1981 Jeep CJ7 medic can you help me?

ALL RIGHTY THEN

WHEN IT DIES

IS IT SUDDEN

OR DOES IT SPIT AND SPUTTER A BIT BEFORE IT DIES?

CARB?

MAYBE IT'S WHAT YOU NEED? MAYBE NOT?

REASON I'M BRINGING IT UP, I HAVE SEEN (AND MY PAL PURCHASED) 5 BRAND NEW ONES ON EBAY A WHILE BACK, I THINK AT THE TIME THEY WERE $99 A POP. THE ONE HE INSTALLED WAS PERFECT!

I GATHER YOU HAVE LOOKED AT SOME OF MY RESPONSES?

HAVE YOU DONE ANY OF MY TUNING (TIMING OR CARB) FOUND IN SOME OF MY POSTS?

ANY OTHER STUFF YOU HAVE DONE?

CAN YOU LAY THE HOOD ON THE WINDSHIELD FRAME/ REMOVE THE BREATHER/ SEND ME LEFT/ RIGHT/ TOP PICS---BACKED OFF/ CLOSE UPS OF STUFF?

VOLTMETER/ DWELL-TACH METER/ TIMING LIGHT/ BASIC TOOLS?

REPLY W/ ANSWERS, WE'LL GET ON THE RIGHT TRACK AND BEGIN SOME TESTING OR TUNING

I WILL HANG WITH YOU TILL YOU GET TIRED OF ME!

THE MEDIC

ALSO

WHEN IT STARTS UP

HOW LONG DOES IT RUN (JUST A GOOD ESTIMATE)?

THE MEDIC

thanks a lot medic, I really appreciate your help. i'll take pics and try to send them tomarrow. I timed it with a timing light to 8 degrees btdc and it fires right up even near zero here in Michigan. after about 20 minutes or so it just dies like the fuel is being slowly shut off. if I'm driving I pull over and sometimes it just idles and I wait a few minutes and it'll run again. it usually acts up going up a hill. but it'll quit in front of the shop or in the shop, too. when I replaced the first rusty tank I managed to get the new tank contaminated and removed it 5 times to drain and blow out little rocks in there. I did manage to repair the original fuel/vapor separator but bought a new one from a 440 mopar or 426 mopar as it had the same number of pipes going in and out. I plan to take the tank out (6th time) and fill it up with hot water and really clean it out and blow the lines out and make sure the two other fuel system parts are clean. the jeep now is just one pipe from the fuel sending unit on the tank to the fuel pump and up and over the top of the engine to the fuel filter which has a 3d leg which is routed back under the engine and clamped next to the intake line all the way back to the tank area where it goes to the roll over valve, from there to the fuel/vapor separator and then into 2 vent lines on the driver side top of the fuel tank. it acts like some rock or something is getting wedged into something and blocking the fuel. sometimes it will gradually die and then pick right back up again and go only to die again. the vacuum lines are all goobered and when I got it the vacuum lines were not hooked to anything. I've played with them trying various combinations but there does not seem to be a charcoal canister, cto, there is an insert into the manifold forward of the carb that has 2 plastic tubes going straight up so I hooked some vacuum lines up to that thing and one from the distributor to the carb. pcv to a large brass fitting just above the egr valve in the intake manifold. the other hose from that brass fitting goes to the brake booster. I have the vacuum line from the egr valve going into that funny 2 prong thingy on the intak manifold. and I have another vacuum line from the carb going into that 2 prong thinga majig. . thought I'd check the ground wires to the engine block and look at the coil ground wire tomarrow as well as the prep of the fuel system and see what happens. got the jeep in December and its still not a runner. thanks again for your insight since I shouldn't be allowed near tools.

