Smog certification and fuel sending unit

Back in November, I took the Jeep to Tire Guys in Redlands for a California smog inspection and emissions certificate, required for the title transfer for the DMV. The first time through the inspection, it passed everything except the evaporation test, which is all about finding unwanted vapor emissions. The master tech working on the Jeep, Mike, was very helpful in identifying where the leaks were coming from (a few cracked fuel lines, as well as the round hatch area above the fuel sending unit that sits above the gas tank). In my list of things I don't want to work on I put fuel lines near the top. I let them handle the bad fuel hoses, but the cost for them to replace the O-ring around the unit was a bit high (and it was mostly labor). Since the fuel gauge was inconsistent in its functioning and unreliable in its readings, I figured I could replace the sending unit, fuel lines, and the O-ring for less than what the Tire Guys would charge me. So I placed a call to BJ's Off Road for a new sending unit, a new O-ring, and a new plastic hex nut (2 1/4" wide, holds the sending unit in place). Mike had popped the rivets off the sending unit access hatch for me and showed me where the hatch was (underneath the bench seat). The Tire Guys were perfectly happy to let me do the work instead of them. Mike even said that he would do a free evap test first when I brought the Jeep back for a smog retest to make sure I took care of the problem. I was able to replace the unit and put in a new O-ring. I also replaced about three feet of fuel hose running to and from the sending unit along the top of the gas tank under the back of the Jeep, all for about sixty bucks, just over a third of the Tire Guys' estimate (which is not a criticism of the Tire Guys shop or pricing). Since they were on top of the gas tank, I didn't have to worry about fuel pouring out when I replaced the lines. All that spilled out was what little had remained in the lines due to surface tension. The only frustrating or time-consuming part of the process was removing the ends of the fuel hoses from the steel hard lines behind the gas tank above the rear axle. This is where several lines, including brake lines, converge and tuck in the left frame rail, making for a crowded area that my big hands don't exactly fit. I was able to do it, but not before giving a few DNA samples from my knuckles.

My fuel gauge is now much more reliable, I don't have any of the crusty, cracking fuel hose that is always dangerous, and I have a smog certified Jeep. A good round of work overall.

Vacuum leak issues and our 1/10 Trip to El Mirage OHV for some off-roading

Well, I've been so busy I wasn't able to post much. First, I was stuck hunting for a vacuum leak. The black coconut in the pic below is a vacuum reservoir, and with that lovely hose in my hand connected to nothing, I was without vacuum for the transfer case (and the heater blower), so shifting into four wheel drive wasn't happening. For some reason, the engineers who designed these Jeeps LOVED vacuum controls (pre-CPU) for a variety of different mechanical processes. I spent at least five hours under the hood over various days, plus time on the computer searching IFSJA.org, for the answer to this problem, but eventually it triggered my time vs. money switch. So I called 4West, a local 4x4/Jeep sales and service center, for some help. As this is not a Wrangler/CJ type Jeep, it wasn't in 4West's domain, so I was sent to Veldman's in Rialto (which is a Porsche/Mercedes shop). The owner, Bill Veldman, drives an '87 Grand Wagoneer down from his home in Lake Arrowhead, so he is quite familiar with these machines. After charging me way less than I figured, he had it hooked up and running (and he replaced the fuel hoses to and away from the fuel filter, which were leaking). Nice guy, great service.

So here it is: a reasonable four inches of spring lift, 32"x11.50" BF Goodrich T/A KM tires. They're just a bit too big for a four inch lift alone, causing some rubbing up in the fender wells at points of higher axle articulation. I don't want to cut the sheet metal for tire clearance, so the 1" body lift will be the way to go getting me the same tire/fender clearance as a six-inch lift with less of an increase in the Jeep's center of gravity. Yesterday, we drove an hour north to the El Mirage Dry Lake OHV Recreational Area. Though fenced in, El Mirage is a wide open section of the Mojave Desert centered around the dry lake bed, which is enjoyed by land-yachts, model rocketry builders, and drivers interested in testing their vehicles' top speed. On this particular day, due to heavy rains earlier in the week, the lake bed was closed to all activities. But there are still 20,000+ acres of wide open trails for quads, bikes, and 4x4s. Most of the activities on this day were dirt bikes and quads; I think we were one of three or four 4x4's in the area. We explored the east trail loop for about two hours, getting out a few times to hike around in a dry river bed and up to a nearby peak to look out over the lake bed (and to scout our trail back to the visitor's center and exit). It performed quite well, though the ride was a bit stiff (which is to be expected until we can break the leaf springs in on a few more trails)--the kids described it as riding around on a trampoline. Happily, everything was right at normal the entire time, from engine temperature to oil pressure. I kept it in 4WD High the entire time, just shifting the transmission into L (1st gear) to keep it manageable. Most of the time, we didn't get above ten miles per hour. Occasionally I took us on some narrow trails that might have been better navigated by a quad than an FSJ (and the Jeep has the scratches to prove it), and there was one point where the novice off-road enthusiast in me thought we might roll over (grossly exaggerated fear, I now understand). Twice, my wonderful wife got out and found a good spot for some pictures of the Jeep, which I happily post here. We worked our way around the East Trail Loop behind some mountains before heading home.