Look what followed me home!

AWD V8

Original poster
Member
Jan 12, 2015
463
Well there she be.


Not as easy as I thought to drop in. I had to unbolt the mount plates from the engine and poke them into the frame adapters, then lower the engine onto them, jiggle the engine around to reinstall the bolts.

Discovered that the DBW throttle body hits the hood.

I think I can trim the hood reinforcement to clear.

Now onward and upward.
 

AWD V8

Original poster
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Jan 12, 2015
463
So today I finished tacking my Y-pipe together.


The exhaust is pretty straightforward, 2-1/4" from the collectors to the Y-pipe and then 3" from there back. I'm installing a cutout for the track. Using a cheapo generic Walker muffler, nothing special - 35 bucks.

The right side is tight coming off the collector. I've got a 1/2" on either side of the pipe.


Scads of room on the left side. Good thing, I've got my fuel lines on that side.


Cross member was a breeze. I could have just used some box tubing and drilled a hole for the mount and welded it onto the Jeep cross member. I built a box to the dimensions I needed because I'm installing a driveshaft hoop.




So now I'm starting the wiring.
 

AWD V8

Original poster
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Jan 12, 2015
463
Got my cold air intake almost done. Box is built behind the left headlight. Just needs some paint and it's done.




The PCM is can be removed to quickly to check the status of the air filter.
 

AWD V8

Original poster
Member
Jan 12, 2015
463
Small update

I've been working on lots of little bits of this and that.

Welded my O2 bungs on my Y-pipe.
Welded my exhaust cutout in place.
Welded a flange on my muffler to attach to the Y-pipe
Plumbed in my engine oil primer. Pump and tubing mounted. Still needs to be wired to a switch.

Painted my CAI box.
New front shocks installed.
Line-lock plumbed but needs to be wired in.


Working on my shifter linkage now. I'm wanting to keep the stock Jeep console shifter so that requires a reworking of the linkage, from a 3 speed auto linkage to a 4 speed auto. I'll have to do some work with the geometry to get it right for the travel of the cable.

The weather has got so cold that my minimally insulated garage will not warm up to the point my old body is comfortable. My daily hit a curb when I was out on the ice, bent the front suspension so it's out of commission until I can clear the ice and snow in the driveway to get it into my shop. Have to wait till the weather warms up.
 

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
This weather sure puts a clamp on things doesn't it?
 

AWD V8

Original poster
Member
Jan 12, 2015
463
Yup, I'm a warm weather type of guy. In my youth I loved to go snowmobiling and skiing but not so much now. I prefer a hot chocolate in front of a fireplace on times like this.
 

AWD V8

Original poster
Member
Jan 12, 2015
463
Hi, I'm back!

I know it's been a while since I updated but "stuff" has happened. Snow, snow and more snow. Clearing the driveway over and over several times a week for months when I've got severe arthritis is not my idea of a good time! And the cold, even though my shop is heated, it doesn't do well when it's this cold, so I haven't spent much time on my project in the last couple of months. Weather has warmed up in the last week, so, on with the show...

I've been working on the fuel system, exhaust, and shifting.

Fuel system
This thing has been sitting for many years with a 1/3 tank of fuel in it. I pulled the fuel pump/sender out and looked inside, and what do I see?


And the pump and sender.


I never gave any thought to trying to restore the tank, bought a new one. The sender I tried to clean things up a bit, hoping to simply install a Walbro pump, but the gauge sender was so heavily gooped up with this stuff that looked like construction adhesive all over it, I bought a new pump/sender to install in the new tank. So the budget is taking another hit.

Installing a fuel reg and new lines leaving just the main steel line and return line. New tank installed with new flexible lines. The old rubber lines to the filter were real bad.








Exhaust is tight. This is the worse part of the swap. The headers are close to the block at the point where the exhaust is closest to the firewall and connects to the Y-pipe. In hindsight I'd cut the flanges off the headers and weld on an extension to drop the Y-pipe connection point lower. But it is what it is.




I'm using a cheapo muffler, no hotrod sound for me. Only 35 bucks!


But you don't see the exhaust cut-out I installed after this pic was taken, ha ha ha

With the close proximity of the fuel lines to the exhaust I fabbed up some heat shields, I'm really big on fire safety.

