'85 Jeep CJ7 - Let's get this party started

[Jimmy P]

Let's start with some history. Way back in 1988 I went in with my father to buy a used 1985 Jeep CJ7 for my first car. I proceeded to act like and impetuous child, making a few good decisions and even more mistakes. I can go on and on about some of the fixes, but in reality none of that matters anymore and you'll see why in a moment.

First, just to add, my daughter has expressed her desire to drive it to school for her graduation at the end of this school year, and while she could have potentially driven it, we thought it would be best to go through it and tighten up some things from the steering to the breaks. Considering my wife and I had already begun the very early planning of running the TransAm Trail, we thought it was a win/win and the perfect time to begin addressing the old beauty.

Fast forward to yesterday...I went to pull the jeep in the garage to start some of the clean-up after it having sat for about 2 months, only to find that it had been infested by rodents. I am absolutely shocked and amazed at just how quickly things went from bad, to almost unrecognizable. The pictures below may not do it justice, but there was anywhere from 1/2" to 3" of plain nastiness on the floor, and the wiring harness is just about gone. I'm just fortunate that I did a computer delete and it will still start.

I was completely overwhelmed (and probably still am to a point), but dug in, pulled the entire interior, stripped out some of the bad wiring, and got rid of the the carpet all together. I found a ton of other problems, which will all be addressed over time. I think I'm going to start with continuing to clean-up wiring, removing everything that's no longer needed or completely thrashed, and then move on to getting the basic electronics working again (lights, horn, etc.). One step at a time I guess.

Where it started...

Where I am now

 

[dj_mccomas]

Bummer about the rodents man, looks like you made solid progress on cleaning it up already though.

 

[ohiowrangler]

Looks to be a solid ride. It'll be more than worth the time, when your daughter drives it. Besides, you'll eliminate half her boy friends, most won't be able to drive a stick. I've used Lysol spray to disinfect the surfaces, It'll be a great ride when you're done. Ron

 

[Jimmy P]

Bummer about the rodents man, looks like you made solid progress on cleaning it up already though.

Bummer on the rodents, for sure. I need a cat, but the dogs and my allergies won't play well with them I'm taking it in stride though.

Looks to be a solid ride. It'll be more than worth the time, when your daughter drives it. Besides, you'll eliminate half her boy friends, most won't be able to drive a stick. I've used Lysol spray to disinfect the surfaces, It'll be a great ride when you're done. Ron

I'll be disinfecting the whole thing shortly. The idea is to pull the top off it this week some time and power wash the tub. Work stopped that from happening today, hopefully tomorrow.

Is there any reason why I wouldn't want to cut the no longer needed wiring from the chewed up harness at the bulkhead (I'm guessing at the name)? Swapping the carb and moving to the HEI distributor reduced what I actually needed under the hood. It seems simple enough to me, but I don't know if there's a better alternative. I'll be repairing the lights, horn, and sensors as well, but the other computer related stuff can go.

 

[Randy P]

Have you looked into a complete wiring harness like the Painless Wiring Kit?

Based on what I see from you pictures, it looks like your electrical is a "gut and replace" situation.

I also replaced my distributor with an HEI. Simplified the wiring and improved performance.

Randy

Bummer on the rodents, for sure. I need a cat, but the dogs and my allergies won't play well with them I'm taking it in stride though.



I'll be disinfecting the whole thing shortly. The idea is to pull the top off it this week some time and power wash the tub. Work stopped that from happening today, hopefully tomorrow.

Is there any reason why I wouldn't want to cut the no longer needed wiring from the chewed up harness at the bulkhead (I'm guessing at the name)? Swapping the carb and moving to the HEI distributor reduced what I actually needed under the hood. It seems simple enough to me, but I don't know if there's a better alternative. I'll be repairing the lights, horn, and sensors as well, but the other computer related stuff can go.

 

[Jimmy P]

I had looked into them years ago, when trying to correct some wiring issues I created by installing things in a very bad manner. I'll check them again. It definitely seems like a "gut and replace" may be in order. I'll check them out again. Great advice!

 

[ohiowrangler]

My YJ was carb'd, I swapped to a weber & HEI. You can eliminate 75% of the wiring just in the computer controls. You need to trace out the wiring harness from the fire wall up the left fender, this is the front lighting harness. This can be repaired without major consequences. The other harness will have the gage sensor wiring and ignition wiring, you'll need those. I've swapped my 258 for a 350, I still have the weber & HEI, if you'd be interested. Some people have used a motorcraft carb, which is a good option. It's cheaper, but reliable option. Let me know if I can help, Ron

 

[Jimmy P]

My YJ was carb'd, I swapped to a weber & HEI. You can eliminate 75% of the wiring just in the computer controls. You need to trace out the wiring harness from the fire wall up the left fender, this is the front lighting harness. This can be repaired without major consequences. The other harness will have the gage sensor wiring and ignition wiring, you'll need those. I've swapped my 258 for a 350, I still have the weber & HEI, if you'd be interested. Some people have used a motorcraft carb, which is a good option. It's cheaper, but reliable option. Let me know if I can help, Ron

Thanks, Ron.

