Build Thread Combat Barbie's CJ-7 rebuild

[clear82star]

I've owned several Jeeps in the past: 2 YJ's and a TJ. I've always wanted "the original round headlights", then I got stationed in Idaho, was finally able to buy a house (with attached garage), I couldn't think of a better time in my life to own one to work on. Here's some photos of what it looked like when I bought it. Took a lot to get it started just to get it home, and it died at every other red light… grrrr. It had been sitting for a while and (now I know) the engine was not well taken care of. I had a Jeep Patriot when I bought it (hence the side by side photo), but now own a Xterra.





[FONT=&quot]Here's the start/prep of my paint project:[/FONT]
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I chose Rustoleum hammered finish because I really like the finish (reminds me of my grandfather’s toolboxes and hides surface imperfections) and it’ll be easy to fix and scratches in the future. Plus you can paint right over rust with a little prep.

Then I prepped and painted the “interior” with rustoleum gloss and then rhino-lined it. I only have one picture of the rustoleum gloss prior to rhino lining it:

In the process I also made my own replacement handles. It’s a combination of 1 inch tubular webbing purchased at REI and flexible white PVC-? pipe found at Home Depot:




And salvaged the old seats (what can I say I’m cheap) by using suturing skillz to attach some vinyl to the worn out seat bottoms:

 

[clear82star]

Next project was to drop the gas tank to figure out why my gas gauge wasn’t reading the level. I cleaned it up, made sure I had continuity between the sending wire from the tank to the back of my gauge in the dash. I also cleaned up my ground, painted over it to hopefully future proof rust formation. While I was there, I replaced the soft fuel line.

 

[clear82star]

Onto the brakes. Ewww. Rear drums first. Still don’t know 100% what the fluid was, but thinking/hoping it was from the blown dust cover. Plus, differential fluid has a certain sulfur smell to it, and I didn’t get that from this.

This is my version of pressing on new wheel studs:

 

[clear82star]

Front brakes and repack wheel bearings.

Replacing oil seal, pressing it in with a seal driver:




Painted even the hat of the new rotors:




Replaced hardware with stainless steel and also painted the brake dust guard:

The inside of the calipers. SICK.



Cleaned up the best I could:



New pistons with seals:

And new soft brake lines and crush washers:

 

[clear82star]

I was getting some blow-by and having to replace spark plugs every couple hundred miles due to the large amount of oily residue on my electrodes. So this last winter I decided to rebuild/remanufacture the engine myself. My dad gave me his old cherry picker (this thing is a beast, 2 TON capability) and I bought an engine stand off of craigslist for $35. Here’s the tear down summary:

Front grill/radiator removed:

Clamping off fuel-in with my homemade “gentle” vise-grips:

Driver’s side fender removed:




Passenger’s side fender removed:




All hooked-up (unbolted bell housing to tranny):




Yes! Out!

Taking off bell housing and flywheel:

Taking valve cover off:

Starting to look pretty naked:

Head removed:

Look at all that slack in the timing chain!

Oil pain off:

 

[PaRenegade]

Congrats. You now own what is consider a "real Jeep" (the actual Jeep model). Looks like you didn't waste any time tearing it apart and bringing it back to life. You may want to keep an eye on those rear brakes. That odd fluid may have been the wheel seals (theres an inner and outer) leaking some. It's a wet tube axle. I see it's still the factory 2 pc. axle also. You may want to put that on your short list of future mods, putting in 1 pc. axles ($300). It's a common failure point.

 

[clear82star]

Yes! The plan is to do the one piece axles this next winter or so. I will keep an eye on it. There's no leak right now but I didn't drive it much before it's been parked for the time-consuming rebuild. How can you tell its 2-piece still from the pictures I posted?? I assumed it was an internal thing... Thanks!


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[PaRenegade]

The 2pc. axles have the big nut on the end that holds the splined hub and axle together.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Good detail here.
PLEASE move that MSD ign bx from sit'n on that battery so close to those 2 terminals-
How many cans did the re-paint take of that 'hammertone'?? Looks really good.
LG

 

[clear82star]

Thanks LG! Just under 2 cans. I'll go move the ign box now!


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[clear82star]

So, as it turns out, there’s a 6+ inch crack in my block The only good news is that it does not extend into the soft plugs or cylinder:

Also, there’s this modified soft plug in my block, which my machinist tells me is an “in the vehicle repair”. He says that the joker that sold me this Jeep knew very well about the crack and sold it to me as is without making mention of it. Grrrr…

I tried to get a good picture of it, but there was also a considerable lip in the cylinders

So, after a large amount of time spent on research about crate motor options (btw, I would seriously use ProMar out of New Jersey if I was going this route) and debating if I really wanted to spend the time it would take to find a new block and rebuild it myself (for the experience), I decided to go with the rebuild once I found a used block out of Salt Lake City for $250.