Cardboard template where the exhaust is closest. Will also protect the brake lines. It wraps right up the firewall and then turns at the top to protect more of the brake lines, fuel lines and the steering shaft universal.


Light gauge galvanized steel.




It's hard to tell at first, but that heat shield is double walled so I have an air space between the one side facing the exhaust and the other facing the fuel lines.


It's difficult to see from this perspective, but if you look between the header pipes and the steering shaft you can see the edge of the heat shield.


I'm also concerned about heat around the shift linage, plastic parts, and the plastic harness and wiring.


Fabbing a heat shield


So today I'm planning on completing the heat shield for the transmission harness and then install the Y-pipe. Then on to the FI wiring.
 

Capote

Supporting Donor
Member
Jul 14, 2014
24,227
Atlanta, GA
Such a cool build man, surprised I hadn't stumbled upon this sooner :crazy:
 
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Reprise

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Yep - it's one of the few threads I have an active 'watch' on.

I envy his fabrication / engineering skills. If mine were more developed, I'd have had a career somewhere in the automotive industry for sure, as much as I love cars... :hail:
 

AWD V8

Original poster
Member
Jan 12, 2015
463
Thanks guys

I'm not making the progress I'd hoped for. Over the winter it was too cold for my, then had to deal with medical issues. Now the weather has warmed up and I got a ton of "spring things" that need to be done, as well as finish this. April 7th our local track opens and I'd hoped that this would be track ready. I doubt I'll even had started it by then. Sa la vie
 

Reprise

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Jul 22, 2015
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Had no idea you were building this for track use. That makes it even more awesome (I used to track an S2000, and dream every so often about getting into Spec Miata - heresy in a domestic truck forum, I'm sure).

Good luck to you w/ the medical issues - it seems that most of us on this board tend to be getting up there in years, and the maladies are increasing with age :sadcry:
 

Capote

Supporting Donor
Member
Jul 14, 2014
24,227
Atlanta, GA
Thanks guys

I'm not making the progress I'd hoped for. Over the winter it was too cold for my, then had to deal with medical issues. Now the weather has warmed up and I got a ton of "spring things" that need to be done, as well as finish this. April 7th our local track opens and I'd hoped that this would be track ready. I doubt I'll even had started it by then. Sa la vie
Oh sweet this lil baddie is gonna be for the track? Wow, that'd be one heck of a sight. Make sure you film your runs at the track in the future when she's all set to go brother.
 

AWD V8

Original poster
Member
Jan 12, 2015
463
Yes it will see track time most Friday nights during the summer here, but it going to be a bit of a sleeper/daily. Of course when I'm feeling the need to be pampered I'll be driving my Envoy.
 
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AWD V8

Original poster
Member
Jan 12, 2015
463
Small update

Finally got back on it after addressing some priority stuff around here.

I was planning on moving onto the wiring after I buttoned up the Y-pipe. I had the Y-pipe and muffler fitted but did not fully tighten everything up. With the plan to fire it up after the wiring is far enough to get it running I had to tighten the exhaust. You can see how close the header collector flange is to the bell housing and firewall/floor, especially on the passenger side. I was only able to get one bolt in and fumbled with another and one not at all. It was so awkward that I pulled the header off and extended the down pipe to make the connection under the floor. It wasn't something I really wanted to redo, but I'm glad I did. The header still drops in just as easy, but now I just slip a band clamp over the joint and it's done.


The last 3 days I've been shortening the engine harness and rerouting wires. So far over 100 splices! The harness is considerably bulkier than I had thought, but I don't care, it's not a show car.
I fired it up tonight. Started right up like a DD should. The cheapo muffler sounds good! Deep purr.

I'll post up some pics later this week, maybe a video.
 

AWD V8

Original poster
Member
Jan 12, 2015
463
Shift linkage & shifter reworked for the 4 speed auto

Objective: to use the stock shift lever inside the Jeep, 3 speed shifter for 4 speed transmission. Keep the interior looking as stock as possible, no custom shifter. Also I'm too cheap to spend the money on a custom shifter.

I used the lever off the Jeep transmission and cut it down and temporarily tacked it to the GM transmission shift lever so I could figure the geometry. (no pic)

I cut down the Jeep shift cable support bracket to attach to a custom bracket I made for the 4L80


Drill mounting holes in it.


