New member/owner

[daryl2cb]

Hello everyone, just wanted to introduce myself, just acquired an 83 Wagoneer limited in blue. Wanted one for ever but didn't want to pay alot, finally one came up that doesn't need much and had a good interior. Suspension is little molested as its on 37's, but I figured it saved me from heavy modification to an original candidate. Will post some pics once I get better site privilege's.


I am working out the following known issues currently:
Old fuel- dropped tank ordered new vents and cleaned it and carb out
rear tail gate doesn't go up with out battery connections for intervention -dash and key switch housed
rear defrost switch is bad
passenger side windows do not work
mirror switch not working
temp gauges not working amp meter is need to get solution to eliminate that.
leaking oil pan and main seal, maybe timing cover, haven't gotten that far yet.

[devildog80]

Nice find and welcome.

See my build thread on this forum "84 Grand Wagoneer Revival"

Good to hear you went through the fuel system already. Now...go through the engine bay, and find every bolt you can on engine, fenders, firewall, grill, and snug up all of them. Electrical connectors, unplug, clean, and plug back in. Grounds, take them off, brush up nice and bright, then reattach. Check all vacuum lines that are attached, and replace what needs replaced. Spark plug wires I would recommend replacing with a new set now, as I did not when my rig came home, and fought for months and money trying to get it started. Found after my friend and I both got zapped, the plug wires were junk, and 99% of the problem.

Tailgate issues - don't count out the existing switches just yet. Found my rear window poorly performed, and found the ground on the dash switch needed cleaned. It is right behind the switch and up above the parking brake. THIS is the ground for the tailgate window. I also rehabbed my tailgate key switch, and both switches work like new now.
Go through the tailgate motor, clean out, and get some fresh lithium grease in there.
Defroster wires are on the passenger side of rear glass, and common one will be broke. Mine was the ground, but not fixed as not needed in AZ right now, and have other wiring issues more needing fixed right now.

Same with the doors, go through and open up the motors and clean/grease, which should resolve those issues. BJs Offroad has seal kits for all the doors & glass, and most of what you need to get the rig back to good condition.

https://bjsoffroad.com/login.php

I replaced my factory mirrors as I needed larger ones for towing visibility. My OEM ones I have in a box in the garage.

AMP gauge replaced too. See my build thread, or others, as it is a common upgrade.

Oil leaks, back to my first comment, go through and snug up every bolt/screw you find. Check everything over so it is safe to drive, then start driving it. Get some miles on it slowly and close to home. As you put a few miles on it, get a feel for how it runs/drives/performs, before digging in too deep to "fix" something that might not be broken. It just needs some exercise, so everything can get used to working again, and many times you find some things will resolve by just driving it.

Issues directly related to engine or transmission, check here first through your own build thread or comment on others. If really technical, I consult on the AMC forum, which has been a ton of help with my 401 engine & 727 transmission.

https://theamcforum.com/FORUM/forums.html

[letank]

welcome, as for the ammeter :

viewtopic.php?t=16778

and the mirror switch, they usually are out of work and a pita to fix. Someone had a solution using 2 switches , one of each side from older jaguar.

[candymancan]

first thing id do is bypass the ammeter.. my 76 J10 when i got it running started smoking in the dash when i just had the key turned. seen a lot in junkyards all catch fire from the dash as well..

deff a 1st priority to me

[tgreese]

Re the fuel or temperature gauges, there is a flow chart for testing in the TSM. The TSM for '83 is a supplement to the '82 manual and is available from BJ's in a paper copy - https://bjsoffroad.com/1982-83-jeep-fac ... ce-manual/

I have a copy that I bought for myself, but most of the '82 TSM is online here https://oljeep.com/edge_parts_man.html - free to read and download.

TSM.png

The flow chart in section 1L uses a Jeep special tool ("tester") that's just a decade resistor box. You can buy something similar online, or buy individual resistors for a few cents that you can connect with clip leads.
https://www.amazon.com/Acxico-Resistanc ... B09F9LDMZ7

If you have an electronics store near you, you can buy the needed individual resistors for less than a dollar. Connect with clip leads (handy to have regardless)
https://www.amazon.com/Alligator-Electr ... ref=sr_1_3

[daryl2cb]

hmm, I have the test leads, but never saw that resistor box, I think that's a definite purchase.

Sounds like I am taking apart the dash next. Great info on the ground wire devildog, as my door switch on the driver side doesn't function either and I thought I saw the ground ties to that switch as well in a diagram some where. Great information to start thanks guys.

[devildog80]

Get your build thread started, get some pics coming of your rig, and we can all follow/help you there.

[will e]

Welcome from Phoenix!

[seventynine]

I’ve been posting a bunch of these old write ups buried on the IFSJA site lately. Good stuff there. Regarding the tailgate:

https://www.ifsja.org/tech/tailgate/tailgate.html

[daryl2cb]

The tailgate write up was great, I just printed it and am looking forward to working on getting it running properly with the switches. Luckily I got a spare tailgate with the truck, so I spent about 3 hours Sunday breaking it all down for painting and safely removing the wood moldings, so I now have a great understanding of how all of the things work inside and getting to the wiring/regulator bolts. The wiring harness was cut under the body some where, so its going to be a good visual, I will be able to use the sheath which goes through where the tail gate closes which is great cause mine is damaged. I think what I am going to do it just get this one painted and swap it out with the one I have which has a good sized ding up near the truck weather strips and possibly a bullet hole(lol). This way I can take the best parts between the two and get running. I suspect given what I have seen with taking apart the other gate, my ground connection is likely one issue inside the lower corner of the gate near the Wagoneer chromed trim.

Might as well grab the complete weather strip kit and address that at the same time from one of the vendors.

I did see a relay buried on the tail gate inner support structure, it this for the window motor, or the defrost system?

I have replaced a bottom window track on a 4 runner many years ago due to rust, Toyota used a rubber strip folded in half that seated on the bottom of the window track and the glass landed inside of this between the rubber and the window track, we used a rubber mallet to get this on, for those of you that have done this replacement, did you use the same methods? Did you apply any type of lubricant to get the window to land in the track? I didn't on the 4 runner as I thought this could cause it to pull out of the track possible on the down stroke. I would take any tips for sure in this area.

[letank]

Our tailgate glass used to have a rubber strip... but it was easier for the window shops to put a bead of whatever silicone that they have in their store... when I did my first channel it came with the rubber strip but it was hard to believe that you had to hammer the glass, also the earlier waggys , 74 for me, had thicker glass, the newer repair kit did not match the older glass thickness, and yes I used whatever filler needed to hold the glass in the channel