hi medic,
I replaced the spark plugs, gapped to .035, replaced the points and condenser and cap and rotor. the ship came with that old distributor and a bbd carb out of a 1979 dodge d100 pickup with a 318 in it. the carb says manufactured by carter carburetor st Louis. 1A 0-2425. I got a carb kit and the reason it doesn't run is probably because I overhauled the carb myself. did find a rebuilt unit on the web and its on its way in a week or so. the dwell is about 34 degress, I need to get new spark plug wires but I' m just trying to get it running. last week I drove it from my house to Whitehall for a basketball game and back to my house the all the way to Manistee and back to my house with no problems. that was 150 miles or so. it has a 5 speed and the thing left Toledo with a 4 banger and 4 speed so some owner replace it with an engine dated 11 1982. its an 81 cj7. all I do is hit the starter and it fires right up so maybe I screwed the carb up somehow. I went back and revisited the carb several times and adjusted it according to the rebuild kit and the Haynes manual.

and replaced the fuel pump.

at one point I unhooked the fuel line and cranked the engine and got no fuel. I hooked up a vacuum pump and got no fuel and left it on the fender sucking 25 hg's or whatever they are for over an hour and no fuel. took the tank down and found little rocks and debris in there, last time I did the fuel check I was able to fill a mason jar by cranking the engine and filled the vacuum pump bottle very quickly. on both lines on either side of the engine. changed fuel filters and blew them out and it was clean everytime. still contamination when I blew out the lines without removing the tank a few days ago so I'm convinced there is more contamination in the system. blew the lines out into a plastic container and found small sandy type grit and small pebbles.

WE"LL GET TO THE VACUUM LINES SOON AS I GET YOUR "GOOD/ WELL LIT" PICS---SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA RESIZE 'EM SO THEY WILL POST

INSURE YOUR FUEL SYSTEM IS ROUTED LIKE THESE PICS

'BOUT BEDTIME HERE

SEE YOU TOMORROW EVENING!

THE MEDIC

LAST PIC WAS MEANT FOR A PREVIOUS JEEP GUY, DISREGARD THE CAPTIONS ON IT!

THE MEDIC

USUALLY, WHEN YOU REMOVE THE ORIGINAL TANK, AND CLEAN UP THE RUST AND SAND UNDER THE PLASTIC SHIELDS AND ON THE TANK, YOU WILL CREATE A PINHOLE OR TWO

EVER THOUGHT ABOUT A 21 GALLON POLYETHYLENE TANK INSTEAD OF YOUR 15?

I LOVE MINE!

RANGE IS INCREASED

I CAN STAY AWAY FROM THE GAS STATIONS LONGER

THIS CRAPPY ETHANOL FUEL DON'T RUST IT UP

YOU MUST USE A LONGER SENDING UNIT AND THE TANK STICKS DOWN IN THE REAR MORE

I'M PAST MY WILD OFFROAD STAGE IN LIFE, BUT I'M ALWAYS AWARE OF THE LOWER CLEARANCE WHEN I DO STRAY OFFROAD

THE MEDIC

hi medic,
thanks for the pics, I see right away my fuel line system does not match your first schematic. mine has the return steel tube next to the pickup line blocked with a rubber cap and steel band and they routed the return fuel back to the roll over valve, then to the fuel/vapor separator and then down to the 2 small vent hoses on top left of drivers side tank.
since I, too, have no carbon canister please tell me how to route the vent line from the fuel vapor separator up to the front. I will go ahead and hook the return line to the second pipe on the sender. thanks a lot, that may be the problem.

I just looked at your green tube in the second picture and my guys removed that as well, so I will just go to the hardware store and buy enough to stretch from the roll over valve to the firewall like you did, and I already have a clear plastic filter like yours with the pipe cut off like you did. I will start on this project as soon as I do some snow throwing this morning, thanks again.

