Hardest Fix On Your XJ?

[Empty_Pockets]

crank position sender. even after you drop the transmission cross member and use 4-5 feet of extension. its only 2 bolts. ive been told by mechanics its all but impossible. only took me like 4-5 hours.

troubleshooting the renix 87-90 4.0 you have to back probe every sensor there is no check engine light no obd its all charts and diagrams

cracked manifold... they all do it just a matter of when. good solid weekend project to replace it.

the biggest problem of all is money. never enough. followed only by time.

Weekend project for a monifold? Thats like a 2-3hr job.

I would say that the first time I had to take my front hub bearing units off it was probably the most difficult thing I've had to do. those things were stuck fast. took much pb blaster, a 3 lb sledge, and a couple of chisels to get the thing off.

while I had it off, I sanded out the rust from the seat. now they come off easy.

There is a trick for the smaller axle shafts. Turn the wheel and wedge an extension between the backside of the unit bearing and axle housing, turn the wheel until the pop out.

I would have to say the t-case is a bit of a PIA in an auto, and the heater core sucks.

 

[Empty_Pockets]

I had a rear main seal that was stuck, absolutely would not move.... after about 6 hours of messing with it, i scrapped the motor.

Took a 5lb sledge to get the seal out of my all motor.

 

[Vanimal]

o2 sensor.

 

[rockclimber]

heater core...

 

[CAJJ93XJ]

yep. hands down the most aggravating to date was the heater core. leaf springs are always a pain

that and the time when my crank sensor, throttle sensor, a random fuse, and my fuel pump went bad all at once. it sent every code possible and I had to take it in to the mechanic. I spent an entire weekend trying to diagnose and throw parts at it. I never would have gotten it

 

[xj^REMY]

Aren't those damned stud/bolt stem things a party? I have been without heat for an entire year now because every time I look at it, I decide I'd rather go slam my hands in a door a few times... I have all the parts, including spare bolt stem things, I just really don't want anything to do with replacing the stupid heater core.

One of these days I'll probably get some motivation together and do the heater core, rhinoline my floors, put the carpet back in, patch the small rust hole in the rocker, and install my new-to-me rear shocks all at the same time. Until then, it's a ghetto ride.

Luckily only one of them decided to unscrew from the box, & it was one of the 2 easiest to access. I couldn't take not having heat anymore, especially those frosty mornings rushing to get to work.

GET IT DONE SLACKER! No, that does sound like a good amount of work all at once. I'd have to give myself a few weeks, cuz I'm an over-analytic, compulsive perfectionist.

Weekend project for a monifold? Thats like a 2-3hr job.



There is a trick for the smaller axle shafts. Turn the wheel and wedge an extension between the backside of the unit bearing and axle housing, turn the wheel until the pop out.

I would have to say the t-case is a bit of a PIA in an auto, and the heater core sucks.

sure, 2-3 hour job for your MONIFOLD, but a manifold on an XJ I think would take a little more. You talking about when the engine's in the jeep or on a stand?? Wanna do mine??

Turning the steering wheel with something wedged between the unit bearing & housing didnt work for me. I tried for a long time - soaking in penetrating spray for a few hours, nothing.. soaking some more + heating, nothing. I had to chisel little by little around the unit bearing

 

[IslanderOffRoad]

Hardest I thought was uca bushings while the axle is in the jeep

 

[Empty_Pockets]

Luckily only one of them decided to unscrew from the box, & it was one of the 2 easiest to access. I couldn't take not having heat anymore, especially those frosty mornings rushing to get to work.

GET IT DONE SLACKER! No, that does sound like a good amount of work all at once. I'd have to give myself a few weeks, cuz I'm an over-analytic, compulsive perfectionist.



sure, 2-3 hour job for your MONIFOLD, but a manifold on an XJ I think would take a little more. You talking about when the engine's in the jeep or on a stand?? Wanna do mine??

Turning the steering wheel with something wedged between the unit bearing & housing didnt work for me. I tried for a long time - soaking in penetrating spray for a few hours, nothing.. soaking some more + heating, nothing. I had to chisel little by little around the unit bearing

Excuse my spelling errors, I tend to not go back and double check it. I own an XJ...Its definitely not a weekend project at all, it really isnt difficult the most aggravating are the bolts towards the back of the motor but its all very doable with an extension and swivel. Second or third time you do one they aren't that hard Xj's are really simple there really isnt anything too difficult to do on them.
That bearing must have been really rusted up.

 

[Ecomike]

I am still looking for an oh so elusive Jeep Gremlin vaccine and patches for the holes in my bank account and wallet!!!

 

[xj^REMY]

Excuse my spelling errors, I tend to not go back and double check it. I own an XJ...Its definitely not a weekend project at all, it really isnt difficult the most aggravating are the bolts towards the back of the motor but its all very doable with an extension and swivel. Second or third time you do one they aren't that hard Xj's are really simple there really isnt anything too difficult to do on them.
That bearing must have been really rusted up.

XJ's are absolutely extremely easy to work on, I agree. I haven't done a manifold swap/repair, but I would assume it'd be a good weekend project, that's what I'm giving myself to patch mine. Then when I replace that junk, it'll take me 5-6 hours.

Yea, it was incredibly rusted. Not only on the mounting flange, but also on the splines. Twas a bish.

I am still looking for an oh so elusive Jeep Gremlin vaccine and patches for the holes in my bank account and wallet!!!

