OP
A lesson learned—keep it light and nimble!
- Thread starter Irun
- Start date
OP
OP
Rear main seal, new oil pump, and pan gasket are in. Hoping to get some time today to install new O2 sensors and the new catalytic converters.
this thing is going to be brand new. Got a killer deal too!
OP
I had the entire rear and exhaust out, so the RMS was easy. Otherwise it is challenging, but not overly difficult.
More persnickety than anything else. The rough part is getting the upper half installed without nicking it. Then you have a dozen'ish bolts for the girdle and 20 or so for the oil pan that all have to be torqued.
OP
This is very, very true! Anyone installing a RMS should make sure to use the supplied plastic tab, to ensure the top seal doesn't get knicked. I've learned this one the hard way and had to make a trip to the part store for a second seal kit. Also, care has to be taken to ensure both the upper and lower halves are installed correctly, with the small lip facing forward.
Getting the pan off, with the front Dana 30 or 44 in place, requires unbolting the shocks, dropping the rear as far as it will go, and loosening the exhaust bolts, so the pan will clear.
OP
I didn't make as much progress as I'd like, because I picked family over the Jeep. That said, the frame is now completely painted and the new O2 sensors have been installed.
I paused on installing the new converter pipe, because I'm arguing with myself over whether or not I should replace the timing chain. When doing the RMS and oil pump, I could see the timing chain has slack in it and is close to the 1/2" slack spec recommended in the FSM.
There's no major noise or leaks and the Jeep runs fantastic at 180K. I'm very hesitant to go in and replace it now.
I paused on installing the new converter pipe, because I'm arguing with myself over whether or not I should replace the timing chain. When doing the RMS and oil pump, I could see the timing chain has slack in it and is close to the 1/2" slack spec recommended in the FSM.
There's no major noise or leaks and the Jeep runs fantastic at 180K. I'm very hesitant to go in and replace it now.
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You're this far into it, I'd say replace it, along with a new water pump/thermostat/idler/tensioner pullies.
OP
Crap. As it stand now, I'm sitting at $530 in the Rock Auto cart. I have a new Mopar water pump, so the new Mopar radiator is the major culprit. The current radiator was just replaced, and seems to be solid, so I may forgo that for now.
What's $530 or whatever it takes when it comes to peace of mind?Crap. As it stand now, I'm sitting at $530 in the Rock Auto cart. I have a new Mopar water pump, so the new Mopar radiator is the major culprit. The current radiator was just replaced, and seems to be solid, so I may forgo that for now.
OP
I'm trying to sort out whether the replacement Mopar automatic radiator uses the original factory fittings. IIRC, the original radiator used quick disconnects. However, mine was replaced recently with the barbed style. I imagine I could swap them back, if I can find the correct fitting.
I have the orignal in mine and a replacement on the shelf for my auto. I'll check both tonight.
Crap. As it stand now, I'm sitting at $530 in the Rock Auto cart. I have a new Mopar water pump, so the new Mopar radiator is the major culprit. The current radiator was just replaced, and seems to be solid, so I may forgo that for now.
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OP
At this point @JMT is very close to being correct. An entire new cooling system (with Mopar radiator) is now on order. Thankfully, I already have all the parts for replacing the timing chain sitting on the parts shelf, so at least I finally get to use these. By the time I'm done, there will be relatively little that I haven't touched.
OP
The more I work on this, the further behind I get.
- Replacing the RMS and oil pump resulted in a need to replace the timing chain (due to 1/2+ chain deflection)
- Planning to replace the timing chain resulted in ordering an entire new cooling system (due to the discovery of a slight water pump and radiator leak)
- Ordering a new cooling system led to the order of all the under hood A/C parts (because, being this far in, access to the compressor is easy and I see two small A/C leaks)
At some point I'd like to get to the installation of all the armor, some of which requires painting it body color. This crap is either going to kill an old man, or help keep him younger. Sometimes I don't know which of the two is winning!
- Replacing the RMS and oil pump resulted in a need to replace the timing chain (due to 1/2+ chain deflection)
- Planning to replace the timing chain resulted in ordering an entire new cooling system (due to the discovery of a slight water pump and radiator leak)
- Ordering a new cooling system led to the order of all the under hood A/C parts (because, being this far in, access to the compressor is easy and I see two small A/C leaks)
At some point I'd like to get to the installation of all the armor, some of which requires painting it body color. This crap is either going to kill an old man, or help keep him younger. Sometimes I don't know which of the two is winning!
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Hang in there, Dude. It’s just work. You got this!The more I work on this, the further behind I get.
- Replacing the RMS and oil pump resulted in a need to replace the timing chain (due to 1/2+ chain deflection)
- Planning to replace the timing chain resulted in ordering an entire new cooling system (due to the discovery of a slight water pump and radiator leak)
- Ordering a new cooling system led to the order of all the under hood A/C parts (because, being this far in, access to the compressor is easy and I see two small A/C leaks)
At some point I'd like to get to the installation of all the armor, some of which requires painting it body color. This crap is either going to kill an old man, or help keep him younger. Sometimes I don't know which of the two is winning!