14 JKU M-380 "Kilroy"

Thanks - good to know. I'll stick with the Prestone and call it 'good'.

ok - the PSC Big Bore JK steering gearbox is bolted in place. Since I didn't have a gearbox to begin with (well I did but it was for a right-hand-drive so that wouldn't help anyway) I opted to take the large volume of online advise and get the PSC Big Bore gearbox...and yeah BIG it is. To give some perspective here's a couple pics -

This is the Big Bore gearbox compared to the stock unit -


This is the shaft compared to a 1-ton Chevy TRE - big stuff indeed -


The nut is effing huge -


Anyway, the big Magnum 360 between the fenders made things a bit tight, but even so thankfully the only place where there was a clearance issue was between the steering pump (Grand Cherokee placement) and the top of the box. In order to get it to clear I had to French the mount into the frame about 3/8", which worked great, and to make plenty of room for the ram-assist lines I modified the d-side engine mount frame plates.

Cut into the frame to make room for the new mount -
Before -


After -


Welded 1"x .5" id DOM tubes to the back side of the main mount plate, made respective holes on the opposite side of the frame, and glued it all in solid


easier to see what I had to do to french the mount into the frame when it was in primer -


The mount had to be moved forward about an inch for clearance, which worked great, and just filled in the remaining holes. Note, this was originally a right-hand drive and fortunately I didn't have to contend with the OE anti-compression tubes presently on the pass-side -


and painted, even used proper conical lock washers (didn't want standard split lock washers to spit themselves out during the constant side-to-side stresses, torqued to the OE-spec 87 lbs -








Got 7/8x3/4 right and left-hand heims and have the tie rod in place right where the old setup was, all of which is very nicely protected by the full-hydro mount truss, which I left in place -


Used multiple tape measures to center the steering, and measure the tie rod length including a very slight toe-in -




Picked up a nice 7* reamer and drilled the pass-side high-steer arm for a TRE to connect the crossover drag link to the huge Big Bore pitman arm -


The JK Big Bore pitman arm is a BIG honkin' unit (apparently same-same as an '09 Dodge, in case anyone wants a drop pitman arm, FYI). And when 'straight' the Big Bore pitman arm was unusually off-center (to the d-side) relative to the chassis (stock JK setup I presume), but I wanted mine centered so I carved out one of the splines to locate the arm a couple slots to the center -


Drag link, 1.75x8 ram, fittings, and hoses are next up to be finished. Progress

The threads on both of the 7/8-18 threaded inserts for the crossover drag link were jammed up, but yesterday ShazAmazon delivered both of the right and left-hand taps same-day, got the threads cleaned up, and this morning got the 1-ton TREs installed at both ends, and got the drag link installed. Then removed both front coils and flexed everything out to see how good my eyeball math is on what will hit or not, and the only mods I had to do were to put a small bend in the drag link and trim the front truss a small bit for the minimal clearance needed - everything flexes out nicely 👍 .

I'm going to drill/tap the Reid knuckles and thread in some steering bump stops, and then next up is to find a good home for the 1.75x8 ram that arrives today. Then to connect the plumbing, reinstall everything, and party on.

No idea if having 17 degrees of flex is 'good' or not, but it's what this Jeep ended up, and considering it's just a simple lifted stock-style suspension it's plenty good enough for me -

Nicely done.

ok the conversion back to ram-assisted steering is almost complete. The gearbox, pitman arm, drag link, tie rod, and ram are in place. Hoses and column linkage are next, then I'll fill it back up with Prestone. These pics are at nearly full drop -









the cover plate makes an excellent mounting platform for the ram -

Mad Max - naked hydraulic hoses make me nervous (for no great reason, but they do ).

FYI, basic, boring spiral wrap from Ancor has held up well since I put it on in 2013.


