COVID-19 Home-School Auto Shop: 1998 Sport

Achieved a major milestone today- the POS started off the tank and moved under its own power!

Nice weather allowed late night grinds after the seasonal honey-do's were completed. The "new" rear driveshaft is in after a pass thought he blast cabinet and rattle can booth, rear diff is filled after letting the fluid warm in the sun for a bit, coolant system is mostly filled, and the LED reverse lights work great.

We pushed the Jeep outside before the test fire. Key on and no leaks meant let 'er rip, and so we did. Nothing leaked, brakes and clutch were on-point, charging system works, and we had good oil pressure. We ran a few cycles of let the crud burn off and shut 'er off. Repeat a few more times until the crud is gone. So far, so good. The engine sounded decent but there were a lot of loose bits rattling around (exhaust clamp on downpipe for instance) that were drawing attention. Slowly whittlin' down the list. . .



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Made some progress over the past couple weeks. The underside is almost 100% buttoned up. Just need to get front coil spring retainers installed, fish out a broken front U-joint strap bolt from the yoke, and align the wheels.

Under the hood is mostly sorted out. With the front clip in place, need to run the front end harness, populate the bulb sockets, and see what works and doesn't. The EVAP canister isn't hooked up and I discovered the fenders are later model year that doesn't use the giant brick canister.

The front clip and seats went straight from 2 years of barn storage on to the Jeep. . . and my OCD didn't bat an eye.. .yet.
The red fenders are annoying, but I'm considering getting them painted. Maybe, maybe not.

The interior looks decent in pics, but needs a deep clean. In due time. Overall feeling relieved that this can be roadworthy for my son to occasionally drive during his senior year next year.

Really need to test drive this thing. The 255s are ~32" tall and the Jeep doesn't have spring nor body lift. I do have a Savvy body lift if more altitude needed.


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Made some progress over the past couple weeks. The underside is almost 100% buttoned up. Just need to get front coil spring retainers installed, fish out a broken front U-joint strap bolt from the yoke, and align the wheels.

Under the hood is mostly sorted out. With the front clip in place, need to run the front end harness, populate the bulb sockets, and see what works and doesn't. The EVAP canister isn't hooked up and I discovered the fenders are later model year that doesn't use the giant brick canister.

The front clip and seats went straight from 2 years of barn storage on to the Jeep. . . and my OCD didn't bat an eye.. .yet.
The red fenders are annoying, but I'm considering getting them painted. Maybe, maybe not.

The interior looks decent in pics, but needs a deep clean. In due time. Overall feeling relieved that this can be roadworthy for my son to occasionally drive during his senior year next year.

Really need to test drive this thing. The 255s are ~32" tall and the Jeep doesn't have spring nor body lift. I do have a Savvy body lift if more altitude needed.


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I ran JK wheels and tires with a 3/4" spring puck front and rear. No issue. The body lift should do it too.
 
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A few updates since the last post. I test drove Jeep around the neighborhood a few weeks ago. A headlight trim ring fell off, whoops. The idle was irregular, CEL on, but engine smooth under load. Brakes and steering worked as expected.

The project is ~90% complete. The electrical system was the last major hurdle to overcome.

Had an issue with turn & stop lights that was solved by installing a "new" turn signal/multifunction switch. LINK to more details

The engine made a squeal on startup and the idle was very irregular fluctuating between 200-1000 RPM before stalling out after ~60 sec. A few codes were present:
  • P1682 charging system output low
  • P0463 fuel level sensor "A" circuit high
  • P1391 loss of cam or crank signal
I ordered a Crown distributor and installed it yesterday initially with mixed results. With #1 @ TDC verified on the timing indicator (balancer mark at 0*), borescope in #1, the oil pump @ ~11 o'clock, and the distributor body perpendicular to the block I was unable to get the rotor pointed at 5 o'clock. I could only get 4, 6, or 7 no matter what I tried. The fuel gauge would not respond with the Crown unit installed.