Then I attached the Jeep shifter cable to it. The Jeep cable will now attach to the GM transmission because I attached the Jeep lever to the GM lever.


I moved the shifter through the gears and made a few small corrections to the position of the Jeep lever to match the travel of the cable to the travel of the transmission shift lever. Once I had from Park to #1 gear over the span of the shifter travel I marked out the positions of the gears on the Jeep shifter detent so they would match the transmission detents.


I removed the shifter detent and reworked it so the detents matched my markings.


Reassembled the shifter detent.


Now the real cool part. :biggrin:

I took the console shift indicator apart, hot knife through the plastic assembly welds.



I put the shifter through the motions and marked where each gear position was.

I took the plastic piece that has the PRND31-2 and sanded off the paint so it was clear.

I have a family member who works in a sign/decal shop. I marked out the gear postions on the shift indicator in the console.


I gave him the tape marked piece and he made a new decal that replaced the old markings, so now I have the correct markings for a 4 speed auto.


Installed and backlit.
 

AWD V8

Original poster
Member
Jan 12, 2015
463
Update

I wanted to get this thing sitting on it's own wheels, sort of. I had the 8.8 chained up to the leaf springs so it would sit and roll around, but because the tires are so close to the leaf springs the rear end would shift and then it would not roll and it would also shift off center on my hoist if I let it rest on the wheels, so next time I lifted it I would need to remember to re-position my hoist arms, VERY important.

I got the spring perches removed, needs to be spring over now, not spring under.


Picked up some new perches from the spring shop. I set the axle on jack stands to replicate the ride height of the axle with the wheels on. Need to do this to set the pinion angle. I gently set the Cherokee down with the perches loose so I could shift the diff to get the wheels positioned left & right.


I measured from the caliper mount to the spring and adjusted so each side was equal.


With that done I crawled under and read the inclinometer on the transmission rail and duplicated the pinion angle by tilting the diff up or down. Once that was done I tacked the perches in place.

Measured up for my drive shaft to be shortened. I had an aluminum drive shaft from an Aerostar. Turns out the 8.8 in the Aerostar uses a different pinion flange. The opening for the pinion nut wasn't big enough, I had to have the shop supply an Explorer one. Also the slip yoke in the 4l80 uses too large a U-joint to be compatible with the Areostar drive shaft.

But I got it done.



Mocked up my shock mounts.



A couple of coats of paint now that it's all welded up.


So now to do the rear brakes and then back to wiring. Just need to wrap the loom up using Tesa tape. For those that do not know, Tesa tape is what the German auto manufacturers use. It's a fabric tape that is super super sticky, and the adhesive will not release with the under hood heat. It is super strong stuff. Very hard to find here. I had to order off eBay. 20 bucks for 4 rolls, 25 yards each.

Then need to integrate the LS harness into the Jeep's system, fuel pump, ignition, etc. Then it's drop the rad in, hoses and put the grill back on then then burn rubber!
 

AWD V8

Original poster
Member
Jan 12, 2015
463
8.8 rear end is installed. It went much quicker than I had thought.
Spring pads welded in place, shock mounts made and the whole works installed.

I got the engine harness cleaned up and wrapped with Tesa tape. What, you haven't heard of Tesa tape!
This is the best kept trade secret. Tesa brand tape is a cloth tape that is used by VW, BMW & MB on their engine harnesses. It forms itself very well as you wrap it. It sticks REALLY well and is very resistant to underhood temps. It does not relax with heat and release itself.


I've just got to mount my little swap fuse boxes and wire the engine harness into the Jeep's system.

Rear brakes are done. Just a good clean up and new pads.


The biggest relief was getting the rad & fan installed. I had fabbed something up but was not really feeling it was my best work. I didn't like how the rad was supported and the cooling fan didn't fit as nice as I had hoped.
I redid the lower rad support and used a piece of 1 x 2 tubing with some foam strips to support it.




The Taurus fan is a bit too long for the core so I cut it down.


Reworked the shroud and fabbed a support of the lower rad support.


Installed and looking purdy!


I've just got the rad wired on low right now. It still moves a lot of air. If I find out I need more cooling I can wire the high speed.

I've got 3/4" between the fan & the water pump pulley.

Here is a Youtube video with a quick look around on the rad & fan.

