What the F was I thinking

mgroeger

mgroeger

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 24, 2018
Messages
807
Location
Hurricane, UT
New engine is in, bunch of parts had to be replaced during this procedure, flex plate was discovered to be out of round AFTER the engine got put in. So now it is at a tranny shop having that replaced because my mechanic friend is out of time to fix that and we agreed to out source this last thing. Many parts were discovered to be in less than desirable condition during the whole process so I will have a to do list for this winter.
Bank account is more than completely drained even with the amazing deal I got on the engine swap.
Not to mention all the wrenching I've already done fixing the POs s***** install of decent components.
So it has left me wondering... was this a mistake buying a 15 yo Jeep for $15,500 only to have sunk another $4k in it in less than a year of owning it. Not to mention the to do list and costs associated with it. Not to mention the fiddle farting that seems to go on with owning a lifted Jeep. The answer I have come up with is NO, absolutely not a mistake.
When I'm climbing over rocks none, of the above matters.
When I'm cruising around with the top and doors off, none of the above matters.
When I'm talking shop with fellow Jeepers, none of the above matters.
When I turn back to check out my Jeep as I'm walking into a store, none of the above matters.
When I wake up and it's a beautiful day out and I take forever to go to a destination 10 mins from my house, none of the above matters.

So there you have it, I'm broke but I'm happy and I'm part of a cult known as Jeepers and better yet I'm part of a sub-cult known as TJ owners and even better yet I'm part of a sub-sub-cult of LJ owners. Through this experience I feel I have finally arrived at TJ/LJ ownership... lol.
 
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Maybe I missed why it needed a new engine?

The one thing that I try to drill into people (and I know from experience, multiple times) is that swapping in an engine is NEVER, EVER, EVER as cheap as you think it is. You should always factor in spending at least $2000 more than you planned, because you'll need to by fluids, cleaning supplies, and other replacement parts you'll decided to replace "while you're in there".

Still, when you own a vehicle like this (or any "enthusiast" vehicle), you have to look at it as an expensive hobby. You'll never get your money back. However, that's what I call the price of admission, and you have to pay to play.

At least you are enjoying it, because you could be driving a Honda Civic focused only on getting good fuel economy, and then life would be pretty boring!
 
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Chris said:
Maybe I missed why it needed a new engine?

The one thing that I try to drill into people (and I know from experience, multiple times) is that swapping in an engine is NEVER, EVER, EVER as cheap as you think it is. You should always factor in spending at least $2000 more than you planned, because you'll need to by fluids, cleaning supplies, and other replacement parts you'll decided to replace "while you're in there".

Still, when you own a vehicle like this (or any "enthusiast" vehicle), you have to look at it as an expensive hobby. You'll never get your money back. However, that's what I call the price of admission, and you have to pay to play.

At least you are enjoying it, because you could be driving a Honda Civic focused only on getting good fuel economy, and then life would be pretty boring!
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Yep, my friend said all said and done plan on 20% over whatever number we come up with.
The engine was going to call it quits and I didn't want it to happen on the trail. I have a thread on here regarding it but in a nut shell the knock was getting worse, I was burning oil and had a pretty bad lifter tap. My friend pulled the oil pan and found bearings 2 and 3 were cooked and rod 6 had too much play in it. This is my DD and my toy so I decided to bite the bullet now instead of waiting until it left me stranded. After looking at rebuilding vs. buying vs. LS1 swap (that got thrown out the window right away lol) I went with the ATK reman that comes with a 3 year unlimited mileage warranty. I picked that up with a special they were running for $2k shipped to my friend's door.
I look at those other sheeple out there driving their Civics and Camrys with pity... lol.
 
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I look at it this way.. you will know it was done correctly.. it is now a 15 year old vehicle with new components, and it will last along time.. the fear factor of spending to much money will wear off in time and you will appreciate the fact YOU did it correctly and k ow what went into it👍🏻
 
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Unless you're that gas monkey idiot who does nothing but flip cars so he can add to the wad of cash in his pocket, price doesn't matter if it's something you are keeping, driving, and enjoying!
 
