I think autocorrect messed up. It wrote Nissan Murano but clearly you meant wrangler rubicon.
05 Flame Red TJ Build
- Thread starter JMT
- Start date
OP
OP
We got the Murano for my daughter in decent shape. Vacuumed, leather cleaned, 303’d, washed, spot polished out scratches and clear-coat blemishes, waxed, cleaned oxidation off the headlights. Good enough for now.
Needs new headlight assemblies, window washer fluid reservoir has a crack and is leaking slowly. Hopefully I can repair it.
This one we’re calling Champagne color. It’s got 20” wheels that I think we’ll re-paint gloss black. The rotors are 6 months old, but already rusted, and because the wheels are so easy to see through I’ll remove them and descale and paint them too. Should look really good!
I don’t think I like CVT transmissions. They can be really iffy. This one seems ok for now. I’m hoping it will get her through the next five years. 3.5 6 cylinder engine. Runs good. LM every option under the sun, including moon roof front and rear, 11-speaker Bose system, cruise, tons of buttons
. Airbag light flashing and I haven’t figured it out yet, so I may need to have it serviced.
Now I don’t have any excuses for not putting my rig under the knife. The AC is getting evac’d on Thursday and then I’ll tear into the swap.
Needs new headlight assemblies, window washer fluid reservoir has a crack and is leaking slowly. Hopefully I can repair it.
This one we’re calling Champagne color. It’s got 20” wheels that I think we’ll re-paint gloss black. The rotors are 6 months old, but already rusted, and because the wheels are so easy to see through I’ll remove them and descale and paint them too. Should look really good!
I don’t think I like CVT transmissions. They can be really iffy. This one seems ok for now. I’m hoping it will get her through the next five years. 3.5 6 cylinder engine. Runs good. LM every option under the sun, including moon roof front and rear, 11-speaker Bose system, cruise, tons of buttons
. Airbag light flashing and I haven’t figured it out yet, so I may need to have it serviced.Now I don’t have any excuses for not putting my rig under the knife. The AC is getting evac’d on Thursday and then I’ll tear into the swap.
This is good--I've had a lot of defensive driving classes with an outfit I worked for several years ago. She'll learn a lot. I wish defensive driving classes were a requirement!
OP
In WA I believe the law is that if you want your drivers license at 16-17 you have to take DD. Once you turn 18 it’s not required. As a result, most wait till they are 18 or older. I don’t see how they somehow learn all the things you learn in DD just by turning 18! I know I picked up some things from my three older kids when they went through DD. It’s $500/student, but I want them to get jobs and I don’t want to drive them everywhere. I’m all for DD. Probably over 99% of drivers on the road actually have very little skill driving. I’ve considered taking advanced driving classes just to know more and have an edge on the road. Unfortunately, the nearest schools are 4+ hours away around Seattle. I’d like to think that the off-roading we do has increased my spatial awareness and driving ability.
OP
I heard about those. I think my kids got a kick out of them! They kept telling me about stupid accidents.
There are a couple of things I don’t like about WA driving laws. One is the uncontrolled intersections in neighborhoods. They’re just an accident waiting to happen.
Another is no right of way. What? Drivers are just supposed to figure it out. I guess it pushes one to be uber careful, but I still think it’s a dumb law.
The company I worked for you had to take, IIRC, an 8 hr initial course when you were hired (they paid for it all). Afterwards it was a yearly refresher (they paid). A lot of employees hated the class and refresher I remember, but I really enjoyed it. A lot of the material we learned has stuck with me over the years.
OP
Ok, an actual update that may help someone somewhere down the road. The PDC that came with the 42rle engine harness had broken plastic exposing the wiring. The PDC housing is three parts. The bottom and top are replaceable, but the middle section doesn’t appear to be without removing all the wiring.
I’ve been trying to figure out a solution. @MountaineerTom had used a wall mesh patch and JB weld to solve his inner door panel crack, so I thought I would give it a go.
This is the missing portion.
I fiddled around with cardstock to find the right shape to cut the wall mesh. I left a little extra so I could crease it for the bottom edge.
Installed it with some Gorilla Glue. Now I had a stable backing mesh for the JB Weld.
