Newby seeks recommendations:

[Rambler100]

Just starting to fix up a 1995 4.0 HO, 155,000miles, 5sp 4wheel manual, pretty bare, all stardard stuff. Any reccommendations on which service manual and any order of priorities while I get up to speed learning what I have?
I'd like to take care of impending maintenence first with an eye towards improvements. A daily driver for now but want to move it towards light offroad and some towing.
Appreciate any input and pointing me towards sources I can learn about this jeep. Really like the feel of it. Reminds me of my old 61 Rambler Classic.
Thanks

 

[Yucca-Man]

Which service manual? There's only one: The Factory Service Manual (FSM), available on ebay or hopefully through www.techauthority.com; it's not cheap but it's model-year specific and worth the money. Available in CD or paperback formats.

Order of priority: Change all the fluids. Diffs, radiator (and overflow bottle), power steering, bleed brakes, oil, tranny, and t-case should all be changed out. Give it a good tuneup, with new fuel filter, plugs, and other sundry filters. You can use a 1-quart oil filter in place of the small 1/2-quart stock one.

Jim

 

[red91]

also a total bath and scrub, and degreasing.

a total detail job is a good thing. You take pictures of it after its done so it's easier to recognize the rash later.

 

[Kejtar]

Any reccommendations on which service manual and any order of priorities while I get up to speed learning what I have?
I'd like to take care of impending maintenence first with an eye towards improvements. A daily driver for now but want to move it towards light offroad and some towing.

Your jeeps sounds similar to what my dad just picked up. The day after he got it home I went and got:
water pump, tstat+gasket, belt, cap+rotor, plugs, wires, rear main and oil pan gasket (it's leaking BADLY), valve cover vent gromets and vents, fuel filter.
Also, don't forget to do all the oils (btw manual transmission requires a gl3 75-90 weight gear oil available at jeep dealerships only: it's labeled AX15 or manual gear lube).

I figure that with a vehicle that old, I might as well go ahead and replace all that. I would also go through the brakes, but I am looking into getting some axles from the junkyard so that it can have deeper gearing (if you're not planning on doing anything to axles soon, do the BRAKES: you never know what condition they're in).

If you planning on towing and doing light offroad, consider swapping in some axles from either an automatic to gain 3.55 gearing, or look for a tow package one with 3.73 gears, or hope for finding a 2.5l manual with 4.11's. The cost of the axle that's already geared will be a fraction of what regearing would cost you.

 

[Matthew Currie]

Sounds just like mine. Despite the tall gears, this will tow a light trailer just fine, and can handle any off-road experience that doesn't require a lift anyway with good style as long as you put it in low range. I can take my beat-down box stock XJ down rock-strewn state forest roads that are bedecked with scraped rocks, pieces of undercarriage, bumpers, and other signs of stuckness, without even breathing hard.

By all means get the factory manual, but beware of one thing here: the original manuals specified the WRONG lubricant for your transmission. If you are going to change the tranny oil, DO NOT use plain old GL-5 Dino oil, or it will be pi55ing pieces of sychros. Either hunt down a GL-3 oil, or a good non-sulphured synthetic. I have had very good luck with Valvoline synthetic lube, even though it is GL5 spec (250 thousand miles and it's quieter and shifts better than when I got it at 110).

Now is the time to get down underneath and check very carefully for rusty floors. If the process is starting to be visible, consider the tedious but rewarding processs of removing all the seats, console and carpets, and treating both sides of the floor. If you're in VA, this may not be such a problem, but the sooner you catch it, the less you'll have to worry later about the vast expanses of missing floor that plague us Yankee Jeepers.

 

[Rambler100]

a big thankyou to everyone. I'm off to a good start and really appreciate this forum.
Thanks,