Most posts relate to problems so I thought I would share some positive news instead. First, a sincere THANKS!!! to those of you who responded to my posts and those of you who posted fabulous "how to" threads on everything from "how to fix your door locks" to "how to adjust a TPS".
Background
A couple of months ago I bought a 1990 XJ that wasn't running and (I was told) had shifting issues. The paint was oxidized, the engine had 195K and was looking pretty tired, the undercarriage was mud caked and every crevice was filled with dirt, the window/door trim was shot and the some of the electronics wouldn't work (1 window regulator was dead, door locks would click but wouldn't lock/unlock, overhead console didn't work and the radio was shot) and the interior needed a serious cleaning. Further, the trim on the front doors had fallen off and the fenders/bumpers were pretty beat.
Despite all this, I saw potential. The body was pretty straight, it was an Auto with 4WD and the Renix 4.0L (I would have prefered a manual but you can't be too picky) and all the parts were there. The front windshield was cracked but the rest of the glass seemed ok. Tires were in pretty good condition. Last, the vehicle had ties back to the original owner and had remained in one family for it's whole life so the previous owner was able to describe a reasonable service history behind it.
Now for the good news. I wet sanded the entire vehicle and got a reasonable shine back. After many trips to:
- the local Pick-your-Part" (wheel well liners, replacement drivers seat, replacement dash cover and numerous bolts etc.),
- O'Reillys (new brakes rotors pads and drums/shoes and a bunch of new sensors, water pump, battery as well as a top end rebuild kit)
some online purchases from
- Quadratec and Morris. (Window/door seals, new door handles, new fenders, bumper caps etc)
- eBay (radio, rebuilt injectors, new master cylinder)
The beast is now officially back on the road.
Issues resolved
- fixed the loose hose between the fuel pump and the outlet port (this was what caused the "no start" issue)
-backyard rebuild on the head with a full cleaning on the entire top end and addition of new valve seals greatly helped achieve a great emissions result
- fixed multiple vacuum leaks including those on the front differential and now the heater and all 4WD modes work perfectly
- new water pump and belt helped resolve the "marbles" noise and overheating issues
- cleaned all grounds (and fixed two broken grounds) which appears to have fixed the transmission problems because it shifts smoothly through all gears.
- new rotors and pads on the front, turned the drums on the rear and then replaced the factory booster/MC with one from a '96 Grand Cherokee so it stops on a dime and gives change.
- Interior was scrubbed clean and all electronics fixed (everything now works properly)
- I removed the remaining body trim and sanded/painted the bottom section in a flat black (like the "Sport" edition had) and through all this confirmed that the beast has absolutely no rust.
- the last step before inspection was to replace the windshield (4 hours ago)
The engine now fires up as if it were new (150psi per cylinder on a compression test) and passed safety and emissions with flying colors. In fact, on most criteria it is less than 20% of the maximum allowable emissions.
I am a little over my "all in" budget ($2663.37 actual cost including the XJ itself on a budget of $2500) but am pretty close when I remove the maintenance items like oil change, taxes etc.
Below are some pics. I am ecstatic with the result! Thanks again to the forum members for the insights you shared to help me get to this point!!
Background
A couple of months ago I bought a 1990 XJ that wasn't running and (I was told) had shifting issues. The paint was oxidized, the engine had 195K and was looking pretty tired, the undercarriage was mud caked and every crevice was filled with dirt, the window/door trim was shot and the some of the electronics wouldn't work (1 window regulator was dead, door locks would click but wouldn't lock/unlock, overhead console didn't work and the radio was shot) and the interior needed a serious cleaning. Further, the trim on the front doors had fallen off and the fenders/bumpers were pretty beat.
Despite all this, I saw potential. The body was pretty straight, it was an Auto with 4WD and the Renix 4.0L (I would have prefered a manual but you can't be too picky) and all the parts were there. The front windshield was cracked but the rest of the glass seemed ok. Tires were in pretty good condition. Last, the vehicle had ties back to the original owner and had remained in one family for it's whole life so the previous owner was able to describe a reasonable service history behind it.
Now for the good news. I wet sanded the entire vehicle and got a reasonable shine back. After many trips to:
- the local Pick-your-Part" (wheel well liners, replacement drivers seat, replacement dash cover and numerous bolts etc.),
- O'Reillys (new brakes rotors pads and drums/shoes and a bunch of new sensors, water pump, battery as well as a top end rebuild kit)
some online purchases from
- Quadratec and Morris. (Window/door seals, new door handles, new fenders, bumper caps etc)
- eBay (radio, rebuilt injectors, new master cylinder)
The beast is now officially back on the road.
Issues resolved
- fixed the loose hose between the fuel pump and the outlet port (this was what caused the "no start" issue)
-backyard rebuild on the head with a full cleaning on the entire top end and addition of new valve seals greatly helped achieve a great emissions result
- fixed multiple vacuum leaks including those on the front differential and now the heater and all 4WD modes work perfectly
- new water pump and belt helped resolve the "marbles" noise and overheating issues
- cleaned all grounds (and fixed two broken grounds) which appears to have fixed the transmission problems because it shifts smoothly through all gears.
- new rotors and pads on the front, turned the drums on the rear and then replaced the factory booster/MC with one from a '96 Grand Cherokee so it stops on a dime and gives change.
- Interior was scrubbed clean and all electronics fixed (everything now works properly)
- I removed the remaining body trim and sanded/painted the bottom section in a flat black (like the "Sport" edition had) and through all this confirmed that the beast has absolutely no rust.
- the last step before inspection was to replace the windshield (4 hours ago)
The engine now fires up as if it were new (150psi per cylinder on a compression test) and passed safety and emissions with flying colors. In fact, on most criteria it is less than 20% of the maximum allowable emissions.
I am a little over my "all in" budget ($2663.37 actual cost including the XJ itself on a budget of $2500) but am pretty close when I remove the maintenance items like oil change, taxes etc.
Below are some pics. I am ecstatic with the result! Thanks again to the forum members for the insights you shared to help me get to this point!!
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