Hoses look straight forward. Spent a few minutes looking at the rad hoses on the wall, picked out 6 that I thought I could make work. 4 will and I just need one pipe to complete the system.

I can already smell the burning rubber!
 

Tiggerr

Member
Jun 6, 2013
1,324
Perrysburg, OH
8.8 rear end is installed. It went much quicker than I had thought.
Spring pads welded in place, shock mounts made and the whole works installed.

I got the engine harness cleaned up and wrapped with Tesa tape. What, you haven't heard of Tesa tape!
This is the best kept trade secret. Tesa brand tape is a cloth tape that is used by VW, BMW & MB on their engine harnesses. It forms itself very well as you wrap it. It sticks REALLY well and is very resistant to underhood temps. It does not relax with heat and release itself.


I've just got to mount my little swap fuse boxes and wire the engine harness into the Jeep's system.

Rear brakes are done. Just a good clean up and new pads.


The biggest relief was getting the rad & fan installed. I had fabbed something up but was not really feeling it was my best work. I didn't like how the rad was supported and the cooling fan didn't fit as nice as I had hoped.
I redid the lower rad support and used a piece of 1 x 2 tubing with some foam strips to support it.




The Taurus fan is a bit too long for the core so I cut it down.


Reworked the shroud and fabbed a support of the lower rad support.


Installed and looking purdy!


I've just got the rad wired on low right now. It still moves a lot of air. If I find out I need more cooling I can wire the high speed.

I've got 3/4" between the fan & the water pump pulley.

Here is a Youtube video with a quick look around on the rad & fan.

Hoses look straight forward. Spent a few minutes looking at the rad hoses on the wall, picked out 6 that I thought I could make work. 4 will and I just need one pipe to complete the system.

I can already smell the burning rubber!

You Sir are a fabricating fool!!
Damn I'd love to have your skills!
Nice work!!
Tesa tape rules btw!!
 

Capote

Supporting Donor
Member
Jul 14, 2014
24,227
Atlanta, GA
Man that is coming along quite well! I am definitely getting Tesa Tape by the way! I've been looking for something like that for a while to wrap all my wiring that isn't covered in conduit, just never knew it's name! Thanks:2thumbsup:
 

AWD V8

Original poster
Member
Jan 12, 2015
463
Thanks for the compliments. My wife would agree that I am a fabricating fool. Been that way all my life. I've got so many projects still in my head, I can't make them fast enough.
 
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Capote

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Jul 14, 2014
24,227
Atlanta, GA
Too bad you're in Canada man, would love to come take a look at that project in person and lend a hand.
 
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AWD V8

Original poster
Member
Jan 12, 2015
463
Just a quick teaser for you all.

I just got it running again after the VATS had locked up the PCM. This morning fired it up to bring it back into the shop, just couldn't resist a little play time.

 

AWD V8

Original poster
Member
Jan 12, 2015
463
Small update

Since disabling the VATS I've moved onto the cooling fan controls as I can now program the PCM to control them. I bought a couple of PICO relays and sockets. I used jumpers to temporarily make all the connections. I simulated the ground signals of the PCM and the relays operated the fans. I soldered and shrink tubed everything and started the engine. I was watching my scanner for the magic temp to arise but nothing happened. After it passed the required temp by several degrees I decided to investigate.

I've done many many relay installations, and so far on this I've not had one circuit that I've wired wrong.

I check the relays for and the PCM wires for ground, all was good. I pulled the low speed relay out and checked the socket connections for power & ground. The power in connection was dead. I checked the relay and it had fried itself. The 25 amp fuse was still good but the relay was toast, and it burned the socket connection.

I went and picked up some Hella relays and sockets, much better quality. Rewired the new relays and everything's a go. The fan on low cools the idling engine down from 93ºC to 89ºC in less than a minute. With the hood down the fan is hardly noticeable.

Now I've got just the speedo and tach left to wire up and I'm done under the hood.

I've got several little things to tidy up and it'll be ready for the road, maybe another couple of weeks.
 

AWD V8

Original poster
Member
Jan 12, 2015
463
Well folks, the first test drive happened today.

