OK I know this is an old thread, but recently joined OB and just found this thread (when I am supposed to be working....). I currently have a 76 Cherokee that I retired and have for sale, and a 78 Cherokee stored out of sight and mind for a future retirement project. After around 15 years or so of owning the FSJ Cherokee, here are a few thoughts (and a garage full of parts):
First things I would do is work around the factory design issues:
The high amp electrical circuit travels from the alternator to the ammeter and into the dash, making way to the headlight switch before heading back into the engine compartment. Bypass the ammeter, they like to short and catch fire. Just add a volt meter to monitor charging health. Also the headlight hi/low foot switch connections sometimes corrode, increasing resistance, eventually overheating and melting insulation, and a major short or fire happens. Luckily I caught it in time, it was dusk, and home was close! I relieved the high amp headlight circuits by adding relays to power the headlights directly from the battery, and the foot switch now is low current and controls the relays. Added bonus, your headlights get a LOT brighter.
As mentioned in an earlier post, upgrading the ignition is a must. An HEI, MSD, or Ford TFI upgrade all work. I happen to run a mix of Ford cap and rotor parts, with MSD ignition box and coil. There is plenty on the internet on the why and many ways to do this, just search "FSJ ignition upgrade". Huge bonus and options if you are not in a smog check state.
Add a steering box brace, to tie the box to the opposite frame rail. Bigger tires and the rock you didn't see have enough force to rip the box right off the frame rail.
Lastly, the oil passage out of the pump chamber is way undersized, and limits oil volume and pressure available to flow to the filter and into the engine. As the pump and bearings wear, it is not uncommon to see zero or near zero oil pressure at hot idle. Sadly, this is "normal" on AMC 304, 360, 401 engines (as well as Buick 350 which use near identical timing cover and oil pump). And the oil system in the AMC is non priority, it flows to top and bottom end at the same time, not through the low end first before heading to the top end like a Chevy small block. So as things wear and bearings open up, what pressure you have will take the path of least resistance, starving the other path. On the Buick I kept loosing the #2 rod bearing. On a 401 I spun the front cam bearing and lost all oil flow to the top end. The easy solution is to keep the oil pump gear clearances to the housing in spec and open up the passage out of the pump cavity. You will see a dramatic increase in idle oil pressure. Again, there is information on the web on how to do this.
Then I would get the fuel system in the best state I could afford:
Of the options, an aftermarket carb that you would put on your hot rod will not work once you start bouncing around in the mountains, including Holley and Edelbrock/Carter. It will flood and starve and generally be a PITA. A quadrajet AKA "Hillbilly Fuel Injection" is said to work pretty dam well. (edit: but good luck adapting it to a manifold).
Of the factory offerings, my least favorite is the Motorcraft 4 barrel. It is overly complicated to work on, and most importantly the huge horse shoe shaped float assembly has so much force on the needle that is likes to stick the needle into the seat, starve, and die. I can induce this with just the right speed over a speedbump (part of that is my horrible front springs, but more on that later). A quick tap and some cranking to refill, and good to go until the next time. Pretty embarrassing on the highway or in town. Also, you need a buddy or an engine hoist to lift the dam manifold if you ever need to R&R it.
The stock 2 barrels are my favorite, and if you are lucky you have one, or can find one, with altitude compensation. They are easy to work on (you can set the float height with engine running if so desired and ignore the safety implications), parts are everywhere, and you could grab one from almost any 60s Ford if you need parts or a carb to get you home. I have one in the garage ready to go for the day I resurrect the 78, but likely it will go on the 76 because I hate that Motorcraft 4 BBL.
Holley made an intake manifold and square bore vacuum secondary carburetor just for the AMC V8s. The manifold was designed by Duntov himself. They are good, I ran one form a long time, just added Holley off road needles and seats, and a stainless "slosh tube" from fuel bowl to fuel bowl. It would still be in service, but Commiefornia smog won't allow externally adjustable floats even though the carb passes the sniffer and has all the needed vacuum ports. The intake is single plane with very small diameter intake runners to keep velocity up. Great low and mid range. Ran it on the 401 and 360. Best used on 304 or 360. It is sitting in the garage waiting for a new out of state owner to come along, and I will miss it.
Lastly for carbs, if legal, an Edelbrock Performer intake and a Holley Off-Road carb works quite well. Ran it on my 78 before major engine issues that sidelined it (long expensive story) , but it ran very well. Again, its taking up space in the garage waiting a new out of state owner.
And the holy grail, just buy a Howell TBI system. Not perfect, but good enough in every way. With all the carb screwing around, I could have easily bought 2 Howells. You live and learn.
Then there are just a few annoyances to overcome:
The smog pump (exhaust air injection pump) cannot handle dust. One good summer weekend on the dry dusty trails and it will likely seize up and cause a bit of a mess. After the second one, I just remove the belt before taking off road so it sits idle and doesn't ingest the dust. Or if in a free state, take it off and e-bay it (someone in Cali needs it).
The front seat frames are terribly week. You will find the steering wheel gets further and further away, as the seat frames crack, break, and slowly let go, reclining the seatbacks. Welding and reinforcing the frames, or swapping with your favorite junkyard seat set is the only way to avoid this. I currently run Ford Ranger 60/40 front seat set.
Rear electric windows can be a pain. The wiring will break or short where it goes from the body to tailgate. Just keep an eye on it as the tailgate slowly droops as the body fatigues over its extended life. Best option, if you can find it, pull a manual regulator system from a junker and ditch the electric system.
Do not go with the 3" Rough Country front springs. Just don't! I have friends that will not ride in the 76, period. They are fearful of kidney damage. I mounted a big high lift on the front bumper just to add weight and removed the sway bar, it helped the ride slightly. There is a stock ride 2" spring kit that I'd recommend, or the Skyjacker soft ride springs mentioned in an earlier post (search FSJ lift or Wagoneer Lift). With the Widetrack flares and axles, there is a lot of tire room and 33s are beautiful with the 2" or 3" lift. The transfer case is so tucked up for incredible break over clearance, you really do not need much lift. The standard Wagoneer style bodies without the fender flares have another story, you NEED 4" to get a decent tire in there. The best is to keep the soft riding stock front springs, do a spring over axle, high steer, and shackle reversal. But I'm not rock crawling so that was way too much work for me and the 95% of us. Don't go cheap, buy good springs is yet another lesson learned .....
The BW 1339 Quadratrac transfer case was ahead of its time. Works very well, but requires open front and rear differentials. Two things to remember, it takes hard to find special fluid (BJs Offroad), and keep a tight chain in there or your case may ventilate. If you hear it skipping on the gears, back off, limp home, and put a new chain in it. Again, lessons learned. If you are lucky, you have the MileMarker conversion kit. They are no longer available and hard to find. The milemarker allows 2WD or true 4WD, but removes the AWD limited slip from the transfer case. But you can run lockers and be traditional locked and loaded 4x4. I've had both, and for all but a hard core I prefer the original AWD capability, maintaining max turning radius, and sure footedness in the rain on pavement, unpaved roads, and trails.
And the only gripe when driving....when pointed up you cannot see anything but hood! Know where it is pointed when climbing and cresting. Then again, same issue with any square body Chevy, Ford, Dodge of the day as well.
But, all said, my 76 Cherokee has been a trustworthy beast of burden and a hell of a lot of fun. I hope you still have the Cherokee and it is being good to you, and this post helps a Full Size Jeep owner in some way.
And PS: Nothing looks better on old white cheap steel "wagon wheels".