That^ pic was before I clocked the ram clamp on the TR - ram needs to be parallel to the tie rod to keep the TR from rotating / flopping.

yah I'll probably incorporate something like that if not exactly that - thanks for the tip 👍

Plumbing, column and such are all connected and ready to fill -

It gets cramped at max squish but it all fits and functions -





I also wanted a bit more front compression travel before hitting the bumps so I pulled the DV8 bump stops apart and machined a 1.5" longer internal sleeve so it now has 1" of travel vs the 2.5" it came with - should work great -

a'rite - after 3-1/2 weeks the conversion to ram-assisted steering is complete, updated bump stops and coils are back in place, weight is on the wheels, system is bled out, and everything appears to be behaving nicely. Couldn't get the drag link exaaaactly parallel to the track bar but they're pretty close - hopefully it will steer confidently at speed. Once I get the radiator back in I can fire it all up and see how it performs...

horray! Fired it up and everything is working great - steering actually seems faster lock to lock than it did with full-hydro, smooth, no bubbles, fluid is crystal clear, drives really dern'd well down the street. More fine-tuning to come, but I'm really happy with the system, and it definitely feels way more awesomer .

- Sam

...tossed Kilroy in Liberty Trail this weekend - part of the Independence Trail system in nearby Penrose, CO, and the beastie did great. Liberty is a solid 7 - pretty much a ravine full of big rocks and ledges, a real workout for any machine. The new steering setup is much better than the full hydro setup - I don't think it's any more powerful, but the 'feedback' in the wheel is SO much better - much more to my liking. Live and learn.

And yah I am VERY happy I chose to keep the full hydro front truss - it is an outstanding shield for the tie rod, and it got plenty of 'use' on this trail.

The fan tickled the fan shroud a couple times, so this morning I pulled it out and opened it up another 1/4 inch, which should do the trick. Also the radiator fan just isn't creating the airflow necessary to keep the engine at/near 180*, so I'm looking at alternatives...which might have to be an electric setup...which I don't really want - I like the 'mechanical' setup...but apparently it just isn't enough to keep up, so there's that to ponder.

Otherwise it's getting closer and closer to being fully 'done' mechanically, and hopefully I'll be able to start on the finish work - lights, HVAC, paint, etc.

I haveta say...I am really...really liking this machine.

Couple pics from the trail. Not quiiiite all the way stretched out but close -







couple pics of the trail itself - pretty much just like this the whole way -

Good to see you enjoying it instead of reworking things endlessly.
How long is that trail? distance/time taken?

yah thanks - I'm really liking this machine. Liberty is 1.6 miles long, and took us about 4 hours down and back - it's a thorough thrash fest, and was a great shake down run for the new steering

on ExWrench's recommendation 👍 , picked up some heavy duty spiral wrap loom for the ram lines, fabbed my own aluminum rear quarter panel armor and got it bolted up, got the rear winch installed and ready to use, and hitting a trail tomorrow -







relocated the winch controller plug to 'here' -





took the soft top off for the run tomorrow...

it's not very exciting, but here's a video from Liberty crawling out the gatekeeper -

went to my favorite local trail this past weekend - Chinaman Gulch, and here's some vids to show some of the harder lines -
The "Rockpile" -


"Whale Tail" -


"The Wall" -


"V-notch" -

...with the Jeep still strapped to the trailer, the day after the trail run on Chinaman we decided it was a great time for the whole family to...for the first time ever...have some family fun with all of us together in the Jeep. So we all loaded up in the Ram and we hauled out to our local Ram Off Road Park for a bit of fun...and wouldn't ya know just as we're all done and making our way out...Kilroy's engine just...shut off...leaving us temporarily stranded...well I should say the fuel pump did. It was a new fuel pump module assembly...and yah it was an "Amazon" or local parts store purchase (don't remember which), and as such apparently the module did not come with a quality pump. The park owner Ray was able to strap us back to the trailer, and home we went.

Next day I started to diagnose the problem, which with a non-blown fuse I suspected was the pump. Sure enough there was power getting to the plug, but the pump no workie. SO - since a fuel pump was required I took the opportunity to use only my trail tools and simulate a fuel pump swap 'on the trail'. I had all of the tools to both get the pump assembly out and get the pump itself out, but I'm adding a couple specialty tools to make the process that much smoother...and thinking about it I'm just gonna put together an entire duplicate pump assembly to have on hand to make similar future shenanigans that much easier. And wow I can't say enough awesome stuff about having the trap door above the pump and NOT having to drop the tank - it works positively perfectly 👍 -

First...break all of this out -


...unbolt the rear p-side seat base and bungee it up out of the way -


...disconnect the fuel line and electrical plug and strap them up out of the way, grab the retainer ring wrench, crack the retainer ring loose, and 'pop!' - up springs the top end...