Here’s most of my parts from the machine shop, once I got the block, head, and crank machined and back. Oh, and my new block’s main was out of spec, so I also paid to have the “line bored”-sp?

Head ready for painting:

Block ready for painting, used Corroseal as my primer:

My homemade paint booth (since it was too cold at the time to paint outside yet). I used a respirator, had a box fan going out as exhaust and fresh air inlet from a cracked door.

Pretty!

Filing the imperfections on the oil filter mating surface:

What I used to lube the cam before VERY CAREFULLY inserting into block:

Placing bearings:

Then crank:

Checking clearances on each main:

And thrust bearing:

Installing “top” half of rear main seal:

Carefully marking each main cap bolt as it was torqued down:

Tapping on sprocket using a very large socket (the one I use for the front wheel bearings)

New timing chain

Oiling down inside of cylinder and making sure crank was at lowest part of travel to ensure my con rod bolts didn’t ding the crank’s beautifully machined surface:

Double-checked compression rings clearance:

Oiled rings and made sure they were in the correct orientation per the manual

Rented compression ring tool and inserted into cylinder:

Tapped into cylinder with wooden handle and dead blow hammer:

Checking clearances on each con rod bearing surface as well with plastiguage:

Used ARP fastener lube:

DONE! (…with the pistons)

Flipped engine over and lubed up bottom of lifters with assy grease

Used this magnet to help me drop them in the block. Lubricated edges with the Hi-Zinc lube.

 

[elwood blues]

Love the AMC engine blue! Great build thread

 

[clear82star]

Oh my goodness… this head bolt situation has been a PAIN! My block (that I bought from Salt Lake b/c mine was cracked), now I know, must be from 1980 and earlier, when Jeep was using 1/2” diameter head bolts. My 1984 head/block is from the time frame when they were using 7/16” diameter head bolts (I believe 1981-1986). Thus the chase begins. I start with head bolts that are 7/16” in diameter. Not noticing there was excessive play in the bolts when tightening them down, I started torqueing them… until they stripped the edges of the threads: FFFAAAAAAAQQQQ!!! Took the head back off, and gasket, and cleaned out the threads with air, and then went thru with tap and die, got 1/2" head bolts (the AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l kit) from ARP.

Reassembled. But then, the 1/2" diameter bolts would not go through my head which is used to having only 7/16” diameter bolts going through. Dissassemble. Take back to machine shop to have head bored out. Reassemble.

Start threads and get them mostly down… when the ones on the passenger’s side bottom out about 1/2" too early!!! Dang it! The AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l kit ([FONT=&quot]112-3601)[/FONT] has all one length bolts and is for the Eagle’s and such, the “original” AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l before Jeep got a hold of the blue prints and started changing dimensions. So… a call to ARP, explaining situation, and I got the right kit number (146-3601). I was nervous about this, knowing they went to 7/16” and it was for the 4.0L kit. But he verified they were 1/2" in diameter and I exchanged my 112-3601 for the 146-3601 through my machine shop.

Lined the head, gasket, and block back up, and got to work… yet again. Placed thread sealant on my #11 bolt:

And put ARP assy lube on the others:

Started all the bolts, then labeled them for ease in torqueing them down in the correct sequence:

FINALLY!

Then started with the push rods. Grease ends with assy grease before dropping them in, making sure each on was in the center of the lifter:

Lubed the bottom of my rocker arms, where the pushrods will be pushing up against:

Greased up the bearing surface:

Then installed bridges and torqued down the bolts a 1/2 turn at a time to 21 ft-lbs (don’t quote me on that, but I believe so).

 

[clear82star]

While I waited for the machine shop and shipping for all the shenanigans with the head bolts, it gave me some time to clean up the axillary parts/components and paint them pretty colors.

Cleaned up the aluminum valve cover in my parts washer and painted the raised edges with this blue painter’s marker. We will see how long it lasts or if the color even stays blue. The valve cover shouldn’t get above 200 deg F, so should be okay.

Labeled cylinder numbers and firing order:

Took me the longest amount of time to clean up this bad boy. Super dirty with engine grease and road grime. But now it’s good and shiny

This is the exhaust manifold, after a coat of corroseal (rust converter). I painted it with the aluminum colored high heat paint you see in the picture, don’t have a a photo of the finished product I guess.

