Building Homer (2005 TJ Build Thread)

[FarFire70]

After getting home, I put in a little time while the family caught a nap.

Washer fluid reservoir worked perfectly. Mount bracket to the reservoir and put some blue painters tape down to trace it's location on the fender so I could locate the mounting holes. I put a flashlight along side it and closed the hood to be sure it cleared and the hood didn't rest on it.

Love a Jeep - There was enough room between the hood and the grill to peer in (even with the hood latches) and get a view of the reservoir and hood.

Had to drill a new, slightly higher, mounting hole in the bracket to gain clearance for the mount bolt with the full weight of the fluid on the bracket.

Leaves plenty of space for future projects.

Trying to pay more attention to the little details to make this Heep look like less of a piece of crap. Repaint on the horn and washer fluid motors looks good.

 

[FarFire70]

Next up was to wrap up the air intake.

With all the part modifications complete. Everything could just be installed.

Went together like I was hoping. Still have to think up some more updates to it, though.

The weight of the filter box makes it want to drag down and it pulls the tube/coupler down onto the throttle cables mounted to the valve cover.

I figure over time that metal clasp could wear into the cables - and you know it would cause an issue at the worst possible time.

A simple Install of a sacrifice rubber mat would be my first plan. But, I'm also going to see if the weight of the air box wants to pull it out of the snorkel. If it does, I may need a bracket or two to hold the entire assembly in place.

Ran out of time to start to look around for potential mounting points that would be easy to grow from for a bracket. I did see someone install a small tube into the cable bracket this is resting on - but they had a metal tube to weld to from a cold air intake.

——-

Engine bay in July when I wrapped the fender install:

And now:

Damn that engine bay looks so much better!

 

[FarFire70]

It does appear the hood makes contact with the filter box so I'll monitor if that causes any issues with it staying in the snorkel.

You can see where some of the dirt on the hood rubbed off on the air filter.

I'll need to monitor that the air box doesn't wear the hood paint here.

I had to pull the engine bay light wiring to the side when closing the hood. I'll pull the light off and turn it over a couple times so the natural twist of the loop pushes it towards the passenger side.

—-

I'm planning an axillary fuse block (I have some of the parts on-hand but may change out the fuse block I purchased for a more water-tight solution).

Now that the engine bay is at it's stable state - Looking at potential mounting points for the fuse block.

A couple spots here:

Seeing this as a good option. Plus it puts all the fuses together like a family gathering.

 

[FarFire70]

Not Jeep related but Jeep-adjacent as I'll use these most on Homer.

Now that I have a solid bed leveling technique down, I've had the 3D printing bug. I also found a good CAD solution in Autodesk Fusion360.

I've had the HF nut drivers for a couple years and the have just sat in a container on the tray of my tool cart - which makes them a mess to find the right one for the application so I don't use them as often as I intended when I bought them.

Printing:

Had to use a couple small files to clearance the 'T' joint to remove about 0.005" of materials.

Then hit the raised markings with a paint pen.

Mounted above the tool chest:

Super happy how these turned out!

I included spots for a screw on both sides of the joint but the 'T' felt secure enough that I just put one to help support in the middle of the bracket - likely not needed.

I'd be glad to share the .STL file and/or Fusion360 file for anyone interested but know there is a little but of filing required after printing and this is build for the diameter of the HF nut drivers from a couple years ago (HF changes their stuff so often I can't guarantee a perfect re-use.

 

[Wildman]

Nice job...

 

[Mike_H]

Not Jeep related but Jeep-adjacent as I'll use these most on Homer.

Now that I have a solid bed leveling technique down, I've had the 3D printing bug. I also found a good CAD solution in Autodesk Fusion360.

I've had the HF nut drivers for a couple years and the have just sat in a container on the tray of my tool cart - which makes them a mess to find the right one for the application so I don't use them as often as I intended when I bought them.

Printing:

View attachment 473962

View attachment 473964

View attachment 473963

View attachment 473965

Had to use a couple small files to clearance the 'T' joint to remove about 0.005" of materials.

Then hit the raised markings with a paint pen.

Mounted above the tool chest:

View attachment 473967

Super happy how these turned out!

I included spots for a screw on both sides of the joint but the 'T' felt secure enough that I just put one to help support in the middle of the bracket - likely not needed.

I'd be glad to share the .STL file and/or Fusion360 file for anyone interested but know there is a little but of filing required after printing and this is build for the diameter of the HF nut drivers from a couple years ago (HF changes their stuff so often I can't guarantee a perfect re-use.

I have an ender v3 ke on my watch list with points on Amazon. As soon as it’s shipping, I plan on picking it up. I have a 3d printer at work, but pesky production keeps cutting into my gov project time!