I re-installed the original distributor and was able to get rotor at 5 o'clock on the first attempt. I moved the new electronics in to the old housing, buttoned 'er up, and it started right away. No CELs, smooth and steady idle, no squeaks or squeals upon start-up. We're marking it a win, calling it done, and throwing the extra parts in the spares bin.

Other small, but satisfying, tasks completed were replacing the footwell bulbs and installing the OEM cassette radio. My son got a chuckle from playing a cassette for the 1st time. I was surprised/lucky to find a cassette in the garage tape deck. It must have been in there since the late '90s. lol.
 
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This project hasn't been getting much focused attention lately, just picking at things here and there as time allows. The most significant visual change was installing the hard top from the 2000 Sahara that has since been retired to the family cottage. The most significant repair was replacing the fuel pump- the engine runs much smoother now.

Squeal on start-up was mostly due to the serpentine belt adjustment, but discovered the alternator bearing is whining. Will have to deal with that soon enough. The steering feels somewhat heavy. No odd noises and the feel is consistent when turning from lock-to-lock.

The current checklist in order to get this road-ready:
  • Extend and connect Toyota headlight harness to battery
  • buy and install downstream O2 sensor chassis-side pigtail
  • R&R alternator- bearing is making noise and output is ~13.5V
  • dig in to various electrical systems:- horn, front washer, rear wiper/washer, rear defrost
The get around to it someday list:
  • Convert factory TJ spare tire carrier to 5x5 without using an adpater
  • DIY detailing- make the black plastic black again, etc.
  • Fender paint. Undecided if I'll rust-repair and paint the red fenders or paint and install the Chinese re-pops
  • Paint & body work. The front clip and tub have lots of nicks, chips, & scratches, considering hiring a pro.

Pics from earlier today after washing it on probably the last wash bucket-friendly weekend of the year.

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The past few weeks have been picking at the project here & there as time allows and temps in the non-heated garage were tolerable. The tasks had been diagnostics and testing of whatever wasn't working. Today was dedicated to dealing with the findings.

Problem 1: Airbag light was on after replacing clockspring. Solution: install 10A fuses where there were none- OP must have pulled them.

Problem 2: Horn didn't work. Solution: replace horn relay

Problem 3: CEL is on. Solution: pulled downstream harness pigtail from parts pile harness. Plug in O2 sensor.

Problem 4: HVAC fan not blowing in any combination of positions. 3-lower switches inop. Solution: install grounds- driver side
firewall to cylinder head, hood to firewall, alternator to frame.

Problem 5: Toyota headlight harness not connected to battery. Solution: extend leads to battery

Problem 6: OEM radio showing its age. Solution: replace with aftermarket head unit from parts pile.

Problem 7: rear wiper & washer don't work, hard top light doesn't illuminate. Solution: Plug in the harness completely, lol.

Problem 8: noisy fan belt & occasional grinding sound. Solutions: add shim to adjustment pulley spacer, then borrow a friend's belt tension gauge and set belt tension to 180-200#. Belt tension had been kicking my ass, couldn't get the sweet spot after many attempts but got it with the gauge.

After that I fired it up, got it up to temp, and drive around the neighborhood. No drama this time- at least no parts fell off. 4WD and low range both worked, I hadn't tried them before.

No CEL, no airbag light. Rear defrost light is still inop.

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Cargo light works!

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Toyota headlights work but need to be adjusted. Also, I need to get aux lights so the switch doesn't feel useless.
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World's brightest reverse lights work like a charm.




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And the heating system is doin' its thing. I flushed the heater core but didn't change it.


