JP21 build- Gainesville, FL

[Espo78]

So I picked up a 95 Sahara last week. It's in pretty good shape cosmetically but had a few issues when I bought it. I'll keep this thread going to document how its progress is doing for anyone that cares to follow along.

When I bought the Jeep, it had a dead gauge cluster. It was also very dirty and will need a LOT of TLC. So far I've tackled a few little odds and ends such as:

Replaced wiper blades
Installed battery tie down
Replaced battery ground terminal
Degreased engine, transmission, front and rear differentials to identify leaking fluids
Removed stereo (still need to remove all associated aftermarket wiring)
Replaced passenger window skin with a new condition one that was included with the sale

....and the biggest thing so far, I fixed the non-working gauges! Everything except the speedometer works now and I think it needs a new speedo gear. Gonna tear into that and check it out soon.

Here are a few photos of it currently.

[Espo78]

So with daylight savings time ending I didn't have much time to work on the Jeep after work today. I did get the interior back together and got some cleaner out and did some cleaning.

I'm terrible at taking "before" shots, but here is the passenger door after a quick clean. Still needs more.



I also found a nice little surprise in the speaker sound bar. Too bad the wiring is all fubared.





In the last post I mentioned the gauges were fixed with the exception of the speedometer. Well I disassembled it and the circuit board is fried. So it looks like I'll be replacing the speedometer or the whole gauge cluster soon.

[Espo78]

Just a quick update. I ran some Seafoam through the engine intake on Saturday, and also put some in the crank case and gas tank. After the procedure I followed the can directions to "test drive the vehicle aggressively" which was fun. The Jeep now idles, drives and sounds a LOT better. It runs pretty smooth. I followed the seafoam treatment with a fresh oil change and filter. It was pretty nasty in there. Might do the seafoam again before the next oil change. There is still a slight vacuum leak coming from somewhere I think, need to track that down. That's all for this update.

[Kengikoi]

This is beyond my knowledge so that I have enough.

[Boost1995]

Awesome job so far! Boston makes a pretty good sounding speaker. Congrats. Keep it up!

[Espo78]

Thanks! No no updates, haven't had any time to work on it lately. Oh..I did pull the front driveshaft to replace the U joints but I have not done it yet. Transmission is very difficult to shift when it's cold. I suspect I need to replace the trans fluid as I don't know what kind is in there. It's fresh but something is not right with this transmission.

[Espo78]

Kind of a boring update; I haven't begun the fun parts yet. I finally had some time this weekend.I took the top off the Jeep for the first time since I bought it and I did a pretty good cleaning of the inside, and managed to remove all the oily dirt in the rear of the Jeep as well as most of the mildew off of the Sahara pouches on the backs of the front seats, the visors, and all the other neglected areas. I also lubricated up the seat mechanisms as they were almost frozen and now they work like new. I also addressed the engine, as it was running a little rough and the extreme smell of exhaust was nauseating. I replaced the 02 sensor and it instantly idled, drove and smelled better. I also replaced the serpentine belt as it was very old and had lots of cracks. I now feel pretty confident in the reliability of the Jeep, and will begin to drive it around more. The transmission seems to gotten better with usage. It's still not as smooth as butter, but I might describe it as smooth as a thick milkshake, with some uncrushed ice in there every once in awhile lol. I'm really looking forward to geting on with the actual conversion.

[JP Junkie]

Always looking forward to updates from members! Keep them coming!

[Espo78]

Bought new tires for it today. BFG A/T KO2 235/75/15 they should be here tomorrow but I'm not sure when I'll have time for them to do the install. Crazy thing happened too. After I purchased the tires and was driving home, I looked at my broken speedometer, and it was WORKING!! I'm kind of at a loss on this one. Maybe it's the Jeeps way of saying thank you?

[Espo78]

Got the tires installed this morning!