Cleaned up the intake manifold and painted it with that marker as well:

My engine fan, same AMC blue as engine:

 

[Colo Dean]

Looking sharp, certainly something to be proud of!

 

[76cj7chick]

Wow! You've got skilz.

 

[Petescj]

Wow very nice. Pulling that head on and off must've got frustrating. Glad you got it licked. Great looking work.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Good job-let me suggest that you brush some oil on the timing chain and sprockets.
Same for the rockers-
Best of luck-Pictures are very good.
LG

 

[clear82star]

Flipped the engine over on the stand in order to install my new oil screen/pick-up on my new oil pump. I saw many iterations of this on-line, I choose to use a combination wrench over the lip of the end of the oil screen to hammer it in. I heated the oil pump to about 300 degrees first with a heat gun and then took the oil screen straight out of the freezer to install.

Onto the timing chain cover. Used some RTV sealant around the outer edges of the oil seal before pressing it in with a 4x4 block of wood and a rubber hammer

Then installed the cam bolt to torque spec. Used some blue thread-locker too:

As I was putting together the camshaft weeks earlier, I thought (mechanically) that there was nothing keeping the camshaft in place. (the crankshaft at least has the thrust bearing) I discussed this with my machinisit and he suggested this “newer” aftermarket hollowed bolt with spring and “rod” that will push again the timing chain cover gently if needed. Not sure if necessary, but I picked up the kit from moparonlineparts.com along with the bushing that sits inside the timing chain cover. I believe most people’s tabs for this bushing are usually worn off when it comes to rebuild.

Installed oil slinger:

And installed the timing chain cover after meticulously painting over the numbers/marks for timing J

Onto the oil pan. Used Totally Stainless Kit with included anti-seize:

All snugged down to spec J

I put some RTV in the corner were 2 metal pieces would connect:

Same with the rear main seal (RTV on the corners)

Had some trouble getting the old exhaust donut off. Tried a combination of a vise grip and hammer to remove. No Dice

Ended up scoring it thinking it would break off easier in chunks. No dice

Finally got so frustrated I took the angle grinder to it

I filed it with a hand file after the initial angle grinder with cut-off wheel cuts, but still used this:

to help seal this:

to the exhaust manifold. I’m sure y’all will have good other better ways of tackling and I’m all ears, but you are a day late and a dollar short always wanting to learn though…

pressed on vibration damper/crankshaft pulley/harmonic balancer with too rent from O’Reilly’s:

painted grill and fenders while I had them off:

after priming the oil pump, verified all the way to the rockers were being lubed (also turn crank a full 360 deg and then primed again for 2 minutes

painted inside front fenders with truck bed liner:

after priming oil pump, made sure I was at TDC after the COMPRESSION stroke for cylinder #1…

and installed the dizzy with the rotor pointed right at the #1 cylinder for timing on the dizzy cap:

Checking proper gap:

Anti-seize to threads before installing spark plugs

new custom wires, will cut to length:

Haha, used my home coaxial cable stripper and it worked PERFECTLY!

snugged down the connecter with needle nose pliers

prior to clamping down

All done!

now off the engine stand and onto blocks! (moving on from this point is SO exciting!!

holding flywheel from spinning while I tighten the flywheel bolts to 110 ft-lbs

 

[clear82star]

Yeah! Back to it’s home! It was a big day that day!!

I painted the fenders and grill using a spray gun, getting all edges (previously I had just brushed it on and there was plenty of spots that were still the factory original paint).

I also “rhino-lined” the inside of the fenders

I cleaned up the clutch kit with a rebuild kit and purchased a new boot for the rod that connects the clutch pedal the the linkage/bell crank.

Before shots:

The massive amount of dirty/water sogged grease the the tube pooped out:


All the parts cleaned with my parts washer and some new replacements


Assembly of the bell crank/clutch linkage

Filling with new grease:

Covering grease nipple with a vinyl vacuum cap because I can

All hooked back up:

Starting to look more and more like a road-worthy Jeep!

Charging up the battery, getting ready to start for the first time!

After starting for the first time, any distance even a couple city blocks, it was overheating, so I had to pull apart the thermostat to see it would open at 195 deg F.

It did not. This picture is the new thermostat boiling that DID open at boiling water temp (I believe 212 deg F)

But that apparently wasn’t my only problem. The auto parts store I bought my water pump from sold me the serpentine belt water pump (with reverse drive). I was not astute enough when installing to realize that the blades were pointing in different directions. Clearly there’s a difference when they are side by side.

Previous to my changing the water pump, I had coolant boiling over and exiting through the coolant reservoir tank! I was like, what the F…

Anyway, now that that is all done, it’s running great