[JoonHoss]

Sure sounds like a grounding issue, especially with them not mounted. Its been a few years, but I thought for sure they grounded through the housing/mounting screw?

Hoss

 

[Deer-Slayer_5]

Sure sounds like a grounding issue, especially with them not mounted. Its been a few years, but I thought for sure they grounded through the housing/mounting screw?

Hoss

I guess I'll have to mount them tonight when I get home. I figured with all the grounds painless instructed me to put, I wouldn't have this issue but if the light needs another ground though the housing, I didn't let it have it. While I'm at it, I should probably run a grounding strap from the tub to the frame. Do you know of some factory ground strap locations for the tub?

 

[JoonHoss]

Bet @John Strenk does!

Hoss

 

[John Strenk]

The tail light grounds through their mounting. So yes, you need to ground it first before you go looking for any problems.

Their are ground straps, I think Keith knows their locations but I would recommend running a separate ground wire to each tail lights.

 

[Deer-Slayer_5]

Figured out tail lights need to be mounted to work properly, like stated above. Since Christmas is over, I am back to collecting parts and getting everything together. Got my windshield some glass earlier in the week and got it installed on the Jeep.

My fiancé got me an AMC Jeep "kit" from Collins Brothers Jeep for Christmas. It came with a windshield decal and reproduction dealer license plates. It's all pretty cool, I got the decal installed and I like it. Most importantly, I think she might now understand my AMC branded obsession when it comes to "jeep" related items.

Lots of little things are still getting put on the Jeep. I'm waiting for a seat slider and then I can probably get it moving on its own power. that will be HUGE progress for me.

 

[NashvilleTJ]

Looks great!

 

[Deer-Slayer_5]

I have a few questions regarding the fuel return and air cleaner/ vacuum lines.

Let me start off with the basics of what I know. The engine is original to the Jeep (1985), rebuilt and has been nuttered by replacing the carb with a carter style reproduction carb. Currently everything runs and sounds great. See previous post for start up video.

Does anyone have a detailed picture of the fuel return line/ hoses? I have this "S" shaped metal line that I can not figure out where it goes. My return line seems to connect under the tub as if it is shorter than factory but fuel hose should make up the difference.

Because I have a brake booster, I have the offset air cleaner. Is it important to hook up the vacuum operated doors for the exhaust manifold/ air intake? All I have done is ran the Jeep in the garage and here in Ohio, it is now starting to dip in to the 30s but it doesn't start rough. I haven't fine tuned the carb so any rough running's is because of the lack of tuning but once it is warm, is runs very well.
If I don't need those vacuum operated doors, I'm thinking about taking those doors off and doing some welding magic to make it look less bulky.

Lastly, I have a standard cooling radiator with a 16 lb cap. I feel like I am gaining more pressure in the cooling system than I should. The hoses seem stiff and I have not seen any coolant go into the coolant overflow. Is this normal? I'm used to more modern cooling systems that don't have much pressure behind it to operate and I want to make sure there isn't a air bubble.

 

[John Strenk]

I have a few questions regarding the fuel return and air cleaner/ vacuum lines.

Let me start off with the basics of what I know. The engine is original to the Jeep (1985), rebuilt and has been nuttered by replacing the carb with a carter style reproduction carb. Currently everything runs and sounds great. See previous post for start up video.

Does anyone have a detailed picture of the fuel return line/ hoses? I have this "S" shaped metal line that I can not figure out where it goes. My return line seems to connect under the tub as if it is shorter than factory but fuel hose should make up the difference.

I'll see if I can get a better picture but mine connects to a steel pipe (Yellow circle) that snakes up through the intake manifold and goes down to arounf the engine mount. From there is connects to a steel line that goes back to the gas tank.


I'll get some better pictures tonight.

I was wrong, see picture below....

Because I have a brake booster, I have the offset air cleaner. Is it important to hook up the vacuum operated doors for the exhaust manifold/ air intake? All I have done is ran the Jeep in the garage and here in Ohio, it is now starting to dip in to the 30s but it doesn't start rough. I haven't fine tuned the carb so any rough running's is because of the lack of tuning but once it is warm, is runs very well.
If I don't need those vacuum operated doors, I'm thinking about taking those doors off and doing some welding magic to make it look less bulky.

I kept the one for the manifold stove for use up here in northern Ohio and removed the one that blocked off the air to the carb that kept the gas fumes enclosed.
I wonder how manu people know that this door block the flow of air to the carb?

Lastly, I have a standard cooling radiator with a 16 lb cap. I feel like I am gaining more pressure in the cooling system than I should. The hoses seem stiff and I have not seen any coolant go into the coolant overflow. Is this normal? I'm used to more modern cooling systems that don't have much pressure behind it to operate and I want to make sure there isn't a air bubble.

you may have the wrong radiator cap. There is one to allow expanding fluid to go to the collection bottle and draw it back in whe it coold down and one that only opens up to elieve too much pressure but doesn't let any fluid out at other times.

