Christine, the Never Ending CJ Project ( lots of pics )

callaway · **Posted:** Sun Jul 19, 2009 7:25 pm

Murphyman wrote:

very impressive work you've done. Is the camo paint job staying? :roll:

Thanks

Camo will be staying

Finally got a mechanic buddy to come over yesterday - not good news for poor Christine.

2 cylinders failed compression test, hopefully it's just a headgasket

Also have a bad ignition coil as well as bad starter solenoid.

It's going to be fun ripping everything out to get to the head gasket

BUT !

We were able to push the cj out of the garage and lift the cage off. So today I was able to finish the full welds on the cage, and with the cage out of the way I can start work on the new dash and dash wiring.

New game plan is to have EVERYTHING done by end of September.

Diggerfreek · **Posted:** Sun Jul 19, 2009 7:30 pm

pulling the head will be good experience for you

STINGN · **Posted:** Sun Jul 19, 2009 7:42 pm

maybe you can trailer it to my house during the august meet and greet and work on it some if you want

and that would have been the best looking CJ at Extreme!!!

callaway · **Posted:** Sun Jul 19, 2009 7:46 pm

Diggerfreek wrote:

pulling the head will be good experience for you

quiet you

STINGN wrote:

that would have been the best looking CJ at Extreme!!!

Would have given the other cj a run for it's money in the 'vintage' class. It still counts as a CJ as long as I keep the grill right ?

Diggerfreek · **Posted:** Sun Jul 19, 2009 7:55 pm

oh but why :twisted:

jeepmedic · **Posted:** Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:01 pm

if it makes you feel any better my CJ had an oil leak that we thought was coming from the rear main, pulled the trans and changed the seal, and ITS STILL LEAKING somewhere

callaway · **Posted:** Sat Aug 01, 2009 8:28 pm

Today I took the head off the engine to get to, what I thought was, a bad head gasket. Turns out there wasn't a head gasket nor any gasket residue to be found ( maybe this was the source of my issues ? )

Anyway, took about 4 hours to get everything off - not too bad considering most of the time was spent fighting with the Chiltons book ( useless piece of crap ). All things considered, the total procedure went much smoother than I was expecting it to...

I only have camera phone pictures as I didn't want to get my nice camera oily

Head off...

Head w/exhaust manifold attached...

Group Shot...

Tomorrow morning I have a buddy coming over who's going to look everything over to see if it is just a gasket issue or something nasty with the cylinders.

bill97redtj · **Posted:** Sat Aug 01, 2009 10:36 pm

That last cylinder is way back there. Bet it was fun getting to the bolts out back there!

callaway · **Posted:** Sat Aug 01, 2009 11:34 pm

bill97redtj wrote:

That last cylinder is way back there. Bet it was fun getting to the bolts out back there!

The bolts in the way back actually weren't that bad - getting everything unhooked from the exhaust manifold was a pita. Gonna be fun getting that back in there

callaway · **Posted:** Sun Aug 02, 2009 10:08 pm

Took the head to a shop today for resurfacing and a valve job - should be back Weds of this week. Also ordered a bunch of gasket and various parts from Rockauto - gonna be a fun weekend

Finally got the cage primed - final paint will be applied sometime during the week.

Came up with a plan for the dash today - going to get everything squared away with the engine next weekend, then start on the dash :twisted:

jeepmedic · **Posted:** Tue Aug 04, 2009 7:00 pm

Jeeps are supposed to have 6 cycl ??

Diggerfreek · **Posted:** Tue Aug 04, 2009 7:28 pm

Hate to say it, but I told you so :lol:

Easy to do but the exhaust would be a pita....... Yeah, I thinking the lack of a head gasket was your problem...

callaway · **Posted:** Wed Aug 05, 2009 11:20 am

Just got a call from the machine shop - the head has cracks and is dead. Also has something wrong with the water jackets...

jsc7002 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 05, 2009 11:25 am

....SBC?? I know a guy that is selling some SBC motor mounts for a CJ7

jeepmedic · **Posted:** Wed Aug 05, 2009 6:33 pm

Can you say HEMI :twisted:

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Aug 05, 2009 6:54 pm

callaway wrote:

Just got a call from the machine shop - the head has cracks and is dead. Also has something wrong with the water jackets...

so thats why no head gasket, someone else was in there, found what was wrong and then threw it back together :roll:

callaway · **Posted:** Wed Aug 05, 2009 7:40 pm

Well now if the head has cracks It'll just overheat a lot right ? I mean I could run with the cracks ?

ihatemybike · **Posted:** Wed Aug 05, 2009 10:28 pm

H&H salvage in Elgin has a CJ. Maybe the head on it's OK and will fit your Jeep. When it first arrived I thought it was too nice to be there and they told me it runs.

ihatemybike · **Posted:** Wed Aug 05, 2009 10:40 pm

Found a few cylinder heads under $200 on www.Car-Part.com.

callaway · **Posted:** Wed Aug 05, 2009 10:59 pm

That's a pretty cool site. Thanks Aaron !

Christine, the Never Ending CJ Project ( lots of pics )

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