What to buy, when to buy it, and how to do it...

LeadFoot · #1 01-06-2005, 09:58 PM

This winter, the jeep is going under some major rebuilding. I have already bought everything needed for the 14bolt, I just need to finish welding the spiders and set up the gears. Buy 4 u-bolts and I can have it rolling underneath the jeep. Shock mounts and traction bar will be added later (not needed when the rest of the jeep is under the knife)

I have roughly $850 saved up, which I need your guys opinions to do with. My engine needs rebuilt, t-case and tranny need to get out of there and replaced, and a new front axle. I REALLY want a 60 over a 44 because chances are I will not be doing any major overhauls (like this) for a good 3-5 years, and with a 44 the u-joint is still the weak link. So I add ctms and alloy shafts and I'm up to the cost of a 60.... I could:

1. Buy a front hp60 and put it in
2. Rebuild my 4.2 (~400 or so, doing all of the work myself) and the rest go towards a tranny-tcase combo
3. Buy a front hp44 and either rebuild the motor/or a new tranny and t-case
4. Get the hp60 and buy a sye kit for the 231 for 165 bucks and just run the puegeot and 231 till they blow up

I don't like the last one because I still have to buy driveshafts for this thing, and that means I will buy 4 driveshafts, however, it is the cheapest route to take. Choice #3 leaves me with the weak link u-joint. Choice two leaves me with no axle (or a 44). And choice 1 leaves me with a tired driveline.

I have a job but only being in highschool, you can't find a job around here that pays more than 6-7 bucks an hour. What I think the best way is buy the 60 (because it will be awhile before I see this much cash at one time) and over time rebuild the motor and new driveline. Checks average ~150-200 every two weeks so it will be easier to come up with that than 900 or so for a 60. Final thing would be the driveshafts. I plan to run ~38s-42s, which is another thing I have to buy.....tires and rims, but those come later.

TIA!

Jeff Weston · #2 01-06-2005, 10:51 PM

Wow, that sounds like quite a list with a budget of $850. It is my opinion that a Jeep with the blingiest axles and tires in the world is worthless if it doesn't run right. Based on your description, I'd get the engine and tranny/t-case in order first.

mrblaine · #3 01-07-2005, 07:18 AM

You wheel that thing pretty hard, how much trouble has the front 30 given you?

LeadFoot · #4 01-07-2005, 09:28 AM

Besides a bent tie rod and drag link, nothing. The d35 always blew up first. With the 14bolt in the back and a stronger driveline, the front axle becomes the weak link if I had a 44. But then again I ran my super stiff 35" sx's (that I sold) at 10psi so they never got much traction to begin with when I drove it around in fwd. I would also like to go fuel injection (at least TBI), and there is a guy selling a '89 blazer with a 4.3 tbi, 700r4 tranny and np207. Theres my fuel injection and better tranny.

That is another good idea too. Find a np435/t-case combo, use a cj bellhousing and it will bolt to the 4.2 and the tranny. That way I could buy a rear driveshaft and at least have 2wd to drive around on till I got a front axle and steering figured out. I'm not even attempting to build this whole thing on $850, I just need to figure out on how to start the build up off. Thanks for the replys!

Robert J. Yates · #5 01-07-2005, 10:04 AM

Why do you have to buy 4 driveshafts

Get a good local driveshaft guy and he can add or remove tube and yokes off the same 2 shafts as you need when you need it. Its no big deal if the guy knows what he is doing.

mnjeeper · #6 01-07-2005, 10:50 AM

How much time do you have? The ideal would be to find a blown 93 4.0 and use the harness, FI, and head. If you could find it, chances are decent you could get the tranny with it.

The other thing that will get the same results would be to get junkyard XJ parts to do the FI with a mopar standalone harness. Grab the AW4 while you're there.

I wouldn't bother with that 89 blazer....if you're going to do a 4.3 swap, do it right with a vortec. That would not be an especially cheap option.

02_WHITE_TJ_X · #7 01-07-2005, 11:51 AM

I have a good running 4.0, AW4, and wire harness out of a crashed 88 XJ I'll sell you for cheap. There going up on Ebay this weekend. Located one state away from you.

LeadFoot · #8 01-07-2005, 01:30 PM

How much? any more details?

02_WHITE_TJ_X · #9 01-08-2005, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by LeadFoot
How much? any more details?

I bought it from a person that used it as a DD. He ended up totaling it out. It had about 130,000 miles on it and it was running good. He pulled the dash and got as much of the wire harness as he could. I have the Engine computer and the tranny computer because that year had two seperate computers. I would be willing to sell all of it for a good price shoot me what you think is fair if you want it. I'm just trying to get it out of my garage so I can get it cleaned up to sell my house.

mrblaine · #10 01-08-2005, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by 02_WHITE_TJ_X
I bought it from a person that used it as a DD. He ended up totaling it out. It had about 130,000 miles on it and it was running good. He pulled the dash and got as much of the wire harness as he could. I have the Engine computer and the tranny computer because that year had two seperate computers. I would be willing to sell all of it for a good price shoot me what you think is fair if you want it. I'm just trying to get it out of my garage so I can get it cleaned up to sell my house.

LeadFoot, let me translate for you-

He's moving, wait about 3 days and he'll pay you to come and get it.

02_WHITE_TJ_X · #11 01-08-2005, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mrblaine
LeadFoot, let me translate for you- He's moving, wait about 3 days and he'll pay you to come and get it.

Close but no cigar on this one

There are plenty of people on ebay that will want to buy this fine motor and tranny

LeadFoot · #12 01-08-2005, 04:37 PM

Um, I really don't know a fair price to be honest? Does it include the injectors, accessories and such? Does that tranny NEED the electronic stuff to run, or is it just for O/D? I'm going for simplicity on my trail yj, the less crap the better.

02_WHITE_TJ_X · #13 01-08-2005, 05:06 PM

Everything Wire harness motor and tranny, injectors, shifter, alternator, starter. The tranny requires the computer to shift. As far as hooking this wire harness to your YJ you will have to ask someone more knowledgeable then myself. If you what a picture of the stuff let me know and I?ll shoot you one. The one thing that I will tell you is you will need a T-case for this setup with a 21 spline input.