1985 cj7 engine upgrade ?'s

[ladrhog]

I have a 1985 CJ7 that has sat for about 6 years in a friends field. He did nothing to help it before he stored it. After 6 years we put some avgas in it and it fired up but after a couple of miles plugged the fuel filter. It has now had 5 fuel filters and about 3 cans of Seafoam and it still won't idle or run without intermitant stalls. It has had a couple of really bad backfires and some sort of honeycolm sustance rattled out of the exhaust. where i live I don't have to comply with any emissions stuff. I just need to know what would be the best way to make this thing run great. I am thinking a new intake. I read about a clifford intake and I like it but apparently It doesn't work with a stock exhaust manifold and I haven't found headers for an automatic. I also am thinking of a hei ignition. Also can I get rid of the fuel return line off of the fuel filter. I am basically just looking to make this a good runner for my son. Any suggestions? Thanks

 

[IOPort51]

I am kind of thinking drop the tank and pull the sending unit /pick up and clean/replace the filter on the pick up and get rid of anything else I find in it.

I have a 1985 CJ7 that has sat for about 6 years in a friends field. He did nothing to help it before he stored it. After 6 years we put some avgas in it and it fired up but after a couple of miles plugged the fuel filter. It has now had 5 fuel filters and about 3 cans of Seafoam and it still won't idle or run without intermitant stalls. It has had a couple of really bad backfires and some sort of honeycolm sustance rattled out of the exhaust. where i live I don't have to comply with any emissions stuff. I just need to know what would be the best way to make this thing run great. I am thinking a new intake. I read about a clifford intake and I like it but apparently It doesn't work with a stock exhaust manifold and I haven't found headers for an automatic. I also am thinking of a hei ignition. Also can I get rid of the fuel return line off of the fuel filter. I am basically just looking to make this a good runner for my son. Any suggestions? Thanks

 

[gert]

Dude youve got in your carb from it sitting for 6 years the carb needs to be cleaned out

 

[nitor]

You need to drop the tank, clean it out, clean the fuel lines, clean/rebuild the carb and maybe do something with the exhaust. It sounds like your exhaust may be clogged.
I can tell you, after it sitting for that long, that the fuel you're trying to burn is bad, no matter what you put into it to try to clean it up. A tune-up would probably be a good thing to do as well.

 

[dslywalker]

Fuel return line has some advantages so I would keep it.Make it look nice so you don't notice it.Fuel filter has to be in a certain position also.Strait up and down.return line on top on 1/4" barb the other to the carb

 

[IOPort51]

you think maybe you got a bee hive in the muffler?

 

[ladrhog]

I plan on dropping the tank.

No, it wasn't a beehive. It was almost like it was ceramic. must of come out of the catalytic converter

 

[IOPort51]

the cat ceramic makes sence.
good move on the tank, it's pretty much a given, when you see what it looks like you will agree. and if it is clean and pristine, be very glad. I have heard of getting it in the valve guides and making them sticky but the machinist that told me is sometimes prone to exaggeration. but I know it will run better with a clean screen.
Filter, Fuel=5361389*3230376 by the Jeep Specialists | Morris 4x4 Center


something like this. It's what I like to call a "Damned" part. A damned part is any part that costs less than $10 and takes more than 4 hours to replace.

I plan on dropping the tank.
No, it wasn't a beehive. It was almost like it was ceramic. must of come out of the catalytic converter

 

[nitor]

I plan on dropping the tank.

No, it wasn't a beehive. It was almost like it was ceramic. must of come out of the catalytic converter

I didn't say it earlier, welcome to the forum :ww:. If the catalytic converter were going bad, it would make the engine run in the manner you described. I've worked on older automobiles that it was hard to figure what the problem was because the catalytic converter had gone bad. A universal catalytic converter isn't too bad. I had to have one put on an 86 CJ7 I used to own. Midas is a good place for something like that.

 

[ladrhog]

The tank is rusty as hell. I don't know how it doesn't leak. I now know why the fuel gauge doesn't work. I will be getting a new sending unit and cleaning out the tank.

 

[83cj7]

When you pull out the cat. converter also tap the exaust pipe with a hammer. Larger parts of the honey comb from inside the converter tend to plug up the exaust pipe at the bends and may get stuck.

 

[ladrhog]

would getting rid of the cat do anything bad

 

[IOPort51]

This depends on how serious Washington takes emissions systems and if you are going to need to pass an inspection.

would getting rid of the cat do anything bad

 

[Jet]

would getting rid of the cat do anything bad

My cat was disintegrating, so i removed it, piped from manifold back,new muffler, runs better!
I still have the erg tubing to remove.
No emissions test in Wyoming.

 

[ladrhog]

we don't have emissions on anything over 25 yrs old.

 

[IOPort51]

We also do not but you still have to have all the equipment it was sold with to follow the letter of the law. that kind of thing would keep some people awake at night.

we don't have emissions on anything over 25 yrs old.