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Jeeps are never done and this one isn't any different. Cosmetic issues aside, the to-do list of functional issues to address are:

- final alignment & center the steering wheel
- HVAC only blows through the defrost vent. We haven't dug in to the vacuum circuit yet.
- rear defrost doesn't work. Pin 1 (black) has continuity to ground. Pins 2&3 have continuity with the switch on. The relay clicks. No backlight, no "on" lamp, so I'm thinking the timer might be kaput.
- 4x4 and 4Low lights don't illuminate. Need to dig in to this one. . .
- coolant drip at lower radiator hose after engine comes up to temp. The radiator is a new aftermarket OEM-design unit, hoses are new, too.
- brakes feel "meh". Not sure if because I'm used to disc/disc because I haven't driven disc/drum in a while. Didn't see any leaks, and we used a Motive pressure bleeder.
- headlight switch doesn't manually turn on interior lights. Also noticed the headlights can be on with marker lights off. Probably a crappy switch, but time will tell.

Graduation is this May, so looks like he'll get to drive it to school this spring before he graduates. It also seems the project will be finished before the pandemic has ended- but that's chatter for the political forum.
 
Nice! Always good to check To Do items off the list, big or small. Those small ones can take the longest time to root-cause sometimes.

For the 4WD light, check on the sensor in the TC as a first cause. My sensor went bad and similar didn't illuminate the dash light because of the failed sensor. If memory serves me, its on the TC case body near the front output.

Another easy replacement item for you, if that's the root cause...
 
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Nice! Always good to check To Do items off the list, big or small. Those small ones can take the longest time to root-cause sometimes.

For the 4WD light, check on the sensor in the TC as a first cause. My sensor went bad and similar didn't illuminate the dash light because of the failed sensor. If memory serves me, its on the TC case body near the front output.

Another easy replacement item for you, if that's the root cause...

A Novak shift cable was installed, but I don't remember seeing the 4wd sensor connector. The PO could have cut off the pigtail like they did with the downstream O2 connector. That is what I'm expecting. If true, I'll probably have a connector to scavenge from the parts pile. Its a low-level problem but one you get more satisfaction from solving than the utility of the feature.


If this project had a theme song, it'd be Johnny Cash's "One Piece at a Time". Before I got the roller, the Jeep project started with a parts inventory. Many parts found their way on to the Jeep. Others found new homes to fund the project. These two pics are when I bought the parts.

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In this round of "Who's your daddy?" I'll attempt to count how many different Jeeps contributed to this build.
1. Frame & tub, trans & t-case: '98 Sport
2. Axles: '98 SE parts pig I bought
3. Fenders: '05 LJ from Marketplace
4. Hard Top: '00 Sahara
5. Engine: '98 sport from Marketplace
6. Wheels: '15 JKR from coworker
7. Seats & carpet: unknown from parts pile
8. Everything else unknown from parts pile or bought new
 
Thought I'd test the rear defrost switch by swapping in a cluster from the parts pile. No bueno, extra cluster appears to be 01+. All was not lost because I found this wire: This could be the Rear Window Defogger Switch Sense that resides in pin 4 of connector C1. According to schitz-o-matics, this wire is circuit 80 and runs directly to pin 2 on the switch. I traced it back but didn't find the other severed end. The heatshrink isn't something I did and it doesn't look OEM, so hopefully connecting wires that should be but ain't might fix this issue.

The wire, to me looks black with a white tracer but that combo is present in any of the 97-00 schematics. The blue & black or gray connectors aren't in any of the schematics either. Somewhat smells like a field repair that was done for whatever reason.

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With time and temperature not being favorable to garage work lately, attention was turned to something I've never bought/paid for. . . auto upholstery repair. I'm quite happy with the work and they repaired the foam, too. I was hoping to have it back by mid-March but they turned it around in ~3 days for $100.

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With time and temperature not being favorable to garage work lately, attention was turned to something I've never bought/paid for. . . auto upholstery repair. I'm quite happy with the work and they repaired the foam, too. I was hoping to have it back by mid-March but they turned it around in ~3 days for $100.

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Upholstery shops are definitely pricey but they do some phenomenal work. Looks factory and brand new.
 
Upholstery shops are definitely pricey but they do some phenomenal work. Looks factory and brand new.

