1990 Cherokee XJ Build

Did I mention that I finally did door jambs yet?
They came out okay. The doors themselves look ***s, definitely getting better at HVLP clearcoat.

I did quick release hinge pins as well (pics are pre-paint) which is something I have been meaning to do. I made weatherpack quick disconnects for all the stuff I’ve been wiring to the doors (Speakers, windows, lock solenoids.)

I ended up just buying a cheap “brain” with 2 remotes off of Amazon, it was like $30, and it works perfectly to control the locks. Swapped all the guts out of that set of doors I got for $100. I think I may use the shells to make some half-doors someday.

Also finally got some black seat covers for the rear. I think the Rough Country ones may fit a little better, but I didn’t feel like dropping $180 for the whole set, just to use the back seat cover.

Is your rear seat belt at mounted to the floor?

Mittnz said:

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Which brand lights are on the back hatch? Do you like them?

RunningProblem said:

Is your rear seat belt at mounted to the floor?

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The lap belts are attached to the OEM seatbelt floor bolts. The shoulder belts terminate at the harness bar behind the seat, if the shoulder belts were attached to the floor they’d break your spine. Not sure if you meant those or the lap belts, but it’s all set up to SFI specs.

Hooligan said:

Which brand lights are on the back hatch? Do you like them?

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Amazon Special: https://a.co/d/auYcpGk

Yeah, they work fine. They are my only light in the cab at the moment. I bought a universal dome light I need to mount and wire. It is a bitch getting harnesses and everything else situated in the pitch black.


I have also been looking at the Gentex rear-view auto-dim mirrors, with the compass, temp, and map lights. I just need SOME light in there, that isn’t too much.



I have a ton of updates to make in this thread, but will put them together later.

Current state:



I am rebuilding the entire ECU harness for a few reasons, one being that I accidentally drilled into it a year ago, because I’m autistic as ****. I did the best job that I could with solderseal heat shrink connectors splicing the damaged wires back together, but it always made me nervous. So, I soldered them correctly, wrapped them, etc. and now I know they are totally solid. I also refreshed all grounds (again) and redid every factory splice, with solder and insulated butt connectors and a hydraulic swage/crimp tool. I also replaced every single weatherpack connector, sensor connector, all new injector harnesses, etc. (the 35 year old ones were all brittle, missing their little latch things, etc.)

I always had weird electrical issues with this jeep. Floating voltage at ground, sensors being weird, etc. Hopefully those are all resolved.




I then relocated all of the Renix relays (A/C, FP, Battery + Latch, etc) to a waterproof relay box closer to the firewall. Because I want to do coilover buckets some day, and they’d need to be relocated anyway. Also the old relay harnesses were so full of gunk and cracked old wire, that it just made me feel better to cut them all out.



Then in a typical “well since I’m already in there and I already have that out of the way…” fashion, I decided to do an in-frame rebuild, which I’ve needed to do for a long time but just was never confident enough in my abilities. So, I watched hours of 4.0 rebuilds on YT, and yanked the head.



So far, everything seems to be in pretty good shape. I mic’d the bores and they are all still within spec. Bought STD pistons and moly rings, and test for them the other night, my ring gap with the new rings is .020 which is right in spec (at the edge) but what is weird is that the OEM rings ring gap is like .050, maybe even a little more.

More than anything, I just want this jeep to be reliable. I want to drive it long-ish distances without wondering if I’ll make it back, I don’t want to get stuck anywhere, etc. ever since I’ve owned it, I am having to literally floor it to keep up with traffic (speed limit even) on any uphill highway grade. And I get that I have huge tires, lower gearing, and 1,000lbs of extra steel bull**** bolted on, but, I feel like a 6 cylinder should have no problem pushing this thing along.

So, I have the head at a machine shop right now, they are doing magnaflux, hot tank, valve job, checking springs etc etc. I got new pushrods just because, and also new valves. I’m hoping the work on the head makes a big difference. Right off the bat the guy at the machine shop noticed one of the valve seats was a little wonky, almost looked out of round.

Since I’m in there, I’m firing the parts cannon full auto.

Brand new:
Neutral Safety Switch
Crank Position Sensor (this was causing issues, previous owner mentioned it as well. Once I got the manifold off I could see that the wiring from the CPS had melted on the exhaust downpipe at some point. Jeep would very rarely just randomly stall, only when super hot. Happened maybe 4x in the last year and a half, but that’s 4x too many.)
MAP sensor
TPS
Oil Pressure sending unit
New ECU (not entirely sure I need it, but just in case [water damage from heavy rain is what started all of this])
Brake booster check valve
Heater hoses from pump to firewall
Starter relay
Knock sensor
PCV grommets and elbows
A bunch more I forgot about.

I took all the pistons out and they were worn, caked with carbon, but not in terrible shape. No rings broken.


I dingleberry honed the first 3 cylinders. Also put standard rod bearings on and plastigaged them, I’m right at .002” which is desired spec.

Got new felpro head bolts cause I couldn’t justify spending $80 on the ARP ones.