Note, and word to the wise - make sure the tank is only about 3/4 full in order to avoid having about 5 gallons of gasoline flood out all over everything under there...which thankfully did not happen only because I hadn't yet refilled the tank - there was literally about 1/8" of air between the top of the pump module and the fuel level, so that worked out just fine, but wow would I have been pissed if it had been full.

So, once my heart rate got back to normal I grabbed a trash bag to cover the Jeep's floor, lifted the module partially out letting fuel drain off of it as much as possible, then disconnected the forward-aiming extension rod and suction tube, and with the tube in hand lifted the module all the way out, then lay the suction tube on the rim of the tank opening, and carry the module to the work bench for surgery.


Note - because of the long tank, a JK's fuel pump assembly is designed with an internal surge tank, retaining fuel within an internal cavity that is always full even if the fuel level get's low, and this cavity will still be full of fuel so be careful not to tilt the module too much otherwise you'll get a bath you don't want.

Grab a drain pan, and then tilt the module to drain the fuel. Once drained I disassembled the "non-serviceable" totally serviceable assembly, and removed the junk fuel pump. A quality Delphi pump (my intel says is pn# FE0700 - not the whole module assembly - just the pump) is on the way from Rock Auto (~$100 shipped), and once I get it I'll report back if it is indeed a direct match.




This is what it's all about, and it's totally worth every minute of work and penny spent :)


The kids love the rope swings at the back edge of the park :)




...more to follow...

yep it was the pump; new pump is in and functioning as it should 👍

Again, not sure if these'll really help anyone...but they sure help me. These are a series of video's I did (very low budget) which may help anyone who has questions about the JK fuel pump module, and how it all works, pumps, fuel pressure regulators, how it all gets assembled/installed, etc.

Intro -

Cleaning debris -

Delphi Pump FE0700 -

Pump in & Pressure Regulator -

Strainer, clips -

Assembly - imgur.com

Pump Wiring Connector - FUel level assembly is

-- (edit: Fuel level assembly is from ISSPRO; fuel return line is from EFI Sys Pro)

Trap Door - imgur.com

-- (edit: I misspoke on the wiring schematic - correct in next vid)

Wiring Schematic - imgur.com

Pickup Tube - Imgur: The magic of the Internet

Installing Pump Module - imgur.com

Retainer Plate - imgur.com

- Sam

wow - after 20 years and all of these builds....



...I finally think I have the ideal wheelin' machine for me and the family

the dodges were cooler though lol! excellent work

...that they were...but so much more difficult to 'get' to where I wanted them. It's all good, and LOTs of great stories 👍

Took ole' Kilroy and the wife's JKUR "Gossamer" out for a nice club trail ride with the family - had a really nice time. Love these easy trail rides as much as the hard-core stuff :) . Jeep is running/performing really well, but there's still some areas that are gonna get some attention, the first being 'cooling'.

For multiple reasons I'm seriously considering removing the mechanical clutch fan and going with a much simpler and bolt-on standard electric fan setup, and I'm looking at three options:

1) OE fan assy - 68143894AB/AA (7-blade)
2) Dorman 621-604 (7-blade)
3) Murray FA90112 (9-blade)

Also planning to use a Dakota Digital 2-speed controller #PAC-2800BT. Prices for each are all more or less the same.

Anyone have real-world experience with either of those and/or have recommendations?

Thanks!
- Sam

...one issue I'm foreseeing is how to wire up an OE fan setup with an aftermarket controller. For example, the factory setup has three wires: Power, Ground, and Pulse Width Modulation, and I don't think I can wire up an OE-replacement fan assembly in the old-school manner. Haveta check into that...

ok - thanks to my friend George and his intimate knowledge of electronical voodoo, we think we figured out how to control the OE fan assembly without the OE computer. The OE fan setup uses a big power and ground wires, and a smaller 'signal' wire which uses Pulsed Width Modulation (PWM). If my info is correct, I can simulate the factory PWM signal with aftermarket PWM controllers, in my case two of them, which should activate the OE low speed fan at temp X (the controller is adjustable), and the high speed setting at temp Y. In my case, my Holley Sniper EFI has two output (ground trigger) wires in the harness - one each for low and high-speed fan(s), meaning the Sniper is intended to operate two separate fans, which we think have a work-around for. Here's the diagram -
(edit - can anyone see the pic? I see it when editing the post, but not when posted...and don't know why...)



