YJ misfiring.

It has been 13 months since the Jeeps last tune up.  The odometer does not work but I estimate around 3000 kilometers max.  My Speedo is actually in Kph, annoying but it is  going to be replaced soon.  The four plugs below are the ones that came with the Jeep when I bought it.  They were not too terrible.  The brand was Champion.  Once I seen that they had to come out.  My luck with Champion plugs is terrible.  These were removed November 2014 along with the cap, rotor and plug wires.

 So these were removed in January 2016.   They are Autolite as was recommended on Jeep Forum.

 

All the plugs had worn away electrodes.  They looked like crap.  But I found the problem when the number 4 cylinder pug was pulled.  The ceramic insulator was cracked badly.  I believe this to be the cause of the misfiring.

The plugs, wires, cap and rotor were all replaced at the same time.  It runs like a top now.  I am curious as to what was the reason for this plug failing as it does.  The Jeep does not get abused.  I did run it at 70 mph on a 3.5 hour trip to Orlando and back.  But it worked fine on that trip and after that.  The only fuel additive I use is Seafoam once in a while.  That mostly dries out the gas.  Around here it is common to install a water separator in the fuel line, same one used on a boat.  Perhaps that will come next for my Jeep.

Jeep fishing - phase one

So this ain't much but this is my "phase one" for outfitting the YJ for fishing. I had bought one of the 4 pole surf rod holders for the Jeep. Did not like where it sat when I mocked it up for drilling the bumper. Lucky for me I had a bolt on receiver hitch for a rear bumper sitting in the garage. So I drilled a couple holes and mounted it. Then I used some scrap metal I had to weld up a receiver mount for the surf rod holder.


I have an old Century flux core wire feed welder so this is what I can do.


Not too bad looking mounted.


And a close up. Two Penn Sargus SG4000's (china), a Penn Live Liner 5000 (USA) and a Penn Senator II w/AccuFrame (USA) all on Redbone rods. I spent a few bucks on those...


I am also testing out a Igloo 42 quart "3 day" marine cooler.  I loaded it up with 20lbs of ice and 24 Miller Lites.  At about 6 hours it is half ice and half water.  Don't have any high hopes for this being an actual 3 day cooler.  Bummer...



On the positive side I am making sure the beer does not go to waste. 

800CharityCars.org

So with the purchase of my new to me Jeep I had to get rid of the Dodge Dakota before the City of Cape Coral Code Enforcement ticketed me.  I have a history with code enforcement.  We had a little dispute with my Rubbermaid storage shed on the side of my house being not code compliant.  Here is what I did with that.

This did not go over well.  After two months they sent me a letter asking me to "please" remove it.  Anyways that truck is shot.  I could have called a scrap removal guy but they are known for being kinda shady.  So I decided to go with the donation route.  At least that way I can get a tax deduction and I can use that money better than the government. 

Going to 800CharityCars.org was a very simple 3 step process.  In the morning I filled out the web form and submitted it.  Later that day I received a phone call from a representative.  I was informed that they could not use my vehicle as a program vehicle and it would goto auction.  That was fine.  She scheduled pickup for the next day.  The next day I received a phone call from a towing company and they came and picked her up.  I was given a form stating I had donated the truck.  After it sells at auction in 2-4 weeks I will get a form stating how much it sold for.  That will be the amount of a tax deduction I will receive.  Both the charity and I come out winners in this one.  They get money for the work they do and I get to pay less taxes.  It was really nice to deal with these people and I highly recommend.

1990 Jeep YJ Wrangler

So I found this little Jeep on a car lot in North Fort Myers.  It had a repaint and was pretty much unmolested.  Looked at it a couple times and took her for a drive.  I promptly bought the Jeep.  It has the 2.5L 4 cylinder with a 5 speed manual transmission.  4wd works, suspension bushing all worn out and it drives like a old Jeep.  Power steering pump was dry.  No top but the bikini top.  Has daytime running lights and an aftermarket horn that is kinda like a air raid siren.  None of the bad are deal breakers just a little bit of work.

Here it is at home in the driveway. 

So here is the list of the bad:

1. Power steering works when fluid is put in but the seal on the steering boxes pitman arm is shot.  $30 on Amazon got me a rebuild kit.
2. It starts hard.  Will go "click", "click", then slowly crank the motor.  Battery is good and I suspect the wiring is bad.  Starter relay and cables are in hand and ready to be replaced.
3. Suspension bushing are shot.  Will all need to be replaced.  Poly bushings, shocks, steering damper all in hand.
4. Some frame rot around rear spring shackle mounts.
5. Horn, it has to go.  Have aftermarket in hand.
6. Daytime running lights.  Have to find the module and unplug it, no big deal.
7. 4wd motor on Dana 30 has been replaced with aftermarket mechanical unit.  That is ok but old vacuum hose have screws to block off old hoses.  Have to trace lines back and cap.

