[Mambo_Dave]

Bought a YJ this evening.

Probably paid too much, but $3500 for a 188k mile 4.0L 5-speed Jeep that drove fine, shifted fine, relatively rust free, AC works, and was owned by a mechanic who is so anal that he replaced the new fuel pump the last owner put in it with an actual Chrysler-made fuel pump just so it was as quiet as the original upon start-up.

Bikini top, plus soft top, plus attachable mirrors for taking doors off, a new seal for the front window to body, and new bushings for the wiper arm linkage. Most places have grease fittings, so I suppose the tie rod ends were changed.

 

[Mambo_Dave]

Brought it home.

I paid the PO for it two days ago, and he agreed to meet me at the train station today.

 

[Mambo_Dave]

What temp on the stock temp gauge do your 4.0L's run at?

I've got a suspicion that there is no thermstat in the YJ that I just bought a few days ago. But then the oil pressure gauge is pegged, so it could just be a sending unit problem as well.

I haven't had a day off since picking the YJ up, so I really don't even know what's what with it yet. 181,000 miles on it, runs fine, but I put a few ounces of MMO into the oil to let that circulate for a few days before I give it an oil change on Thursday (weather permitting). Also put a very heavy duty magnet on the side of the oil filter to pull -ANY- iron particles out of the oil (goal being to get even those too small for the filter).

I'll probably also do the sucking of MMO into the intake through a vacuum line to let it work in there (it did wonders for my 1999 Ford F-150).

Looking for soft-riding, cheap 2.5 to 3" lift suggestions (I do not want a body lift). I have read a lot of posts on them, but haven't nailed it down.

 

[Mambo_Dave]

Took rear track bar out (no noticeable change in ride quality), put new mirrors on to be able to take doors off, and put in a seat belt.

 

[Mambo_Dave]

Just got this Jeep a few weeks ago, so I'm trying to catch up on my one day off a week. Most of this was a rainy day.

Before the rain I was able to put a new serpentine belt on it (precautionary - the old one looked OK), and to grease the six grease fittings I found up front. The rain came in, so I didn't get to grease the u-joints today.

Of the new wheel locks - I was able to get two of the five on before the rain started back up :thumbdown:

 

[Mambo_Dave]

SmittyBuilt rear bumper installed (hey, it was cheap and I don't feel I need a super rear bumper as much as I do a front one), and four new Definity Dakota M/T tires (every 4x4 and regular shop in south Florida claimed they had to order BF Goodrich KM2 M/T's from somewhere else, and none could get them by today - my only day off. So cheap and cheerful tires it is.

 

[Mambo_Dave]

One part about the SmittyBuilt that I'm not too happy with was that it didn't have the right bolts listed, or included, for my 1991 YJ, and - more problematically - the directions said YJ's don't need to drill, but a total of four mounting holes (a set on the side, and both underneath) aren't aligned up correctly. For the two on the side I will eventually take the bumper back off and drill the Jeep, but for the two on the bottom... I have to drill, or actually lengthen the existing holes on, the bumper.

 

[Mambo_Dave]

Thanks for understanding, guys.

The 'meats':

Old (earlier today, have owned the Jeep for three weeks):

New (one hour later):

 

[Mambo_Dave]

Looks like you need to chop that exhaust back a couple inches. Tires look good man.

Is chopping it common practice?

I'm worried about carbon monoxide in stop-n-go traffic. It's a daily driver.

 

[Mambo_Dave]

Got something today

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App

That bumper looks familiar.

How did you get your spare wheel to mount with it?

 

[Mambo_Dave]

cause my spare is a 31". it sits about 1/4" off top of bumper. the other way to do it is buy(or build) a spacer or riser

But... mine is a 31" and it won't fit. :brickwall

I'm going to have to buy or make a spacer like that, but I really don't want to spend the money on a frickin spacer.

 

[Mambo_Dave]

Now it looks much clearer than this - I think my camera needs a filter of some sort to show the image as well as it looks.

 

[Mambo_Dave]

whats the digital number thing?

DISCLAIMER: YOUR ACTIONS ARE CURRENTLY BEING MONITORED.

It is an actual digital Voltmeter because my experience with vehicles this old is that eventually they will try to leave you stuck if you're not diligent about the electrical system - as is witnessed in a post just above mine:

Still trying to diagnose charging system problem.... I get 11.75 pos to neg on battery (not bad for driving at least 20 miles with charging problem), 11.5 on multimeter from neg post to pos lead on alt, erratic reading from neg post to small wires on bottom of alt (-.01 to -.21) per Que's instructions.

Anyone interpret what that means?? Battery or cables?? I'd like to have this running right before tomorrow so kid can drive to school....

 

[Mambo_Dave]

Hey dave, I was helping out in the other thread. IMO thats a bit of overkill. Kinda like mounting a Geiger Counter to the dash because radiation can kill you. I'd be more inclined to either fix my stock factory voltmeter or, like I do now because mine reads 3 volts lower than actual for some unknown reason, check it periodically. Only takes a second to grab the Multimeter and hook it up. Again, if it works for you, fine, but IMO its overkill.

Granted, except eventually I'm changing out the dash to better gauges.

This was the first part of that new dash design, and it will get transferred over to a new dash plate eventually.

Now for an oil pressure gauge.

 

[Mambo_Dave]

Used it.

 

[Mambo_Dave]

Mambo what part of S. Florida? I lived in Ochopee at Big Cypress a couple of winters. Great places to get out exploring I would recommend to any Jeeper in that region. Best time of year for a drive or catch and release snook! Home of the swamp buggy races too. :thumbsup:
.

Hi Kudu!

I'm in Deerfield Beach, but those pics were from south of the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve area

 

[Mambo_Dave]

Changed both idler pulleys

Link to that thread here: http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f12/...eys-4-0l-same-size-part-2190753/#post21290057

 

[Mambo_Dave]

Well ladies and gents, 4" Lift and Rockers are on with 32's...

What do you think??

Looks fine to me.

It's proportional

 

[Mambo_Dave]

I don't understand why there would be a priest involved in his build...

:laugh:

 

[Mambo_Dave]

With top posts and top-post screws for the winch.

Had a good discussion with the Deka battery dealer here in town, and he suggested this one for more CCA vs. what seemed like a larger one that leaned more towards Amp-hours. For a one-battery Jeep that doesn't see a lot of winching, this should be fine for years to come. I guess this would be Deka's equivalent of a yellow-top Optima battery