Renegade CJ

matth_85 · Jan 19, 2020

Got the cross member in and welded. Had to re-do one side of the mount. Not exactly thrilled with it but I think I can live with it.

Got some bad news when I changed the oil pan. Looks like I will have to go through the 5.3....it had a little rattle on cold start and I had hoped for it just being the notorious 5.3 sound. Not so lucky....rod bearings are shot on 7&8 cylinders.

97TJGUZZY · Jan 21, 2020

matth_85 said:

Got the cross member in and welded. Had to re-do one side of the mount. Not exactly thrilled with it but I think I can live with it.

Got some bad news when I changed the oil pan. Looks like I will have to go through the 5.3....it had a little rattle on cold start and I had hoped for it just being the notorious 5.3 sound. Not so lucky....rod bearings are shot on 7&8 cylinders.

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that sucks, how involved is that repair?

matth_85 · Jan 21, 2020

97TJGUZZY said:

Basically a full rebuild to do it right. Current plan is to finish the cross members and re-work the exhaust with it in place. Then I will pull everything and have the engine rebuilt. Crank will have to be turned, but hopefully the pistons and rods are all good. If that is the case I will have the heads checked, crank turned, and do a refresh on everything. Also going to change the cam while it's apart. Nothing radical, but no reason to leave it stock if you open it up IMO.

matth_85 · Feb 9, 2020

So, I update in a couple weeks since we were on Vacation and I ended up being sick this week. I pushed through the runny nose and hacking up a lung and made some progress this weekend.

Got the crossmember and atlas support in. Likely going to put some tube clamps in the center to make removing everything easier for a time down the road.

Also yanked the 14 bolt out and cut the sorry excuse of a truss off. I am out of gas for the day so gonna let that be that and try my best to have the axle cleaned up and back in this week.

97TJGUZZY · Feb 10, 2020

was that a ballistic fab truss?

matth_85 · Feb 10, 2020

97TJGUZZY said:

No clue. I think it was more along the lines of a ghetto fab truss. It could have been though.

97TJGUZZY · Feb 10, 2020

i dont think they sell it any more, but they used to offer one back in like 08 that tied to the diff cover.

matth_85 · Feb 10, 2020

Looks like it. Wish it would have been installed correctly... I will definitely be making something to tie the new truss into the cover.

matth_85 · Feb 10, 2020

Well the afternoon started great. As great as burning up a couple cut off wheels and an entire rock can get. Good news is the axle is all cleaned up.
Bad news is I have to change the lower shock mounts to get the pinion angle correct (part of the reason for re-doing the truss). Also, I forgot how damn heavy a 14 bolt is. Like to killed myself getting it back under there. Gonna have to beg some help to get it centered this week.
Hope to have it ready by the weekend and do exhaust this weekend.

matth_85 · Feb 13, 2020

Got the 14B centered up last night. Hopefully my brackets will come from Barnes today and I can get everything in place tonight. This weekends activities are seeming to be a bust due to shipping and me not ordering the headers when I should have.

Weekend activities:
-Re-work the trans cross member because I am weird and want it to match the one I made for the t-case. Hopefully complete the belly pan.
-Start prepping the new tub (Clean, cut braces out, etc.).
-Loom all wiring going back in.
-Roll the frame outside and pressure wash everything.

If I get a surprise in the mail Friday I will do exhaust before some of the less important activites.

97TJGUZZY · Feb 13, 2020

who built that frame originally? just noticed the old leaf spring shackle hangers on the back. It looks very well done.

matth_85 · Feb 13, 2020

97TJGUZZY said:

AFW, it was a factory built job.

matth_85 · Feb 14, 2020

Got the rear back in place. Shocks and uppers re-worked. Houston, we have a roller again. Sunday I plan to continue the cross member and skid work and hopefully roll it out to pressure wash everything. After next week the fab work side should be done. Praise da lort.

97TJGUZZY · Feb 15, 2020

Looks good man!

matth_85 · Feb 16, 2020

Rain canceled the wash plan today. But got the new trans cross member done. Much happier with this one.

matth_85 · Feb 18, 2020

It really much of a mid week update but I got the 14 Bolt truss tied to the cover, the rear brake lines bent and mounted, and the rear cross bars for the skid figured out. I have to duplicate the bar you see in in the first picture and bend some 45’s to complete the trans/engine skid. Will have to put a couple more bars to the frame up front to support the engine skid but going to do exhaust before I do that. Don’t need anything else in the way!!

jimbo92 · Feb 19, 2020

Brake lines came out great. Amazing what a little bit of time and extra attention can accomplish.

matth_85 · Feb 21, 2020

Got all of the skid plate bars in place this morning and welded in. Pushed it outside and pressure washed everything that’s collected over the last two years of grinding.

Tomorrow I am going to sit the tub on and check clearance for the exhaust plan. Then start building the exhaust. Once exhaust is done I have to put two support bars in for the front of the oil on skid. I’d rather work the bars around the exhaust than the exhaust around the bars. Already going to be a lot of cuts to splice the bends in the exhaust.
Hopefully after this weekend I have the exhaust finished.

matth_85 · Feb 21, 2020

Also ordered all of the front end goodies today. Getting Yukon shafts, super joints, and hardcore hubs to replace the drive flanges.

matth_85 · Feb 22, 2020

Well, didn’t get the most progress on the Jeep but had a much needed shop cleanup. It will help drastically with the productivity for the remainder of the project I think. I have room now to set the Jeep tub up beside the frame and work on both.