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Engine swap, do anything else while its out?

iwannadie

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Gilbert, Az
I couldn’t find a simliar thread but sure they exist.

I am swapping my engine out for a stock Hesco motor and just trying to think of things I shod do while the engine is out...

97 auto 4x4
 
I have the brown dog mounts and engine side brackets. It all seemed pretty tight as it was not sure if the bigger alt would still clear but I will think about that.

Flex plate i was going back and fourth on. I was going to inspect mine and decide. I couldn’t find many brand options to pick from and couldn’t find a mopar part number.
 
Check your transmission breather hose situation. It should be on top of the bell housing to the passenger side a bit. If there's nothing there, put something there and run the hose up somewhere in the engine bay. I just did it myself.

Also, take your torque converter out. It's heavy and can damage your front pump seal in the transmission left to gravity. Make sure you put it back in properly. You should have to hold the nose on it and rotate it several times to get two noticeable clunks out of it. I recommend you also get some sort of flywheel stop device that will allow you to torque the flexplate to proper spec, and also keep it in place while the engine is mounted to the T-mission so you can properly torque the TC to the flexplate.

I made a vacuum T fit in there and capped off the other end with silicone cap. The rubbers will crack. This is an impossible location to reach unless you pull the engine or the transmission.

Something I did was route the CPS wiring down the driver's side of the transmission where I can easily unplug and remove it. The default location is routed behind the cylinder head somewhere. It's an inconvenient spot to reach.

Something else I did was pull the brake booster and give it a paint job. It had some paint wear and rust on the body. If you put it back in and it doesn't engage the brake light sensor from the pedal you can wrap the foot pedal with a few layers of hose to make the difference. I recommend you tighten the 4 bolts that pull the studs on the booster in an OCD here a little there a little fashion so it comes in nice and even so you con't have to worry about seating it unevenly. The fact that I hosed it means it might leak water now. :looney:
 
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Paint! Touch up that engine bay and firewall if needed. The undercarriage will also be more easy access now as well so take advantage. That rubber cover under the engine that everyone throws away is also very important. Replace it if it's missing or damaged. It makes a huge difference with reducing the possibility of severely stuck bolts that will need cutting under the hood.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
Check your transmission breather hose situation. It should be on top of the bell housing to the passenger side a bit. If there's nothing there, put something there and run the hose up somewhere in the engine bay.

Something I did was route the CPS wiring down the driver's side of the transmission where I can easily unplug and remove it. The default location is routed behind the cylinder head somewhere. It's an inconvenient spot to reach.

Besides running the transmission vent hose up front, the transfer case and rear axle vent lines can also be be run to the front.
I terminated them on the passenger side to clean up the driver's side of the engine bay.
I re-routed the wires and emission hoses, over the top of the transmission, to allow better access to the CPS.

I'm in the middle of installing a stroker. Just about everything in the engine bay that has a bearing is getting rebuilt or replaced.
This includes the 17 year old fan housing bearing, a part that is impossible to find while on the road. While it still rotate smoothly, it felt dry.
The A/C's clutch bearing was noisy and was replaced.

This is a great time to clean up the electrical or to add electrical items.
My 2001's injector plugs were brittle and braking, due to heat and age.
It was nice to sit in the freshly cleaned engine while splicing in the new injector plugs, instead of bending over the fender.

With the front clip and radiator removed, its a good time to upgrade the headlight wiring and to add a transmission and/or steering cooler.
 
Besides running the transmission vent hose up front, the transfer case and rear axle vent lines can also be be run to the front.
I terminated them on the passenger side to clean up the driver's side of the engine bay.
I re-routed the wires and emission hoses, over the top of the transmission, to allow better access to the CPS.

I'm in the middle of installing a stroker. Just about everything in the engine bay that has a bearing is getting rebuilt or replaced.
This includes the 17 year old fan housing bearing, a part that is impossible to find while on the road. While it still rotate smoothly, it felt dry.
The A/C's clutch bearing was noisy and was replaced.

This is a great time to clean up the electrical or to add electrical items.
My 2001's injector plugs were brittle and braking, due to heat and age.
It was nice to sit in the freshly cleaned engine while splicing in the new injector plugs, instead of bending over the fender.

With the front clip and radiator removed, its a good time to upgrade the headlight wiring and to add a transmission and/or steering cooler.

I'll tell you how to stop brittle aging parts in 2000 and 2001 models, as well as eliminate the heat soak issue. Get rid of the pre-cats. I just did that this week. Legal or not it wasn't done with previous models and the only reason to do that would be to cause more problems. Putting the hottest part of the vehicle beside the engine in the engine bay? They must have needed sales in the service department badly.
 
Now would also be a great time to inspect every single vacuum hose and replace them. the ones that extend to the passenger side behind the engine via the plastic lines. They can become brittle and crack. I had one crack and replaced it with a section of sturdy hose.
 
I'll tell you how to stop brittle aging parts in 2000 and 2001 models, as well as eliminate the heat soak issue. Get rid of the pre-cats. I just did that this week. Legal or not it wasn't done with previous models and the only reason to do that would be to cause more problems.

Nice idea but it's a street legal vehicle and I live in a state that requires bi-annual smog testing.
Removing the mini-cats is illegal and I don't have much of a choice.
The 2000-2001s had a higher emission standard to meet than previous models.

It really wasn't to hard to splice in a new set of injector plugs.
 
I'll tell you how to stop brittle aging parts in 2000 and 2001 models, as well as eliminate the heat soak issue. Get rid of the pre-cats. I just did that this week. Legal or not it wasn't done with previous models and the only reason to do that would be to cause more problems. Putting the hottest part of the vehicle beside the engine in the engine bay? They must have needed sales in the service department badly.

That only applies to "Cali Emissions", the "Fed Compliant" ones do not have pre-cats.
 
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