|
Post by yjsaabman on Nov 12, 2015 18:08:41 GMT -5
My life mostly revolves around my 3 month old daughter these days. That's one of the main reasons to get this thing rolling right before winter. Everything else in the fleet has a ride height around 4-5". While snow tires do wonders, when the belly of the car starts floating on the deep snow, they aren't very effective. I have lots of ideas floating around for an expedition type rig out of this, now it's calculating the costs and exact components and determining a timeline from that.
As for the site, I don't know that I check daily, but definitely a few times a week. I think I'm the only person following it via tapatalk. Lol The VW site has really dropped off, too. It's days to weeks between posts. Facebook has taken over.
|
|
wonk
Moderator
Life is tough. It's tougher when you're stupid.
Posts: 1,080
|
Post by wonk on Nov 12, 2015 19:22:13 GMT -5
Congrats on the little one and yeah, and I don't do FB.
|
|
|
Post by yjsaabman on Nov 14, 2015 12:16:49 GMT -5
I don't do FB, either. Well, the new governor parts did not fix the trans. At least it has 2 speeds (when manually shifted) and will get around ok, if needed. I forgot until today's chilly whether that the heater core is leaking, however. Why do I do this to myself? Lol! Oth, the basket fits the rack nicely! So at least it looks tougher. Lol!
|
|
wonk
Moderator
Life is tough. It's tougher when you're stupid.
Posts: 1,080
|
Post by wonk on Nov 15, 2015 9:59:31 GMT -5
My nephew just bought a 2000 XJ, his dream ride since junior high. He plans on doing an expedition build. Do you know if JK front springs will fit an XJ? I have the stock springs off my JKUR with tow package and hardtop that people use to give a inch or 2 lift to 2 door JKs. Told him we would have to try them and see.
|
|
|
Post by yjsaabman on Nov 16, 2015 18:08:52 GMT -5
I really don't know too much about JKs, sorry. I've always been a big fan of XJs, but as I've gotten older I realized how small the back seat is, and the leaf spring rear suspension. Though I could have had a decent one from work with a bent front axle housing for peanuts, and should have bought it, even if just to flip.
|
|
|
Post by yjsaabman on Nov 16, 2015 18:16:33 GMT -5
And I've been spending too much time researching for this project, when it reaches that point. Unibody reinforcement, long arm kits, front radius arms vs 4 link vs 3 link, etc. I really do still want it to be driveable on 35" tires, reasonably low COG, and some trick body mods to help with the awful tire clearance. Probably a full exo-cage, since I want a functional back seat. The rear suspension bits will most likely intrude into the rear cargo area. I can see it finished in my head, now to calculate the nauseating cost...lol!
Oh...coils/shocks vs coilovers...
|
|
|
Post by yjsaabman on Dec 27, 2015 8:01:43 GMT -5
Ordered up a trans rebuild kit and a shift kit for this thing yesterday. Hopefully I can get all that installed before the white stuff starts falling. Still need to address the engine mount(s) and reseal the steering box, too. Then we should be back to a good, solid platform to start from.
|
|
|
Post by yjsaabman on Jan 17, 2016 17:16:43 GMT -5
Tore into my $50 core transmission today and it's not very pretty. The piece of snap ring I found definitely came out of this transmission from the overdrive unit. Found some damage in a housing piece that holds fluid pressure, as well as an ugly looking band. Made up a parts list and will order some more parts and I think pull the trans out of the Jeep and use the two to make one really good one. For now it remains in pieces at my buddy's shop.
|
|
|
Post by yjsaabman on May 19, 2016 12:14:18 GMT -5
Well I finally got the last bits ordered up for the trans in this thing. Need to get some new engine mounts, too. Too many projects, not enough time! Thinking about a budget boost for it, too. Stock height is just killing me! Lol!
|
|
wonk
Moderator
Life is tough. It's tougher when you're stupid.
Posts: 1,080
|
Post by wonk on May 19, 2016 19:07:05 GMT -5
Hey YJ. I hear ya on projects. I've got so much to do around the house I swear I don't think I'll ever get done. I am finally feeling more like doing things though now. I had my left knee replace March 1. Before that, the past year or so I haven't had the energy to do near anything. Seemed like I was in constant pain. I dang near feel like a new man, well at least I don't feel like I'm 95 anymore.
|
|
|
Post by yjsaabman on May 21, 2016 16:30:09 GMT -5
Yeah, I hear you on the house work. Plus the 6 other cars currently in our fleet. Lol! 3 of them need finished up so they can be sold. Then there's the basement that I need to finish gutting after a new HVAC system, the deck railings to finish, yard work, etc. Oh, well.
Glad to hear you're doing well after the knee replacement. I sail with my dad and a couple other guys around his age. The closest one to me is a good 20 years my senior, so I get to hear about all the wonders of getting older pretty much every Thursday.
|
|
wonk
Moderator
Life is tough. It's tougher when you're stupid.
Posts: 1,080
|
Post by wonk on May 22, 2016 18:44:17 GMT -5
Yeah, as my Grandmother use to say "It's hell getting old". I use to laugh at her when she said it. She's up there in heaven laughing at me now.
|
|
|
Post by yjsaabman on Feb 3, 2017 12:34:40 GMT -5
So back to the topic of hating thieves, I now have a new Hobart Handler MVP210 welder thanks to the thieves who stole mine out of my buddy's garage about a month ago. Took the oportunity to upgrade to the dual voltage machine when it was only $300 out of pocket as his home owner's insurance covered the loss.
Now back onto the ZJ...Heater core, waterpump, thermostat, upper and lower rad hoses, and heater hoses have all been replaced. Heat now works great without fogging up the inside of the windshield and smelling like coolant.
I also got the trans back from the trans shop and got it istalled. Was a bit of a challenge as the trans going in was from a full time t-case Jeep (NP242, iirc), and the trans output shaft was different. The difference was a pilot on the end of the output shaft for the 231 case vs full splines for the 242 case. After some deliberation (when guys swap from a 242 to a 231 they swap the input gear in the t-case. I didn't have a case to swap the input and wasn't rearing apart a freshly rebuilt trans to swap a shaft so I just cut the last 3/4" or so of the trans output. All is together and functioning. Well, sort of...figured out that the TCM fuse was blown. May have been my route issue all along. But, now the rebuilt trans is in, and doesn't shift out of 1st. Sounds like a governor issue, which makes sense as the governor parts in this trans are used. Plan is to swap the valve body and new governor parts from the old trans (as there are wiring differences inside the trans) and hope that fixes everything.
|
|
|
Post by yjsaabman on Mar 17, 2017 12:32:04 GMT -5
It's alive! Finally got the trans electronics swapped this past Monday. Shift solenoids, governor assembly, etc are all in from the old trans and it shifts great. Big sigh of relief! I also installed the new headlights and got it inspected right before the snow hit Tuesday. Been driving it all week and am quite pleased with how smoothly it rolls down the road. I started a new job about a month ago have more highway drivi g in my commute and it rolls along great @ 70mph. Heck, even the cruise control still works! Have a few more parts I've collected to install, like new engine mounts and a valve cover gasket.
|
|