One instructor, Stan Vermiel, (yes, coach Vermiel's brother), told me he asked his doctor about him and his buddies killing 6 Cyl engines by spanning your hands across the plug wires. (I guess some old six's had them exposed). He said the doc told him it's OK, except every time the spark goes through a joint it leaves a little pit, and peak in the other side. I concider myself very fortunate to have known him btw. Got my CA smog license, and had a blast doing it!

 

Well I confirmed that the flexplate is both loose and cracked without taking the inspection panel all the way off. One of the 18mm bolts is stuck in its hole, but I was able to pull the panel back enough to see one of the bolts and get a wrench on it. It was just a shade over finger tight and when I got the light shone up there I could see a 1" crack radiating out from the bolt hole.

I have already ordered a new flexplate and in a couple weeks I will be putting that in, or hiring a shop to do it if the cost of tools is higher than labor, I still have to call around and get some quotes.

With the front end up higher I was able to get a better look at the oil filter area and there does look to be oil coming from there. I am going to do an oil change just to make sure that it it is not just a loose filter, but if it is still leaking after that I plan on doing another oil change in 500-1000 miles and I will tackle the o ring at that time.

I also found out that my engine has headers on it. I knew that it had a cat back replacement, but it looks like from the collector to cat pipe should be replaced too.

 

After I changed the oil I went back to work on the flexplate inspection. Only the one crack that I could see with the transmission still in the car, but all 4 holes are ovals and one of the bolts was so far out that the only thing keeping it in was the block and inspection plate. I was going to take a picture of it, but I couldn't get it to turn out.

I just tightened the bolts up for now. Since I am not driving it yet, there is no use of pulling the bolts, putting thread locker on them and torquing the down when I am only going to be pulling them all out again in a couple weeks to replace the flexplate.

I think I found the source of the oil leak too. Oil filters are not suppose to turn when you are just wiping the old oil off them are they? Having a loose filter did make it much easier to take it off, I didn't even need the filter wrench

Before taking the truck off the ramps I wiped down as much of the oil that was slicked on the floor and transmission as I could. I will give them both a good cleaning when I have the transmission out, and keep an eye on it to see if I get any more in the future.

 

Well too cool! You know your problem's right away! (I'd still watch those O rings) I can't think if anything other than the tranny mount and U-Joints that a guy might do since they are out. I probably wouldn't do either if they seemed OK.

"all four" holes? There might be 5.....

 

The tranny mount looks OK but I wont know for sure till I drop it. I have been thinking about doing the u-joints, but I will have to wait and see just how much money I have left over next pay.

If I was jumping right into bigger tires and a lift kit I wouldn't hesitate to do the u-joints, but I think for this first year I will keep it just as it sits. Unless something breaks, then it is upgrade time

 

The new flexplate should be here tomorrow, I just have to decide if I am going to do it myself, or save the frustration and pay someone else to do it. One place has quoted me $800 if I supply the parts. I still need to shop around a bit more before I decide.

 

I just picked up the new flexplate and I am leaning towards doing the work myself, with the help of friends and family. The only hard/frustrating part I can see is dropping the tranny and putting it back up. I am not sure if that is worth the money to have someone else do it for me, besides I have more time than money right now

 

It really isn't that bad once you get the two bolts out of the top of the bellhousing. A trans jack makes it a lot easier (and safer). 4 guys and a pair of 4X4's can be made to work in a pinch too, provided you are careful.

 

Well I just went through the "needs to be repaired/fixed" on the XJ and it isn't too bad for a $400 buy.

1. Flexplate
2. Rotors and pads
3. Rear shoes
4. Drivers side cylinder
5. patch work front fenders, rusted out ahead of the wheels
6. Rocker panels
7. Rear quarters
8. Frame patch drivers side behind the LCA

I was expecting the all the brakes to need replacing, but the drums and shoes look almost new, aside from the DS shoes being soaked in brake fluid. The front had new pads put on old grooved and excessively worn rotors Why do people do that, the rotors are well beyond tollerences yet ruining new pads for the sake of saving $50, come on

The fenders I can easily fix by cutting out the bad and brazing in some body steel. If I decide I want to keep the bumper corners I will only have to make 2 90° bends. Loose the front bumper and make a new on I only have to make 1 90° bend. I knew I would be repairing them when I bought it, I could see the poor bondo job.

I also knew about the rockers when I bought it. PS was not repaired and the last 6-8 inches was missing, but the inner was good. I suspected the same thing on the DS, and I was right. Lots of bondo and RTV

I was hoping I could save the quarters, but they are too far gone and rusted out in front of the wheel too. If it had been only behind the wheels I would have just did a sort of cut and fold like repair. Problem is that the rust in the back goes up just a little too high and the inside is rotted too. I can patch up the inside, but the quarter is too far gone for my skills so there is another $200 to add to the repairs

All and all not too bad, a little more work and expense than I would like, but still a dirt cheap XJ when done. I will be starting the work in a week or two and will probably do a build thread. Step one get it fixed and ready for some mods