XJ Mods VSB 14

[alexbrown64]

Why i love and hate my XJ, and why this thread could go on forever...

This morning i get up and ask my boy if he wants to go up the shops. Yes he does, so we jump in the XJ and i crank and crank and not even a hint of starting. This is why i still have two cars, as i am ironing out the bugs in the old XJ.

We jump in the other car to complete the mission. I was thinking i don't have a clue what it could be, but i think i know how to find out.....

When i get home, i did the ignition key trick to bring up any codes. I get 3 codes. One is 55, which just means its the end of the code reading. I get 12, which means i have been disconnecting my battery. And i get "code 54, No camshaft signal detected during engine cranking".

Is my XJ alive and holding on until i bought all new sensors? I can't believe that i had only just bought all 4 sensors for the Jeep a few weeks ago and they had only just rocked up and already i needed to use one.

I disconnected the battery, removed two screws and took the distributor cap off, undid one plug and removed the CPS. I am sure you can check them, but i had the new spare so i just popped that in and closed it all back up. Total time was less than 10 minutes.

I cranked her over and she spluttered and then roared into life and purred like a kitten. I restarted her a few times and she is all good again.

I guess any car can shit a sensor, and i hate that the XJ can do that, but i love it that if you put your thinking cap on, you can diagnose and repair the Jeep so easily and cheaply. This is why i bought the spares, but i can't believe i would need one so soon. The last time this happened i was with my boy as well about 10 years ago. I didn't understand my Jeep then and i had to get it towed to a workshop.

I checked my Rockauto order and this is the details..
"STANDARD MOTOR PRODUCTS LX258 Distributor Pickup Coil $ 27.99 "



Not sure how Standard Motor Products quality is, but its got me running again. Now i will have to order another one as the new backup part.

Cheers,

[awg]

I bought 2 of every sensor of a seller here that was wrecking '96 XJs.

couldnt believe it when he only wanted $40 for the lot, paid for itself 1st time when the Chinese O2 sensor I got failed after 3months

they are original sensors too

also got a matching numbers computer for $100

these are wrapped in gladwrap, and kept in a plastic bag under my passenger seat (might not fit under your power seat lol)

[alexbrown64]

Thats a good buy Tony.

I might look at getting a spare computer as well.

I went on Rockauto to get another cam position sensor to replace the one i just fitted. While i was there, i wondered if there was anything else i should replace.

So i did some research. My XJ is purring like a kitten, but drinks juice. That has a lot to do with the weight, tyres, gearing etc.. but i also wanted to know more about what role the sensors play in fuel economy.
I realized that the MAP sensor, O2 sensor and coolant temp sensor have a large role in sending info to the computer on running temps, vacuum, etc and have a large impact on fuel economy. The car might be running great, but running rich or less efficient than it could.

I ordered a new Manifold Absolute Pressure sensor and coolant temp sensor (not the one that sends a signal to the gauge), but the sensor that sends coolant temp info to the computer (its on the thermostat housing as opposed to the cylinder head). I will replace these sensors together with the O2 sensor in an attempt to run at optimum efficiency. The old sensors will be boxed up as spares.



Cheers,

[rainman]

i do the same , but i have a spark tester and a noid light as well. mine is obd1 its prety dumb you can disconect the cam or crank sensor and it still will not throw a code

[alexbrown64]

Having some diagnostic equipment is a good idea. I have a good Jeep obd1 reader but i thought i would just use the key trick first.

So, more drama. This morning i play mr.mom and take the daughter to work. I notice the Jeep starting to idle just a little rough. Also, acceleration seemed a bit weak. When i pulled in the drive, i was mucking around with the aircon, switches etc to see if it had an affect on idle. Then i noticed my vac gauge was showing a really odd reading.

I lifted the bonnet and i could hear suction. My new elbow from the manifold was cracked and making the car run like crap. The heat of the manifold seems to be affecting the rubber. I went up to Supercheap and made a vac elbow out of some thick fuel line and some other fittings i had lying around.

I will probably have to look more into getting my vac system upgraded a bit. But, it also shows such a small problem can manifest into a big one. The Jeep testing is going well....ironing out all the little stuff..





Cheers,

[eksjay]

The good thingng about the 4.0L I6 is that you can take a look under the bonnet and figure out what is causing the problem, and fix it.

[alexbrown64]

Originally Posted by eksjay

The good thingng about the 4.0L I6 is that you can take a look under the bonnet and figure out what is causing the problem, and fix it.

Your right there!

I got in the Jeep yesterday to run a few errands. Before i even got out the driveway i heard a loud ticking. I knew it wasn't the lifters..mine are super quiet. I traced it to the distributor!! I gave it a wiggle and it slowly went away... however, later on it came back as a squeak. Sounded like a fan belt squeak. Later on i wriggled the shaft and there was 1-2mm of play. Its an aftermarket dizzy and about 10 years old.

I did some research that evening and its a common problem. Most folk just replace them. But, low and behold, if the shaft isnt too worn, you can simply rebuild them.



There is no bearing in there, but rather a bush. The bush that squeaks and ticks is above the oil seal. It gets dry and then creates havoc. Probably after a while it gets hot, worn, and then wobbles more and creates timing issues.

So, mine wasn't too worn and worth a shot to inspect and fix.
The correct way to remove and install the Jeep distributor is to find TDC by removing the number 1 plug (closest to front of engine), turning the harmonic balancer and feeling for the compression stroke. Then lining up the two timing marks on the balancer and engine case. Remove distributor and to install you have to put a punch in a hole in the top of the distributor, get the oil pump to 11 o'clock, rub your tummy, pat your head etc..

The easy way if you are taking it out and putting it back is to just mark the rotor button and distributor body with a paint pen. When your lifting the distributor straight up, a helical gear will rotate the button slightly. Mark the rotor button alignment with two dots of paint on the distributor body. Then, when you go to put it all back, just line up the paint marks again and insert the distributor. Some times you may have to play with the groove in the oil pump just slightly as you may of bumped it. The distributor shaft blade goes in that groove and if it doesnt go in, the you will know, as the distributor wont go down all the way.



Anyway, i ripped mine out and laid it on the bench. I scribed a mark in a straight line along all the components of the distributor. Gear, shaft, body etc.. Then i simply punched out the roll pin and tapped the gear off. The shaft come up and out of the body.



You can see the shaft laying on the bench that up the top near the plastic cap, the shaft is rusty and dry. That actually spins on the bush in the housing, but gets dry as it is above the oil seal. The lower section spins in the housing too, but is lubricated as it is under the oil seal.

I clean it all up with emery, greased the assembly and put it all back together. It was a simple job to pop it back in the engine and have it all line up nicely using the paint marks.

I started the Jeep up and it run perfectly. No more noise.
Should get plenty more life out of the distributor now. I have heard of folk getting new ones and pulling them apart and greasing them properly before fitting for the first time.

If you have that noise, then its a 1 hour job total. Tools needed are a philips screw driver, 12mm ratchet spanner, punch, hammer, grease, emery, paint pen and a beer..

Cheers,