XJ Mods VSB 14

[awg]

Originally Posted by alexbrown64

The felpro gasket has a double seal and comes with 4 mounting plugs just like in the video. I could mount the gasket and the pan up under the engine by myself and it hung there with no bolts.. brilliant idea and saved my life.

trick for pan gaskets (or studs you may want out later)

cut head off (longer) bolt, cut hacksaw slot for screwdriver

usually pan bolts have a common thread, I have used the 4 cut offs for pan gasket fitting for ages.

maybe just keep the felpro prongs

on some vehicles, having easily removeable studs can be an ass-saver in sump/timing cover situations

[alexbrown64]

Good tip AWG with using longer bolts, turning them into studs and using them as guides. The Felpro pins have the same arrangement with a threaded end and the opposite end to fit a screw driver. Because they are a plastic, they have barbs that the filter and pan slip over but cant fall back off. Anyway, great idea.

Before i fill the Jeep back up with oil and change the filter, i had one more job to do. I was kind of postponing it because the forums went on about it being a prick of a job.

Its the dreaded oil filter adapter oring replacement job!!

I armed myself with a mig welder, 20 feet of cheater bar, a bazooka, oxy, etc..

It ended up being a really easy job. I did get some ideas off the net, then adapted my own technique and it was all over in an hour.
As shown in the pic below, i used the T60 torx bit that goes in the oil adapter bolt. I just knocked the socket of the end of it to shorten it up. This also allowed me to get my dog bone spanner (10mm socket used) on it. This spanner fits in perfectly and is a articulated so you can get the angle you want. Its also a foot long, so you can get a good purchase on it. Doing the whole job from under the car was the secret. No need to undo engine mounts etc.. just put the torx/dog bone on and belt it with a hammer. The flogging action loosens the bolt easily. I removed the bolt from underneath, but then removed the whole unit including the attached oil filter from above.

My old orings were knackered. The kit from Summit, Rockauto, Ebay, is only a few bucks and its just a couple of minutes to swap them out.

I removed the filter, refitted the overhauled adapter and fitted a new filter.
If you have everything ready, allow about an hour all up.

Hope that helps for anyone else that has a leaky adapter and has been putting the job off...



Pic below showing technique of belting hell out of it from below. Plenty of room to swing a hammer and the action frees the bolt easily.. I even did it with the oil filter on. I also believe you dont have to drop the oil to do this job..



Cheers,

[awg]

Originally Posted by alexbrown64

It ended up being a really easy job. I did get some ideas off the net, then adapted my own technique and it was all over in an hour.
As shown in the pic below, i used the T60 torx bit that goes in the oil adapter bolt. I just knocked the socket of the end of it to shorten it up. This also allowed me to get my dog bone spanner (10mm socket used) on it. This spanner fits in perfectly and is a articulated so you can get the angle you want. Its also a foot long, so you can get a good purchase on it. Doing the whole job from under the car was the secret. No need to undo engine mounts etc.. just put the torx/dog bone on and belt it with a hammer. The flogging action loosens the bolt easily. I removed the bolt from underneath, but then removed the whole unit including the attached oil filter from above.

Cheers,

I used 2 x identical 12mm $1 spanners from Supercheap taped together on the shank of the T60, with a pipe over the end to break the loctite, then switch to 10mm ratchet spanner

all from above, only disconnected the OP sender wire

[alexbrown64]

Wish i had the 10mm ratchet as well. Makes it a lot easier on the end of the t60 torx to wind out the oil filter adapter bolt.
When i put it all back together, i buffed the threads on the bolt, used a dab of anti-seize and a smear of grease on the orings. The whole lot just slid together and then just a final tighten up.

The transmission now has a full sump of Castrol Dex 3, and the engine has some new Castrol Magnetec 10w-40.

I know a lot of folk don't believe in additives, but my Jeep has done 325,000 ks and runs great, but has a slight lifter tick.
After reading heaps of stuff, i have gone with this product just to help the Jeep purr along for another 325,000..

Amazon

 

Amazon

Got a lot of good reviews, and at the price, it should have.

I think the next job has got to be rebuilding the Tcase.. but this morning i am taking the kids crabbing..

[awg]

Originally Posted by alexbrown64

Wish i had the 10mm ratchet as well.

a man (or woman) needs a lot of tools to work on a Jeep

what with Metric, Imperial, male & female Torx

would have probably 20 sets each of sockets & spanners, still need more

[alexbrown64]

You certainly need a lot of tools with these cars AWG.

Well, i had mixed success with the Tcase last night and this morning.
It was relatively easy changing out all the bearings. One of the large blind needle bearings gave me a bit of grief, but i pulled it by tacking a nut to it and pulling it with a slide hammer. The rest were just knock out and knock in. One shaft has a bunch of loose needles that when changed out, you just use some petroleum jelly to hold in place.



My problems started when i went to replace the seals. My box only had 4 seals in it, while the image on the web showed about 8. Only one was correct, so my bloody kit is next to useless. Now, i have had the kit for about a year.. and i had it opened before. So not sure if some fell out, spiders ate them or what.. but they are gone. My Tcase is not leaking and i could of gone ahead without replacing them, but i have decided to do the righty and get them replaced.

The next problem is the chain. I ordered this about a year ago too and its been sitting in its box. Its a Cloyes (Made in USA on the box). It is the correct part HV028.
There is one difference. Some of the Aussie and Euro NP242J chains were a rocker joint style, while the American ones were roll pin. No probs, just a different style with slightly different characteristics.
However, my Cloyes one on the pic below seems to have loose plates and gaps in some areas, and not in others, and seems low quality. The original Borg Warner/Morse chain on the left is tight everywhere and seems great quality.
I cant use the Borg chain though, as at 325,000 k's i could hear the stretched chain... and it should be replaced.



Now i am not sure what to do?? Use the new Cloyes chain.. or just get an OEM spec Borg Warner.
Not sure what is going on with that chain, but i am not certain i want that in my Jeep. I will send a pic to the manufacturer and supplier.

Cheers,

[awg]

Originally Posted by alexbrown64

Now i am not sure what to do?? Use the new Cloyes chain.. or just get an OEM spec Borg Warner.
Not sure what is going on with that chain, but i am not certain i want that in my Jeep. I will send a pic to the manufacturer and supplier.
Cheers,

re the seals, a local bearing & seal place can probably supply whats missing
if you dont have the old ones you took out, shaft OD, housing ID and thickness from witness marks

I personally would not use a new chain unless I was satisfied, but rather, assemble the TX with the old one, and replace it with a known good one when you can get one.

Dont know if yr vehicle is a non-goer cause of it

hate wrong fitting parts, put in a trans mount yesterday, its too low right out of the box and the trans now bangs on the xmember