Long read (photos to follow soon), but gear heads may enjoy it:
Started a father/son project with my youngest a few weeks ago. I had bought him a new 2020 Challenger in the spring of 2021, but he went off to military college later that year and they would not allow him to have a car on campus until his junior year. I subsequently sold in the madness of COVID and made back all the money spent on it plus a bit more.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago and my neighbor across the street put a 2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport up for sale and was asking $3500. He disclosed an intermittent electrical issue where it would not start from time to time, but you could short circuit the starter solenoid and it would start. We test drove it and it ran fine with noises or issues. He dropped the price to $3000 so we bought it.
It had 71,114 miles on it and almost everything was original including most of the fluids. The interior was like new and the exterior is in great shape except for some hail damage (pictures to follow). Since the middle of July, we have performed an extraordinary amount of maintenance including changing a fair number of worn parts. We did not take photos of the work we did, we were too messy and busy to think about it, but I will describe it here.
Fluids:
1. Engine oil (4.0L L6); surprisingly not as bad as I expected but had unknown miles and had a jobber (FVP) filter on it. Replaced with a FRAM TG-16 and 6 QTs of Rotella Gas Truck SN oil. It does not burn oil but does have a few leaks. We will change it again after replacing the valve cover gasket and PCV parts.
2. Power steering fluid; it was dark brown when we started and now it is pale yellow (it was the original fluid). We ran a gallon of FRAM steering fluid through it via the “turkey baster method” using a large vacuum “syringe”. Will run another gallon through it before he heads back to college to bring it as close to clear as possible.
3. Transfer case (NV231); it was dark red with ample sparkles in it (it was the original fluid). Replaced it with 2 QTs of Valvoline ATF+4 (used part of the first quart to flush it). Will replace it once more before he heads back to college.
4. Transmission (Aisin AW4); it was reddish chocolate in color though it did not smell burned as near as I could tell it was the original fluid and definitely the original filter. Of all the fluids, this one was the worst. We ran 4 gallons of Valvoline Dex/Merc (Dexron III) through it before it improved in color—having a drain plug and dipstick made this a breeze. The transmission shifted normally and when I pulled the pan there was no clutch material in the pan (no debris at all) and the magnets had the usual paste on them, so I was pleasantly surprised. The filter which is a screen type and had no debris on it. We plan to change the fluid once more before he heads back.
5. Front axle (Dana 30—M186); it was moderately dark and was the original fluid. Lots of sparkles in the oil. Reinstalled the OEM cover with a new gasket and almost 2 QTs of Valvoline 75W-90 gear oil.
6. Rear axle (Chrysler 8.25”); it was very dark with sparkles in the oil and in Chrysler’s infinite wisdom they designed a rubber plug for the cover fill hole. It was hard and had a hole it and was subsequently leaking. It was not low, so someone (other than the neighbor) had been checking and filling it. I purchased a new rubber plug and reinstalled the OEM cover with a new gasket and added 2 QTs of Valvoline 75W-140. It has started leaking again (big surprise) so I purchased a blemished after market cover that has a threaded fill plug and will install it soon.
7. Radiator; it was dark and brownish. We are running radiator cleaner through it and will replace the original fluid with Prestone “Green” mixed at 60/40 with distilled water along with new heater and radiator hoses. The overflow container will be pulled out and bottle brushed to remove the crud from inside it.
8. Brake fluid; it was blackish. We had it flushed at Brake Plus prior to replacing all the brake system including hoses (except the master cylinder). New DOT4 fluid was installed and will be flushed/bled again now that the system has been installed.
PARTS:
A. Electrical:
| 1 ea. Diehard Gold Group 34 battery |
| 1 ea. Standard Ignition Starter Relay |
| 1 ea. Standard Ignition Starter Switch |
| 1 ea. AC/Delco Gold Starter |
| 2 ea. Holley 5x7 LED Headlights |
The starting issue was caused by a “Silencer” alarm system which was not coded to the aftermarket key fobs, did not have the “key” in the socket, and was likely just broken/failed. It was ripped out and all wiring restored to OEM. The former owner had Walmart “install the cheapest battery possible” so a (N)everStart Group 26 (should be 34) battery was installed. It was pulled and the Diehard Gold took its place.
I replaced the switch, relay, and starter as preventative, though the former owner had replaced the relay and starter in his quest to find the electrical issue (which he left the Jeep at a shop for over a month, and they could not find the problem). The starter did made some noise when cranking and given the number of times the solenoid had been shorted to start it, it was replaced as a preventative measure. There have been no starting problems since the removal of the Silencer.