I'm too dumb to post. took pictures of the jeep engine but don't know how to send them, I'm not computer literate. they weren't very good, awful dark in the shop. did get the tank out for the 6th time and blew out the lines again. went to the parts store and got 25 feet of hose for the green hose. bunch of clamps and zip ties. found my clear in line filter like yours and will mount that tomarrow in the same place you did, thanks a lot. the Haynes manual didn't show that at all so I had no clue, the last mechanic must've removed it when he removed the charcoal canister. have a new top strap coming for the skid plate and as soon as it arrives i'll put the tank back in. I put it on the bench and blew it out and rocked it back and forth and got most if not all the contaminants out. I repositioned the fuel filter above the engine like you have yours, thankyou.

I USE AN ANCIENT FLIP PHONE-LOST ON HOW TO POST FROM PHONE

I USE A KODAK EZ SHARE CAMERA (ALSO HAVE A NICE CANON REBEL, WHICH I HAVE TO RESIZE THE PICS) I SHOVE THE SD CARD IN MY PRINTER AND DOWNLOAD THE PICS INTO "MY PICTURES" (WITH THE EZ SHARE, SIZE WORKS OUT FINE)

AT THE END OF YOUR REPLY IT SAYS "ADD IMAGES", CLICK ON IT AND IT SHOULD TAKE YOU TO "MY PICTURES", CLICK ON THE PIC AND CLICK "OPEN"---BOO-YOW! ONE PIC ON THE WAY!

I THINK ABOUT 6-8 AT A TIME WILL GO THRU FINE, SEEMS MORE WILL SOMETIMES MAKE YOU START THE ENTIRE REPLY AGAIN, AS IT CAN'T HANDLE A WHOLE BUNCH

I'LL BE LEAVING WORK SOON

GLAD TO SEE YOU GETTING THINGS STRAIGHT

THE MEDIC

thanks a lot medic
really like the offy manifold and 4 bbl trick. maybe next winter I'll do that. too late, I already bought the new steel 15 gal tank and skid plate but that can be changed, too. thanks.
plan to wait for the new middle tank strap to come and then put it back together and see if it still dies, then if it does I still have the rebuilt carb coming between 18-23 feb. catch up with you later

KEEP ME POSTED

I'M SURE I AIN'T DONE WITH YOU YET!

WITH YOUR PICS? I'M GONNA STRAIGHTEN OUT YOUR VACUUM LINES, VERY FEW ARE NEEDED, WANNA MAKE SURE THEY ARE ROUTED RIGHT AND NECESSARY, EXTRAS AIN'T NUTHIN' BUT THINGS TO TEAR UP LATER

I, AT MINIMUM, WOULD LIKE TO GUIDE YOU THRU TIMING AND TUNING TO MAKE SURE IT IS TWEAKED TO THE MAX

THE MEDIC

roger, thanks a bunch. next day or two will tell the tale.

PICS OF THEM VACUUM LINES (FULL ENGINE) WOULD BE NICE AND WOULD GIVE ME TIME TO CRITIQUE THEM IN "MICROSOFT PAINT"

ASK THE 3RD GRADER, A FEW HOUSES DOWN, TO AID YOU WITH YOUR COMPUTER SHORTCOMINGS!

THE MEDIC

hi cj medevac
emailed update from lake Michigan. had a down day from a flu bug and a great snow storm last 2 days. rallied today and opened up the drives and managed to get the fuel line from the roll over valve/fuel/vapor valve up near the engine before I froze up and quit. carburetor is looking like it'll be here tomarrow afternoon (maybe). should be able to install the filter(charcoal canister like yours) and get the tank back in for the 6th time tomarrow. the main furnace konked out so that may slow me down a little. thought I'd get the thing running and back it out in the sunlight for the pictures and get back with you. thanks again, ken

WOW

HOW CONFUSING

(THE EMAIL PART)

LOOKS LIKE IT WOULDA WORKED THE REGULAR WAY

THANKS FOR GETTING IT TO ME ANYWAY MIKE, WHATEVER THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE

I'M SURE YOU AND THE BIG GUYS UNDERSTAND THAT THE CJs ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN ALL OF THE OTHER RIGS, THEREFORE A SPECIAL EFFORT WAS MADE TO GET ME THIS CRITICAL INFO ASAP!

