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This won’t be much of a “Build” thread but more a “repair” thread. I will use it to help me track my progress and ask all of you questions.
So back in 2016 I sold my 76 Wagoneer to help pay for our wedding. My wife and I instantly regretting selling and Since then we have been looking another one. About 2 months ago we got serious about getting one and the search started. We ended up getting a good deal (I think) on an 86 Grand Wagoneer. Body is decent with no signs of bondo. It was repainted silver from its original charcoal color. the interior is decent. Back seat has no rips but both front seats have had better days. Headliner is there but is warped from water coming in from roof rack holes. This is meant to be a project that I can do with my 2 younger boys and hopefully have it ready for my oldest first car in 8 years
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Last edited by bbuenger71 on Sun Oct 20, 2019 6:11 pm, edited 2 times in total.
For my day job I’m a store manager for a tire and service center so naturally the first thing that needed to get done was some fresh rubber! It has an unknown brand 4 inch
(I think) lift on it so there is plenty of room for tire. It had the stock 235/75R15 tire size in it when I got it. I decided to go with a 265/75R15 Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S. We have this tire on our 2018 Tacoma and I really liked how it performed. So literally 12 hours after purchasing it I had some new tires on it.
I wasn’t in love... I needed more beef. I drove around for 2 weeks on these and they were quiet and comfy but it just didn’t look the way I imagined it. I toyed around with the idea of a 33” but they would rub and balloon too much with stock rims. Here is a 33” coopers I had laying around I used for mock up. I put them on the stocks from my 76 Waggy.
I ultimately ended up going with a 31x10.50x15 Cooper Evolution M/T and am very happy with the outcome.
First day I had it Changed the engine oil/filter, replaced front brake pads, rear wheel cylinders, brake fluid, front and a rear diff fluid and put new rear shocks in. The previous owner didn’t change out the shocks when he lifted it so the rear shocks were constantly maxed out. I installed some Rancho RS5000x. I still need to do the front.
I plan on doing a major tune up next and replacing some leaking gaskets. It has edelbrock headers and they leak so bad. Bought some Remflex gaskets and plan on replacing them when I do a tune up. My local Napa store was nice enough to comp me all the parts required for a TFI ignition upgrade so I’ll be doing that in the next couple weeks.
Hopefully I’ll get it fairly mechanically sound and be able to start on more cosmetic stuff early next year.
letank wrote:looking good, for the exhaust manifold I use the copper from mr gasket MRG7174 because it is not as thick and easier to handle
Thank you. I got the remflex because they’re thicker and will seal better when compressed. Exhaust leaks are one of those things that drives me crazy so I wanna make sure those headers seal up.
Did a little bit of wiring repair yesterday. All of my accessory back lighting was out with the exception of the 3 lights on top of the cluster. Checked fuses and they all were good. Did a power test and I was getting no power to the 4 amp fuse for the accessory lights. Pulled the cluster and found someone had hacked up some wiring. They cut the wire from the fuse block and ran the 3 cluster lights directly to the dimmer switch. Glad I fount it because the wiring was just twisted together and wrapped in take. I power probed everything to make sure it worked and all went well. Repaired wiring with correct solder and shrink tubing. Nothing has popped a fuse yet so I’m not sure why the PO did that bypass... Fortunately that was the only wiring that looked jacked under the dash.
Pulled the air pump and air injection system off today. Can’t wait to clean up the engine bay more. Going to be removing most of the smog junk and get back to basics with the engine.
Since my last update... I replaced valve cover gaskets and header gaskets. Most of the bolts were on hand tight which explains most of the leaks. While I was doing the gaskets I took advantage of the open space and replaced spark plugs, wires and installed the TFI cap and coil. I also removed pretty much all smog equipment. The engine has been running a bit rough so I wanted to get down to basics and get the engine tuned right and then start rebuilding the smog system. Started up and idled like a dream after the full tune up. Couldn’t be happier! Well there is still an exhaust leak on the passenger side but I think that’s from that exhaust valve. I just need to have a new Y pipe made to eliminate that piece. Oh and I followed the TFI write up on grimmjeeper.com
You need to realign that fuel hose to the carb and the return at 12 o'clock, that may help stumbling
Thank you. Not stumbling anymore at the moment but if something’s not right I definitely want to make it right. Do you have a picture of the proper way the line should be? For reference.
bbuenger71 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 04, 2019 7:21 pm
Do you have a picture of the proper way the line should be? For reference.
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it is like yours, but you need to lift up the filter a tad away from the valve cover, I guess from the carb give it a little tweak, the first pict is the OEM style
Michel
74 wag (349 Kmiles... parked, next step is a rust free body)
85 Gwag (229 Kmiles... the running test lab)
The post with the timestamp 10-30-2013, 09:12 AM in this thread from https://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f8/cj7- ... g-1737618/ ...shows the correct orientation of the stock fuel filter type that uses a return line. The return outlet is at 12 o'clock and the filter is more or less horizontal.
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.