As with halogen headlights from that era, they are dim and yellow, even when turned on bright. New Holley LEDs have been ordered to take their place, which should markedly improve the visibility and allow for safer driving.
B. Engine:
| 6 ea. Autolite XP985 Spark Plugs |
| 1 ea. Fel Pro Valve Cover Gasket |
| 1 ea. Gates Belt |
| 1 ea. AC/Delco Outlet Heater Hose |
| 1 ea. AC/Delco Inlet Heater Hose |
| 1 ea. Dorman PCV Intake Manifold to Valve Cover Hose |
| 1 ea. Dorman Front of Valve Cover Hose |
| 1 ea. Dayco Lower Radiator Hose |
| 1 ea. Dayco Upper Radiator Hose |
| 1 ea. Mopar PCV Kit |
| 2 ea. Prestone Antifreeze/Coolant Concentrate |
| 3 gals. Distilled Water |
| 2 ea. Gunk Engine Degreaser |
| 2 ea. Car Washes |
| 2 gals Fram Power Steering Fluid |
| 1 ea. FRAM Air Filter |
| 1 ea. FRAM Oil Filter |
| 6 qts. Rotella Gas Truck 5W-30 Oil |
We replaced the NGK sparkplugs (which did not appear to be original and were almost finger tight) with Autolite XP iridiums. The engine ran fine as is despite the air filter housing cover not being latched and the oil leaks all around. The valve cover and PCV is leaking, and we will be replacing the valve cover gasket and PCV in conjunction with the heater/radiator hoses since they have to be moved out of the way.
The serpentine did not appear to be original, but it was hard to tell. I changed it from a preventative point of view. The engine is MPI and this was the final year for the 4.0L L6 in the Cherokee so it is as updated as possible. The power is smooth with plenty of low end torque and it idles quietly.
C. Suspension/Brakes/Body:
| 1 ea. Anco Rear Wiper Blade |
| 2 ea. Trico Front Wiper Blade |
| 1 ea. Bendix Brake Shoe Kit |
| 1 ea. FVP Brake Drum Hardware Kit |
| 1 ea. FVP Brake Drum Kit |
| 1 ea. FVP Rotor Kit |
| 1 ea. Powerstop Caliper Kit |
| 1 ea. Raybestos Rotor Pad Kit |
| 1 ea. Raybestos Driver's Brake Hose Kit |
| 1 ea. Raybestos Passenger's Brake Hose Kit |
| 1 ea. Raybestos Rear Brake Hose Kit |
| 1 ea. Gabriel Front Shock Kit |
| 1 ea. Gabriel Rear Shock Kit |
| 1 ea. Monroe Steering Damper |
| 1 ea. AC/Delco Rear Sway Bar Bushing |
| 1 ea. Dorman Track Bar |
| 2 ea. Quick Steer Rear Sway Bar Link |
| 1 ea. Dorman Front Sway Bar Assembly |
| 1 qt SuperTech DOT4 Brake Fluid |
| 2 ea. Brakes Plus Fluid/Bleeding Service |
| 1 ea. Ball Joints/Steering System Replacement |
| 3 ea. CRC Brake Cleaner |
This is where the bulk of the work happened. Dry rot took out most of the suspension components and so all the sway bar mounts, and end links had to be changed. I bought a new front sway bar due to the corrosion that was on it. I could not find a rear bar so that one will have to be reused. Some of the lower hanging components had quite a bit of corrosion, but the underside of the car does not, perhaps it was saved by the undercoating.
The steering components would not take any grease and the shocks/steering stabilizer was original and toast; all are slated to be replaced including the trackbar since this is a solid axle car. The brakes had been replaced in the past, but the brake hoses had definite signs of dry rot on jackets. All were removed and replaced making the car much safer to drive.
D. Wheels/Tires:
| 4 ea. Toyo Open Country III A/T Tires (225/70/16) |
| 4 ea. Vision Overland M2 Wheels (16x8.5) |
| 20 ea. Black Spline Lugnuts |
The tires were not original (though the spare which is covered and inside the rear of the car is) and all had deep cracks and dry rot. Tire choices were very limited in the OEM size of 215/75/15 so new Vision 16x8.5 wheels and Toyo 225/70/16 tires took their place. We plan to install a small lift on it next summer so the 16” wheels will offer more options for larger tires when that time comes.
With all of the work that has been done and parts replaced, we are less than 8.5K into it and I have seen many of these cars go for much more than that with substantially more miles and the same worn parts. Given the number of replacement parts and overall low mileage, I think he will have a vehicle that will last for a while.
In the end, it was more about spending time together and doing those things that I was never able to do with my own father that made this a special time. We are nearing the finish line and I will post a few photos of it in the coming days.