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You're lucky. Back in the day my wife's Chevy Lumina's engine crapped out. So I paid a guy $2,000 to put a used 3.1 L in it. We drove it another 30,000 miles to get something back out of it and sold it off at just under 100,000 miles.

I guaran-damn-tee you got a better deal in the end than I did with that POS.
 
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Thanks for this. Although I didn’t spend as much for my TJ or have as much into it(yet lol) I’ve been wondering if I had made a big mistake. I’m in the process of rebuilding my engine with money I had planned to put towards other “essentials “ such as a lift, lockers, tires, etc. and the more I look into the hole that is my Jeep the deeper it gets.
But as you said, all that regret goes away when you’re having fun wheeling around.
 
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It's a Jeep TJ thing - broke but happy. I feel the same when I get in mine with the top and doors off. It's like an inner peace or calming. Very hard to explain. Mine has a rusted frame but I have decided to Frankenstein it until I can get the space to do a swap....still happy ;)
 
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When I'm climbing over rocks none, of the above matters.
When I'm cruising around with the top and doors off, none of the above matters.
When I'm talking shop with fellow Jeepers, none of the above matters.
When I turn back to check out my Jeep as I'm walking into a store, none of the above matters.
When I wake up and it's a beautiful day out and I take forever to go to a destination 10 mins from my house, none of the above matters.
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All of which is why we do the things we do.🤩[/QUOTE]
 
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I completely agree with the results. I'm currently trying to chase down several issues that weren't there until I decided to install suspension and do a tummy tuck. Completely self inflicted and I'm mad because of it, but once its sorted... soo worth it.
 
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The 2000 tj I laid under for 3 months a few winters ago was worth it.Welding,grinding,new frame repair,new brakes etc has run great for 2 summers now.It is my 1st jeep.I bought a 2012 honda civic for my winter beater.The insurance company shakes its head when I say in the fall I am switching from the jeep for the winter and putting the civic winter beater on the road till spring. I just go out to my garage and watch the fluid film drip off the jeep.I am a happy camper in the end.I also fluid filmed the civic.
 
Forgot to mention how much help all the guys on the forum are.They are the best and answered all my questions a newbie could ask.This has been a great forum.I guess after all I was glad to save another tj form the scrappers.
 
bruceco said:
Forgot to mention how much help all the guys on the forum are.They are the best and answered all my questions a newbie could ask.This has been a great forum.I guess after all I was glad to save another tj form the scrappers.
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Absolutely second this!!
 
Congrats on the major accomplishment! Having been there myself, I KNOW how it feels!

I went back thru your old thread to see that you found 2 cooked bearings. Which is essentially what I found too. I am attaching a shot of what we found under the #1 cylinder. The all new 3 piece rod bearing! All the others looked fine.

I hope the ATK engine works out as well for you as my own is. I've got about 2k miles on it. Oil pressure is almost 60 psi. No leaks. Both top & bottom end sound great. No weird noises or rattles. And has a ton of power!

IMG_20190615_184123158_HDR.jpg
 
Airjunky said:
Congrats on the major accomplishment! Having been there myself, I KNOW how it feels!

I went back thru your old thread to see that you found 2 cooked bearings. Which is essentially what I found too. I am attaching a shot of what we found under the #1 cylinder. The all new 3 piece rod bearing! All the others looked fine.

I hope the ATK engine works out as well for you as my own is. I've got about 2k miles on it. Oil pressure is almost 60 psi. No leaks. Both top & bottom end sound great. No weird noises or rattles. And has a ton of power!

View attachment 126069
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3 piece rod bearing... LOL!!!

The engine purrs like a kitten, we just had to chase down that vibration and found the bent flex plate. We found the cam positioning senor to be in less than desirable condition but usable as well as the starter decides it will only work intermittently now in terms of spinning the engine and we think that maybe with the higher compression on the new engine it's just too tired anymore. Both of those will replaced in short order.
I can't wait to feel the new power!! I actually had a dream about that the other night... lol.
 
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