did get the AX15 buttoned up and painted. I was going to paint my bell housing but found out about the external slave on newer models and have determined that it is what I may try and do. There is a lack of YJ spares here in Australia but I should be able to find parts for early TJ's.

Good news is today the pistons/rings and cam/lifters were on the step when I got home! They are the last bits I needed to finish the stroker. Hopefully I will have a new engine to show off in a few weeks.

Keith Black 2229c Pistons


Ring set


New Comp Cam 69-115-4


Lifters too
 
#27 ·
NICE. I'm in on this one. You need to stay a little ahead of me so I can copy! I too am jealous of the shop space.:cheers2:
 
#28 ·
More from the slowest build thread. I've been to the engine builder again to drop off the vibration dampener, cam gears & cover and a couple of oil pumps to get everything I need finished and I should have an engine this week.

The things I've been working on are the D300 freshen up. I've taken everything out of it and checked it out. Again, everything was in top shape so new seals and paint was all that was needed to get it back to perfect shape. I don't have a press so I didn't want to do a full disassemble if I didn't have to.

I had some POR15 left over from the transfer case so I painted up all my brake lines. I didn't like the plastic tubing so it's all gone. This finish should keep the rust away.

I was going to try to use the fuel pump from the YJ but I think it's going to be be too wide to fit through the CJ tank opening. I will have to get a new one that isn't quite so bulky. My plan is to fabricate on into the original CJ fuel feed and run the wires out through the opening. This way I will be able to use the original fuel gauge. I was going to see how much I could salvage from the YJ as far as fuel tubing but I will only be able to use the bit from the engine to the chassis. The plan is to put the fuel filter back near the tank in the stock YJ location or in front of the tank at the frame cross member.

Cleaned up AX15 and D300


All the bits from the D300


Test fit to check interference (I'll be bending that shifter)


The painted brake lines



Here's the cleaned up fuel tank all back in. I'm tinkering with the YJ fuel lines to see what I can salvage and what has to be new.

Here's the YJ fuel pump. It will fit in the CJ tank without anything on it but that's it. I'll have to find a thinner one.
 
#29 ·
An alternative idea is to buy a generic external fuel pump and run it with the stock CJ tank, sender unit and sock filter. You can mount it on the frame near the tank and it will work a treat.
 
#30 ·
I got the engine back this week. Now I can get back to something other than tinkering around the shed.

I've been thinking about colours for as long as I've been doing this resto and I came across one I really like. I was hoping someone here could help me identify the name of it. I think it would look really nice with my white roof or a tan softtop.


The gold stripes is what did it for me. Although I have an 84 I'd still use that stripe.
 
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