‘79 CJ5 Preservation

So little update, I’ve had this thing back at the farm for a month or so driving it around. Little oil consumption has become big oil consumption and a little miss has become a bigger miss. Going to try to do a compression and leak down test next weekend but freshening up the engine may happen sooner than I anticipated. 🤣 this is a stupid hobby.
 
cosmo kramer 90s GIF
 
StretchASU said:
So little update, I’ve had this thing back at the farm for a month or so driving it around. Little oil consumption has become big oil consumption and a little miss has become a bigger miss. Going to try to do a compression and leak down test next weekend but freshening up the engine may happen sooner than I anticipated. 🤣 this is a stupid hobby.
Click to expand...
Bearings, seals, pistons, rings and a dingle ball and it'll be good for another 150k miles.
 
Sat in the shop and drank beers the last two nights tinkering on this thing. No luck. It runs like shit and the #1 cylinder is the one drinking the oil. A few more beers and a light bulb went off. I have the 304 originally intended for the CJ7 sitting on the engine stand. A quick google sesh returned an adapter to put the 2bbl carb base on a 4 barrel intake. Going to order up the adapter and test fit everything. If it works and will allow my BBD Holley to fit, the 304 is going in this thing. If the flywheel I need wasn’t on a 4 week back order I’d give it a solid attempt to make the Uwharrie ride.
 
Caver Dave said:
I believe one side (passenger?) frame side engine mount needs to swap I6<>V8...
Click to expand...
That’s what it’s looking like. I have found a couple old threads where guys have ovaled out the holes a little and made them fit.

I did end up finding the 304 Flywheel I’ve been needing. It’s pretty corroded but I may take a shot at having it turned before dropping $450 on a billet flywheel.
 
Bumping this back up. I spent most of the fall working on the CYJ, with good weather on the horizon I want to get this thing going again. The rings are shot, especially on #1.

I went back and forth on a number of options for the engine over the fall. Remanned 4.2 was god awful expensive. Machine shops were backed up on a rebuild. 304 would still be wheezy. A few takeout 4.2’s were duds when I looked at them. That led me to where I ended up buying @adamk ‘s drivetrain thanks to @tobaccoroad4wd getting me in touch with him. Peace of mind that it’s running and driving, makes much better power than a 258 or the 304 is what led me to the full 4.0 swap. The AX15 and 231 have homes in their future so I can keep this simple and from snowballing where I need to redo mounts and driveshafts.

The 4.0 long block will get my 4.2 intake, Holley EFI, TFI ignition and a fresh clutch using the 258 flywheel to maintain the proper depth for the throw out bearing. 258 starter will also be used.
 
StretchASU said:
Bumping this back up. I spent most of the fall working on the CYJ, with good weather on the horizon I want to get this thing going again. The rings are shot, especially on #1.

I went back and forth on a number of options for the engine over the fall. Remanned 4.2 was god awful expensive. Machine shops were backed up on a rebuild. 304 would still be wheezy. A few takeout 4.2’s were duds when I looked at them. That led me to where I ended up buying @adamk ‘s drivetrain thanks to @tobaccoroad4wd getting me in touch with him. Peace of mind that it’s running and driving, makes much better power than a 258 or the 304 is what led me to the full 4.0 swap. The AX15 and 231 have homes in their future so I can keep this simple and from snowballing where I need to redo mounts and driveshafts.

The 4.0 long block will get my 4.2 intake, Holley EFI, TFI ignition and a fresh clutch using the 258 flywheel to maintain the proper depth for the throw out bearing. 258 starter will also be used.
Click to expand...
If this doesn't have a supercharger I will be reluctant to buy. I mean..I'm STILL gonna buy..but I will be reluctant you didn't go LSA
 
The tech in this thread is awesome. Keep them build nuggets coming.
 
It’s home and tear down has started. I still need to bring my engine hoist back and get the donor engine from @tobaccoroad4wd’s shop but this gives me some time to label everything as it comes apart. Tonight I was able to get the coolant drained, radiator out and the wiring out of the way so I can pull the grill. All of those bolts are currently soaking in PB for another night.
338F651F-B964-4801-8CF8-10147A77A944.jpeg
 
Grille came out without much issue. Everything electrical and plumbing related is disconnected and zip tied out of the way. The coolant temp sensor that goes in the block for the Sniper has been pulled and set aside. The same goes for the O2 sensor, clamps and gasket which will go back into the new exhaust. I still need to make a decision on the muffler but it will not be a cherry bomb that dumps under the tub like it does now. The drone is audible over wind noise.

8CC6F04D-49E2-4F4D-9803-2059EAFC70ED.jpeg


I will swing by the store this week and grab a clutch kit and flywheel. At this point I just need to bring my hoist back and pull a few final bolts.
 
Got the new to me driveline back to the house tonight. I started by removing the intake, power steering pump bracket and motor mounts. Then pulled the intake off the 4.2.
F205A879-E7F4-41F6-AD76-B5CF62524DF8.jpeg


Here you see the few spots that need grinding. I will knock that one corner off of the manifold to clear the header then reinstall the EGR block off plates. Next step to the 4.2 manifold on the 4.0 head is to grind off the dowel holes so they’re half moons. They will just sit on the dowels for the 4.0 head to align the ports rather than sit in the holes. It’s not perfect alignment when it’s done, but it works. It will take some oversized fender washers to pinch everything like the OEM washers with the larger gap between flanges with this setup.
F395B207-C88C-4940-9E19-9522E309C10A.jpeg

7709A00F-4875-4C22-B363-1ECE484FCEC2.jpeg


Once the intake is mounted I will split the Ax15 and case from the engine. The AX15 and 231 are going to a buddy in VA for his Cherokar that likes to eat AW4’s. Drunken burnouts and night wheelin tends to do that.
 
First hiccup. The bosses that catch the manifold bolts and washers are a different depth…only on the cast iron pre-81 manifolds like I have. On the hunt for an 81+ aluminum manifold where the bosses match the exhaust flange. Solveable problem.
8F114000-1AFF-4783-BD41-4CC61E5D55F6.jpeg


I moved on to the accessories. A few small notches and some washers to shim with will be needed to clear/reinstall bolts in the front cover but the alternator bracket bolts up just fine. The water pump needs to be swapped over to a forward rotation pump since the serp belt spins the other way. The crank pulley will be changed out to the v belt pulley and that should do it for the accessories.
80B80753-9127-4EE0-B31D-F39A0E784826.jpeg
 
Last edited:
StretchASU said:
Got the new to me driveline back to the house tonight. I started by removing the intake, power steering pump bracket and motor mounts. Then pulled the intake off the 4.2.
View attachment 372969

Here you see the few spots that need grinding. I will knock that one corner off of the manifold to clear the header then reinstall the EGR block off plates. Next step to the 4.2 manifold on the 4.0 head is to grind off the dowel holes so they’re half moons. They will just sit on the dowels for the 4.0 head to align the ports rather than sit in the holes. It’s not perfect alignment when it’s done, but it works. It will take some oversized fender washers to pinch everything like the OEM washers with the larger gap between flanges with this setup.
View attachment 372970
View attachment 372971

Once the intake is mounted I will split the Ax15 and case from the engine. The AX15 and 231 are going to a buddy in VA for his Cherokar that likes to eat AW4’s. Drunken burnouts and night wheelin tends to do that.
Click to expand...
If he is killing AW4s, I dont see the ax15 lasting too long.
 
Back
Top