79 CJ5 frame up and 4.0 swap build

I just finished this build this summer. Still have a few small things to do but I am driving it around and working out the bugs. This is a build for my lovely daughter and it will be turned over to her this spring.

I took pictures of every step but they are scattered every where. So I have to do this over time as I find them and post them here. I will try and keep it in the order as I did it, but age has messed with my memory. lol Any who it went from this....



to this....



The build...
79 CJ5 all stock rust bucket. When done, it will have 4.0 and power steering, power brakes and tilt steering. Stripped it to the frame and sand blasted frame and started rounding up parts. Again I am going to add to this as I dig up photos in order. So gonna take a few weeks to finish.

It arrives! My buddy who works at Goddard space center sold me the heep and hauled it out to me.


Pulled it around back under deck to start tearing it down to frame.




Left tires and axles on so I could tow it to a friends to sand blast the frame. When I get it back to house will weld in patches and paint and such so I can start build up.


That's it for now. Gotta round round up some more photos. Sorry for the delay.

 

When I did this found an 94XJ for a 4.0 engine donor. Low miles. It was heading for the scrap yard so for $300 I could take anything I wanted off the XJ. So I grabbed the tilt steering and all power steering elements. I also grabbed all the hard lines for fuel injection. As for the engine I was able to just unhook everything on the engine attached to the harness and just fold it all up on top the engine and pull it. Doesnt get any easier for a 4.0 swap.





Got the frame back and did the repairs and painting. I also rebuilt the top half the engine and cleaned it all up. Put all new fuel injectors in and such also.



Rebuilt the t-case and cleaned it and tranny up before mounting.



Got the engine set and drive line mounted up. Skipped pictures of sanding and painting the front clip and fenders, but had to put them on to mount PDC and ballast resistor so they were out of the way. Lot of stuff to pile under the hood. lol

 

Next had to find a tub. Found a 1980 CJ5 tub up in PA. Looked really good.... till I got it home and stripped it down. It was all body putty under the paint. The bad thing was they puttied right over rust and holes without cleaning it up. Ended up cutting out and replacing the front floor boards and the whole rear floor board and both fender wells.

I used seam sealer over all welds because we all know our Jeeps don't have tops all summer and they become bath tubs after rains.lol





I did front section first and painted each section as I finished it, because I was scared of surface rust before I got the whole tub done.



Once the tub was done I Herculined the entire Tub with 4 coats of black.

 

So far so good.

 

Looking GOOOOOOD!!! Thanks for sharing.

 

Ok, found another usb flash with some pictures, lol

After getting the tub on I need the tranny cover and the metal mounts to mount the boots to the cover. The mounts were easy to find but crazy expensive. I could not find the cover anywhere for any price. So I decided to make the cover and the mounts for the boots.






http://i.imgur.com/iSQQwmg.jpg?1[/img]']
Now onto the wiring. I bought the Painless wiring harness for the 79 CJ because I was going to originally use the 258. But later decided to go the 4.0 swap. This worked out great because from firewall back was plug and play. Engine compartment was simple because I just tied the XJ harness into the fuse block. It really is as simple as 5 to fire. 3 wires are all thats needed at the fuse block and the other is for in line fuel pump.


http://i.imgur.com/G22KsYa.jpg?1[/img]']
This is where I decide to hang the ECU on the firewall. And started cleaning up the wires.


http://i.imgur.com/2KQLDGO.jpg?1[/img]']
More cleaning up wires. In the next 2 pictures you can also see where I mounted the PDC on passenger fender.




http://i.imgur.com/f5MKOPi.jpg?1[/img]']
I decide on the CPS to go with the Hesco kit that relocates to your harmonic balance. Little pricey but for me worth every penny.


http://i.imgur.com/Xq9aYnB.jpg?1[/img]']
Here it is installed. Very simple to install. Easy to get to for replacement also, rather than back on bell housing.



Because the 94 XJ 4.0 was set up for an electric fan and the system was different I had to go with a 93 YJ reverse rotation water pump, fan and clutch. Also had to get the pulley since the XJ did not have one for center mounting.

Water pump


http://i.imgur.com/lYOEWnt.jpg?1[/img]']
Fan, clutch , pump and pulley all installed


http://i.imgur.com/gBbMJYr.jpg?1[/img]']
For steering I grabbed the XJ tilt steering column and both shafts and the power steering gear box. I could not find a direct answer anywhere if this would work. A 94 XJ steering column and shafts and power steering gear box WILL work in a 79 CJ5 with simple mods. The column has a flange at the bottom you just have to grind off so it slides thru firewall. The outfit was 1" to long. I cannot find the photos I took of the work, but on the lower shaft where its made to slide in case of crash and a few inches below that I cut 1" section out and welded the shaft back together. I think in the photo below its under the rad hose? Either way it would be in that area you would cut it. I can try and find the pictures of it if someone doing this would need it for reference?


http://i.imgur.com/fZOgiIC.jpg[/img]']
Daughter is coming for Christmas and says she has all my pictures on a usb flash and will bring them. So should have some more pictures of the next steps soon.

http://i.imgur.com/eTkadFa.jpg?1[/img]']