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Thread: Positive Thinking

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
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    Orlando, FL
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    381

    Default Positive Thinking

    Amid everything going on, would like to hear some positive things from our community. Getting frustrated at hearing all the negative. Anybody have any exciting projects going on, or new opportunities? Doing anything fun in any (new found) time off?

    I've taken the opportunity to head out to the woods (9 miles from the closest paved road) and work from my hunting cabin. Wanted to do this for years, figured would never have a better opportunity. Only tough spot is the internet access... hard to find a good location for the hot spot. Crazy how moving it even a few inches makes all the difference! One corner of my desk has no signal, the other corner has full 4g access...
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    Quiet out here, went days without seeing another person! Had some friends drop by yesterday and we went shooting for a bit to get our mind off things (yes I know John needs to work on his trigger discipline...)


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    Sincerely,
    Ryan Smith
    ScannerMAX Mechanical Engineer
    ryan {at} scannermax.com

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
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    Orlando, FL
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    Default

    And yes Adam I've switched to the dark side.... that truck does NOT have a bow tie on the front!

    I've been getting some work done on my old Chevy as well during the evenings... cut out all the IFS junk and fitted an axle from a 79 F250 in its place... That welding and fabrication class sure is paying off!

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    Sincerely,
    Ryan Smith
    ScannerMAX Mechanical Engineer
    ryan {at} scannermax.com

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Charleston, SC
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    2,147,489,446

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by rns0504 View Post
    And yes Adam I've switched to the dark side.... that truck does NOT have a bow tie on the front!
    I'm less concerned about the Chevy and more worried that I don't see a jeep anywhere in these pictures.

    Although now that you mention it, what ever happened to the old beat-up Ranger?

    Adam

  4. #4
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    Oct 2014
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    Quote Originally Posted by buffo View Post
    I'm less concerned about the Chevy and more worried that I don't see a jeep anywhere in these pictures.

    Although now that you mention it, what ever happened to the old beat-up Ranger?

    Adam
    Sold the Ranger for $800, double what I paid for it. Sold the Camaro as well, used those funds for the Toyota.

    Gave away the black jeep that was on blocks to someone willing to haul it away.

    Have one jeep left, 94 Grand Cherokee 5.2, as of this week has what I believe is an intermittent Crank sensor. Going to change Crank, Cam sensors and coil and see if it goes away. Poor thing is a little rough around the edges...


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    Sincerely,
    Ryan Smith
    ScannerMAX Mechanical Engineer
    ryan {at} scannermax.com

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
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    It does my heart good to see a Jeep in it's natural environment... (Cue the David Attenborough voice-over!)

    That being said, the V8s that they put in the grand cherokees were never as good as the 4L straight 6. Sorry to hear you're having issues with it...

    There was a recall on the 4L that might also apply to the 5.2L - you might want to check into this if you think you are having coil issues. Basically the original spec for the ignition coil included a high-resistance winding that would limit the current through the coil on the primary side. But then the coil manufacturer changed something about their manufacturing and all of the sudden Jeeps were burning up ignition coils in a matter of months - sometimes weeks! The recall involved adding an external resistor in series with the coil to limit the current draw. Note that this only affected a few model years though; they re-designed the ignition circuit so that it would be OK with the new low-resistance coils and wouldn't burn them up.

    Like I said, I know it was an issue with the 4L, because I ran into it on my 93 grand cherokee. Not sure if it also affected the 5.2L or not, but it's probably worth checking into just in case...

    Sad to hear that the Ranger is gone, but if you got $800 out of it I'd say you did well.

    Adam

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Orlando, FL
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by buffo View Post
    It does my heart good to see a Jeep in it's natural environment... (Cue the David Attenborough voice-over!)

    That being said, the V8s that they put in the grand cherokees were never as good as the 4L straight 6. Sorry to hear you're having issues with it...

    There was a recall on the 4L that might also apply to the 5.2L - you might want to check into this if you think you are having coil issues. Basically the original spec for the ignition coil included a high-resistance winding that would limit the current through the coil on the primary side. But then the coil manufacturer changed something about their manufacturing and all of the sudden Jeeps were burning up ignition coils in a matter of months - sometimes weeks! The recall involved adding an external resistor in series with the coil to limit the current draw. Note that this only affected a few model years though; they re-designed the ignition circuit so that it would be OK with the new low-resistance coils and wouldn't burn them up.

