Rebuilding/Recommissioning an XJ Cherokee

"Stratos HF" (conorbennett)
07/09/2016 at 23:07 • Filed to: None

Hey everyone, looking like I might be inheriting an old XJ Cherokee in the near future and I was wondering what it might take in terms of rough ballpark of costs to get it up and running reliably. Not looking to do a concours or perfect resto, but curious what I might have to sink in to get it going. Figure it has not run or moved in about 10-12 years. Been garaged the whole time though so rust *shouldnt* be an issue.

Also, does anyone know or have any NY/NJ/CT Jeep specialists they might recommend? Particularly if they are on Long Island.

Finally - does anyone know the name of the classic Land Rover/4x4 dealership that is in Staten Island? I cannot think for the life of me what the name is but I’ve been on their site in the last 4 months....

DISCUSSION (18)

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Stratos HF
07/09/2016 at 23:24

Seriously just give it a once over with fluids and a fresh battery and it should start. Those 4.0 engines have a reputation for being unkillable.

You might have to replace some vacuum lines too.

dogisbadob > Stratos HF
07/09/2016 at 23:25

Probably abot $17k. What’s the cost of an LS swap these days? :p

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Stratos HF
07/09/2016 at 23:59

Can’t answer your later questions specifically, but what year, engine, trans, tcase, etc?

I’m going to say you’ll have to shell out for tires and a new battery and serp belt, but before that pull the spark plugs, shoot some PBlaster into the cylinders and let it sit for a bit, try turning the engine over by hand (should be a 3/4" socket on the main crank pulley nut, turn as though you’re tightening it... might need a 1/2" drive ratchet or breaker bar), put rags over the spark plug holes and crank it over with the starter to clear out the cylinders, put the plugs back in (new ones are cheap, don’t bother shelling out for fancy ones, I like just the basic NGK Coppers) and start it up. Let it idle for a minute or two, keeping an eye out for escaping magic smoke, any horrible noises, that sort of thing. Also keep an eye on the oil pressure gauge, if equipped. It should be pointing pretty well straight up (half) or maybe around the 1/3 mark (I don’t remember what the US gauge reads, mine’s metric).

Probably best to roll it out of the garage before starting it because the stuff burning out of it will be all kinds of rank. Also if there’s more than a 1/4 tank of old nasty gas in it, you’ll for sure want to drain that first (easiest way is to pull the fuel line off the filter, point it into a suitable container, pull the fuel pump relay, and short across from pin 30 to 87). If there’s less than 1/4 tank, just put in 5-10 gallons of fresh stuff.

At some point you’ll want to change out all the fluids and filters. Sooner is better than later, especially if you ran it on old nasty gas. Keep an eye out for leaks. Ideally you’d want to inspect the garage floor as well, some seals will have dried out over the years.

I really can’t see it costing more than $500 at absolute most to get it running if you do the work yourself, and that’s factoring in picking up a mechanically sound but rusted out XJ to use for parts.

Should be a good time. I’m on my second XJ now, and my daily is an MJ.

Frenchlicker > dogisbadob
07/10/2016 at 01:37

Sanity and money in these from what I've seen.

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Stratos HF
07/10/2016 at 08:45

http://thegarage.jalopnik.com/heres-how-much…

Stratos HF > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee
07/11/2016 at 09:42

Thanks for the advice! Do you have any recommended websites for parts/manuals/build threads etc. ?

I’ve always loved this era Cherokee’s so I’m getting excited about trying to resurrect this old beast.

Stratos HF > dogisbadob
07/11/2016 at 09:42

Normally I would love to do something insane like this, but it will likely be kept stock or very very close to stock as a memory of the previous owner.

Maybe if this one truly gets me in love (never owned one before) then this might be in the future for a different chassis!

Stratos HF > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
07/11/2016 at 09:43

Good to know, I have to take some time to check it out for real and see what is obviously wrong and confirm the engine etc. But fingers crossed it is one of those immortal 4.0's

Stratos HF > Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
07/11/2016 at 09:43

Thank you sir, this is incredibly helpful and I don’t know how I missed this article in the first place!

