Jeep Rant

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dusterglenn

dusterglenn

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Location
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I just have to rant.
I've got an 89 Jeep YJ that I've been working on for a few months. Every time I fix something, I find something worse that the previous owner tried to "repair". Someday, I'd like to meet the hero who "built" this Jeep.
Here's the worst part. I've been searching the Jeep forums looking for advice on common issues. Rather than techinical responses, I seem to find answers like "those never work", "they're all like that", "it's a Jeep thing", "who needs a ... ", etc.
I guess I'm just not going to cut it as a Jeep owner. I take more pride in fixing things, rather than breaking them, and I like everything to work on my vehicles.
 
what exactly are you having issues with? i am somewhat jeep knowledgable and there are a few others here. i love my XJ cherokees
 

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dusterglenn: that sucks. A lot of people hate the YJs but I don't understand why...They're just CJ7s with a few updates and less rust-prone sheetmetal. :)

Stick with it. All of those problems you're having are solvable. What sort of stuff are you running in to?
 
(what exactly are you having issues with? i am somewhat jeep knowledgable and there are a few others here. i love my XJ cherokees)
X2,

Done a couple of full on resto's,....Sounds like the biggest problem your having is that some hacks got to yer YJ before you did,...seems like every new CJ/YJ owner thinks they're professional wrenches, cause these things will run with bubble gum and bailing wire,.,...
 
It's nothing I can't get past, but the previous "repairs" see to make my life tougher than it needs to be.
My latest challenge is a whistling vacuum leak. Seems to be at the carb base/adapter. Should be an hour job, even with a beer in hand, right? Well, I'm at three days, and counting. So far I've found: studs & nuts that don't quite fit the carb adapter, stripped manifold threads, buggered up adapter bolts that were uber-mega-tight-enough to warp the adapter & twist my 5/32 allen socket, and a homemade gasket that looks like it was made by blind man with lefthanded kindergarten scissors.
Venting about it has made me feel a little better, if nothing else.
 
My messagebord complaint was to do with gas gauge problems. The general response on the Jeep forums was: they don't work, they're un-fixable, just carry a jerry can, just fill up every 200 miles, etc.
If I posted here that my Duster gauge didn't work, I'd probably get a half dozen good suggestions on how to troubleshoot, where to start looking, what the common failures & fixes are. Not be told to give up and live with it
I guess I'm spoiled. Between this board, and my favorite guitar messageboard, I'm just used to getting helpful technical advise from adults.
 
That was pretty descriptive, (and funny) left handed kinergarten scissors:D

Did you know you can use a peice of garden hose like a sniffer to find vac leaks?
One end to your ear and hunt with the other.
My brother and I found his vac leak that way and it was up under the lip of the metal just in front of the winshield but you couldn't see it.



dusterglenn said:
It's nothing I can't get past, but the previous "repairs" see to make my life tougher than it needs to be.
My latest challenge is a whistling vacuum leak. Seems to be at the carb base/adapter. Should be an hour job, even with a beer in hand, right? Well, I'm at three days, and counting. So far I've found: studs & nuts that don't quite fit the carb adapter, stripped manifold threads, buggered up adapter bolts that were uber-mega-tight-enough to warp the adapter & twist my 5/32 allen socket, and a homemade gasket that looks like it was made by blind man with lefthanded kindergarten scissors.
Venting about it has made me feel a little better, if nothing else.
Click to expand...
 
I've owned a 73 Jeep Commando rockcrawler w/ a 401. Most Jeep guys either don't know and parrot "It's a Jeep thing" or something alike not to let you know they are ignorant of actual mechanics. Then you find an actual mechanic who can guide you. My gas gauge problems have always been...Gauge, sending unit, ground, or short. Thats the easy part. Lost my storage, sent the jeep to the scrap yard but kept my 401...looking for an AMX to drop it into. =)
 
TrailBeast said:
That was pretty descriptive, (and funny) left handed kinergarten scissors:D

Did you know you can use a peice of garden hose like a sniffer to find vac leaks?
One end to your ear and hunt with the other.
My brother and I found his vac leak that way and it was up under the lip of the metal just in front of the winshield but you couldn't see it.
Click to expand...