Oh also, that girl that borrowed my Irate4x4 hoodie in the pic way above? We just celebrated our one year anniversary about 4 months ago, and now live together. We found a place with a shop on it where I can put all my ****.



She’s great. We flew down to KotH last year and both had a blast. This year we are trailering the XJ down there. So, that’s why I’m trying to get all this done by the end of the month.



Wish me luck!

Last pic; she got me this Dominos Pizza car topper for the jeep for Xmas. I gutted the original electronics and wired it to a switch on the dash. I’m gonna try to marry her.



Say hi at KotH ‘26 if you see us!

Actually, here’s a question for everyone, how much blow-by is too much?

That doesn't look too bad to me.
Check your PCV / replace it.

Opiebennett said:

That doesn't look too bad to me.
Check your PCV / replace it.

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Okay cool, thanks.

Yeah, replacing both PCV valve elbows and grommets.

I have a THOR cowl intake deal, and the previous owner plumbed the PCV vent right into the side of that, about a foot from the intake (basically at the top of the valve cover) which make sense, but is there any advantage to having the two connected? It kind of seemed like that was the source.
If it’s just a vent/way to draw in filtered air, could I just put one of those little PCV filter mushroom looking things on it and call it done? Or does it NEED to draw from the air box?

Mittnz said:

I’m gonna try to marry her.

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Do that. Then stat your conversion to a Cherokee based buggy.

I did a slight modification of the CPS when installing it found in Cruisin54's list of things for a Renix.
If you pull the transmission there is a freeze plug on the back of the engine block you could check. Mine had a pinhole leak in it so I swapped it out for a brass one.


You might enjoy this for your CPS.

Holy hell man, you went zero to full fab in 2 seconds

mad props.

fordguy said:

Holy hell man, you went zero to full fab in 2 seconds

mad props.

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Haha, thanks. I just like learning new stuff, and I have no kids or anything so I get to blow my money on whatever and spend weekends in the garage for now.

No idea what I am doing but have learned a ton.

Last night I pulled all the lifters out, and about half of them weren’t actually “plunging” correctly (idk what to call it. Cycling? Compressing?) so I pulled them completely apart and cleaned them out, put them back together. They had a ton of gunk in them.

I actually have new lifters for it, but I didn’t realize you had to do the cam if you do lifters, can’t use new lifters on the old cam and vice versa, as they need to mate?

I guess what I’m wondering is, is it worth throwing a new cam in, or should I just clean out the lifters and put everything back in? It’s got 240k on the engine, and I’m 99% sure the cam and lifters are the original.

I’d do the compcams 4x4 cam, but from what I have read, it won’t pass smog. I’m in CA, and want it to be street able.

Do I measure the lobes with a mic, or how does one know that they need a new cam?

Edit: I should mention that the lifters aren’t “dished” or anything, they don’t have any weird wear on the bottoms. Neither did any of the fulcrums or other components in the valve train. So, I guess if the lifters were sticky and not squirting oil up the pushrods (which were all straight) then did the oil splashing around in the valve cover compensate for that? Or why didn’t this cause issues?

Id have no problem used/new lifters with used/new cam as long as the used parts looked fine, have done it before. Cam spins half the rpm of the engine, itll be fine. Reg your **** in a smog free county and mod that **** away. I wouldnt bother measuring anything, these arent bearings. If surfaces look good, send it

my bench warrior opinion

Late night. But, I got all 6 cylinders reamed.

There is a bit of a ridge at the top there, but I’m not quite sure what to do about it. Some places say use a ridge reamer, others say that’s a real good way to totally **** up your block if you don’t know what you’re doing.

And I don’t know what I’m doing. So, I’m just gonna put the standard pistons and rings in and run it.

fordguy said:

Id have no problem used/new lifters with used/new cam as long as the used parts looked fine, have done it before. Cam spins half the rpm of the engine, itll be fine. Reg your **** in a smog free county and mod that **** away. I wouldnt bother measuring anything, these arent bearings. If surfaces look good, send it

my bench warrior opinion

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Not many smog exempt areas in California left and I hear they're pretty strict on your license being in one county and cars registered in another. Almost as if they've caught on to decades of smog exemptions.

RunningProblem said:

Not many smog exempt areas in California left and I hear they're pretty strict on your license being in one county and cars registered in another. Almost as if they've caught on to decades of smog exemptions.

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Yeah, I’ve found the same when researching this last year when I was looking into doing a cat delete for the 4-link.

I have some property in Amador County (no mailbox there though, it’s vacant land) but I think even that isn’t a smog exempt county. I also have a PO Box in NV that I use for forwarding packages of things I can’t have delivered in CA, but I think that would still require driving the XJ to NV to register it.

Then there is the option of doing the LLC in Montana thing, that some people are doing (there are a bunch of services online to do it for you.). But it is expensive and I’m not sure it’s worth the hassle. And you’re right, getting pulled over would be a nightmare. You’d probably end up with a fix-it ticket requiring you to register it in CA and then you’re back to square one. I’d do all that as a last resort, but, not just for a cam.

