It just happened!

It usually goes like this for me:

Ring, ring:

Dad -What's wrong now?
Daughter - The car's not working!
Dad -What happened?
Daughter - It was making a funny noise and just died!
Dad - How long was it making the noise?
Daughter - Just for the last few months.
Dad - :mad:
Ha! A friend of mine had a very similar conversation with his daughter:

Daughter - The car is making a horrible screeching!
Dad - When did that start?
Daughter - In Utah. (on a trip from California to Colorado)
Dad - What did you do?
Daughter - I turned the radio up louder.
Dad - Did it get worse?
Daughter -Yeah, so I cranked the radio up some more.

She ran it low, and lower, and out of oil on that last 300 miles, destroyed the engine.
 
I apologize for the yo-yo routine, but it looks like the LJ will be staying with me for now. My daughter was in a less than desirable place, so I did what Fathers do. We met today at our local DMV and I gave her my CR-V commuter car. Since I now need a daily driver, I registered the LJ and it has assumed duty as my commuter. My wife and I went out today and drove it around town for the first time since buying it. I filled it up at the gas station, also for the first time, and it took 15.9 gallons!

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I can't love this enough :love:

I will say though, that may be the most salt that thing has been near in 2+ years lol
 
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I can't love this enough :love:

I will say though, that may be the most salt that thing has been near in 2+ years lol
It did pain me a little to take it out on salted roads, but I got over it quickly, knowing how anal I am about cleaning it.

The way it's setup now makes it a joy to drive. I need to break in the Black Magic pads, but haven't had a solo ride yet. The wife enjoyed the ride and even commented how quiet it is with the lined hard top. It needs grab handles for her, gears to make it accelerate better, and a few other goodies.

I'm now committed, because a Savvy gas tank skid, control arms, BL, and steering box skid are on order. I would have ordered the belly skid and rockers, but the website won't let you order those!
 
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The the


The typical 3 ton stands only have a working range from 11 to 17", which is really to short for working on a TJ. Yes, you can use them, but the larger stands, like the one linked below, have additional valuable features.


These 6 ton stands have a working range of 16 -23", a larger more stable footprint, and an additional safety lock feature that ensures the jack won't collapse.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074R17GL4/?tag=wranglerorg-20
That makes sense, thanks. Indeed, my stands run out to almost exactly 17”. I did have a quick look and saw one of the big retailers here has some 12t stands available that go up to about 37” - sounds a bit scary to me, like a bloke trying to wear 6” stiletto heels! 😂
 
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Happily, I was able to spend the day in the garage yesterday. First up on the list was:

WIX 51085 Oil Filter​


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C9TCUS/?tag=wranglerorg-20

WIX Filters - 46081 Air Filter​


Amazon.com

Fumoto F101S LC-10 Lever Clip FS-Series Engine Oil Drain Valve​


Amazon.com

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Second, was replacing the nutserts from the transmission skid. They spun loose when removing them, so they were ground off, punched through, then pulled out of the frame with a magnet. In their place went 1/2-13 nutserts. Although I have an Astro tool for installing them, I ended up buying another one. My old one is 13" and only has 6 mandrels. The new one is 16" and came with 15 mandrels, along with 10 nutserts for each mandrel.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VRLL8KX/?tag=wranglerorg-20
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Last, the transmission was supported and the transfer case skid removed. Underneath the skid was the only place on the frame I didn't get to. It is now done. Since getting a Savvy UA anytime soon doesn't look likely, I also cleaned, sanded, primer coated, and painted the stock skids. I'll run those, until I can get a Savvy UA.

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As @psrivats said, oil changes are supper easy. Remove the plastic locking tab, flip the lever, and the oil pours out. When it's done draining, flip the lever back and re-insert the locking tab.

I got the Stahlbus for mine. Curious if you considered it and what made you choose the Fumoto. When I looked at them, I liked the design of the Stahlbus better but I think both are equally good functionally. I actually started changing my own oil after I got this since it is so damn easy now and no mess whatsoever.
 
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I got the Stahlbus for mine. Curious if you considered it and what made you choose the Fumoto. When I looked at them, I liked the design of the Stahlbus better but I think both are equally good functionally. I actually started changing my own oil after I got this since it is so damn easy now and no mess whatsoever.
If it wasn't for the fact that I already had a new Fumoto valve, I would have gone with the Stahlbus. Even though the Stahlbus costs more, they are more compact than the short Fumoto I used. That alone makes it a good choice. (y)
 
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Before I get beat up on for the body mount rocker guards, they will eventually get replaced with Savvy LJ sliders. For the time being, my wife needs a step to more easily enter and exit the cabin. ;)