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Stratos HF
07/11/2016 at 11:52

As far as parts go RockAuto is good, but if you want quality upgrades and don’t mind paying a bit more, go to JC Whitney or Quadtratec.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Stratos HF
07/11/2016 at 18:53

I’m a member at Comancheclub.com, which is where most of my knowledge stems from. Pretty well all the mechanical stuff is identical, but for XJ-specific stuff you’ll likely want a better source. I’ve found google helpful in that regard. There may be some site you find better than others, but I haven’t really been paying attention. Eventually I started being able to recognize good info from bad, and there’s a handful of users you’ll notice across various sites (lots of people are members of more than one forum) who are indisputably more knowledgeable than others. Cruiser54 is a name worth remembering, he’s got more years experience with XJ’s than I’ve been alive, Gojeep is another name worth remembering. Hornbrod as well, but more so for MJ stuff. There are others you’ll start recognizing too.

If it’s older than a ‘91, I think you’ll find cruiser54.com very helpful, also go.jeep-xj.info for ‘91-’95. One thing I would strongly advise looking into for any XJ is upgrading the headlight harness to one with relays, it’s a 30 minute, >$50 job that will go a long way to prevent your jeep from setting itself on fire (my MJ did, I got lucky there, most don’t) and cruiser’s site will have info on comercial harnesses, and gojeep has a diy for putting together your own harness, which is actually a pretty good intro to wiring if you’ve never been there before.

I’m *extremely* curious to know more about your XJ. As a heads up, between the ‘84-’01 run, there were four major updates, ‘84-’86 is odd, I don’t know much about them, and there were lots of oddities during the last years of AMC. ‘87-’90 is the Renix years, shortly after the Chrysler takeover, with AMC/Renault being directed in improvements, particularly the 4.0 with a crude but effective early electronic fuel injection system (if this is yours, get yourself a voltmeter ASAP!). ‘91-’95 are the early High Output (HO, OBD-I) years, 100% Chrysler, with a significantly more reliable engine management system with self-reading trouble codes, somewhat improved power, and much more internet knowledge; some of the chassis wiring and mechanicals are the same between Renix and HO but there are enough small differences that you’ll struggle with the wrong manuals. ‘96 is a bastard year with an early OBD2 rollout with the older body style, lots of single-year (and half-year) components which can be harder to track down. ‘97+ is after the facelift, and everything is pretty radically different from the earlier ones, again I don’t know much about it, although there were improvements in power (supposedly), increases in weight (making the former not so noticeable) and electrical stuff. I’m definitely more familiar with the early HO stuff, but won’t claim to be an expert.

David Tracy > Stratos HF
07/11/2016 at 23:49

You got this!

Stratos HF > David Tracy
07/13/2016 at 21:03

I appreciate the support! Finally laid eyes on it today and it is a 1987 Cherokee Laredo with 4WD, power locks, windows, and AC. It is quite loaded out! The interior is pretty perfect with a nice dash and no cracks/missing pieces. Only issue is we can’t find the damned keys.

Any tips?

Stratos HF > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee
07/13/2016 at 21:05

Well I appreciate all of your response and information! I have finally seen the XJ and it is an 1987 Laredo 4WD with power locks/windows and AC! Interior is mint, but tires are dead and the front shocks seem to be drooping. Need to get the passenger side hood latch to release (we started removing the light and bezel but didn’t have the right sockets to get the final step done.

David Tracy > Stratos HF
07/13/2016 at 21:20

Remove your lock cylinder and bring it to a locksmith perhaps? Or just have the locksmith remove it.

You got the inline six? If so, you’ve got the first application of the venerable four liter! Of course, you have to deal with Renix fuel injection and a hot bottle cooking system, but oh well.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Stratos HF
07/13/2016 at 21:38

http://comancheclub.com/topic/829-what…

unless you’ve already figured out a way to get it open.

It’s a really great idea to get a full set of sockets, both 3/8" and 1/2" drive, metric and SAE. Also some Torx sockets, as you’ll find a LOT of Torx bolts.

Working down the list of tips on cruiser54.com is a great way to make sure everything’s working properly and also getting familiar with your Jeep.

Stratos HF > David Tracy
07/13/2016 at 23:28

Would the locksmith be able to create keys without removing the cylinder? From what we could tell removing it (and if we removed it we’d probably just replace it) would be a real pain in the dick

Stratos HF > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee
07/13/2016 at 23:38

So I believe my brother found that thread or one similar because we got the light out and we can see the two bolts, we just didn’t have the right tools tonight. Something for this weekend it seems!

He is hoping to get some new junk tires (just for rolling around the driveway/shop) on tomorrow and then we are going to do a big wash/inspection in daylight this weekend.

I have a feeling a major shopping list is coming with shocks, brake lines, pads etc. all racking up quite a bill!!