CJ starting problems

Here's the story, bare with me, 81 CJ7, starter died about 2 months ago, went and got a rebuilt, installed it, but about every 3rd to 5th time it wouldn't start, just go err, turn key back try again and it would work, only had it on the road for about a month, not my daily driver so probably 20 starts, and 5 to 7 no starts. Just had a new engine put in, re-manned, 258, starter wont start it, well I shouldn't say that, will now start every 5th time. Engine place said don't use it and get a new starter, they checked all electrical, no problem, checked starter and said starter was shot, place I got starter from tested it, said nothing wrong, but I got new one anyway, still no start, I can see were it is taking off corners of flywheel so don't want to try anymore. First remanned starter was a Champion, second one Bosch. Any ideas from anyone? Looks to me like starter gear is not going far enough out to engage flywheel. These things aren't rocket science so I don't realy know what to do. When I got second starter I asked if there were different starters for different years, he checked, something like 77 to 86 all the same, so no luck there. If it just happened after engine swap I would say something wrong there, but it was like that before.

Reply to
Greg
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You sure could be describing flaky connections on the solenoid on the fender... That solenoid needs a clean ground too.

Good luck, we are heading off for 4 days camping in a couple minutes. I blew another hub 2 weeks ago so am on the last spare part you sent me now... Gotta go warn hubs, one is already.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Greg wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

Reply to
L.W.( ßill ) Hughes III

Thanks, after I posted I did a little googleing, and sure enough, post on solenoid was corroded. Googleing came up with a sight saying that when a starter goes it corrodes that post from heat build up, so thanks, you were right, just 10 minutes too slow :). On a side note, what the hell are you doing to those hubs?

Reply to
Greg

Reply to
L.W.( ßill ) Hughes III

I think my tires are killing the hubs. The 33x9.5 BFG muds just don't spin so put amazing amounts of torque on the hubs and engine mounts. Especially when I am alternating between ice pans and mud on the trails. Did 70 miles on ice and dirt before the last one exploded 1/4 mile from the destination.... Had to winch it or fix it in the dark. I winched it and fixed it next day.

I am almost afraid to put really strong hubs in there. I don't want to find out what the next weakest link is......

Mike

Greg wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

Lol! Yup, things like that with high traction 33x9.5 mud tires and well.....

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

"L.W.(ßill) Hughes III" wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

Probably your 5-260x axle joints.

Steve

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Mike Roma>

Reply to
Steve

Warn make "hub fuses". Has anyone used them ?

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Dave Milne, Scotland '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

Reply to
Dave Milne

I changed the header seeing as this thread went sideways. Greg fixed the solenoid.

I easily explode the stock Jeep hubs themselves, Greg sent me two extras and I am on the last one, so those fuses look like an interesting option with the warn hubs, thanks for the link. I am going to ask about them at my local 4x4 shop to see what they think about them for our wheeling. We have impacts.

We are hard on parts. Our trail muck usually has a hard bottom so when you go from 3rd low to the max chewing through a foot of corn snow on an ice pack to hitting solid bottom, it gives things quite the jolt.

I am going to post a couple photos of the trip a couple weeks ago when I blew the last hub over on alt.binaries.pictures.autos.4x4.

I was only 1/4 mile from getting to camp after 70 miles of insane bush trails and detours around major washouts.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Dave Milne wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

Anywhere else you could put them Mike ? I don't have access to that group from my ISP, and it doesn't seem to be hosted by google either ?

Reply to
Dave Milne

This site has them eventually.

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Reply to
Mike Romain

Excellent !

Dave Milne, Scotland '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

Reply to
Dave Milne

That is a nice site because my server only holds the photos for a couple days and it misses piles of them also.

Mike

Dave Milne wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

Re exploding hubs:

The number one reason for exploding hubs is one or more hub bolts backing out, which puts incredible force on the others. Try using studs and nuts instead of bolts. Easier to torque properly and they don't back out.

I discovered this at Moab when I blew two hubs within 1/4 mile. I changed to studs the next day and have had no further problems, although for peace of mind I later changed to 6-bolt hubs rather than the stock 5-bolt hubs used in later CJs.

That being said, stronger hubs will move the point of failure to your axle shafts and/or axle u-joints. Rather than use the Warn "fuse," which almost guarantees the necessity for a trail fix on tough terrain, I elected to install larger (i.e., stronger) chromoly axle shafts and stronger axle u-joints.

Reply to
Robert Bills

On this one I had 2 bolts snapped off clean with the other 3 still in there solid and the hub casing blown in bits hard enough to destroy the chrome hub cover.

I got really lucky or just determined and managed to get enough of a ding with a dremil bit as a center punch on one of the snapped bolts so my little screwdriver managed to back it out 1/16" at a turn. Took 2 beers... ;-)

I do use loctite on them.....

I have heard of the stud and nut approach and I guess I should see about upgrading the front axles and yokes, the rear is a Dana 44 already.

I did try the 'heavy duty' lifetime solid core u-joints. They were total garbage, blew the first one within 8 months due mostly to water contamination. I have 'one' lifetime one left in there out of the 6 I installed 5 years ago.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Robert Bills wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

Reply to
L.W.( ßill ) Hughes III

Mike, you can get Spicer joints with a solid core that have zerks on eachof the four caps......they use a blunt nose grease fitting....neither a needle, nor a standard snap on fitting....similar to those used on the CTM type joints.

You get the extra strength of the solid core, yet you can still pump fresh grease through the joints.

Don't have a link....sitting at home on a terrible dial-up connection. I'll look it up when I get a chance at work.

Paul

Mike Roma>

Reply to
Paul Keating

That is exactly what happened to mine. Try the studs and nuts. You will be happy you did.

Reply to
Robert Bills

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