Been picking away at the jeep between getting the flu a week ago and Christmas parties. This is the slow part of a project for me, as I'm repairing and refinishing those items that I've not touched before, like the CC solenoid bracket, horn bracket, etc.
Yesterday, I did finalize the install of my cooler and bolted the condenser back into the grill shell. I also bolted the intake and exhaust manifolds back on. Had to order some new (well, refurbished) fuel injectors and a new fuel rail.
Why new injectors?
Number 3 looks like this.
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And since they should all be balanced, I made the decision to replace them all.
The fuel rail was full of corrosion (yeah, shocker). Its also bent. I contemplated cleaning it up and painting it, but I found a NOS one for less than 200 dollars shipped. It would have bothered me, especially since I've already replaced the O-Rings on these injectors and they are REALLY chewed up again. I assume it was the corrosion.
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So, that stuff should all be delivered this week. I also had to fire up my home plating set-up. The wide, heavy Bellevue washers that pin the intake and exhaust manifolds to the head were in REALLY bad shape. I'm just not going to pay dealer prices for hardware like that (I didn't even look to see if they were available) so I cleaned em up and re-plated them.
Here they are originally.
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After a quick trip through the sandblaster and wire wheel they were nice and shiny again...but raw steel. Dripped in the plating bath, you can see the electrolysis taking place (the bubbles)
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And after plating. The process is pretty quick (less than 5 minutes per). They are kind of a dull gray, which is how you know the zinc has transfered.
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After a quick wipe with some SimiChrome to polish the zinc
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Add some new, Grade 8 3/8-16 x 1.25" bolts and things are good as new
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More to come, but I'm getting close to putting the big parts back on again.
I need to learn how to plate bolts. Thanks for giving me more to learn.