The weber / hei swap was the best modification I did. Prior to the "upgrade", I couldn't get it to idle, ever. I just loved the three pedal jig at stoplights . Now it runs like a champ, and barring an nagging issue with the throttle cable, I have no complaints. That's something I'll be dealing with as well. Putting the weber in seemed to give me a couple inches of extra throttle cable, and the return spring didn't actually return the throttle. I've worked through it, but before my daughter gets behind the wheel, I want to make sure it's "right".

My first goal for the wiring is to do exactly what you recommended, and trace out and get rid of everything that is definitely not needed. At that point I'll see where I'm at and decide if I want to try and salvage what's there, or if I want pull the rest and replace everything. I need to dig into the under-dash, too, which doesn't seem to be quite that bad.

Can you tell me what you did when you removed the wiring? Simply cut it at the bulkhead? Leave a couple inches? Something else? If I go with the repair over replace, I don't want it flopping around and possibly causing other issues. I was thinking of cutting the wires so there's just enough left over that I can wrap them and secure them to the firewall somehow. I really just don't know if there's a better way.

 

[ohiowrangler]

I cut the wires at the fire wall, removed the radio and pulled them all. We are talking about the wires in the middle of the vehicle, NOT the ones on the drivers side in the black box. The computer mounts on top of the heater box on the inside. Sorry I can't provide pics. Ron

 

[Jimmy P]

I cut the wires at the fire wall, removed the radio and pulled them all. We are talking about the wires in the middle of the vehicle, NOT the ones on the drivers side in the black box. The computer mounts on top of the heater box on the inside. Sorry I can't provide pics. Ron

No worries on the pictures, I'm following. The computer is out, and I actually pulled all the loom last night. The wiring was eaten at both the firewall pass-through to the computer, and to the right (if looking from the front) of the valve cover. Fortunately it was the top most looms which appears to be mostly computer related wiring, although the sensors appear to have been attacked, too. I'm going to continue to trim it back to where it exits the fuse block. I think I'm going to leave about 5" or so, "just in case". Also, the lighting wires to the grill appear to be in good shape, too.

I made some additional discoveries last night while digging in. There were previous modifications made to the harness. My assumption is that it happened when my dad had it while I was in basic training. He tried to get the carb issues taken care of so it could get through emissions in VA. Regardless, it was hacked upon more. They even used duct tape instead of electrical tape. You just can't make some of this up. I'm going to take time to fix it right or fully replace it.

I've also noticed that there appear to be "new" wires spliced into the harness that are connected to the starter solenoid and the alternator. I'm going to have to dig into some schematics there to see what sensors I need, and how to appropriately wire the alternator.

Here is one of the splices that was wrapped in duct tape:

One of those wires is the one currently feeding my distributor, the larger brown one. It was the correct one from the harness for the HEI swap how-to I followed. The other, black one, routes to the alternator. I'm absolutely confused as to what was done here, but will continue digging in to see if I can figure it out. I can't pretend to understand why they did what they did, but I'm sure a good bit of it is wrong. How it didn't blow anything else up is beyond me.

Here's the back of the alternator. Extra wires for the win

Then there are what I believe to be extra connections to the solenoid that I still need to trace out:

Ignore the mess here, I'm still cleaning out the mess left behind as I am getting better access. I lost my choke connection. At least I think that's the electric choke connection. Any idea what this should connect to?

 

[Jimmy P]

Had a minor break today and was able to find that the choke is a simple keyed on connection, and I should be able to find the correct wire based off the service manual. That said, they've got so many diagrams for the different motors / years, I hope I don't have too much trouble finding it. One step at a time, right?

 

[ohiowrangler]

That's a lot of progress. The brown/black wire at the alternator is used to turn on the charging light on the dash, you can cut it and not worry about it. The starter solenoid wires, one comes from the ignition switch, the (S) terminal. The other is used to feed the ignition system during cranking, this won't be needed with the HEI. The HEI needs 12 volts, when the switch is on/crank. Looking good, Ron

 

[Jimmy P]

Thanks, Ron. I'll be digging into the solenoid and alternator more tomorrow evening and through the weekend when some of my other more pressing projects around the house are done.

I spent a good bit of this evening trying to trace out different issues with no real direction. My initial goal was to figure out the temperature sending unit wiring, which put me on another wild goose chase. The wiring harness, if you want to call it that, was one that had been chewed up, but had also been patched with a different color wire in the middle. After scratching my head for a bit (I've already pulled all my hair out ), I decided to go at it from the other end (the gauge) and wouldn't you know it, the wiring was the right color and even matched up with the engine compartment harness where it comes through. Continuity confirmed it. Under the dash isn't all roses, but it's not a nightmare.