Washoe and Clark are the only two counties requiring smog in Nevada, and you're going to need some type of 'proof of residency' to register it here. So a signed contract from your landlord in Nevada saying you're living here with your California license is probably going to be required. It's probably why there are so many California plates with expired 2024 tags driving around here.

Even though he is Toyota gay you might be able to get Add to help with some smog stuff outside of Santa Clara County but it's still going to require you drive practically to Nevada.

RunningProblem said:

Washoe and Clark are the only two counties requiring smog in Nevada, and you're going to need some type of 'proof of residency' to register it here. So a signed contract from your landlord in Nevada saying you're living here with your California license is probably going to be required. It's probably why there are so many California plates with expired 2024 tags driving around here.

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I can have “proof of residency” anywhere I need it, no problem. Wouldn’t they mail the tags there though?

Either way, it’s a nonissue for now. When I do the 4-link I may need to make a erm…. “Hot swap” cat setup so I can put it back in and drive very carefully (avoid CA potholes and major suspension articulation) to the smog place and back. But I have a bunch of assorted exhaust bends and a cheap flow master fx glass pack muffler (was the smallest thing I could find).

CARB is such bull****. I’d happily put any other small EPA approved cat on it, but noooo, gotta use the $800 one.

Also the previous owner failed smog a few times and this VIN is now designated a “gross polluter”. Was an issue with the finicky Renix O2 sensor, which I resolved, passed smog with flying colors, but have been running pretty rich for a while. Hoping this rebuild and replacing sensors (and redoing the harness) will help.

Only time my remix didn't pass smog was when o had a vacuum leak. Ours isn't as detailed though.

Nevada dmv will mail tags to the registered address. Since I pass smog or don't go wheelin I haven't had to worry about having my brother in law in a different county.

RunningProblem said:

Even though he is Toyota gay you might be able to get Add to help with some smog stuff outside of Santa Clara County but it's still going to require you drive practically to Nevada.

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No idea what you're talking about

Add said:

No idea what you're talking about

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I thought you knew a guy who would pass anything for $200. Does he only do it for Toyotas?

RunningProblem said:

I thought you knew a guy who would pass anything for $200. Does he only do it for Toyotas?

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Again....no clue what you're talking about

Add said:

Again....no clue what you're talking about

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I wonder if he will try again.

Opiebennett said:

I wonder if he will try again.

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Probably not since I could call him and not discuss illegally passing California smog requirements on a public forum like the people who had Idaho Rob and Kory Willis targeted by the EPA.

You guys heard of this?

# Montana LLC Vehicle Registration

This is a well-known strategy where vehicle owners form an LLC in Montana and register their vehicle through that business entity. Here’s how it works:

Why Montana?

Montana has no sales tax and no vehicle emissions/smog testing requirements. The state allows LLCs to register vehicles, and there’s no requirement that the LLC owner reside in Montana.

The Mechanism

1. Form an LLC in Montana (typically through a registered agent service that specializes in this)
1. The LLC “owns” the vehicle on paper
1. Register the vehicle in Montana under the LLC
1. The vehicle gets Montana plates

Why People Do This

• Avoid sales tax on expensive vehicles (particularly exotic cars, RVs, and classic cars where tax could be $10,000–$50,000+)
• Bypass emissions requirements for vehicles that can’t pass California smog (modified cars, older vehicles, engine swaps, etc.)
• Register vehicles that California won’t ***le (gray market imports, certain kit cars)

The Legal Reality

This exists in a gray area. While forming a Montana LLC and registering a vehicle there is perfectly legal, using that vehicle as your primary vehicle while residing in California is not. California law requires residents to register vehicles they regularly operate in the state within 20 days of establishing residency or bringing the vehicle in.

California (and other states) have become increasingly aggressive about enforcement, issuing citations and back-taxing owners who are clearly California residents driving Montana-plated vehicles daily. The penalties can include back registration fees, use tax, and fines.

It’s commonly used, but it’s fundamentally tax avoidance that relies on the difficulty of enforcement rather than actual legality for residents.


(Had AI summarize it for me for speed.)

I mean, this is far, far from my “daily driver”. It would cost me a fortune at 9-10mpg lol.

Got my head back, looks great.
Machinist said he took 0.009” off

Checking the block with a machinists straight edge (longest one I have) and it’s almost perfectly flat except a low spot in the red circle area, that feeler gauge is 0.002”

Assuming that I obviously clean the top of the block off real good, is that enough of a flat sealing surface to use an MLS head gasket?

I have both a fel-pro MLS and a fel-pro “severe duty”. The SD is a few thou thicker than a regular head gasket, made for imperfect mating surfaces. Maybe that would be better since the head was decked so much? At what point do I have to start worrying about compression ratios changing, or shimming rocker arms etc.

Which should I run? Does it matter?

Got my head back the day before a three day weekend, thinking **** yeah I can put all this back together and that’s a wrap! Not so fast, apparently we are going ice skating today…