Filled it. Sets in 6 minutes and cures in 6 hours, but due to colder weather I’ll wait till tomorrow to sand. Maybe paint if the color is off, but right now it looks good.
Due to the wall mesh thickness I may not be able to clip the bottom housing to the middle housing, so I may have to trim a bit of the overlap on the lower housing. If so, it will still be better than a big gaping hole!
I’ve been trying to figure out a solution. @MountaineerTom had used a wall mesh patch and JB weld to solve his inner door panel crack, so I thought I would give it a go.
This is the missing portion.
I fiddled around with cardstock to find the right shape to cut the wall mesh. I left a little extra so I could crease it for the bottom edge.
Installed it with some Gorilla Glue. Now I had a stable backing mesh for the JB Weld.
Filled it. Sets in 6 minutes and cures in 6 hours, but due to colder weather I’ll wait till tomorrow to sand. Maybe paint if the color is off, but right now it looks good.
Due to the wall mesh thickness I may not be able to clip the bottom housing to the middle housing, so I may have to trim a bit of the overlap on the lower housing. If so, it will still be better than a big gaping hole!
MountaineerTom
LJ Enthusiast, Retired USAF Weapons Loader
Supporting Member
Ride of the Month Winner
OP
I'm itching to get started on the 42rle swap! I phoned Mark @Wranglerfix today and had a nice conversation. He even asked where I was in the swap and put up with me talking through several of the things I'm planning to do. Asked me to call back after the swap and let him know how it's running. Like many on this forum, I got the sense Mark is a stand up guy and will do whatever it takes to stand behind his product. A great way to go if your PCM has crapped out or you're doing a swap.
The last two items that I know of are now on order: 42rle PCM (Wrangler Fix) and 3/4" amber LED's (BMB). I'll eventually post a list of everything required for a NSG370 to 42rle swap. Hopefully I'll be able to document the process. I might do it outside this thread as a resource. Thanks to all of you who have encouraged me to do it. I figured it was now or never. This swap will likely be much harder to source parts for 10 years from now. Mark did mention they are working with someone in China? to get engine harnesses made. That would be a real plus. They will be getting more and more difficult to find.
The last two items that I know of are now on order: 42rle PCM (Wrangler Fix) and 3/4" amber LED's (BMB). I'll eventually post a list of everything required for a NSG370 to 42rle swap. Hopefully I'll be able to document the process. I might do it outside this thread as a resource. Thanks to all of you who have encouraged me to do it. I figured it was now or never. This swap will likely be much harder to source parts for 10 years from now. Mark did mention they are working with someone in China? to get engine harnesses made. That would be a real plus. They will be getting more and more difficult to find.
OP
I think it’s going to work. I just had to weld a tab on one part. The 04 console bolt is about 1.5” forward of the 05. Don’t be sorry at all. It was a great deal, and all the parts are super nice compared to what I’m seeing on EBay!
