Well I went this last weekend to AZ and got to work on the old CJ7. It turned out to be a challenging but fun experience with great results.
Here's what I did
1. Drop the fuel tank which was fun because the rear bumper where the tank bracket was bolted was bent from pulling who knows what. The bolts drop into a square hole in the bumper and would just spin, but I finally got them out. I'm not sure if I did it or it was already like that but one of the metal spigots for the fuel line was cracked, I fixed it with some quiksteel.
2. Pulled the plugs and put some Marvel Mystery oil in the cylinders and let that sit for day and a half
3. Cleaned out old gas and washed out and dried tank-the tank looked surprisingly clean but the fuel looked like Jack Daniels
4. Changed out the sending unit (old ones float gauge didn't work)
5. Replace fuel filter
6. Reinstall tank- This was the hardest part because the stupid way the bolts are attached to the bumper, because it was bent I could only get 3 to line up. To hold the bolts in place I tac welded the bolt heads to the bumper to keep them from spinning because you cant reach them once tank is in place.
7. Replace battery
8. Change oil and filter and add Seafoam conditioner to help clean it up on the inside
9. Turn engine over with plugs out
10. Install new plugs
11. I had my niece get in and try and start her up, I primed the carb with some gas from a spray bottle and she would start for a second then die, I knew it would take a bit to prime the fuel lines again so we tried a few more times but it would only start for a second if I sprayed the carb directly. So to be sure my fuel pump was working I disconnected the fuel line after the pump and before the filter and stuck the hose in a empty bottle and cranked it and it took a couple times but eventually it came out. I then reinstalled the line and had her fire it up and it started like a champ:thumb:. Only problem was it was billowing white smoke. At first I thought it had a bad head gasket
, I checked the radiator for bubbles or the discolored coolant but all looked good. I called a fellow wayalifer and he said that was probably from the seafoam or marvel oil I put in. Or it could be a little water that was not completely dried in the fuel tank. I ran it for another 30 minutes and the smoke went away so it seems all is good. I told my niece it still needed to be taken to a real mechanic to get looked over and tuned up but at least she can drive it there. If it will cost too much ill probably bring it back to Cali and either sell it here or figure out somewhere to put it to fix it up myself.
All in all a good trip, thanks wayalifers for the tips. My face lit up when she started up:rock:
Here she is finally out of mothballs with my new JKU in the background