I was surprised the cost was that low. I was anticipating ~$200. They replaced the vinyl around the cushion, repaired the foam, and replaced the strip along the outer/left seatback. The seatback stitching around the pull loop was beginning to split and fray.
 
The front end looked naked so I called the amberlamps. A pair of Hella 500 amber driving lights controlled by the OEM switch/circuit fit the bill nicely. Also discovered the vacuum reservoir was missing. I had one in the parts pile- keen viewers might notice it atop the passenger fender. I had a drop length of vacuum hose around. The defrost, dash, and floor controls now work properly. Just need to make time to install the reservoir properly.




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Got the headlights and aux lights roughed in. The tree critters can rest easy, but need to check out alignment at night.

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Also installed the vacuum reservoir, now the defrost, dash, and floor vents work properly.

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The to-do list is getting pretty short at the moment. Biggest TBD job is paint, which we'll probably kick that decision to fall. . . unless a clean pair of black fenders are acquired.
 
No pics, but mission accomplished. My son drove the Jeep to school today which is the 2nd to last day of his senior year. No updates since the previous post because weekend sports, crappy weather, and being sick consumed the weekends.

Last night ~9:30PM we took the Jeep on a test drive to get fuel and see what happens. No drama and all parts stayed on the Jeep, I think. Absent were the squeaks and rattles of a 25yr old TJ. The suspension and steering felt good. Engine felt smooth and the trans shifts nicely.

The brakes felt a little spongy, so might need to re-bleed and bed the pads & shoes. Need to investigate a driveline vibration that goes away when clutch is disengaged. Engine temp was ~220*, then spiked in the driveway while waiting for the garage door to open. Upper & lower hose temperature was ~200*, but the cap was 75* and the reservoir was empty. After letting the engine cool, we burped the system and added ~1/2gl of coolant to the radiator and reservoir. Today my son reported engine temp stayed at ~195*, so hopefully that bug is squashed.

Overall quite satisfied with bringing this Frankenstein creation to life. Now it's time to remove the top & doors and enjoy the Jeep as a summer cruiser while tinkering on loose ends and new findings until the desire to modify the thing takes over.
 
No pics, but mission accomplished. My son drove the Jeep to school today which is the 2nd to last day of his senior year. No updates since the previous post because weekend sports, crappy weather, and being sick consumed the weekends.

Last night ~9:30PM we took the Jeep on a test drive to get fuel and see what happens. No drama and all parts stayed on the Jeep, I think. Absent were the squeaks and rattles of a 25yr old TJ. The suspension and steering felt good. Engine felt smooth and the trans shifts nicely.

The brakes felt a little spongy, so might need to re-bleed and bed the pads & shoes. Need to investigate a driveline vibration that goes away when clutch is disengaged. Engine temp was ~220*, then spiked in the driveway while waiting for the garage door to open. Upper & lower hose temperature was ~200*, but the cap was 75* and the reservoir was empty. After letting the engine cool, we burped the system and added ~1/2gl of coolant to the radiator and reservoir. Today my son reported engine temp stayed at ~195*, so hopefully that bug is squashed.

Overall quite satisfied with bringing this Frankenstein creation to life. Now it's time to remove the top & doors and enjoy the Jeep as a summer cruiser while tinkering on loose ends and new findings until the desire to modify the thing takes over.

Congratulations! This has been a journey. You did a great job! Glad your son got to drive it before he graduated. Now he’s got the summer waiting. Should be fun!
 
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<200 miles later, first failure/carnage. The fan clutch and water pump had a nasty divorce in which collateral damage was incurred. Don't know if the screws weren't fully tightened, straight-up failed, or if the water pump threads were compromised. The list of parts casualties is the radiator, fan, and serpentine belt. I'll be using the new-in-box Mopar radiator and a fan from the parts pile. NAPA is the source for the belt, water pump, and fan clutch. Luckily the fan shroud wasn't damaged. Good times.



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