OP
NSG370 to 42RLE Swap
My reverse gear is virtually useless and Advanced Adapters did not recommend any rebuilders or remanufacturers of the NSG370. This transmission was the Mercedes transmission that Chrysler adopted in 2005, seven years after the merger with Daimler-Benz. They were losing money at the time because the minivan market that had revived Chrysler and attracted Daimler-Benz was already being overtaken by the SUV market in the US. At any rate, Daimler decided to put this poorly engineered piece of shit “Mercedes” transmission behind the legendary inline 6 (i.e. 4.0). I decided now was the time to swap to an auto because it's a reliable transmission with good rebuild reputation, parts are still available, and most importantly, for wheelin' it's superior to a manual even if the crawl ratio is not great. The big con to this transmission is the 0.69 O/D which can be partially overcome by gearing deep and turning the O/D switch off. That brings us up to speed. I began acquiring parts a couple months ago. They were not difficult to find, though the entire engine harness was very costly. This first post is to simply post up everything you will need to do this swap minus a few tools I didn't list that I considered common. i got a lot of help from others on this forum such as @mrblaine, @Jamison C, @Mike_H, and @Jezza
White - required
Green - optional but recommended
Red - required for my setup
42rle transmission
Flex plate with stiffener - hopefully comes with the transmission
Torque converter (T/C) - hopefully comes with the transmission
Dipstic/Tube
Auto PCM - Wrangler Fix
Dash harness if you don't have the O/D connector behind the HVAC
Clutch block off plate
Shift Bezel/Indicator PRND21
Shifter stalk and T-handle - 05-06 specific or modify 03-04
Shifter base plate
Auto console bezel
194 Indicator Lamp for Bezel/Indicator
Shift interlock cable
Shift interlock at steering wheel plug (I don't know what these are called but it's silver, has a spring, two screws, and a small odd part)
Shift cable
Auto brake pedal w/connector
Auto starter
Auto transmission cooling lines
Transmission temperature gauge
Auto Radiator
4-prong engine and transmission harness
Torque converter bushing/crank shaft pilot sleeve
Nylon push mount cable zip ties
Engine harness loom and tape
T10 torx security bit
ARP 6 flex plate bolts - old may work, but I could see 3 of mine had stretched threads
Steering column auto lower bezel
Transmission cooler
Radiator cap
AC evap and transmission cooling line removal tools
BMB 3/4" Amber LED's
AC Evap
Savvy MUAauto transmission bracket
My reverse gear is virtually useless and Advanced Adapters did not recommend any rebuilders or remanufacturers of the NSG370. This transmission was the Mercedes transmission that Chrysler adopted in 2005, seven years after the merger with Daimler-Benz. They were losing money at the time because the minivan market that had revived Chrysler and attracted Daimler-Benz was already being overtaken by the SUV market in the US. At any rate, Daimler decided to put this poorly engineered piece of shit “Mercedes” transmission behind the legendary inline 6 (i.e. 4.0). I decided now was the time to swap to an auto because it's a reliable transmission with good rebuild reputation, parts are still available, and most importantly, for wheelin' it's superior to a manual even if the crawl ratio is not great. The big con to this transmission is the 0.69 O/D which can be partially overcome by gearing deep and turning the O/D switch off. That brings us up to speed. I began acquiring parts a couple months ago. They were not difficult to find, though the entire engine harness was very costly. This first post is to simply post up everything you will need to do this swap minus a few tools I didn't list that I considered common. i got a lot of help from others on this forum such as @mrblaine, @Jamison C, @Mike_H, and @Jezza
White - required
Green - optional but recommended
Red - required for my setup
42rle transmission
Flex plate with stiffener - hopefully comes with the transmission
Torque converter (T/C) - hopefully comes with the transmission
Dipstic/Tube
Auto PCM - Wrangler Fix
Dash harness if you don't have the O/D connector behind the HVAC
Clutch block off plate
Shift Bezel/Indicator PRND21
Shifter stalk and T-handle - 05-06 specific or modify 03-04
Shifter base plate
Auto console bezel
194 Indicator Lamp for Bezel/Indicator
Shift interlock cable
Shift interlock at steering wheel plug (I don't know what these are called but it's silver, has a spring, two screws, and a small odd part)
Shift cable
Auto brake pedal w/connector
Auto starter
Auto transmission cooling lines
Transmission temperature gauge
Auto Radiator
4-prong engine and transmission harness
Torque converter bushing/crank shaft pilot sleeve
Nylon push mount cable zip ties
Engine harness loom and tape
T10 torx security bit
ARP 6 flex plate bolts - old may work, but I could see 3 of mine had stretched threads
Steering column auto lower bezel
Transmission cooler
Radiator cap
AC evap and transmission cooling line removal tools
BMB 3/4" Amber LED's
AC Evap
Savvy MUAauto transmission bracket
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OP
Week 1
There's no question this is a lot of work. Most of it is tedious and every once in awhile you hit a snag (something you've never seen). I was not raised on engines and auto work, so this is a venture I set out on my own in 2017. It was the Jeep looking "mousy" as my wife called it that led to my first suspension changes. After that, the JEEP acronym lived up to it's reputation and I've been building and wheelin' ever since. It's somewhat addictive, but for me it's how I decompress. I'm glad it turned into an unsuspecting project, and my wife is too (if you're reading this, thanks for the Beadlocks babe!)