Doesn't even need to be that big. A scrap length of 5/16 or 3/8 fuel line works, too. Exhaust, vacuum leaks, engine noises of all sorts
 
I to have had several jeeps but older wagoneers 76 and 74 loved them both my hardest thing was telling my self to just replace all and i mean all vacuum and rubber lines.It was well worth it and never looked back.
 
My descriptiveness was based on a deliberate effort to keep the profanity to an acceptable level.
Jeepforum.com is good, but nowhere near the tech-savvy I've gotten used to around here. There was a post there a while back titled: "HELP! I've never seen a carburator before!"
 
This forum is very special and can't be compared to most others, especialy 4WD sites. Check out Pirate4x4 sometime.... Those kids are brutal, lol.

I'd be happy to help you out and love my XJ too.
 

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My 200k mile 96 zj has a few problem with the wiring and the AC doesn't work but I live with it. The 5.2 still runs great and I love it. It just seems that a lot of people work on jeep that should never touch a car. My zj's previous owner was one of "those guys".
 
Thanks for the encouragement guys. I've got lots done so far, and it's totally worth it on the days when the weather cooperates, and I can get out with the top off.

It's going to take a while yet, but I should be rid of all the zap straps, butt connectors, bailing wire, wood screws and homemade vacuum caps before too long. I think I've got things to the point where it's actually safe and street legal, unlike the day I drove it home. Still need a few refinements to make it usable by non-carguys...
 
dusterglenn said:
My descriptiveness was based on a deliberate effort to keep the profanity to an acceptable level.
Jeepforum.com is good, but nowhere near the tech-savvy I've gotten used to around here. There was a post there a while back titled: "HELP! I've never seen a carburator before!"
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear you're not getting the help you need on JF. Unfortunately it seems that many of the really tech savvy YJ guys have bought newer rigs, there are a few of us around willing to help as much as we can. ANY electrical questions talk to Que, mechanical ask Mean Max (those are the two I go to when I can't figure it out). Pretty much anyone in the "wrecking crew" will provide you good info or at least point you in the right direction. A big problem is we're being inundated over there with a slew of 16 - 22 year olds that KNOW everything. :violent1:

Funny my first post here is about another forum that I'm active on, so far just reading as much as I can over here.
 
I just spent a month fixing a 92 YJ that some tard had cut the accessory gauge harness out of. Then they tried reconnecting the wires by randomly twisting the wires together. Had to replace every sensor including the fuel sender. Oh what fun. Don't buy the FSM in book form. Get the CD version. You'll save 70 bucks right there. If you have a Haynes or Chilton book. Take them with you the next time you're on a speed run in the Duster and huck them out the window at about 100. You'll feel better.
 
Although I am a member at jeepforum, I haven't spent quite enough time there to figure out who's who. Like any other forum, it takes a while to get a feel for who really knows what they're talking about, and who's just racking up their post count. I have found a wealth of good general info. I just haven't done as well when I've tried searching for specific answers. Nobody want's to be "that guy" asking all the same old questions, just to be told to use the search button, right?
 
67Dart273 said:
Doesn't even need to be that big. A scrap length of 5/16 or 3/8 fuel line works, too. Exhaust, vacuum leaks, engine noises of all sorts
Click to expand...

A cheap stethoscope at the second-hand store with the end cut off works well too, or you could just buy the the $4 one at HF http://www.harborfreight.com/mechanics-stethoscope-41966.html

I've used the fuel line trick when in a bind, but I find I prefer using a mechanic's stethoscope to rule out background noise and get a better sound.


My brother ran his 94' JGC with the 5.2 in it for over 3 months without any oil before his wife took it in the divorce. Couldn't kill that engine, but the rest of truck was junk.
 
Damn. Sounds like we need a jeep section here. :)


My old 87 wrangler. Put a t18 trams and 4.10 gear in it.
img029.jpg



My 72 cj5. Had a jeep 360 and a 3speed in it. Man that thing was fast.

img031.jpg


My boys 97 Cherokee that I'm messing with now.

DSCN6914.jpg
 
I had a 1990 YJ 5spb 6cyl I spent more time & $$$ keeping that thing running. If it wasnt for the 4x4 ability & the removable top & doors I would have junked it I even went as far as converting to fuel inj. from mopar The best jeep I ever got was 2003 TJ I purchased new & had it for 8 yrs ( sold last Nov. ) old jeeps take constant work to keep running
 
Here's a couple of pics of the vehicle in question.
 

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