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I introduced my Wag on the general board a couple weeks ago when I drug it's lifeless corpse home on a trailer. I've been working like a madman trying to get it running and driving. It's stored at my employers barn and it really can't stay there as an inoperable hulk, I need to be able to bring it to my place to work on it. Besides, I've had enough of projects that don't run and that gets really old fast.
First, the exhaust was a mess. A giant hole in the y-pipe, the pipe rusted in two between the y-pipe and the muffler, and the tailpipe smashed where it goes over the rear axle. Complicated by a leaking manifold on the passenger side and a stud broken off. I fixed all this stuff and have the mangled knuckles and fingers to prove it.
I polished the slot wheels and mounted up a new set of Falken Wildpeak AT3w tires that I got from discount tire direct. $100 off a set right now on Ebay! When the ups guy delivered the tires my wife said "they look nubby", so I decided to name it "Nubby"!
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Last edited by mgbreis on Sun Oct 30, 2016 6:18 pm, edited 7 times in total.
It was being used as a parts truck by the PO, and I had to find a used short side front axle for it, got one on eBay. Seriously, how did anyone work on cars before the Internet? Anyway, I ended up removing both front axles, hubs, and brakes. Cleaned everything and reinstalled with new seals, spindle bearings and pads. Reused the timken wheel bearing because they looked perfect and didn't want to go with the Chinese stuff from Oreilly's. No pics, I kinda suck at photo documentation!
I had removed the front seat so I could look at the floors and pull out the nasty carpet. The floors have holes, primarily by the rear seat, but it's an easy fix. One of the seat bolts snapped so I had to fix that today, then reinstall the seat. Time for the first test drive!I had removed the front seat so I could look at the floors and pull out the nasty carpet. The floors have holes, primarily by the rear seat, but it's an easy fix. One of the seat bolts snapped so I had to fix that today, then reinstall the seat. Time for the first test drive!I had removed the front seat so I could look at the floors and pull out the nasty carpet. The floors have holes, primarily by the rear seat, but it's an easy fix. One of the seat bolts snapped so I had to fix that today, then reinstall the seat. Time for the first test drive!I had removed the front seat so I could look at the floors and pull out the nasty carpet. The floors have holes, primarily by the rear seat, but it's an easy fix. One of the seat bolts snapped so I had to fix that today, then reinstall the seat. Time for the first test drive!
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Last edited by mgbreis on Sun Oct 30, 2016 6:31 pm, edited 7 times in total.
So, it actually ran and went down the road "okay". A miss that I think is due to a bad plug wire. Transmission shifts good and has all gears. No drivetrain or QT noises. Low range engaged and disengaged. It smoked like crazy on acceleration at first, but that seems to be clearing up. I had changed the oil and filter btw. After I drove it a couple miles I did what any responsible parent would do and let my 12 year old son drive it around the barn! https://vimeo.com/189567987
I scrubbed them with 000 steel wool until my arms about fell off, no lie. Then polished with a small meguiar's power ball and mag wheel polish. You can still see fine scratches but they're good enough! Honestly the truck looks so rough it needed something that looks good!
mgbreis wrote:I scrubbed them with 000 steel wool until my arms about fell off, no lie. Then polished with a small meguiar's power ball and mag wheel polish. You can still see fine scratches but they're good enough! Honestly the truck looks so rough it needed something that looks good!
I hear ya, some things require so much elbow grease it hurts for days. I really dig the green too. Is the interior green as well? Something really cool about old school wagons (and wagoneers) in all their odd color glory.
The interior is black with plaid seat inserts. Planning to re-do to stock. I really like the black color, I could be off base but it seems rare to see a Wagoneer that doesn't have a tan, blue or red interior!
May I drop my wheels, you did a very nice job, and to prevent aching, you need to keep polishing more wheels....
You have a very experienced driver, he did not hit the barn nor the parked vehicles, when my teens learnt to drive, in the streets of SF, they could not grasp the size of the vehicle... so I decided to switch from FSJ w auto trany to CJ w stick... yes they learnt to drive stick in San Fran which is old spanish for burnt clutch...
Michel
74 wag (349 Kmiles... parked, next step is a rust free body)
85 Gwag (229 Kmiles... the running test lab)
Yeah, he's not doing too bad! We go fishing a lot at a private quarry that has a long driveway. I've been letting him drive my Tahoe in and out all summer (with me next to him), so he has a little experience. Learning to drive a stick in SF would be a "steep" curve, pun intended!
I agree that it's tough to find a Wag with a black interior. I'm sure it will look real sharp with the plaid inserts done over. Amazing job on those wheels.
73 J4000. 360, MC 2100, T18A, D20, stock closed knuckle Dana 44 front, 60-2 rear. Warn Lock-O-Matics, Warn/Belleview electric winch, true duals with glasspacks, old-school front diff skid plate, used 265 Toyos on 16" AR wheels.
There's no chance of that happening. I keep a healthy approach to my projects, always keeping the priorities (family and work) where they belong. I've really enjoyed working on the jeep and I just walk away when it becomes frustrating. It's running and driving and I drove it about 15 miles to my house last Friday. It drives good but the jury is still out on the 401. If the gauge is right it has almost no oil pressure at highway speed. We'll see! By the way, is there supposed to be 2 inches of mud inside the tailgate??
That's most likely road dust that has been turned to mud. A classic sign that the outer window wipe and inner felt are done for.
TBH: That's quite less than normal for a jeep that see's dirt roads and trails.
1977 Cherokee Chief - The Blair Jeep Project III
A collection of parts flying in close formation
Decided it would make me feel good to fix a rust hole! so I started with the biggest one (in the floor).
Started with paper templates
Had to also patch the bottom of the wheel well.
Then the floor patch.
Burned it in!
Public service announcement: don't know how I ever lived without my harbor freight shear. It makes fabbing patch panels a lot easier.
I'm in the process of redoing the tailgate wiring, and it also seems that the dash switch for the tailgate window has something funky going on with the wiring. I decided to remove the gauge cluster so I could see the wiring better, and because the gauge lenses were all broken loose. So... of course I ended up sprucing up the cluster while its out.
Before:
After:
I used a silver sharpie to to all the "chrome" areas that were worn off, looks decent!
Not much interesting to report! I've done a bunch of work on the brakes; master, wheel cylinders, shoes, pads, hoses, made new lines for the rear axle. I also dropped the tranny pan and did a filter change. I had some trouble with corrosion in the fuse block, so spent some time messing around with that. Put in a new wiper motor. But basically I've been driving it a bunch around town just getting to know it. I really like this truck, it's a keeper!
how is your fuse box condition wise,
I took mine out and did a complete rewire, my chero had 43k miles on it.
if you can use it, its yours, the only harness I kept was the cab harness, since everything else was either spliced in to way to many times, or chewed on by squirrels.
US Marine
79 Jeep Cherokee
360/TH400/Full time TC
Dolphin gauges
GM style HEI
Power windows
Serehill tailgate and headlight harness
"My jeep has no manners it
marks every parking spot"
so I started with the biggest one (in the floor). 