 

[Deer-Slayer_5]

I'll see if I can get a better picture but mine connects to a steel pipe (Yellow circle) that snakes up through the intake manifold and goes down to arounf the engine mount. From there is connects to a steel line that goes back to the gas tank.

Its interesting that the return line is that close to the exhaust manifold. I figured that may be to much heat. I cant find my original rusty line but I bought the classic tube version, which is the middle line in the picture. If this line doesn't really look like the OEM one, I may just end up making my own.

 

[John Strenk]

Yes, that one is the way I would of routed the return line.
Mine is off a '80 CJ. Maybe they got smart....

Maybe something like this:

 

[devildog80]

A couple other pics from my '81 CJ5, which looks like the middle one too, with the top end routing outboard side of Intake Manifold on the 258.
Attaches to rubber fuel hose at the bottom off the block between engine and frame. You can see it on the second pic.
Hope these help.

 

[John Strenk]

I was wrong, my 84 fuel return line setup looks just like that.

 

[Deer-Slayer_5]

@John Strenk, @devildog80, Thank you for the pictures! That makes more sense on why the return line is shaped the way it is. I got mine on but it's temporary. I realized I have the return line on the wrong fuel tank spot. I figured the return line was the bigger line but in reality, it is the smaller line that comes more up into the engine bay. This means I'm going to have to drop the tank, again, for the 3rd time.

I assumed a bigger line was for fuel return but seeing the size of the little tube along the engine made me look into it more. I assume the fuel return uses a smaller tube so that too much fuel doesn't escape the fuel filter and starve the carb.

 

[Deer-Slayer_5]

Does anyone have any good recommendations on front seatbelts? I would love to have some new old stock belts but those may be hard to come by... seatbeltsplus.com has a set for $179. Anyone have any experience with them?

My original belts are in okay shape. Mostly the thing that's wrong with them is the retraction rate is slow and worn out and the fact that I had to cut the metal out around them on the tub because the bolts were stuck. I want to keep the original buckle since they are in good shape and I see that others come up short, and a extender is required.

Thanks in advance!

 

[bwwhaler]

Check sealtbeltplanet out, I have purchased several belts from them for my CJ.

 

[Axhammer]

I put a set in my 1985 CJ-7 from seatbeltplus.com almost three years ago. They still work fine for me. They lock pretty easy, so sometimes I can’t lean forward to adjust my radio when I‘m moving, but I guess that would be a good thing in a crash.

Back when I still had my 1986 CJ-7, the drivers belt retract got weak after a few years. I only had that Jeep for about six years, but I definitely recall the drivers belt needing a little help retracting, so it didn’t get closed in the door (at least that was my experience).

 

[Deer-Slayer_5]

Since my last post, I have troubleshooted a few of my problems and fixed them! I had issues getting the tail lights to work properly and the reverse lights would not come on. For what ever reason, the switch in the transmission wasn't depressing far enough. I simply took it out and tested it, and put it back in and it all worked... Same thing with the four wheel drive indicator light...

Now, the only thing hanging me up is the fuel and temperature gauge. Everything was wired up but I get no movement out of either gauge. I have 10 gallons of fuel in a 20 gallon tank so I should be reading somewhere around 1/2 tank. I thought maybe a good housing ground was an issue so I ran a ground straight to the negative battery post, nothing. My gauges are new old stock, could I have damaged them by not having them working? I've been trying to troubleshoot this in the dash but I may just have to take it out. @John Strenk may have an answer to best thread out there on fuel and temp gauges.

In other news, January 12th, 2022, my Jeep was taken on its first drive since my ownership! It's runs great, drives great (for not being 100% aligned) and overall feels great. Here's a short clip.

 

[JoonHoss]

Iirc, the temp Guage has to work for the fuel gauge to work, , or vice versa?

Hoss

 

[Deer-Slayer_5]

@JoonHoss, looking at the painless wiring harness instructions it appears to be the the Fuel gauge. So this has me thinking about the fuel sender ground.. I think I have the sending unit grounded to to body. I wonder if this is wrong and should be grounded to the frame?

 

[Deer-Slayer_5]

Adding a new item to the list tonight... head gasket.

While trouble shooting the reverse light issue I had after my test drive, I noticed a liquid on the starter. My first thought was oil which turned out to be coolant. How did I know? I had to revert to the taste test. Surprisingly enough I learned two things, 1. I don't have Covid, 2. the sweet taste gave me a idea it was coolant.

I check around the head and at the back of the engine, passenger side, I feel water. I also noticed that the radiator system builds pressure fairly quickly which is odd being as cold as it is in Ohio. On that note, the radiator also "pukes" out coolant when the thermostat opens without a cap.

All torques were double checked and there seemed to be no loose head bolts. So, maybe the compression in cylinder 6 is blowing into the cooling system past the head gasket? I need to do some additional tests before I tear it down.