Operation Phoenix

[reddvltj]

I'm down! Round one was last summer trying to offroad to Montana and the rear end grenaded. Round two was this summer and we know how that ended...Jeep is solid enough to make an 11 hour road trip... although I think I want a DEI heat shield for the injectors and fuel rail.

Thanks for the bolt size!

-Mac

You're welcome. 100% agree with the heat shielding. The Rubi's got one on it already, so the one I had for the 2000 I sold went with it. Heat soak sucks!!

I'll let you know the details on eht Magruder trip once I find them out. He's wanting to ride his dirt bike, I'm trying to decide between my side by side or the Rubi...

 

[Rickyd]

although I think I want a DEI heat shield for the injectors and fuel rail.



-Mac

do those make much difference on 97-99? I have one of those kits but have been too lazy to get an oring kit and do the install. I've been meaning to get some fuel line insulation from them too where it runs by the exhaust.

 

[Rickyd]

You're welcome. 100% agree with the heat shielding. The Rubi's got one on it already, so the one I had for the 2000 I sold went with it. Heat soak sucks!!

I'll let you know the details on eht Magruder trip once I find them out. He's wanting to ride his dirt bike, I'm trying to decide between my side by side or the Rubi...

I've heard its the horseshoe intake design,which i put on my stroker.but the precats also contribute to the problem?

 

[macleanflood]

do those make much difference on 97-99?

I have no ideal but driving my Jeep in 100 degree weather caused the fuel rail to get hot enough to start intermittently fire injector 6. Engine never went more than a needle width or two over 212.

I also want to replace the pipe from my header to the cat. I have a new Walker one...going to paint it with high temp paint, wrap it in DEI exhaust wrap, and put a v band clamp just in front of the cat so I can pull that section without dropping the skid plate. I think keeping all that exhaust heat out of the oil might help.

My front axle shaft is rubbing the exhaust and I'd like to fix that... seems to contribute to the exhaust bolts loosing up and the donut seal blowing out frequently.

-Mac

 

[reddvltj]

do those make much difference on 97-99? I have one of those kits but have been too lazy to get an oring kit and do the install. I've been meaning to get some fuel line insulation from them too where it runs by the exhaust.

IIRC you don't need to pull the injectors or the rail to install the kit... but I could be remembering wrong.

The 2000 I sold is the same configuration as the '99, (No pre cats on Federal emissions '00). When I bought the kit, the concensus was, that it was an appropriate method to solve heat soak symptoms, (starts easily when cold, long crank times and rich exhaust smell when engine hot), which is what the 2000 was doing. Since I never installed it I can not say for a fact that it will solve the issue or not.

 

[reddvltj]

I have no ideal but driving my Jeep in 100 degree weather caused the fuel rail to get hot enough to start intermittently fire injector 6. Engine never went more than a needle width or two over 212.

I also want to replace the pipe from my header to the cat. I have a new Walker one...going to paint it with high temp paint, wrap it in DEI exhaust wrap, and put a v band clamp just in front of the cat so I can pull that section without dropping the skid plate. I think keeping all that exhaust heat out of the oil might help.

View attachment 446216

View attachment 446218

My front axle shaft is rubbing the exhaust and I'd like to fix that... seems to contribute to the exhaust bolts loosing up and the donut seal blowing out frequently.

-Mac

I never had any injector codes pop up with the heat soak I was experiencing, but that doesn't mean heat soak isn't causing your intermittent injector problem. I would think intermittent firing is more likely be an electrical problem than the fuel boiling inside the rail. Since the wire loom is above the rail it should help keep the wiring cool too.

 

[macleanflood]

I never had any injector codes pop up with the heat soak I was experiencing, but that doesn't mean heat soak isn't causing your intermittent injector problem. I would think intermittent firing is more likely be an electrical problem than the fuel boiling inside the rail. Since the wire loom is above the rail it should help keep the wiring cool too.

Agreed on all points. When I had the tub off I deloomed and inspected and rewrapped everything from 6 back to the ECU and it was pristine...dirty, gritty even and greasy. Didn't tone it out...but the wires looked dirty but good.

Never ever had any injector codes until things got hot.

Codes haven't returned since getting home, fixing the ODB connector with a few 20-25 minute runs to town in 70-80 degree weather.

More I look at this walker pipe the more I hate it. Need to get a bender and just make my own. Or buy mandrel bent pieces and weld them together.

Wish someone made a tighter exhaust piece.

Also makes me think about my planned tummy tuck...that would raise the transfer case...but...that requires a body lift and a engine mount lift...and therefore the driveshaft to exhaust angles and relationship wouldn't change.

Picked up all my extra pieces and packed my 97 carcass up to store things for now. Probably tarp it up for the winter.

