Jeep CJ-7 w/ AMC 304 - what says the enablers?

Buy jeep and rip out quadratrac. (if it is)

Worst crap ever in a jeep.

Install 4.0 with nv3500 from TJ with Atlas T-case.

Take AMC 20 rear end and burn it. Replace with something proper.

I used my 71 jeep as a daily driver for a few years. Understand that this is about 2 generations behind in evolution to the 79, but it was like driving tractor every day. My CJ was close to a 45 gpw in general design. I loved it but, Let's speak objectively..

1. Heat didn't work(even when I confirmed that all was mechanically possible to work).. Too many drafts in a jeep to keep it warm
2. Steering? It kinda goes where you want it to, even after I replaced all the old warn U-Bolts on the front end and all the joints in the steering linkage, it steered with the precision of a drunken sailor.
3. Fuel Mileage, I dunno. Fuel gage didn't work and I didn't care. I'd say double digits are possible, just.
4. I can only imagine my wife riding in it..

Man I want another.. Not a day goes by that I look at a jeep and lust after my old one.. but not as a daily.

My '91 is a Chrysler buyout and generation change downstream of the '79. Still a glorified tractor, but now with more plastic dash!

1. Heat only sort of works.
2. Steering still sucks. Best tip I've got is to ignore the old "2 and 10" rule. Mine steers best when I let it do it's own thing with only a finger and thumb @ 6 O'Clock to nudge it in the right direction. If you try to actively steer it, you'll be chasing it the whole time. If you let it go where it wants and just direct it occasionally, it is fine, if a little disconcerting.
3. Even with the benefit of the 4.0 HO redesign, port EFI, etc., I get 14 mpg.
4. Wife loves it. It's the only car I bought for me that she uses more than I do.

Also wouldn't want it as a daily. But man what a great spring-time toy.

I put a Holly 650, can't remember the intake, and a set of headers on my 360 powered CJ 7 and it really did wake it up. It's more power and torque than you will every need, that makes it almost enough.

Ignorant wrote: Buy jeep and rip out quadratrac. (if it is) Worst crap ever in a jeep. Install 4.0 with nv3500 from TJ with Atlas T-case. Take AMC 20 rear end and burn it. Replace with something proper. I used my 71 jeep as a daily driver for a few years. Understand that this is about 2 generations behind in evolution to the 79, but it was like driving tractor every day. My CJ was close to a 45 gpw in general design. I loved it but, Let's speak objectively.. 1. Heat didn't work(even when I confirmed that all was mechanically possible to work).. Too many drafts in a jeep to keep it warm 2. Steering? It kinda goes where you want it to, even after I replaced all the old warn U-Bolts on the front end and all the joints in the steering linkage, it steered with the precision of a drunken sailor. 3. Fuel Mileage, I dunno. Fuel gage didn't work and I didn't care. I'd say double digits are possible, just. 4. I can only imagine my wife riding in it.. Man I want another.. Not a day goes by that I look at a jeep and lust after my old one.. but not as a daily.

Depending on the funds availble don't be too quick to ditch the 20 rear end. Put in some Moser 1-piece axle shafts and weld some gussets on the housing and most agree that it approaches the Ford 9" for strength. I can't say that from experience, just parroting what I've read. All my CJ's have had 44's.

The Model 20 can actually be quite robust, just needs axles. I have a picture of an AMX up on it's back bumper on the way to a low 9-second run on a Model 20.

Because 360's were the defacto Grand Wagoneer engine, they are pretty darn cheap. I trip over them out here for $100-$250 all day long in rebuildable condition.

Yes, it's got a Quadratrac. I believe these can be serviced and so can be OK if looked after, plus I'm not going to subject it to heavy off roading anyway.

Javelin, any suggestion for a supplier of a baffled oil pan?

Has any one done a Shackle reverse kit? I understand thet is suposed to clear up the handeling a good bit.

Milodon makes the best ones for AMX's and Javelins. I'm pretty sure they do a CJ one as well.

I had a CJ5 304/3sp... loved the engine, but not the way the CJ5 drove. Sold it before i ever got it properly sorted.

I've also owned a couple Quadratracs (in FSJs). Definitely not something I'd want to do any serious offroading with, but I found them to be reliable and inoffensive for street and light offroad use.

Bill

neon4891 wrote: Has any one done a Shackle reverse kit? I understand thet is suposed to clear up the handeling a good bit.

I had one on my last CJ-7. Bumps don't upset the front end nearlyl as much. But be aware that the front axle now want to flex up and BACK while off road. I had 4" of lift, plus the reversal (about another inch) and my 33's rolled the rear of my front fender lips and ate the fender flares. But the reversal kits also provide a little protection for the P/S gearbox.

The AMC 20 is fine. You just want one piece axles for it.

Yeah yeah! Live axles and leaf springs!