I looked at the lighting wiring, too, and I think I'm pretty fortunate there, too. Both headlights work. The left turn signal works, the right turn signal needs rewired, but at least I can see what's going on there. In the rear, the right tail light running light works, but the drivers side tail light is completely out. Neither of the brake lights come on, and the turn signals don't work. I think the drivers running light may be the bulb, but haven't quite got that far. I'll also be digging into the flashers, etc, to see what's going on there. Overall, from perspective I'm pleased to see it wasn't eaten.

All in all my complaints are far less than they were when I put it in the garage and started. It seems as though most, not all, of the damage was contained to the non-vital systems (computer and emissions). They did start eating the boots on the plug wires, too, but didn't get all the way through. They'll be replaced before I actually try to start it again.

 

[Jimmy P]

Unintentional thread spam. I came across this beautiful breakdown of the engine side wiring harness pinout, and I think it's going to make my life significantly easier.

I'll validate all the main power wires, then look at using the correct "coil" connection (BW) for the HEI, and the "choke" connection (CZ) for the choke.

Today is a good day

 

[Jimmy P]

I'll spare you the additional wiring pictures, but I'm very close to being done verifying and completing the engine compartment, and almost move on to the rest of the lighting. I have to wire the thermostat, connect the choke, and figure out what one other wire is.

I have removed some more interior wiring, too. Ultimately reversing a lot of the hacking I'm responsible for. The rodents did some damage, but if I'm being honest, the interior problems are mostly due to me.

I also checked been through the mandatory lights, and I have a front turn signal to wire, and I need to trouble a short in the drivers backup light. When I put it in reverse, the entire light goes out. I have to deal with the flashers, too. The roof lights will be moving down, and I'll likely have to replace the frame. We'll see.

I've also begun planning for the additional circuitry I'll be needing. Things like the lighting, CB, etc.

So, all in all things are looking up. I'll get more pics when I close things in, and it is something cleaner to look at I can't wait to move on to more exciting things.

 

[ohiowrangler]

I'm presently in Colorado springs, on a vacation and parts hunt. I went to Fnjeep, a used jeep parts store. His frame prices are and I quote nothing over 500 dollars. I purchased a frame for 300, no rust, it had been modified. Which is ok, cause I'm going to cut off the stock motor mounts anyway. He also has wiring harness, and about every other stock part you can think ok. Ron

 

[Jimmy P]

That seems like an outstanding price for a frame! I'll look him up for sure. I probably won't be buying a new harness based off where I am at this stage in the game, but I have other parts I'll be looking into for sure.

I'm, fortunately, through the under hood stuff with the exception of the thermostat. I had to make some electrical part orders, so I'm waiting on that to get in to finish that up. I won't be looming anything until I've completed all of the wiring. I discovered an issue with the dimmer switch, which is on order, and it resolved a lot of my interior wiring issues. Thank goodness! .

I feel so close. Waiting on the additional materials has stopped me from physically working on the electrical for the time being, so I've been working through the auxiliary circuit planning, and I'll be moving on with refreshing the fluids. Nothing exciting, but a simple oil change this weekend is planned.

At least, after the oil change, I'll be able to pull the jeep back out of the garage and do some power washing / cleaning, and make my working environment that much cleaner. Good times!

 

[Jimmy P]

It lives! An oil change and some coaxing the gas out of the tank and she fired up and purred. I won’t call it a kitten, but it idles and runs!

After digging through the wiring, getting confused over and over again, and a good bit of research, the jeep stared and ran again today. This might not seem like a big deal, but considering just how much wiring I removed and disconnected it’s definitely a feat for me. I’m not out of the woods yet, I still have to wire the temperature sending unit, I’m waiting on some wiring that should be here tomorrow, and then on to the lights. One step at a time. After the lights, it will probably be a break from wiring to move on to some mechanics for a while, and then back to the interior (dash) wiring, and auxiliary circuits.

You’ll notice all the wires still sitting looks, for the most part, and that’s because I want to knock out the vitals before I finish wrapping and looming them. I don’t think it’ll be necessary to wait until the aux circuits are in, so I’ll probably get it done when I’m through with the lights.

All in all, today is a good day…

 

[Jimmy P]

Some consumables (wire / connectors / etc.) showed up today and I was able to finish up the under hood stuff and moved on to the lights. That means that the temp sending unit is good to go! WooHoo!!! Of course, I still need to tie and wrap everything, but I'm going to finish the lighting and under dash wiring before I close it all up. Who cares, the gauges all work! I'm not sure about the idiot lights, yet, but I'll get there.

I also replaced my dimmer switch as it was wreaking havoc on my lighting circuit. While I was at it I went through and checked my flashers and under dash relays. Let me tell you, there has been some hack work done under the dash as well. How about having someone adding a 3rd flasher because the turn signal flasher in the fuse block wasn't good enough? Strange. I need a new horn relay, too. That and some light bulbs, but so far things are continuing to look up.

 

[ohiowrangler]

Great work, Sorry I haven't kept up. Make sure post pic"s of the test drives with your daughter, Ron