 

[macleanflood]

 

[macleanflood]

Drove a couple hours south to pick this up for my wife Jessica...time to pull all her mods, axles off her Jeep and move them over...calling this Back in Black. Insurance company is giving us $12.5k for a stock Jeep and that's what we're going to give em. But that's for another forum...her red JK was OB1... previous owner called this one Bernard...so since it's the dark side it's Darth Bernard...

-Mac

 

[macleanflood]

Mostly been working on the wife's JK. Front axle swapped.

Got a bunch of little things buttoned up.

DEI fuel rail heat shield...

6mm tap and flanged M6x1.0 304 stainless bolts from Amazon.

Washed the Jeep and under the hood and put a couple more stickers on...

Editing videos...this dropped yesterday...

Got exhaust wrap in, a flex joint and a v band... wracking my head because the walker down pipe doesn't meet my expectations. I clocked the exhaust farther from the front driveshaft but I want 1/2" of clearance not an 1/8". Probably going to order some mandrel bent pieces and weld my own. Maybe this is the time to get that Rogue Fab bender and TIG welder I've always wanted.

Oh and replaced the speed sensor once I got my head out of my ass and figured out the SC105 went INSIDE the housing/adapter just like the instructions said.

Interesting that the box wasn't Standard...at least the box was printed in the USA...

-Mac

 

[macleanflood]

Drove to town yesterday with zero issues with speedo. Guy feeling is I have a little power back with the heat shielding... probably psychosomatic but it's done and driving well.

Here's Saturday's video... enjoy!

 

[macleanflood]

Our annual fire...Bedrock...is blanketing the area with smoke, ash and occasional cinders. We're next to a level 2 get ready evacuation zone. Put the top on the Jeep to keep the ash out and JIC I need to bug out fast...topless with burning debris falling around you sucks.

JK axle swap is complete. Chasing down ABS sensors this morning.

Have to swap my rear lock cylinder on my TJ and am going to replace the rear brake shoes and springs soon.

-Mac

 

[macleanflood]

WABDR footage is up.

Roadkill homage...lost this clip and glad I found it...

 

[mrblaine]

Got exhaust wrap in, a flex joint and a v band... wracking my head because the walker down pipe doesn't meet my expectations. I clocked the exhaust farther from the front driveshaft but I want 1/2" of clearance not an 1/8". Probably going to order some mandrel bent pieces and weld my own.


-Mac

That would be a very easy part to make with mandrel bends. Fetch up one of the expanders, do short 1/2" slip fit joints with it, avoid anything heavier than 16 gauge because you can't expand it. When I reworked mine from scratch, I took the opportunity to correct the line from the front of the sump back and bump it up for the muffler and cat when used with a raised belly skid rather than just angle it upwards from the oil pan wrap-around.

 

[macleanflood]

When I reworked mine from scratch.

View attachment 453667

Where did you source your tube and flange?

-Mac

 

[mrblaine]

Where did you source your tube and flange?

-Mac

eBay and Amazon have assortments from the various cheap suppliers. I buy one of those and then add a few bends I need from time to time. The main issue is they have lots of 4' long pieces of straight which we really don't use much of.

I think I already had a flange here which I cut off of something like the Walker piece. That or I rob them off of stock exhaust and just use the last section of it to weld onto my new stuff. I don't have a way to do the angled flare bend to butt up to the manifold so I steal one off of something else.

This one is pre-expanded. We cut off most of the expanded section and take it down to no more than an inch. That is more than plenty for an exhaust joint.

 

[macleanflood]

Wish I could find this flange in two bolt for the 97.

Cat arrived. Ordered that recommended exhaust tube.

-Mac

 

[macleanflood]

Oh these welds are terrible. Need a better hood. Need light. Need a fixture table. But it works and when I wrap it nobody but you and the entire internet will know! Used stainless .030 wire with 75/25 and it should have been tri but it was the bottle I had. One of these days I'll make a TIG version.

O2 bungs coming next week. Since the sensors are dead I see no need for holes at the moment.

Bolt this junk up and go for a drive...

-Mac

 

[macleanflood]

Drive successful...we have clearance Clarence...

 

[macleanflood]

Mopar O2 sensor arrived from Rock Auto and the stainless bungs from Amazon. Drilling a hole in stainless is a royal PIA. Ate a step bit quick. Managed to get a 5/8" hole in and hogged it the rest of the way with a carbide burr.

Test drive was great. Power is back. One lurch/hiccup...but fuel pressure is at 35/38 and falls to 10 after a couple of hours. I thought I put my new regulator in during the thrash (guess I should rewatch the video)... driving out as much gas as I can and going to drop the tank...which is a great time to finish fixing the bumper.

-Mac