Clifford: dzJeepChic's '92 XJ [ongoing project]

[dzJeepChic 2,897]

A glimpse of Clifford's latest install, write up to follow.

 

P.S. It's NOT just a new radiator cap. d

[dzJeepChic 2,897]

Clifford Champion Radiator Install:

 

We upgraded to a 3 row aluminum radiator, here it is alongside the old 2 row:

 

 

 

 

 

Here's where it goes

 

 

There were a few retro-fitting issues to deal with.

 

The bottom pins had weld 'boogers' that had to be ground down:

 

 

 

The 2 bottom pins also needed to be ground because they were slightly bent and wouldn't fit into the rubber grommets:

 

 

The air-conditioning condensor it was hitting the radiator, so these brackets had to get hogged out to move it back a quarter inch.

 

 

George couldn't get the new radiator down into place because the tubes for the transmission lines were hitting the sudo-frame (XJ Uni-body frame):

 

 

He took the lower tube out and then the radiator did go in; notice that he couldn't get the tube back into place. Luckily, George had eliminated the lines to the transmission altogether (see post #108 of this thread):

 

 

 

Continued

V

V

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[dzJeepChic 2,897]

Next on the retro-fitting agenda were the tabs for the fan shroud; they weren't aligned at all:

 

 

 

 

George says he likes shiny things

 

 

After all that, with the radiator in, the radiator cap wouldn't close because it hit the top radiator support.

 

 

So, out came the grinder and George modified the cap:

 

 

After getting everything else installed and aligned, there was a huge gap between the fan shroud and the top radiator support, which George shimmed with a rubber grommet so he wouldn't deform the fan shroud while tightening it down:

 

 

George says this is his all time favorite radiator sauce:

 

 

This is very important, and a lot of people don't know that you should do this. After completely filling the radiator, he poured pre-mixed radiator fluid into the heater hose port of the thermostat housing to get fluid into the head before starting the engine.

 

 

The Champion 3 Row Aluminum is a 'drop-in' installation. The biggest problem was with the transmission line tubes; retro-fitting to those tubes if you're running them might be a PITA! This unit was $250 including shipping - Half the cost of the others we shopped.

 

Now for performance testing. Stand by.

 

d

[Project510 24]

Smart move for summer time wheelin!

[dzJeepChic 2,897]

Poor Clifford had his annual physical today at the emissions testing facility in North Scottsdale.

To start with, I completely embarassed the poor kid getting in the wrong line, so when we were 2 cars back, and could finally read the fine print, the technicians had to move pylons so we could get over 1 lane and into the correct bay.

Now on the rollers, I got into the passenger seat. The technician, who was shorter than me (in my platform flops) and out-weighed me by at least 200 pounds, had one heck of a time getting his right foot, and then the rest of his body into the driver's seat. While there, he put Clifford in drive and took him through a battery of 'Highway Simulation' tests. Our attention rapt upon a computer screen, the technician kept 'cyber' Clifford on a hilly road. It was actually pretty cool to be going 60 mps and not moving. Clifford seemed to like this part, and he performed flawlessly. The technician kind of rolled out of the driver's seat, and said that I could get back into it. He was taking a big funnel off of Clifford's exhaust, and we almost crashed into each other on my way around the back!

Then he asked me to open the hood, so I did. He then made several passes - driver side / front / passenger side / front / driver side, before he went and got a metal folding chair. He put the folding chair next to the driver side open hood and hopped (well, maybe not hopped) up onto it. He got down. He took the chair in front of the Cherokee and again got up on it. He got down. He took the chair to the passenger side, stepped up on it. The guy was actually using Clifford's cage, and VERY lucky I don't care about paint smudges! Got down. He said something I couldn't understand to a woman who worked there. She breezed past Clifford and said 'It's right there'. So the tech got back up on the chair on the passenger side and I saw him put a clamp thing on something near the firewall.

I don't know exactly what the test was for, nor can I recall the acronym they used. The screen kept flashing 'Pressurising' and 'Holding Pressure', seemingly over and over; I was holding my breath! Then it was time for the ever popular 'Gas Cap Test'. As I watched in the mirror, they put what looked like a vaccuum hose on his gas cap.

"That'll be $27.75 please", the tech said. "Did he pass?", I asked? "I don't know yet", the tech said, "we won't know until after I enter the payment". Well that figures, right? Clifford passed with flying colors and I bought him a great big tank full of of fresh gasoline to dilute the 'Guarenteed to Pass' solution he'd been sipping on all morning.

On my way out of the emissions testing station I asked one of the techs if they had a scanner they could plug in and clear my 'Maint Reqd' light. They don't. I also stopped at Vato Zone on the way home, neither do they.

Clifford had a great day and is obviously feeling great! He's ignoring the 'Maint Reqd' light, why can't I? d

[stockjeep 43]

boy, I'm glad we don't have to go through that yet up here:eek:

[Project510 24]

haha that was the most entertaining "smog test" story I have ever read! Congrats cliff, glad you passed!

[dzJeepChic 2,897]

The carnage:

 

Saturday afternoon on the way back to camp from the end of Smiley Rock trail, fluid suddenly flew out the hood vent opening onto the windshield. The temperature gauge immediately started climbing and I started shouting 'May Day' over the CB. Luckily there was a place to pull off the road not very far ahead. We got stopped, opened the hood and found that the top of the Heater Valve just blew off!

 

 

The trail repair: To get back on the road George simply by-passed the heater all together. He disconnected the return line and connected the heater hose right to the return.

 

 

The part: PN 5600 5900 Valve, Water, 4 Port. AKA PN 74777 - Vaccuum Bypass Closes Heater Valve. George had saved this off the donor Cherokee so we have one, although this one will be our spare that we're going to carry from now on. We're buying a new one for the repair since the spare is just as old as the one that broke.

 

 

They have them at Vato Zone for around $25.

 

Today I'm grateful that Clifford's engine didn't burn up. He ran fine all the way home and then he got a good bath and tucked in for the night home in his own garage.

 

[scottL 185]

G; always with there with a spare.

for a moment though i thought i was watching another episode of chasing classic cars!

the car(nage)..

the chase..

the fix..

[dzJeepChic 2,897]

G installed a new digital temp guage last week. Thursday I took Clifford to Scottsdale & we went shopping. He ran at or slightly above (210) operating tempurature all the way into town (downhill) with the A/C on and the electrical fan on. The funny thing was that the dash guage read about the same, which means that all this time we thought it was off, it wasn't.

 

As the day progressed and the ambient tempurature of the air got hotter, Clifford ran closer to 220+ in town with the A/C on and the electric fan on. When we came home at 4PM and made the climb up to Fountain Hills from Scottsdale, the new digital tempurature guage began to climb. At 230+ I turned off the A/C, and flipped the main fan on (the one that comes on automatically with a/c on). When the digital guage got up to 245, I turned on the heater (to add a little bit of radiator). It came right back down into the 230's.

 

The bad news is: we thought the dash guage was off, but it's not. The Jeep IS running HOT. And so was Mama after coming home with the Heat on and windows down! d