DILYSI Dave wrote: My '91 is a Chrysler buyout and generation change downstream of the '79. Still a glorified tractor, but now with more plastic dash!

I owned one of those as well. The change between a Kaiser Cj5 and a YJ is like the difference between an abacus and a Apple IIe. Seriously, the YJ felt like a sportscar driving around town compared to the cj. I chortle slightly when I people refer to YJ's to tractors, compared to a civic, yes maybe.

DrBoost wrote: Depending on the funds availble don't be too quick to ditch the 20 rear end. Put in some Moser 1-piece axle shafts and weld some gussets on the housing and most agree that it approaches the Ford 9" for strength. I can't say that from experience, just parroting what I've read. All my CJ's have had 44's.

I have no love for the model 20. None. I've been in a my budies CJ when going down a hill, he hit the brakes and his drivers rear tire passed us.. At just that moment we hit the ground and lit up the night with a hail of sparks. Of course he had a 327 and he beat the hell out of it...

Ignorant wrote:

DILYSI Dave wrote: My '91 is a Chrysler buyout and generation change downstream of the '79. Still a glorified tractor, but now with more plastic dash!

I owned one of those as well. The change between a Kaiser Cj5 and a YJ is like the difference between an abacus and a Apple IIe. Seriously, the YJ felt like a sportscar driving around town compared to the cj. I chortle slightly when I people refer to YJ's to tractors, compared to a civic, yes maybe.

I've admittedly never driven an old jeep. As bad as my '91 is, I'm impressed that the older ones were actually able to be legally put on the road.

DILYSI Dave wrote:

Ignorant wrote:

DILYSI Dave wrote: My '91 is a Chrysler buyout and generation change downstream of the '79. Still a glorified tractor, but now with more plastic dash!

I owned one of those as well. The change between a Kaiser Cj5 and a YJ is like the difference between an abacus and a Apple IIe. Seriously, the YJ felt like a sportscar driving around town compared to the cj. I chortle slightly when I people refer to YJ's to tractors, compared to a civic, yes maybe.

I've admittedly never driven an old jeep. As bad as my '91 is, I'm impressed that the older ones were actually able to be legally put on the road.

9" drum brakes all the way around..

No worries, at it heart even the new JK's are very simple vehicles.

Ignorant wrote:

DILYSI Dave wrote:

Ignorant wrote:

DILYSI Dave wrote: My '91 is a Chrysler buyout and generation change downstream of the '79. Still a glorified tractor, but now with more plastic dash!

I owned one of those as well. The change between a Kaiser Cj5 and a YJ is like the difference between an abacus and a Apple IIe. Seriously, the YJ felt like a sportscar driving around town compared to the cj. I chortle slightly when I people refer to YJ's to tractors, compared to a civic, yes maybe.

I've admittedly never driven an old jeep. As bad as my '91 is, I'm impressed that the older ones were actually able to be legally put on the road.

9" drum brakes all the way around.. No worries, at it heart even the new JK's are very simple vehicles.

Oh yeah - forgot about those. That is scary. The YJ actually brakes fairly well. You have little influence on what direction it will pitch when it does brake, but it will slow down decent in some variation of the direction of travel.

Ignorant wrote:

DrBoost wrote: Depending on the funds availble don't be too quick to ditch the 20 rear end. Put in some Moser 1-piece axle shafts and weld some gussets on the housing and most agree that it approaches the Ford 9" for strength. I can't say that from experience, just parroting what I've read. All my CJ's have had 44's.

I have no love for the model 20. None. I've been in a my budies CJ when going down a hill, he hit the brakes and his drivers rear tire passed us.. At just that moment we hit the ground and lit up the night with a hail of sparks. Of course he had a 327 and he beat the hell out of it...

Well yeah! If you put enough HP in front of a Ford 9" it'll break as wel. Get one-piece axles and gusset the thin axle tubes and they are great, and cheap as can be since most people feel like this.

Well, the first drive to work was an adventure. An unheated one to boot...

It started barfing out coolant when I picked it up so they fixed that, then set off to fill it up. Filling up seems to take more patience that I had this morning (it's got some sort of "long-range" 35 gal tank so I left with it 3/4 full.

We rattled happily over the pass to work, looks like the box doesn't want to kick down but other than that and a little more patience getting to work and we're good.

Fun to drive in a tractor kind of way, feels unstoppable (yeah, that includes the brakes, too ) but looks like it needs some niggles addressing like a new thermostat, probably a look at the fan clutch as it seems to run a little cold (at the bottom of the green marker on the gauge) and if I keep it for next winter, an upgraded heater...

The heaters were never considered great (or even warm) but there is a solution. The duct work is cardboard IIRC and simply replacing it helps alot. That way the heat makes it to the windshield or your feet instead of heating the back of the radio and speedo.