Yea, the engineers definitely over-looked that

 

[peuglow]

As I move along doing more and more repairs, each becomes slightly more manageable than the previous. It still takes me time, mostly because I'm figuring stuff out as I go (CPS was a 2.5hr, 2 session job bc I was aggrevated trying to get the new one on, getting the Alternator out was a 10 minute brain buster, and when I was finally tensioning the serpentine belt SNAP, the bolt broke)

So when guys say something is a 30 minute job, I at least double or triple that estimation, only because this is my first foray into mechanical work. Without this forum, I probably would have scrapped the XJ and moved on to a beater car :shocked:

 

[kastein]

I'd rather do an alternator on an XJ than a power steering pump on an 01 cadavalier.

God that sucked so bad.

It's actually not that hard to do XJ alternators - you want to pull the formed sheetmetal brace off the front of the alternator, though. If you try to leave it in place weaseling the stupid alternator out is a hell of a puzzle, if you take out the extra 2-3 nuts and bolts to get the front mounting brace off it is very easy. The worst part of doing those alternators IMO is those fiddly tiny little nuts for the field terminals, I always manage to break at least one of them so I always make sure I pull the replacement alternator first before tearing the DD apart.

 

[peuglow]

I ALMOST pulled that plate, but I didn't want to risk doing something stupid, or it not helping me at all. Got the old one out after a few minutes of thinking too hard. New one went in easier. It was all fun and games until that adjustment bolt snapped...

I'd rather do an alternator on an XJ than a power steering pump on an 01 cadavalier.

God that sucked so bad.

It's actually not that hard to do XJ alternators - you want to pull the formed sheetmetal brace off the front of the alternator, though. If you try to leave it in place weaseling the stupid alternator out is a hell of a puzzle, if you take out the extra 2-3 nuts and bolts to get the front mounting brace off it is very easy. The worst part of doing those alternators IMO is those fiddly tiny little nuts for the field terminals, I always manage to break at least one of them so I always make sure I pull the replacement alternator first before tearing the DD apart.

 

[kastein]

Luckily only one of them decided to unscrew from the box, & it was one of the 2 easiest to access. I couldn't take not having heat anymore, especially those frosty mornings rushing to get to work.

GET IT DONE SLACKER! No, that does sound like a good amount of work all at once. I'd have to give myself a few weeks, cuz I'm an over-analytic, compulsive perfectionist.

I am probably going to epoxy the studs in place on my heater box when I take it out.

Yeah, I want nothing to do with it till I do it all at once. I either drive hilariously hacked together disasters or perfectly built stuff, there is no in between. And the disasters are just to keep it rolling till I can do it right...

(everyone who has seen my jeep will now chime in and say NAME ONE THING YOU ACTUALLY DID RIGHT now)

 

[Crfrider]

I'd rather do an alternator on an XJ than a power steering pump on an 01 cadavalier.

God that sucked so bad.

It's actually not that hard to do XJ alternators - you want to pull the formed sheetmetal brace off the front of the alternator, though. If you try to leave it in place weaseling the stupid alternator out is a hell of a puzzle, if you take out the extra 2-3 nuts and bolts to get the front mounting brace off it is very easy. The worst part of doing those alternators IMO is those fiddly tiny little nuts for the field terminals, I always manage to break at least one of them so I always make sure I pull the replacement alternator first before tearing the DD apart.

As I move along doing more and more repairs, each becomes slightly more manageable than the previous. It still takes me time, mostly because I'm figuring stuff out as I go (CPS was a 2.5hr, 2 session job bc I was aggrevated trying to get the new one on, getting the Alternator out was a 10 minute brain buster, and when I was finally tensioning the serpentine belt SNAP, the bolt broke)

So when guys say something is a 30 minute job, I at least double or triple that estimation, only because this is my first foray into mechanical work. Without this forum, I probably would have scrapped the XJ and moved on to a beater car :shocked:

alternator was 2 min 2 bolts and it drops out the bottom??? we swapped em in under 5 minutes... including the tiem to set it up on the lift once i saw how easy i regretted putting it up...

 

[peuglow]

alternator was 2 min 2 bolts and it drops out the bottom??? we swapped em in under 5 minutes... including the tiem to set it up on the lift once i saw how easy i regretted putting it up...

No doubt I could do it MUCH quicker now. But this was my first time pulling one, so it was a lot of trying to figure out sizing for the rachet, and actually maneuvring it out of the car. Like I said, not a huge deal. And I'm not complaining, I'm just saying.

 

[Ecomike]

I am probably going to epoxy the studs in place on my heater box when I take it out.

Yeah, I want nothing to do with it till I do it all at once. I either drive hilariously hacked together disasters or perfectly built stuff, there is no in between. And the disasters are just to keep it rolling till I can do it right...

(everyone who has seen my jeep will now chime in and say NAME ONE THING YOU ACTUALLY DID RIGHT now)

Have you learned how to use those super heavy duty professional tools yet, called chewin gum and duct tape?

 

[Ecomike]

alternator was 2 min 2 bolts and it drops out the bottom??? we swapped em in under 5 minutes... including the tiem to set it up on the lift once i saw how easy i regretted putting it up...

LOL, it takes me two minutes just crawl under the jeep.:roflmao:

 

[kastein]

Have you learned how to use those super heavy duty professional tools yet, called chewin gum and duct tape?

:roflmao:

I don't know if chewing gum is the right application for this, I thought chewing gum and electrical tape was for the emergency radiator hose repair kit!

 

[Ecomike]

:roflmao:

I don't know if chewing gum is the right application for this, I thought chewing gum and electrical tape was for the emergency radiator hose repair kit!

The hardest repair is when your up the creek with out a paddle, full of alligators.

Like out in the middle of no where, no tools, no parts, just duct tape and chewin gum, if you are lucky!!!:laugh3: