Big Tuna Presents: Pegasus Rising

[BigTuna117]

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Well, I've spent the last two or so weeks diagnosing an injector circuit malfunction on Cylinder 4. I was finally able to get everything tested, and found the I actually had a bad injector, and that 2 others were on their way out too. Of course, simple replacement is not my style. Time for an upgrade!
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These little beauties are Bosch (Gen 3 I think) Fuel Injectors. They are pretty similar to the OEM Injectors, except for the 4 Hole (instead of 1 or 2 hole) design. The 4 holes supposedly provide better fuel atomization, for a better burn of the fuel. While I was at it, I replaced spark plugs, which is something I was about 20K overdue for.
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The plugs were replaced with NGK V-Power plugs. She runs and idles much smoother now.

 

[BigTuna117]

As I found out yesterday, One of the seals from the old Injectors was stuck in the fuel rail. Please check the inside of our fuel rail. That way you don't spray gas everywhere. And you also don't mangle the seal on the new injector.

Also, Here's the set of injectors I bought, in case any of y'all are interested in doing this swap.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/141626740469?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[BigTuna117]

So, we are slowly getting her trail (and street) ready again. With the hot season fastly approaching, the dash got pulled to replace the A/C and Heater core. A new rear driveshaft makes things far less vibe-y.
Meanwhile, I'm getting kind of stir crazy wanting to hit the dirt again.

 

[timberwolf_120]

So, we are slowly getting her trail (and street) ready again. With the hot season fastly approaching, the dash got pulled to replace the A/C and Heater core. A new rear driveshaft makes things far less vibe-y.
Meanwhile, I'm getting kind of stir crazy wanting to hit the dirt again.

i hear ya man I got a pile or parts a mile high at my buddies house waiting for me to get back and install it all.

 

[BigTuna117]

Well, this weekend took an... interesting turn. My alternator died, however Autozone lost my warranty info, so I ended up having to buy a new one. Ahh well. I was lucky I had my dual battery system to limp me home.
New Steering gear is on it's way also. I think I pulled a tooth out of my current one by putting lots of weight on the steering wheel when I was removing it (When I pulled the dash). Now, there's a pretty good loose area around center.
The good news is, the A/C has been pressurized, passed leak testing, and is currently functional! It's been a long time coming, and since all of the A/C parts are less than 5 years old, there's absolutely no reason I should really have to mess with it further. Fingers crossed!

 

[BigTuna117]

On this day 5 years ago, this wild, crazy adventure began.
Here's to another 5!
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[BigTuna117]

Well, Tuesday a new PS (Power Steering) Gearbox went in. Man, my old one must have been in pretty bad shape, because the Jeep is WAAAAY easier to maneuver. She is in need of alignment, which will come Monday. Otherwise, I can say that we're getting the old bucket back together again. I just need to service my diffs and get the new brake booster in, and she'll be at 100% functionality!
Once she's back at 100% we can begin moving forward with improving on that functionality. A transfer case swap for a "true" separated 2wd and 4wd functionalities. Seal testing on the snorkel's flex connections (and possible further sealing, which I may do even if the current seal holds up, just for added insurance). Further lift... 4" seems to be a sweet spot with these, as it allows be to install long arms (likely just front to start) to improve ride quality & capability.

My goal is to make the Off the Grid rally this year. I feel like, if we don't suffer any major failures like last year (transfer case, cough cough) it is certainly a feasible goal.

 

[BigTuna117]

Well, it's with great sadness that I say my Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1" (SM-T520) has faded out of functionality after 3 valiant years of use.
Which means I have to find a new tablet to use as my ops unit. I was using it one day, and it flickered a few times, the touch screen went dead, then the buttons, and then it shut off and refused to reboot.
I have a couple of potential replacements lined up, however I do need to do more research before I shoot for a replacement.View attachment 23459

 

[BigTuna117]

So, after a week of research, I found that PEGASUS OPS tablet- The Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1" Mentioned in the previous post, may not really be toast. A few months ago, I replaced the battery. I believed the replacement to be a genuine Samsung battery, but it turned out to be a counterfeit. The problem with the counterfeit tablet batteries is that they are prone to a range of different problems. Voltage fluctuations, bad cells, etc. Which can cause the hardware to act strange, or stop working altogether. I popped the old battery in, and it started up first try!
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So, she's back in action, for now at least, with limited battery life. Which really isn't much of a problem in the rig, since it remains tethered to the power cord there. As for home use, I think I can manage with the shorter battery life until I find a suitable replacement. I like to use something until I'm certain it can no longer be used. In this case, if it keeps working, I'll consider it a victory!

 

[BigTuna117]

Well, another oddball part for the Jeep! It doesn't look like it, but it's got a few tricks up its sleeve.

View attachment 24614

This thermostat from Mishimoto. For anyone who has ever seen the price tag on these: Yep, I took one for the team. I had to do a coolant flush anyways, so I figured I'd pick this bugger up, and move the old one to reserve duty. Ultimately, I wasn't terribly impressed with the Jeep's cooling performance as of late. Under load, the needle wallows up past the nominal 210, and anyone whose had one of these rigs knows what things a hot running 4.7l are prone to. I figured, at best, I cool down and stay cooler (This is supposed to be a high flow thermostat?), and at the worst, I have a thermostat with a lifetime warranty.

This Thermo also opens at 180 degrees, as compared to stock's 195. It's also supposed to have a higher flow rate, however I suppose time will tell. It looks pretty similar to an OEM Thermostat, though the "cage" on the back containing all of the actual workings is fairly larger, and looks like it probably allows the mechanism to open further than a stock one.

As for the coolant, I put Zerex G-05 in it. It's the only non Mopar HOAT that is recommended for this engine. I also put a shot of Lucas Super Coolant in it, as it has corrosion & electrolysis inhibitors. It also claims to make the heat transfer process more efficient, we'll see about that in the hot months.

The fact of the matter is, with this engine, anywhere between 190-210 is considered "nominal." If it gets too much further below 190 or 180ish, the PCM will complain that the engine is staying too cold. In my case, this combination leads to a running temperature right about 190, and it moves towards 210 under load. Previously, it ran at about 200 or 210 normally, depending on the air temperature (summer days are like driving in a giant hair dryer) and as high as 220 under load. It doesn't seem like a crazy high number, however anything over 210 can be extremely detrimental to the life of this engine. There's a chance the aluminum heads can warp, or you can even drop a valve seat and chew up a cylinder pretty quickly. Maintaining a good cooling environment is critical to the life of the engine.

Otherwise, today she got another new TPS, the 3rd in the last 4 months. I suspect it would be wise to get a mopar sensor in the future. For now I'll keep milking AutoZone's Lifetime warranty.

 

[BigTuna117]

So the TPS (p0121) code continued coming back. Regardless of anything else I did, including swapping in a new Mopar TPS, and even a new Mopar MAP sensor, the code absolutely won't go away. I Replaced the TPS plug as it was worn and wobbly, and still no dice. Pulled the Throttle body, and scrubbed until it was shiny and clean. No dice. I began to suspect the ECU/PCM, and my fears were realized when I went to start it Saturday, and all it would do is start and then die as soon as you pushed the throttle any. New ECU/PCM should be here tomorrow, hopefully it's the right one. What do I mean by that statement? Well, the 99 WJ it appears, used a different model ECU/PCM than the 00-04 WJs did. My WJ seems to share an ECU/PCM with the european WG grand cherokee. It seems in 1998 they were in such a rush to strap the first model year together (for 99) that they likely just strapped it on the rig and programed it for US settings.... Or did they? My rig, despite having a considerable lower mileage than most, has always been "Gentler" on highways than my friends rigs with the same engine, larger tires, and more lift. I'm curious as to what the newer, US model ECU does to it.
Of course, Cardone Industries is the company re-manufacturing the ECU/PCM for the rig. With any luck, it should be here tomorrow morning.

 

[WJ - Firefly]

I am still getting an occasional P0121. Already replaced the TPS. After working on the wiring harness for some other problems it has gone away, but I still get engine surging after it is warmed up (not when cold).

 

[BigTuna117]

So the new PCM was installed, and promptly died in about a mile. I am not happy right now. Our local dealership has kindly offered to replace it with an OEM part. Since the PCM P/N I need seems to only directly available from Mopar UK, I figured I'm gonna let them (the dealership) do the job. It's gonna be spendy, but at least I know it'll work. They have one readily available in Los Angeles, so they can probably have it here in a day or two.

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She got hauled to the local dealership, and that's where she'll sit for the time being. Hopefully I'll have her back in a few days.

 

[WJ - Firefly]

So the new PCM was installed, and promptly died in about a mile. I am not happy right now. Our local dealership has kindly offered to replace it with an OEM part. Since the PCM P/N I need seems to only directly available from Mopar UK, I figured I'm gonna let them (the dealership) do the job. It's gonna be spendy, but at least I know it'll work. They have one readily available in Los Angeles, so they can probably have it here in a day or two.

View attachment 27374

She got hauled to the local dealership, and that's where she'll sit for the time being. Hopefully I'll have her back in a few days.

Oh No!!

 

[BigTuna117]

So the Jeeps back, $1200 later. It starts, it runs, it's driveable.

But the P0121 persists. It barely gets up to 45MPH, as previously. But it starts, so there's that. Back to square one. I'll have my (non dealer) mechanic look at it.

 

[BigTuna117]

So, the Shenanigans continue. Today the Jeep went to my mechanic to have the continuing P0121 finished once and for all.

We'll see what has caused this soon enough, I hope.

 

[BigTuna117]

Well, I'm pleased to report Pegasus is back from the mechanic. he really is the Jeep whisperer, as the jeep spat out several DTCs at him. A new CPS was necessary, but also we figured out what was causing the P0121 as well. When I installed the snorkel, I used 2 single ply non-reinforced silicone elbows in the setup. Turns out they were collapsing under the vacuum caused by the open TB, causing the PCM to get confused and think that the TPS was bad. The reason she ran like s**t, otherwards was suffocation + lack of timing advance.

In other news, the Jeep is running better than she has in a long time. I got her up to 65 easy on the road and she could have gone faster had I asked her to.

Oh, and my new mopar PCM complained to my mechanic that I don't have the limited style digital A/C controls or servo controlled HVAC. I thought that was kind of funny.

 

[BigTuna117]

Well, the Jeep has been running great. The A/C is still on the fritz, however with the rig being mechanically sound currently, I cant complain much. I am at an interesting time in my life, as my current employer is shutting down it's location here in a few weeks. I am left with few options- Find a new job here, or move. I'm not really sure if one choice is really better than the other, although a chance of scenery would be mighty nice. I am extremely thankful the Jeep isn't giving me any issues right now, as it would be difficult dealing with it right now. Hours are up, so it's a nice paycheck at least.

 

[BigTuna117]

With the Jeep running well, I was able to buy a part I've been eyeballing for a long time. A quick message and small payment to an online junkyard and Viola!
View attachment 32825
The Pseudo-ashtray has been swapped with the 2004 style cubbyhole. Probably the easiest swap in the Jeep (probably).

I also replaced the "WJ" decals, and stripped some old crusty decals off of the Jeep. I also took the liberty of having a custom made "Wrangler-esque" sticker made, and it arrived finally.
View attachment 32826

I felt I should include my OB number, as I identify it kinda like a registry number. It's part of the way you can identify my rig!

 

[SilveradoTX]

I appreciate little details like this.