    Like I said, I know it was an issue with the 4L, because I ran into it on my 93 grand cherokee. Not sure if it also affected the 5.2L or not, but it's probably worth checking into just in case...

    Sad to hear that the Ranger is gone, but if you got $800 out of it I'd say you did well.

    Adam
    Yeah, I wish i had the 4.0. All the other Jeeps I had were 4.0, parts are much cheaper and plentiful, simpler to work on, similar power, basically everything about it was better. I bought this from a buddy a few years ago, it was a good price, and I knew some of the history, and needed a woods toy.

    I'll check in to the coil thing. I honestly don't think the coil is the issue, I really believe its the crank sensor. But I'm not sure if/when it was done, and its cheap insurance, so ill throw the old one on the glove box. The jeep lives an hour and a half from home, so I don't have unlimited ability for troubleshooting and working on it, and a parts store is an hour away. I'd rather throw some (relatively cheap) parts at it and hope the issue goes away with one of them. Overall, it's been pretty reliable for an $800 jeep that gets the hell beaten out of it. It averages about 2.5mpg off road, I can't believe how much fuel I have to dump in the thing to keep it rolling.

    Turns out the crank sensor was bad on the ranger which was causing the issues at FLEM - once replaced, no further issues, Drove it to South Carolina and back a few times. Ugly as all hell, but ran pretty good for what it was. I kind of miss the fact it was a beater - the new truck I have to worry about the paint, dinging it, etc. Was not a problem with the ranger.
    Sincerely,
    Ryan Smith
    ScannerMAX Mechanical Engineer
    ryan {at} scannermax.com

  7. #7
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    Jan 2006
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    Charleston, SC
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    Quote Originally Posted by rns0504 View Post
    Yeah, I wish i had the 4.0. All the other Jeeps I had were 4.0, parts are much cheaper and plentiful, simpler to work on, similar power, basically everything about it was better. I bought this from a buddy a few years ago, it was a good price, and I knew some of the history, and needed a woods toy.
    So, depending on how long you want to keep it, and how badly you need a toy to play in the woods or the mud, you could always swap out the existing motor for a junkyard 4L. Find an old Grand that got totaled due to body damage and snatch the entire engine out... Probably won't cost you more than a grand; might be significantly less even. Just a thought!

    I'd rather throw some (relatively cheap) parts at it and hope the issue goes away with one of them.
    Agreed. And to be fair, the camshaft position sensor was a known trouble-spot for the 4L too. Doing it and the crank sensor is cheap insurance.

    It averages about 2.5mpg off road, I can't believe how much fuel I have to dump in the thing to keep it rolling.
    Wow, that's awful, even for a Jeep! The worst I've even gotten was around 6 MPG, but that was on the highway pulling over 5000 lbs in a huge enclosed trailer at 65 MPH. If you're getting 2.5 MPG, either you are in 4 low all the time, or something else is wrong. Are you fouling plugs?

    Turns out the crank sensor was bad on the ranger which was causing the issues at FLEM
    That makes sense. Glad you finally solved that one! (Had to be driving you crazy, right?)

    Drove it to South Carolina and back a few times.
    What were you doing up in my neck of the woods? (And how come we never got together for a beer?)

    I kind of miss the fact it was a beater - the new truck I have to worry about the paint, dinging it, etc. Was not a problem with the ranger.
    That's what the jeep is for dude.

    Adam

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
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    Raleigh, NC
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    2,292

    Default

    I bought a new remanufactured 4.0L for my 98 Wrangler TJ for around $1300. It has been working great. Put it in over a year ago.

    As for me, I have been learning to to play the drums since the beginning of the year.

  9. #9
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    Mar 2012
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    Akron, Ohio USA
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    Quote Originally Posted by JohnYayas View Post

    As for me, I have been learning to to play the drums since the beginning of the year.

    How are you going about doing that? Are you talking lessons or just learning on your own?

    I used to be pretty damn good. But my right ankle got messed up and had to be fused. So I can't play the bass drum.
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by james View Post
    How are you going about doing that? Are you talking lessons or just learning on your own?

    I used to be pretty damn good. But my right ankle got messed up and had to be fused. So I can't play the bass drum.
    I'm not taking any lessons but I have been watching a lot of YouTube videos and practicing everyday. My goal is to have fun playing along to music and so far I am. In Spaghetti I can make a playlist, control DMX lighting and lasers, and play video content. So, as a total nerd I am going to have a concert for my family when I get a little better with stage lighting, video, and lasers. It's going to be awesome.

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