A rebuild of #miRustyJeep...

Not much going on lately with the jeep. I haven't been driving it much due to a steering issue (now fixed) that I posted about over —>HERE<—

No sooner did I get my steering fixed, I developed a gas leak. Like, literally, first start and test drive I found a puddle under the jeep. Not sure what happened. I did jostle the lines around a little bit when I was changing my diff fluid (500 mile, first change on the "new" gears). Anyway, it required me to drop the tank and pull the main supply line. I did find some abrasion in my braided line. So, it was either abraded through (from the spring perch, maybe) or one of my fittings loosened up. Regardless, I replaced the line and used a few more zip ties to keep the new fuel line more stationary.
 
Gave the old girl a bath and wax this weekend. She shines up almost well enough to make me forget that she needs a paint job!

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Looking good. I love the JCR sliders but for the LJ they are like 80+ lbs. how do you like them on your TJ? That camper in the background looks pretty interesting too!
 
Looking good. I love the JCR sliders but for the LJ they are like 80+ lbs. how do you like them on your TJ? That camper in the background looks pretty interesting too!

Thanks! The JCR sliders are ok. They have worked for what I’ve needed them to. If you do pick up a set, don’t mount them like the directions call out. Mount them more like how savvy mounts their sliders.

I have a thread on the camper too.

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/my-1978-gmc-motorhome.45354/
 
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Been thinking about starting the auto swap. I want to try and get it done before snow flies, so I can have some debug time in this year yet. However, I had a minor setback Saturday night...I was making some kindling for a backyard fire (had some people over) and my hatchet deflected into my left index finger. I'll spare everyone the gory pictures, but I did a "good job" on it. Thankfully I missed the bones, tendons and most nerves. I can still move it, and feel hot and cold, and I can at least feel pressure at my fingertip...too early to tell how much fine sensation I have or don't have. Took 7 stitches to close up, went right across the big knuckle closes to my palm (my medical friends say that's the 2nd distal). Its bandaged and splinted for 10 days (right now), pending review with my primary care Dr (it happened in the evening, so I had to go to urgent care).


To make myself feel better, I worked on painting some cornhole boards that I've been promising the wife I'll make.

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@Mike_H ouch! Hope the finger heals without issues. Just take it easy till you recover.

I saw the notification and was just thinking that it's right at an year since you started this thread. You've come quite a ways!
 
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@Mike_H ouch! Hope the finger heals without issues. Just take it easy till you recover.

I saw the notification and was just thinking that it's right at an year since you started this thread. You've come quite a ways!

WOW, You're right! Feels like this stage has been much longer. I think it because I'm planning my build much more deliberately this time, vs just buying parts that seem like a good idea.

Definitely going to take it easy with the finger...its hard to do, I'm not a sit on the couch and watch TV kinda guy...but, my middle finger is getting pretty good at pinch hitting for the index finger while typing!
 
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WOW, You're right! Feels like this stage has been much longer. I think it because I'm planning my build much more deliberately this time, vs just buying parts that seem like a good idea.

Lot of education for both of us in the past year. It's a very good thing.

Just don't exercise the middle finger way too much 😂🤣
 
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Good luck with the finger. I shattered my pinky and had surgery just a few weeks before my LJ failed inspection due to a hole in the frame. It was not fun trying to cut and weld that soon post-op. Take it easy and let it heal. I definitely pushed too early and paid the price.
 
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Good luck with the finger. I shattered my pinky and had surgery just a few weeks before my LJ failed inspection due to a hole in the frame. It was not fun trying to cut and weld that soon post-op. Take it easy and let it heal. I definitely pushed too early and paid the price.

This is my second “hand issue” I’ve had in 12 months. The last was was a scheduled surgery to correct some tendinitis. I had to postpone a Jeep project due to that one too. Maybe I should quit planning Jeep projects…?
 
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This is my second “hand issue” I’ve had in 12 months. The last was was a scheduled surgery to correct some tendinitis. I had to postpone a Jeep project due to that one too. Maybe I should quit planning Jeep projects…?

I've wondered that myself about my projects. Take care of the hand. I did the same thing to my thumb when I was a kid splitting kindling but only needed 3 stitches.
 
This is my second “hand issue” I’ve had in 12 months. The last was was a scheduled surgery to correct some tendinitis. I had to postpone a Jeep project due to that one too. Maybe I should quit planning Jeep projects…?

Maybe the issue is planning. From now on don't plan the Jeep projects, just wake up one day and get to it.

Sucks about the hand. Seems inevitable wrenchin'!
 
Been thinking about starting the auto swap. I want to try and get it done before snow flies, so I can have some debug time in this year yet. However, I had a minor setback Saturday night...I was making some kindling for a backyard fire (had some people over) and my hatchet deflected into my left index finger. I'll spare everyone the gory pictures, but I did a "good job" on it. Thankfully I missed the bones, tendons and most nerves. I can still move it, and feel hot and cold, and I can at least feel pressure at my fingertip...too early to tell how much fine sensation I have or don't have. Took 7 stitches to close up, went right across the big knuckle closes to my palm (my medical friends say that's the 2nd distal). Its bandaged and splinted for 10 days (right now), pending review with my primary care Dr (it happened in the evening, so I had to go to urgent care).


To make myself feel better, I worked on painting some cornhole boards that I've been promising the wife I'll make.

View attachment 357123

That's Awesome ! ! !








Edit: Ahhhhh, the cornhole board - not the injury..... :rolleyes:


Glad it was not worse, Mike. Sounds like it very easily could have been.
 
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Started working on my wire harnesses for the auto swap tonight. I want to go through both of them and check them out carefully before they are installed because I don't have the luxury of installing an auto from a known, good, running Jeep. All my parts were bought second hand (well, the big stuff anyway) from places that part Jeeps out and other people I know. The wire harness is one of those things that is taken for granted, until there is a problem. I also need to verify this harness has cruise. Finally, I run my locker pumps in my engine bay since I've done my Tummy Tuck. I'm going to investigate the harness and see if I can re-route those connectors and use shorter wires, instead of running all the way to the T-case, then back to the pumps.

I got the engine/transmission harness and the main trunk that runs along the firewall. It appears that there is an extra connector on the main trunk to handle the TCM communication with the PCM that my manual doesn't have.

Main trunk and Power Distribution Block...I'm excited the PDC was included, because it gives me an extra. One of them will be repurposed into a relay control center for auxiliary lights and whatnot.

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Here is the engine harness, stretched out on my bench. TCM connector is on the left. Its really dirty, some of the connectors are full of oil, and the corrugated wire wrap is in pretty terrible shape.
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I have about half of it unwrapped now. I'm using zip ties at every breakout to hold the wires in place and I'm carefully removing and re-installing the Christmas tree pins/zip ties so I can keep them in the same spots. I have about 100 dollars of Tesa fabric tape and braided wire sheathing in 5 different sizes on its way from Amazon. Probably go get some CRC electrical contact cleaner too, to make sure every connection is as good as it can be. I'll inspect for frayed or broken wires too. The whole thing might just get dipped into a tank of simple green and water...I do want it CLEAN, but dipping might be a bit extreme.

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Tomorrow, I'll see about printing some of the wire diagrams from the service manual so I can start labeling connectors and comparing the installed options to the options present on my Jeep.