Kenvohs AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT A BUNCH!

STAY TUNED, HE'LL BE RUNNIN' SMOOTH WHEN WE GET DONE HERE!

THE MEDIC

hi cj medevac,
got the filter attached to the firewall and put the tank back in today around 4ish hit the starter and no fuel to the carb. put a mason jar under the steel line to the carb and ran a short hose into the jar and cranked:no fuel. I made sure not to allow rocks into the lines by duct taping the ends of all of them until it was time to hook up. this will be tank removal # 7. I blew all the lines out except the ones to the roll over/fuel vapor separator and hook my little vacuum pump up to those before I hooked up. I didn't want to blow some diaphragm somewhere. in the morning i'll start again and remove the tank and this time i'll take the sending unit out and inspect it. didn't do that this time. I'm sure the line to the pump is hooked correct and the return line from the little pipe on the filter goes back next to the one on the sending unit. then I made up one from the roll over valve up to the firewall.

LET'S LOOK FOR CRACKS/ HOLES/ LOOSE CLAMPS ON THE HOSE BETWEEN THE TANK AND FUEL PUMP

ALSO INSURE THIS SAME HOSE GOT HOOKED UP TO THE "DIP TUBE" IN THE TANK, AND NOT TO THE RETURN CONNECTION

BLOWING THRU THIS LINE, IF IT'S CONNECTED RIGHT, OUGHTA MAKE IT BUBBLE THE FUEL IN THE TANK

---THE RETURN CONNECTION WILL JUST BLOW FREE AND CLEAR IF YOU CHECK IT

JUST FOR A TEST, YOU CAN RIG A SHORT HOSE FROM THE TANK SIDE OF THE FUEL PUMP (SUCTION SIDE) INTO A PORTABLE GAS CAN TO INSURE IT'S "PULLIN' FUEL

JUST REMEMBER, IT'LL SUCK YOUR FUEL CAN OUT KINDA FAST, AS THE RETURN LINE WILL BE DUMPING THE "EXTRA PUMPED FUEL" BACK INTO THE ON BOARD TANK

THE MEDIC

WHEN I SAID BLOWING IN THE HOSE TO THE TANK

I MEANT WITH YOUR MOUTH!

DOING IT WITH THE COMPRESSOR MIGHT BLOW THE FILTER SCREEN (SOCK) OFF OF THE DIP TUBE!

THE MEDIC

roger, medic, i'll try it tomarrow morning. this will be 7 times. last time I went through this there was nothing. nada. blew everthing out and got fuel up the kazoo. i'll try your idea of blowing on the fuel pump line by mouth and check for bubbles. I'm guessing there won't be any. then, i'll do what I did on time#6 and remove the lines without removing the tank and blow. then, i'll hook a line up to a container of gas on the floor and see if it runs. I'm beginning to be aggravated. but everything that's wrong has to be something I have done. report back tomarrow, goodnight, thanks, k

hi medic
hooked a hose from the end of the steel line where it goes in the tank and stuck the other end in a 5 gal jug under the tank . jeep ran just fine. looks like my carb overhaul was good. looks like the sending unit is goobered. i'll start taking it apart tomarrow.

DO YA THINK THE LINES MIGHT BE SWAPPED AT THE TANK?

