New member in PNW - 1985 J20 survivor

[DarkMonohue]

So...that Performer manifold isn't going to do much good without a carburetor. Good timing, apparently, since there suddenly seems to be some dirt in the existing carb's idle circuit. It's acting just like it has a vacuum leak, but I can't find one anywhere.

Anyway, here are a couple of semi-local candidates:

http://eugene.craigslist.org/pts/3978495413.html
http://corvallis.craigslist.org/pts/4005932947.html
http://medford.craigslist.org/pts/3944063461.html

I am just getting started researching these things. Really, I was hoping to go directly to MegaSquirt (I've had it on another car I own for years) but may get cheap and stay carbureted. The Holley 4010 (or Autolite 4100) looks to have a small but loyal following, but the Holley 4180 may be more adjustable and tuneable. That's fine with me. Complication for its own sake is no advantage, but being able to really tweak the fuel curve and dial everything in just right is appealing.

I should probably clean that Performer up and sell/trade it for an EGR version so I can keep that system functional.

[GentleRF]

I would opt for a TBI MegaSquirt setup for the tune ability you desire.

Rick in East Bremerton

[DarkMonohue]

I would opt for a TBI MegaSquirt setup for the tune ability you desire.

I am definitely leaning toward MegaSquirt and TBI. Carbs are sounding less and less attractive. I know they can be very good if set up right, but it just makes sense to use EFI if it's feasible.

Anyway, speaking of fuel, I replaced the underhood fuel filter (along with some fuel hose and a few other things) a week or so back, and got under the truck after work today and replaced more fuel hose and another inline filter right off the gas tank. I'm guessing this filter was installed when the auxiliary tanks were put in. The filter was so clogged I couldn't blow through it. The new filter seems to have cured the fuel starvation. I gave it a WOT test on a freeway on-ramp with an uphill grade, and the truck pulled all the way up to and through the speed limit with no indication of trouble. I'm not saying it's fast, but at least it doesn't lay down and die after a few seconds of open throttle.

[DarkMonohue]

Not a lot to report lately. The old beast has been slogging back and forth to work, knocking down almost 11 miles per gallon and pushing a lot of oil out through the rear main seal. So it's parked for a bit while I negotiate the next round of repairs.

I was supposed to have a new Warn hub inbound from down in Coos Bay, but the seller just cashed the check and then stopped answering his phone. Cops say it's a civil matter if I want to open a case for the grand sum of $37. Maybe his grandma took ill, maybe he got laid up in the hospital, but a little communication would be nice. Just irritating as all hell...

Anyway, a buddy of mine finally collected the springs I bought from pcoplin last summer (thanks Paul!) and should be bringing them to me next weekend. So in lieu of actually accomplishing anything, I roughed out a very (!) crude pic of before and after the install. Marvel at my astounding Photoshop skills!

Stock sits like so:



The new springs should put it right about here:



So...there we are. Now to figure out what shocks I want and all that mess.

[HowardT64]

Nice truck

[DarkMonohue]

It's been a while since my last update. Not much has changed other than a prodigious oil leak, apparently out of the rear main seal, and a few little details. The truck is still running strong and asking little.

Heat and defrost have never been great. I tried a new thermostat, a 195*F Stant Superstat, thinking that my existing piece might be a 180* unit. It was actually the original Robertshaw 195* thermostat complete with AMC part number. It actually worked a lot better than the Stant junk, so it will go back in after I find time to do a chemical flush of the cooling system. In the process, I cracked the t-stat housing, but had an extra cast iron part sitting around. Got lucky there.

Last weekend I visited one of the local pick-and-pull wrecking yards and found a total of one FSJ, a lonely and picked-over '83 Wagoneer. It gave me a few goodies: two door speaker grilles and one door speaker bracket, a digital clock, and factory intermittent wiper switch and module. I took them to work today (all my tools are there) and verified that the clock works. I didn't have time to wire that in, but I did get the wiper switch and module installed after work. It works as it should, so I can get rid of the very tacky aftermarket intermittent wiper controller that was hanging out of the ashtray hole. As a bonus, the windshield washers work now as well. Score!

Oh, and the driver's side windshield wiper has always chattered badly on the upstroke, so I twisted the wiper arm with two Crescent wrenches so that the wiper rubber is dragged along the glass rather than pushed across it. Now the wipers work smoothly in both directions. Of course, as soon as I fixed it, it stopped raining...

[DarkMonohue]

Time for a little update. Nothing exciting. Truck started running fluffy on tip-in last week. It idled fine, but as soon as the throttle was opened a little, it fell down. Ran great if I gave it a boot full of dinosaurs or backed out completely.

OK, so that's an easy one to diagnose. Debris in one of the idle circuits playing hell with transition. Again. Sure enough, here's what the float bowl looked like:




With that much aquarium gravel I almost expected to find a family of sea monkeys swimming around. Luckily we have a vacuum-style brake bleeder at work, which worked well to slurp all that crap out of the float bowl. Several alternating shots of elbow grease, carb cleaner, and compressed air got it to looking suchaways:



And now it runs like it did before. Again.

Also, now wearing an argent muscle grille from HOOT. Much better. No pics of that yet.

[jstephens2]

I enjoyed reading you strand, I just picked up an 1986 J20. I have a feeling I'll be going through a lot of the same stuff you have done. The vacuum hoses seem to be an issue, some missing, some falling off; but it still runs, it just idols low.

[DarkMonohue]

Shortly after the last update, our beloved Grand Cherokee had an untimely off. I briefly considered swapping its Magnum 5.2/46RH into the J20 but ended up finding a buyer for the whole vehicle and the new owner dragged it off yesterday afternoon. It was sad watching it go. Still, I've seen others structure their lives around the ownership of undriveable vehicles, paying for storage year after year, dragging them around, and it's not something I want any part of. So it's gone now.

Since I was at the shop, I finally got the front pads and rotors replaced yesterday. The front wheel bearing grease looked like it was old enough to vote. Washed that out, repacked the bearings, painted the front hubs, slid it all back together.

Halfway through the operation the water pump puked all over the floor.