 List of the good:

1. Body and frame is pretty much free of rust.
2. Drives and puts a smile on my face.
3. Everything is fixable, just going to take a little bit of time

This will be my new ride as my 1999 Dodge Dakota has bit the big one.  Bought it 5 years ago for $1500.  It had a rough shifting auto transmission since the day I bought it.  Now it will not start and I am not putting any more cash into it.  Needed something to drive so I bought the Wrangler.  In no way am I giving up on the CJ.  It just takes me a while to do things with as little free time my job lets me have.

Dana 30 part 5 - Spindle inspection

The old G.I. Joe cartoons said it best when they say "Knowing is half the battle".  After picking up the new JP Magazine and reading about a Dana 30 they bought that was trashed it got me to thinking.  First was my Jeep had a lot of half-assed repairs on it.  Then I thought well the one side of the Dana 30 had the ball joints replaced.  In the JP Magazine article they stated that their spindles were ruined cause an uniformed shade tree mechanic used a metal hammer to remove the spindles.  Now with mine I used a rubber mallet or if needed a 2x4 with a 5lb sledge.  Did not even think of looking for poorly executed repairs.  Upon further inspection of my spindles sure enough one side had been hammered off and damaged.  Right on the bearing surfaces.



Unacceptable.  Lucky for me only one was hammered.  Ended up ordering two off eBay due to the place having them for $10 a piece.  Will take my chances and see if one is good.  Otherwise a new one is around $90-100.  OEM always is better than the crap made in China.  If this was a vehicle for just off road fun then maybe I would just smooth it over with a file, but I intend on driving this on the street.

DON'T CUT CORNERS AND MAKE HALF-ASSED REPAIRS.   TAKE PRIDE IN WHAT YOU DO AND DO IT RIGHT TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITIES.

Dana 30 part 4 - Putting it back together, pinion yoke

Now that things are starting to get cleaned up and painted it is time to put it back together.  Since this is a total rebuild with new bearings we have to install new bearing races into the axle.  To do this I used a couple things.  First up is a Harbor Freight - bearing race and seal driver set.  This was a great tool for the AMC 20 rear axle.


But...  The bearings on the Dana 30 pinion did not fit any adapters from this kit.  So I fired up my metal lathe and turned an adapter.


But...  When I used my 12 ton HF press the bearing race after lubricating with 'engine assembly lube' it went in askew.  So I broke out the $6 brass punch and tapped it into place.  On the yoke side I just used the brass punch.  The moral of the story is you don't need specialized tools all the time.  Could have saved $30 on the set and bought a $6 brass punch instead.  Just remember tap, not hammer.   Don't try to be like Thor.


Here is the inside race.  Before setting the race in side place the baffle in first then the shims.  Lastly press the race into place. 


Press the new bearing onto the pinion.  Take the old yoke side bearing and remove the cage that holds the roller.  Split it with a grinder and then open it up by wedging in a piece of metal.  This will make the hole bigger.  Press on the new bearing putting on the oil slinger first followed by the bearing.   Use engine assembly lube on the new bearing.  Put the split bearing on as a collar and press on the new bearing.  Grease the bearings.  You don't have to pack it tightly,  just enough so it does not run dry when you first start using it.


Now install the shims onto the pinion followed by the bearing, bearing shield then seal.   Put the yoke on followed by the new washer and nut.  Torque to 220 ft lbs and check for a rotational torque of 20 inch pounds.   Keep tightening till you reach at least 20 inch pounds.  Ok yoke is done.  *Keep in mind I am reusing the original setup and not changing gears.  If I was using new gears I would not be using the same shims and going through the process with gauges.


If you are wondering I am using a Jet BD-920 metal lathe.   This is referred to as an Asian 9x20.  They have been made for over 30 years now and are a copy of the Emco Compact 8 lathe.  I have had this one for 10-13 years and it has served me well.  It is meant for home use and is quite capable despite what negative things have been said about it.  Two mods make a big difference on this lathe.   The 4 screw compound clamp and a AXA quick change tool holder.  There are many sources on the web for these tools.

Dana 30 part 3 - POR-15 application

Now that the Dana 30 is completely disassembled and wire brushed we need to prevent it from rusting again.  First thing that was done is it was coated with a rust converter.  It is basically phosphoric acid so if you use it do it outside and use gloves.  Next thing is to do is encapsulate the metal from the elements.  This is where the POR-15 comes in.  POR stands for Paint Over Rust.  It is a plastic type of coating that prevents the metal from moisture.  If there is no moisture there will be no rust.


It is $50-60 a quart but worth every penny.  However it needs UV protection to make it last.  A coating of paint or clear coat that is all that is needed.


I would recommend doing this outside but right now in SW Florida it is rainy season.  So plastic sheeting will be put down in the garage.  I put it on sawhorses with a pvc pipe running though the center so I can rotate it.


And here it is after painting.  You need to do a minimum of 2 coats with 2-6 hours in between coats.


With as expensive as this coating is you should follow the directions on the can and put plastic wrap in between the lid and can. Once it sets up it is all but impossible to remove the lid.