THE "BLOW TEST" SHOULD LET YOU KNOW

I'LL BE BACK AFTER A BIT

I JUST GOT HOME FROM WORK--THEY JUST CALLED ME BACK IN

THE MEDIC

hi medic,
got the tank out around noon today and put it in the house where its warm, its about 0 in the shop. couldn't find a whole lot wrong in there. the rubber o ring under the sending unit was a little larger than all the others in my collection so I swapped it out for new one that's more like a rectangular detail on it. the new sender didn't fit as well as the original so I put the original back in. held the sock filter up to the light and didn't see anything in there, looked in the tank with a light and didn't see anything either, vacuumed it for a while. applied some rtv sealant around the sending unit gasket area and put the thing back in and taped all the hoses and blew into it and it pressured up like a balloon. I don't know what else to do. the new sending unit didn't dog into its 2 little slots like the old one does. both of them were air tight when I covered one end and blew on the other. since the old one dogged into its slots better I used it. I blew on the flexible hose to the sending unit in the tank and it was not restricted so i'll let the sealant cure overnight and put the whole mess back in tomarrow morning. I was hoping to find something obviously wrong but the larger o ring was all I could see. I don't think that matters too much anyway other than to keep water and mud out of the tank.

I did follow the steel lines up the front and have them hooked to the right hose. i'll make sure the hose clamps are tight when I fit the flexible hose from the tank to the steel line, might even put 2 of them on that one. made sure the hose clamps were tight when I fitted new hose on the tank this afternoon and made sure each one was either 5/16 or 1/4 inch.

I JUST WROTE YOU A NOVEL-ADDED TOO MANY PICS AND LOST THE WHOLE NINE YARDS!

YOU GONNA SEND SOME ENGINE PICS?

SOUNDS LIKE EVERYTHING IS GOOD WITH THE TANK

ANY LUCK?

THE MEDIC

cj medevac,
got the jeep running once again. I couldn't find anything wrong with the install of the sending unit because it was ok(except for the poor fit and the oversized o ring). when I would install the tank assembly the last few inches I managed to kink the rubber fuel line. theres no room so this time I stretched my fingers in there and made sure the pump line wasn't kinked. pushed and pulled on it with fingers from both hands. now I have a tail light that quit because there is a wiring harness in that area that was always in the way so that is the culprit I am sure. drove it to Shelby to buy groceries and returned and fueled up in new era and the gas gauge functions fine. that's the 35 year old sending unit in there. so tomarrow after snow throwing and a trip to the parts store for spark plug wires and some batteries for the digital camera, i'll finally get to taking pictures and send them to you. its below 0 here at night with blowing drifting snow so that eats a lot of the clock but I am gaining on it. wow what a relief. my carb rebuild is fine and I managed to goober a spark plug wire the other day so i'll get them all replaced and take it from there. thanks for following me. the old vw bus had a big inspection cover so you could look down on the flat 4 and decide what was up with it. that's what the cj needs. such a pain to have to remove the tank for a sending unit or fuel line problem, later, k

LOST ANOTHER NOVEL TO YOU

THIS TIME WHEN I SUBMITTED AND WENT TO SEE IF IT POSTED, I FOUND THAT I HAD BEEN "TIMED OUT" AND HAD TO RE-SIGN IN

GLAD YOU FOUND THE KINK (I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THAT)

I'LL REWRITE THE NOVEL TOMORROW

WAITIN' ON SOME GOOD PICS

THE MEDIC

A FEW MORE

THE MEDIC

hi medic,
thought it was good to go until just now on a trip to get spark plug wires and fuel for the snow thrower it started coughing and spiting barely made it back to the garage. I just can't believe it. it ran very well yesterday after I got the tank in. ran it about 12 miles to the store and back no problem. so, now, i'll go back out and replace the spark plug wires ( I broke one the other day and cobbled it back together using the motorhomes old wires. then I have the newly rebuilt carburetor to install, haven't opened its box yet but I guess now is the time to put it on and cross my fingers.

thanks for all the help medic, I'm giving up. put the rebuilt carb on and new wires (that didn't fit very well, put the old wires back on) the thing shakes from side to side like it did when I had the plugs gapped wrong so I took out the plugs and gapped them to 030 and it still seems to miss on one cylinder and shakes back and forth. I've spent too much money on the thing and i'll have to park it until I can deal with it again. thanks again, k

hi medic,
took a good look at the distributor and its junk. when it quit running it was because the black wire to the coil broke at a copper dealy bob inside the distributor that goes to a spring thingy. and the 2 hold downs for the vacuum plate broke off so the part that holds the points was loose. so, in the morning after snow throwing(10 below zero and blowing snow) ill take the piece of junk to the local parts store and show them what happened. should I go with the original electronic distributor? this piece of junk is from a junkyard from the 1970's I am sure.