I've been meaning to do the RMS. In 2017, on one of the first wheeling outings my twin sons went with me to Hidden Falls ORV near Marble Falls, TX. We were wheelin by ourselves, but it's an ORV, so lots of other rigs around if we had trouble. I was on 31's and a 1.5" BB at the time, stock gears, no lockers, a plain Jane X.
Hidden Falls is known for limestone. There were several rather large ledges. My son Joshua told me I could do it. We were going down so I went over a ledge. That was not good. I was then teetering on my oil pan. I remember a fireman was out there and came and helped us push it enough to get some traction so I could get down. I dubbed the dented oil pan "extra clearance." Something has been leaking ever since. I replaced everything on the top of the engine, so it was either the RMS, oil pan, or both. Finally in 2024 they are both getting replaced. I can get analysis paralysis, so this is the pan and where I am with the RMS replacement. I plan to finish the job after I remove the bushing from the crank shaft, which Blaine says is the hardest part of the swap. Others seem to totally agree it’s no fun.
Disregard the red arrow. The blue arrow is where the anaerobic gasket maker goes, but I’ll post a better pic underneath.
This is what I did with the oil pan bolts so I’d get them all back where they go, but it’s not critical to do this.
I have a new pan and Fel-pro gasket in the attic. I might go pull it down tonight.
There's no question this is a lot of work. Most of it is tedious and every once in awhile you hit a snag (something you've never seen). I was not raised on engines and auto work, so this is a venture I set out on my own in 2017. It was the Jeep looking "mousy" as my wife called it that led to my first suspension changes. After that, the JEEP acronym lived up to it's reputation and I've been building and wheelin' ever since. It's somewhat addictive, but for me it's how I decompress. I'm glad it turned into an unsuspecting project, and my wife is too (if you're reading this, thanks for the Beadlocks babe!)
I've been meaning to do the RMS. In 2017, on one of the first wheeling outings my twin sons went with me to Hidden Falls ORV near Marble Falls, TX. We were wheelin by ourselves, but it's an ORV, so lots of other rigs around if we had trouble. I was on 31's and a 1.5" BB at the time, stock gears, no lockers, a plain Jane X.
Hidden Falls is known for limestone. There were several rather large ledges. My son Joshua told me I could do it. We were going down so I went over a ledge. That was not good. I was then teetering on my oil pan. I remember a fireman was out there and came and helped us push it enough to get some traction so I could get down. I dubbed the dented oil pan "extra clearance." Something has been leaking ever since. I replaced everything on the top of the engine, so it was either the RMS, oil pan, or both. Finally in 2024 they are both getting replaced. I can get analysis paralysis, so this is the pan and where I am with the RMS replacement. I plan to finish the job after I remove the bushing from the crank shaft, which Blaine says is the hardest part of the swap. Others seem to totally agree it’s no fun.
Disregard the red arrow. The blue arrow is where the anaerobic gasket maker goes, but I’ll post a better pic underneath.
This is what I did with the oil pan bolts so I’d get them all back where they go, but it’s not critical to do this.
I have a new pan and Fel-pro gasket in the attic. I might go pull it down tonight.
MountaineerTom
LJ Enthusiast, Retired USAF Weapons Loader
Supporting Member
Ride of the Month Winner
While you got the pan off, you’ll have a good view of the OPDA gear if you want to check the wear on it.
OP
Rather than finish the RMS I decided to pull the TCase and transmission. I have the Savvy MUA, so I thought all I’d have to do was remove the Savvy shifter (which is always a pain due to the tight quarters to remove the pin at the TCase, then remove front driveshaft and disconnect the rear driveshaft at the TCase. Got the TCase down and out (Tera 4-Low), and got to work on the transmission.
Removed the Starter.
I got derailed in the dash and removed the front console, base plate, and shifter.
Amp out from under the steering wheel. I labeled a few things and took a few pics for faster re-install.
Crawled under the dash. Who needs three pedals when you’re driving an auto?! This will also cut down on weight a little. Too bad the 42rle adds 6lbs over the NSG. It is what it is. I had to remove the slave cylinder. Gone.