 

[FarFire70]

I have an ender v3 ke on my watch list with points on Amazon. As soon as it’s shipping, I plan on picking it up. I have a 3d printer at work, but pesky production keeps cutting into my gov project time!

I picked up the Ender 3 v2 in Jul/Aug and took a little while to get a reliable bed leveling/trimming technique down. The Ender3 v3 KE came out only a few weeks after I bought mine. I was upset that it has the auto-leveling but figure that may take a little while to get reliable while out in the public (That's how I convinced myself that I didn't pull the trigger too soon after looking at the Ender for almost a year).

Ender 3 v2 has a history and wide community support. It's been a good machine for me to learn on. I bet you'll have the same experience with the Ender 3 V3 KE.

 

[Apparition]

I picked up the Ender 3 v2 in Jul/Aug and took a little while to get a reliable bed leveling/trimming technique down. The Ender3 v3 KE came out only a few weeks after I bought mine. I was upset that it has the auto-leveling but figure that may take a little while to get reliable while out in the public (That's how I convinced myself that I didn't pull the trigger too soon after looking at the Ender for almost a year).

Ender 3 v2 has a history and wide community support. It's been a good machine for me to learn on. I bet you'll have the same experience with the Ender 3 V3 KE.

I grabbed the Ender 3 V2 Neo, super happy with it and how well it prints. Got mine on the prime day specials for a couple bills.

 

[FarFire70]

I guess UPS puts 'priority' on a package if you slap a generic 'Rush' label on it because my Send-Cut-Send package arrived a day earlier than UPS projected.

Gotta say -> Send-Cut-Send knows how to package your parts... Sticker and a snack!

Parts look great!

Parts are for the phone holder and a pair of flats for my try at a shifter boot bracket replacement.

—-

Shifter Boot Bracket

As shown earlier, mine isn't broken but it's a thin and flimsy part. My back and forth with @chili_pepper on it potentially breaking - I decided to draw it up and print it out as part of this order.

Tough to overlay them but they do look very close in person...

You can see where the black OEM one (under the new part - not a shadow) is a bit bent from removal a few times over the years.

I'll bend this up and, if it works out, I'll share the .dxf and instructions on the forum to pay it forward to a future Jeeper.

—-

Phone Holder:

Everything is perfect. Fit of the parts together is tight, just like I'd want since I didn't include any relief in the parts design.

—-

Very small window on Sunday when I'll get to any of these. More likely, it'll be the weekend after Thanksgiving before I get time outside of Thanksgiving prep.

We're hosting Friendsgiving Sat and then we're host Thanksgiving so I need to curry favor with the wife as we prep the house and the food.

 

[FarFire70]

Haven't had much garage time. We're cleaning up to host Thanksgiving and I wanted to get through my stack of stickers that I've been collecting for too long:

Tool Cart Before & After:

Tool Chest Before & After::

I did have a minute to flip the parts, hit them with some touch-up black and then clear coat the second side, so they are done with painting:

Planning to take the Jeep out to run errands after work tomorrow. It'll be the first ride with the new airbox.

 

[FarFire70]

Took it on errands around the corner the past couple weeks. Drives great. I did not really notice much of a difference in the intake sound that others mentioned - but on 35" M/Ts, louder exhaust, soft top, & no carpet — the Jeep's loud, so I'm not surprised.

Still need to add a bracket to keep it right where I want it. So that'll be on the short list to fabricate.

Been driving all week to work. It drives great. Stable after the alignment, even on the narrow bridge that I take to/from work that's 90' above the river. It was beyond sketchy before the alignment; now I can drive it with just a single finger on the wheel and feel in control.

 

[FarFire70]

Well... All was going well until today Homer decided he wanted to take a piggy-back ride......

I grabbed groceries on the way home from work and made a final stop for gas (Man - I forgot how much this Jeep likes to drink gas!! ).

After filling up, I went to start the Jeep and felt no resistant / click-between Acc & On/start when I turned the key. I knew the ignition broke. Ugh...

I tried to jump the starter but it seems the ignition was in 'Acc' and not 'On'. So the starter wouldn't engage - just spun.

So, he's home in one piece and I've got the ignition switch on order. Guess he's not going to work the rest of this week....

 

[FarFire70]

Posted this elsewhere across a few threads, so figured I'd capture my Black Friday deals here, too.

I planned to buy a Savvy GTS when they finally became available. But after I emailed Gerald in early May and was told it would be available 'next month' — I decided in the early Fall that I'd go with UCF on their next % off.

I don't trust the on-Jeep Rokmen when I get this Jeep out on rocks and I can't wait for Savvy.