I HAD TO WORK LATE, GOTTA GO BACK IN THE MORNING TOO :-(

STICK WITH THE ORIGINAL MOTORCRAFT DISTRIBUTOR

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO PULL IT (CORRECTLY) SO THAT THE NEXT ONE WILL GO IN PERFECT AND STILL BE IN SYNC WITH TDC AND REMAIN IN THE FIRING SEQUENCE?

I CAN LINK YOU OR EXPLAIN IT--EZ WAY BEFORE YOU PULL IT/ HARDER WAY IF YOU PULLED IT WITHOUT KEEPING TRACK OF THE POSITIONS OF STUFF

THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH REMAN PARTS, IN FACT, MANY OF THEM HAVE A LIFETIME WARRANTY, NEW STUFF MAY HAVE A YEAR OR TWO

STUDY THE BOTTOM END OF THIS LINK, IT MIGHT AID YOU WITH THE PURCHASE OF YOUR DISTRIBUTOR OR OTHER PARTS, "A124" HAS BEEN WORKING FOR QUITE SOME TIME, IT WORKED, ONCE AGAIN, FOR ME ON MONDAY, I SAVED $40 ON A BATTERY FOR THE COMPANY VAN!

https://www.2carpros.com/questions/2001-dodge-neon-milage-just-want-put-fliuds-their-locations

THE MEDIC

parts guys ordered a distributor that is same as this one, delco remy from late 60's to 74 before amc went to electronic. i'll remove the condenser and the points and install them in the new one Monday morning. the ground wire to the coil fell of inside the distributor. I bumped the engine around to tdc with the rotor facing close to #1 spark plug so hopefully the new one will go back in ok.

I RECKON SOMEBODY JUST LIKED "THE POINT SYSTEM"

SO I RECKON THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION MODULE AND IT'S WIRING IS NO MORE?

YOU CAN STILL GO ELECTRONIC EZily, AND REVERT BACK TO POINTS (IF YOU KEEP THEM ONBOARD IN A ZIPLOCK BAG AND IN A CRUSH PROOF BOX) ABOUT TEN MINUTES IS ALL IT WOULD TAKE

REVERT REASON, MEANING, SHOULD THIS ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FAIL (AND YOU DO NOT HAVE A REPLACEMENT), OR THEM PESKY EMPs TAKE OUT ALL ELECTRONICS EVERYWHERE. ONLY A FEW OF US WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO DRIVE A VEHICLE, IF OUR POINTS ARE ONHAND!

ALTHOUGH THIS PARTICULAR KIT IS FOR MY WILLYS, THIS COMPANY MAKES 'EM FOR MIGHT NEAR ANY POINTS TYPE DISTRIBUTOR (FIND THE MODEL NUMBER) SEE THIS POST, YOU WILL SEE HOW EZ IT IS, AND WELL WORTH IT TOO!

https://www.2carpros.com/questions/1972-volkswagen-beetle-should-intake-manifold-very-hot-touch

STILL WAITING ON YOUR PICS!

WE STILL MAY BE ABLE TO MAKE THINGS RUN A LITTLE MORE EFFICIENT

THE MEDIC

previous owners removed everything electronic under the hood. so I am awaiting parts again: new distributor delco remy, i'll use the points and condenser (they only ran 200 miles or so) also ordered new wires and cap and rotor. hope the timing is right since I left the spark plugs in and just hit the starter a bit to rotate the engine to where the rotor pointed to #1 spark plug wire and the timing mark stopped at tdc (0 on the scale). distributor should be back in and running before noon Monday.

hi medic,
got the new distributor in and its a runner again! have the camera plugged into the computer so here we go

I really don't know how to mess with these pictures