I took a short but not so discrete drive around the block this morning. Suffice to say the 225 Michelins cannot hold the power. From a rolling start in a straight line on clean pavement, rolling on the throttle produces much wheel spin, all the way through first, second and into 3rd. I DO have a video but I will not post it, I'm ashamed of my behavior. :shhh:

I've got a short list of things to do before it gets released on the public; gas gauge, tach & speedo and tidy up the wiring.

I'm hoping to have it ready for next Friday at our local track. I promise I WILL post a video.
 

Capote

Supporting Donor
Member
Jul 14, 2014
24,227
Atlanta, GA
Well folks, the first test drive happened today.

I took a short but not so discrete drive around the block this morning. Suffice to say the 225 Michelins cannot hold the power. From a rolling start in a straight line on clean pavement, rolling on the throttle produces much wheel spin, all the way through first, second and into 3rd. I DO have a video but I will not post it, I'm ashamed of my behavior. :shhh:

I've got a short list of things to do before it gets released on the public; gas gauge, tach & speedo and tidy up the wiring.

I'm hoping to have it ready for next Friday at our local track. I promise I WILL post a video.
I've enjoyed this thread quite a bit and would love to see the vid. Can you PM the link if you don't feel like posting it here? lol
 

AWD V8

Original poster
Member
Jan 12, 2015
463
You have been PM'd
The video looks kinda like I'm driving a boat, I discovered the dash cam was swinging! Ha ha
 
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AWD V8

Original poster
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Jan 12, 2015
463
So today I got a permit to drive it for the day.

The engine ran perfect all day, 30º+ C ambient. Cooling was not an issue at all. It runs between 89-94º, it was stop and go, the fan only came on a couple of times.

It runs strong, real strong. That 6.0 has been hauling around a 5000 lb work truck all its life until now. A 3400 lb feather weight is nothing for that engine. I accelerates so quick, and goes through the gears so quick that I'm in 4th by the time I'm across an intersection, and doing the speed limit with all the traffic far behind me.

The 4L80 shifts plenty firm, chirping tires in 3rd. I'm going to dial down the pressures because with this so much lighter I don't need the higher pressure to keep the transmission from slipping.

Not too pleased with the mount and header swap kit I bought. Besides being difficult to get the engine positioned properly in the mounts, the upper control arms on the front axle hit the mounts! On my first road test, when I hit a dip in the road, or hit the brakes hard after accelerating I would hear a metal to metal bang. So now I'll have to grind some of the underside of the mount to get more clearance. If I have to grind much more than a 1/4" I'll have to remove the mounts and refabricate them!

I'm still bummed out about my gauge cluster not working. After many hours online and hours on the phone, companies claiming that they could rework my gauges, when it came down to committing that they would work, they backed out. I refuse to spend $500 for aftermarket gauges, I want something that looks OEM. I'm considering adapting a Chevy Tahoe, 1999ish cluster. It is about the same dimensions and is already 100% compatible with the PCM.

So the plan is to get some things sorted out for this coming Friday in hopes I can make a few passes at the track.

Stay tuned.
 
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AWD V8

Original poster
Member
Jan 12, 2015
463
So it's been a while since I posted an update.
For the last few weeks I've been trying to wrap up some things in hopes of making it to the track. Now that I've got HP Tuners I feel like I'm going brain dead! So much so quickly. Everyone on the internet is an expert and none of them agree.

I logged a drive and my fuel trims were off the charts. I was advised not to take it to the track. :sadcry:

I spent the next 2 weeks trying to find out where my problem was. It turned out to be me. Seems everything I was doing was just me chasing my tail. I read that I could tune my VE table with the factory O2 sensors, but I wasn't able to get it right. I wasn't logging it right, or I was changing the wrong things, something was always messing me up.

Yesterday I got my wideband and today went for a drive in speed density mode, no MAF. My fuel trims are darn near perfect, so I would have been OK to take it to the track.

So today I'm going to tweak a couple of wee spots on the table and then see if it's worth my trouble to tune the MAF, or just leave it speed tuned.

As far as the cooling system I am very happy to report that surpassed my expectations. While tuning for the last couple of weeks the temps here have been in the low 30º C. The engine never got over 96º, the 2nd speed rad fan has not needed to run. Even running on the freeway at 2500 RPM the engine temp was only 94º on a hot day.

As far as taking it to the track, the next date for me is Aug 11th.
 

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
SD tuning I've heard is easier than MAF tuning.
 

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