I removed the brake and clutch. Replaced with the auto brake pedal. There’s a weird retainer on the brake connection. Just raise the tab and slide it off.
Clutch block installed.
Finally got back to the transmission. I had to remove the Savvy crossmember to have enough room to slide it out. A bear, but gone. It’s the tranny on the left. The one on the right is the 42rle.
Still a long way to go…
Removed the Starter.
I got derailed in the dash and removed the front console, base plate, and shifter.
Amp out from under the steering wheel. I labeled a few things and took a few pics for faster re-install.
Crawled under the dash. Who needs three pedals when you’re driving an auto?! This will also cut down on weight a little. Too bad the 42rle adds 6lbs over the NSG. It is what it is. I had to remove the slave cylinder. Gone.
I removed the brake and clutch. Replaced with the auto brake pedal. There’s a weird retainer on the brake connection. Just raise the tab and slide it off.
Clutch block installed.
Finally got back to the transmission. I had to remove the Savvy crossmember to have enough room to slide it out. A bear, but gone. It’s the tranny on the left. The one on the right is the 42rle.
Still a long way to go…
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OP
Before I tear into the dash I wanted to know where my switches and gauges were going to go. When I had my Eaton locker installed, the switch would not fit in the stock T. J. switch positions and so they use the area to the right and cut a hole for it. Basically they ruined that space. So, later I added winch in cab controls right next to it. Now that I’m getting a transmission gauge I want to use that space for the gauge. I really don’t want it way down low by the transfer case lever.
So, I ordered some 1/8 inch ABS plastic sheet and began to think about how to restore that little area and move the locker switch. First, I wasn’t even sure if the transmission temperature gauge would fit there, but it will. I measured the area I wanted to cover after removing the two switches and cut a couple pieces. First one was no good. Second one was better. I learned that a jigsaw with a blade for plastic causes too much melt-age. It’s better to use a razor-blade to score the line repeatedly and then just bend and break it to get smooth edges.
The mess back there.
The process (yes, I could start over with a fresh switch panel, but it’s another $60-70).
The last two pics are the two different sides of the plastic. I could paint with SEM too, but probably just go with one side or the other and call it good. Most at my house like the way it looks in the pic just below. I might cut one more since I’m getting better each time.
My problem now is where to put the locker switch because it doesn’t fit in the stock position and I looked at manipulating one and it’s really not gonna work. So I think I’m gonna put it down by the transfer case lever, which makes sense since that’s your go-to for four-wheel-drive anyway. I could get one of those crappy eBay switches that would fit, but the Eaton switches are really nice and it has a safety on it. So, while switch plates are cool and all, I think I’m just going to put it there and my jeep will look like a sleeper through the window. All I care about is lockers working anyway. Function is most important to me.
Going out to tear into the dash…
So, I ordered some 1/8 inch ABS plastic sheet and began to think about how to restore that little area and move the locker switch. First, I wasn’t even sure if the transmission temperature gauge would fit there, but it will. I measured the area I wanted to cover after removing the two switches and cut a couple pieces. First one was no good. Second one was better. I learned that a jigsaw with a blade for plastic causes too much melt-age. It’s better to use a razor-blade to score the line repeatedly and then just bend and break it to get smooth edges.
The mess back there.
The process (yes, I could start over with a fresh switch panel, but it’s another $60-70).
The last two pics are the two different sides of the plastic. I could paint with SEM too, but probably just go with one side or the other and call it good. Most at my house like the way it looks in the pic just below. I might cut one more since I’m getting better each time.
My problem now is where to put the locker switch because it doesn’t fit in the stock position and I looked at manipulating one and it’s really not gonna work. So I think I’m gonna put it down by the transfer case lever, which makes sense since that’s your go-to for four-wheel-drive anyway. I could get one of those crappy eBay switches that would fit, but the Eaton switches are really nice and it has a safety on it. So, while switch plates are cool and all, I think I’m just going to put it there and my jeep will look like a sleeper through the window. All I care about is lockers working anyway. Function is most important to me.
Going out to tear into the dash…
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