Can't recall if I included this in the build thread before but the Rokmen had scaled really badly below the tank (likely from salt water sitting from living in the NE).

This is after I used an air scaler to knock off the scale:

I didn't spend time re-painting the skid because I planned to replace it. Plus, I needed the Jeep back on the road, under thread of the emissions test in the spring...

This worried me (I suspect salt spray caused this):

So when UCF ran 15% off on Black Friday, I went with their 3/16" Aluminum. I could have gone 1/4" for the 3/16" price, with the discount, but I see Savvy runs theirs at 3/16" so I stayed with the 3/16" and maximized savings.

Stock image because UCF just notified that my skid is shipping today. More pics to come when it arrives!

I've read to smooth out the edges to make install easier on the plastic vs aluminum edges, so that will be part of my install prep.

 

[FarFire70]

I had been looking at OBA ideas. You'll see above references to maximize space on the driver-side fender, especially the 'tray' there. I figure that was a best option if I went electric.

Looking at cost, I convinced myself electric would meet my needs over York (I really want a York - but cost makes that not the choice of today).

So I was eyeing different VIAIR options but looking at ARB as a potential. VIAIR was the leading contender.

Then @Apparition posted for Black Friday the ARB double compressor system for $525 on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050DI9YQ/?tag=wranglerorg-20) compared to the usual $600+ price point....

So..... purchased and arrived.

Need to unbox and test it out to be sure it works - the Amazon box was huge so it certainly had a wild ride to get here.

 

[Wildman]

I had been looking at OBA ideas. You'll see above references to maximize space on the driver-side fender, especially the 'tray' there. I figure that was a best option if I went electric.

Looking at cost, I convinced myself electric would meet my needs over York (I really want a York - but cost makes that not the choice of today).

So I was eyeing different VIAIR options but looking at ARB as a potential. VIAIR was the leading contender.

Then @Apparition posted for Black Friday the ARB double compressor system for $525 on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050DI9YQ/?tag=wranglerorg-20) compared to the usual $600+ price point....

So..... purchased and arrived.

View attachment 480480

Need to unbox and test it out to be sure it works - the Amazon box was huge so it certainly had a wild ride to get here.

I LOVE my York but they do take up a LOT of space. I was lucky and bought my brackets when the price point wasn't quite as bad. And getting one from Brad (Kilby Air) for the Magnum V-8 was just luck of the draw. He'd just done a V-8 swap on his TJ so had a few brackets left over.

But the ARB is a great option.

 

[FarFire70]

I LOVE my York but they do take up a LOT of space. I was lucky and bought my brackets when the price point wasn't quite as bad. And getting one from Brad (Kilby Air) for the Magnum V-8 was just luck of the draw. He'd just done a V-8 swap on his TJ so had a few brackets left over.

But the ARB is a great option.

The price-point of that bracket was a big reason too. I should have bought one years ago and just stored it away for when I'd have funds to go all in on the OBA.

Heard good things on the ARB. Deciding if I want to run lines or just have a connector under the hood.

I have so many freaking projects to get to on this thing...

 

[Apparition]

The price-point of that bracket was a big reason too. I should have bought one years ago and just stored it away for when I'd have funds to go all in on the OBA.

Heard good things on the ARB. Deciding if I want to run lines or just have a connector under the hood.

I have so many freaking projects to get to on this thing...

Mine came too so you aren’t the only one with a new ARB. Glad you took advantage of the savings.

On my other Jeep that already has the ARB in it I have it on the ABS tray which I like but I don’t like having to open the hood so I need to figure out where I want to route it to.

 

[FarFire70]

Mine came too so you aren’t the only one with a new ARB. Glad you took advantage of the savings.

On my other Jeep that already has the ARB in it I have it on the ABS tray which I like but I don’t like having to open the hood so I need to figure out where I want to route it to.

Nice!!

I'm leaning the same way on wanting to have some ports on front & rear to not have to open the hood.

 

[Wildman]

Nice!!

I'm leaning the same way on wanting to have some ports on front & rear to not have to open the hood.

One idea is to mount quick disconnects in your footwells on each side of the Jeep. Having the door open to air up the tires isn't as much a PITA..

 

[FarFire70]

One idea is to mount quick disconnects in your footwells on each side of the Jeep. Having the door open to air up the tires isn't as much a PITA..

I was thinking of a centeralized single port between each tire. This is a clever approach to that to keep it off the frame (and out of rock damage).

Of course if I wheel in the winter with the wife and/or kids when they're young (and the wife is there to yell at me about keeping the kids warm) I'll be instructed to keep the cabin warm during the air up.... lol