Wildman's TJ is getting a face lift

It's funny what you forgot about and that I'd bought years ago. Now the question is are they even worth painting and installing?
These were offered before they offered the taller version.

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You can see where I'd bent the tub where the antenna goes.
 
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Wildman said:
It's funny what you forgot about and that I'd bought years ago. Now the question is are they even worth painting and installing?
These were offered before they offered the taller version.

View attachment 361513

You can see where I'd bent the tub where the antenna goes.
Click to expand...

Since you already have the antenna area bashed in I'd just pick up a piece of aluminum and make your own like @starkey480 did. You already have half a template so most the work is done.

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Alex01 said:
Since you already have the antenna area bashed in I'd just pick up a piece of aluminum and make your own like @starkey480 did. You already have half a template so most the work is done.

View attachment 361523
Click to expand...

Looking at his and then looking at mine the difference is that he has highline fenders and I don't.


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So I don't know how that would work. I'll wait until I get the fenders installed and then look at them then. If you look at the ones GR offers they cut up around that area.

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Wildman said:
Looking at his and then looking at mine the difference is that he has highline fenders and I don't.


View attachment 361553

So I don't know how that would work. I'll wait until I get the fenders installed and then look at them then.
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That's right. I forgot you're running standard height fenders with the 38s.
 
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Alex01 said:
That's right. I forgot you're running standard height fenders with the 38s.
Click to expand...

Yep, 38" tires and no highlines... I did think about modifying the MC fenders like Jeep West has done and make them highlines as I did like the look but during my test fitting it didn't appear to be needed. While my AiRock limited my up-travel to a point I think even if I'd been running coils or coilovers I wouldn't have had much more up-travel anyhow.
And with the slider bars similar to what Starkey is running placed along the hood/body line just below the antenna spot it should help to protect it. I'd ripped the stock antenna off and gotten that dent during one of my squeezes between trees.



Got things staged to drop the engine back between the frame rails... Then ran into a glitch.... Can't find the DAMN motor mounts... o_O :rolleyes: Of course I didn't put them in the top of my roll around box like I'd done EVERY time up until now. But I KNOW they are in the garage somewhere I just have to find them.

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I'd looked thru my pile of parts but hadn't moved one tub yet but once I did guess what?

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When I'd gotten this short block years ago it had a 5.9 flex plate and harmonic balancer installed on it. This had always confused me since 95% of the stroker crankshaft's I'd seen were internally balanced. So when I'd taken the engine to the machine shop I'd had them verify that it was internally balanced. I'd sourced a 5.2 flex plate instead of just trying to remove the weights off the 5.9 flex plate.

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And to follow the theme of using ARP Fasteners as I have for everything else I've got ARP bolts for the flex plate and torque converter.

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To make reaching it easier I'm going to put the oil in the engine while it's on the engine stand and spin the pump with a drill to prime the oil system.
 
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While the primer was drying I added the oil to the engine.
Then I hooked up the drill to the priming shaft and spun the oil pump.
Oops 😬 forgot about the oil pressure sensor. So I made a mess on the rear of the engine.

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I guess that is a good thing since it means I have oil pressure. Installed the sensor and spun the pump again and have oil flowing 👌.
 
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Got the flex plate installed. Book only calls for 25lb ft. torque for the bolts. Seems a little bit light to me but OK.

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Got the stater plate painted along with a antenna mount.

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The blue item is a grinder rack I'd bought from TMR and never painted. They had a sale on their racks and steering arms for setting toe.

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Got the torque converter prepped. You're supposed to add 1/2 a quart of ATF to it and then reinstall it onto the pump. I felt it hit twice but I thought I needed three clicks so am going to have to check the install instructions.

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Once the transmission is bolted to the block I've got to take another measurement between the flex plate and the mounts on the torque converter. If that passes I'm good.

Edit: this information might help the others doing a magnum V-8 swap.

EDIT: The distance needed for the flex plate to the torque converter mounting tab once bolted together is,
Once transmission is bolted to block, there should be approximately 1/8”-1/4” gap between the torque converter and the flexplate. Converter should be able to freely move forward to close this gap. This is called “Torque Converter Pull-up” and is necessary to insure that there is adequate end clearance inside the converter, as well as clearance between the converter snout and the transmission pump gear.
Click to expand...
 
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