Low speed. 12v switched power goes to 86 on the Hi relay, and 30 on both. When the Hi relay is not in use post 87a is 'hot' and sends power to 86 on the Lo relay, powering the Lo relay, but it's not active because it's a ground trigger setup. At say 190* (programmable), the Sniper will ground the low-speed output, which will ground/activate the Lo relay, which will send 87 output to the Lo PWM controller, which will send PWM signal (low) to the fan for low-speed fan ops.

High speed. When things get hotter (say 220*), the Sniper will ground the high-speed output, which will ground the Hi relay, which will open 87a on the Hi relay, disabling the Lo relay, and simultaneously send 87 output to the Hi PWM controller (adjusted higher), which will send PWM signal (high) to the fan for high-speed fan ops.

When I finish Big Mack's flatbed I'll bring in Kilroy for a bunch of finishing work, and I'll order the Dorman OE replacement fan (621-601) and a few of these PWM controllers, and I'll post back if this evil plan actually works

PWM controllers - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BBFKWHB3?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

- Sam

You might need to have the PWM set to max for the fan to kick on when the Sniper sends a signal to the ground. If the PWM is too low it won't send all 12 volts to the fan. Just something to think about during testing, and when it's starting to get too hot.
Any way to add an idiot light m so you know the Sniper is sending the ON signal to the fan in case the knob gets twisted and the fan doesn't kick on?

copy all - and all yet TBD. I could do an idiot light via relay(s) to alert me when the fan(s) come on, but I'm sure I'll hear the fans - the Jeep is pretty quiet.

The light would be for when they're signaled to come on. If the PWM is turned down for some reason and they DON'T kick on it would be nice to know before you overheat.

...just a quick pic from a run out to a local trail to kick off the season - funny...I haven't wrenched on the Jeep in months! :) -

so I've got two big trips coming up, and to get ready for those I've been working on both the tow rig and the Jeep. On the tow rig, I discovered an exhaust manifold bolt had snapped on my mighty 6.7 Cummins, so I replaced the factory manifold with a much nicer BD Diesel unit, then 'cleaned up' the intake side (cleaned out the EGR cooler and upgraded the OE grid heater), and added pyro and boost gauges - some nice upgrades.

Then with the towing side of things squared away I turned to the Jeep, and dug deeper into the Painless harnesses and got the main lights working - running, turn sigs, headlights, brakes - all working, and now that I can 'signal' my intentions I'm confident to drive it on the street, which is huge as I don't have to 'haul' it around 👍.

Working out a bunch of other items. The front driveshaft was scraping against the engine/trans shield and I trimmed the shield back a bit more and should be good now. Plus the trans temp sensor was sticking straight out the side which was also dangerously close to the driveshaft, so I drained the fluid and placed the sensor at a 90* angle, which should square that away.

The pinion guard on my rear 14b was scraping against the corner of the gas tank shield, so trimmed the shield back a bit which should take care of that, and if it doesn't I'll pull the pinion guard and trim it too.

At max flex the stock 5-blade engine cooling fan was still just barely 'tickling' the fan shroud, so I replaced the fan with a 9-blade unit, which is about 1/4" smaller diameter, which should resolve the scraping issue, and hopefully will also increase the 'airflow' and cure the slight 'warming' issue the engine was experiencing at prolonged idle speeds.

I have about 8 more mornings to tweak things, and besides packing I'm gonna also try to get the wipers and some rock lights functional in that time.

- Sam

super coolieo - got me fully functional intermittent wipers 👍. Modified the JK wiper motor mounting plate to accept a CJ wiper motor, used the JK wiper arm linkage (which splines up clean to the CJ motor stud), wired up the aftermarket intermittent controller (Intermittent, Lo, Hi, plus push-for washer pump, and park) - all work perfectly, and now have old-school intermittent wipers in my JK

Wiper controller - Amazon.com: Wiper Switch with Knob Fits for Peterbilt 220 378 379 387 Replaces 75600-26 7560026 6-Lead Knob Wiper Control Switch : Automotive
CJ Wiper motor - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L9RF471?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_11&th=1

Installed (don't forget to ground the motor casing) -










Schematic -