Marketplace JK rehab

YJ4Rox

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I made the bad decision and picked up a sh!tbox JK off of marketplace for a driver/beater.

Its 2007 2 Door hardtop. super basic. The oil pan was laying in the back seat and new pack of rod bearings were in the passenger seat.
It had eaten #5 pretty bad and killed the rod bore.
I was shown receipts for a reman trans and reman motor, new BJ's, new calipers and rotors 4.88's. After looking it over It was cheap so I said fawk it and drug it home. :laughing:

It has some decent sh!tbox parts on it, SYE Oliver drive shafts, 12K winch, JKS adjustable upper rears, JKS adjustable track bar. Looks to be a rustys short arm lift of undetermined height with the nitrogen shocks. 10 factory rear shafts and bald 37's. All new TRE's as well.
 
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Initial plans were to gut it and swap in a 6.0/Th350/atlas, stretch it to 114" and swap in a SD60 and 14B.

That plan was set aside after my wife said she wanted a winter beater/light wheeler.

I ordered a connecting rod and slapped new rod bearings in it just to get it moving around the house and test the drivetrain and electricals. It was definitely a reman as it already had .25 rod bearings in it. Its actually nice and quiet at idle but starts knocking again above 2500 which i figured would happen since the #5 crank journal was pretty ugly.
 

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I did pick up some low mile 37" patagonowheres off market place as well and got them swapped on. I also Took the super angry grill off ASAP.
 

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In keeping with the sh!tbox scenario and keeping it cheap I picked up a van 3.8 for $600 from a semi local junkyard. Supposedly 121K miles.
I know this info is out there and its not unusual to swap a van 3.8 in a JK but I thought I would document the differences here.

Obvious differences are the lower intake has the Tstat housing on the rear and coil mount as well. The oil pan is also different.
 

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The oil filter adapter is on the driver side of the block. The JK 3.8 has that tapped hole plugged behind the driver motor mount bracket.
 

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Other than the lower intake the timing cover is really the biggest change between van and Jk.
Everything is different, so i stripped the front down to prep for timing cover swap.

Since I knew I was going down to a short block I picked up a new timing set. The original van chain was pretty sloppy.
 

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Replaced the timing set with a new melling kit.
 

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A couple more pics of the van 3.8 just for reference.
 

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Luckily pulling the van engine down to a short block was drama free. No broken manifold bolts.
I am sill waiting on a new rear main, and an oil pump rebuild for the JK timing cover. Block has been cleaned and painted. The van 3.8 will get new gaskets all around.

Next in line is to pull the JK motor and tear it down for the donor parts.
JK timing cover will get the oil pump rebuilt and the water pump replaced. I am hoping the jk cover isnt tore up from running rod bearing material through the oil pump housing.

Odds are the wife will hate driving this turd and it will still get gutted stretched tons and LS swapped. This will also give me time to get the 6.0 refreshed and tons built before swapping them in. :lance:
 
Been collecting parts waiting on a time window between working on other peoples stuff and my actual job to stab a short block in this pile.

I got it set in place and bolted to the trans last night. Rebuilt the oil pump. Thank goodness the timing cover wasnt fawked. Looks like the root cause of the bearing failure was the plastic valve failing. New melling parts installed.
 

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A few test runs this week and I am already to the WTF did i buy a JK for stage :laughing: :laughing:

Dash goes into disco mode every time. Always a new code, last night the ECT sensor **** the bed and it went into limp mode :laughing: The one damn sensor i forgot to replace. Y pipe popped a big leak last night too.

****in jeeps

every flashing light is one step closer to the 6.0 going in.
 
Brief update. Finally got this thing to were it doesnt go into limp mode every 10 min. Only code now is a evap 0440. The cam lock on the engine harness connector is broken and the plug kept vibrating loose throwing a TPS code. A couple of zip ties solved that.

I am Picking up a set of D44's next week. Teraflex front and rubicon rear. 5.38's, ARB's, 35 spline RCVs,

Its going to stay on 37's and when this 3.8 dies it will get a 4.0/aw4 and atlas. Suspension is getting reworked as well. 3 link front and not sure on the rear but definitely a 5-6" stretch.

Saving the 6.0 and wontons for a different project.
 
I don't think the effort to swap to a 4.0 is worth the effort vs putting a 3.8 long block in it if it dies. Both have comparable power and longevity.
 
Jphillips said:
I don't think the effort to swap to a 4.0 is worth the effort vs putting a 3.8 long block in it if it dies. Both have comparable power and longevity.
Click to expand...

Oh the effort definitely out weighs any performance difference. I never claimed to be a good decision maker, hell buying another JK is proof of that :laughing:

With a 4.0 based engine i would go to a simple stand alone harness and ditch all of the POS electrical JK junk.
Cost wise a LS is the most economical and I have a couple under the bench but a 4.0 in a JK seems like the right thing to do :homer:
 
Its also harder to keep a 4.0 cool even with upgraded radiators and fans. I spend a lot of time waiting on TJs to cool off.
 
East coast life :homer:

Rockers are getting cut out completely and rect tube added XJ style.
 

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A wheelin buddybhad a set of jk44s for a price i couldnt pass up.

Terra 44 front, rancho knuckles, 5.38s, arb and 35 spline rcv. Rear is a rubicon 44 with ems truss welded tubes 5.38 arb and 35 spline shafts. Im gonna pull one to verify that.

Parts are showing up slowly for the stretch and 3 link.
 

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I am still collecting parts before the axle swap. Ordered some ORi's for the front. I think I have everything for the front but the ORI and everything for the rear. I am going to shoot for 103"WB.

I have been commuting in the turd some and its slow and underpowered just like expected :laughing: .
jumping to the 5.28's over the 4.88's in it will be nice.

I did put a new exhaust on as well as a NRG steering wheel. Drifter parts :homer::lmao:
 
This junker getting gucci parts up front

Finishing up a pro xp cage this week for my racing buddy, then a cage in his sons rzr. After those the JK is going under the knife.
 

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Well i put about 1k miles on this crusty pile and decided it was time to swap axles.

I did score a setnof 17” fuel beadlocks off market place for a smokin deal so i guess its getting beadlocks too :clown:
 
Dropped the gas tank to ditch the rotten skid
Cut out the crusty rear crossmember to add a 4x2 tube.
 

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Then i mocked up the stretch. Looks like it will end at 7” and yes im swapping in peasant leaf packs on the rear :laughing:

I did not want to **** with putting a fuel cell in the back. I still want to use the hard top in the winter and wanted to keep the gas tank underneath. I didnt want a rear three link so said fawk it lets leaf swap it. Iron Rock Xj packs. Its a mix of stuff i made to french in the front hangers, ruffstuff u bolt eliminators and some Barnes shackles and mounts.

Its going to be a stink bug until i get the gas tank in, corner armor, plus a swing out with spare, hi lift and rotopax.
 

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YJ4Rox said:
A wheelin buddybhad a set of jk44s for a price i couldnt pass up.

Terra 44 front, rancho knuckles, 5.38s, arb and 35 spline rcv. Rear is a rubicon 44 with ems truss welded tubes 5.38 arb and 35 spline shafts. Im gonna pull one to verify that.

Parts are showing up slowly for the stretch and 3 link.
Click to expand...
How much stronger are thier Cs? Enough to not warrant gussets?
 
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