View Full Version : Got another one! Project: PolarXJ
i really need to get a new actually custom tune for it now ... would have to be way better. just not going to drop the coin right now before our BVI's vacation.
this has been easily one of the best DIY weld-it kits of any kind for a long time. the fit to the jeep is great, the fit between the parts is great. i'm excited to get it smoothed and painted.
mine came pre-bent vs the kit as pictured on their website too. rear bumper still came full flat.
https://dirtboundoffroad.com/collections/jeep-cherokee-xj-84-01/products/diy-front-mojave-bumper-jeep-cherokee-xj
https://i.imgur.com/NWe7uk7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/6LymFQ1.jpg
xj_man_646
10-20-2023, 01:53 PM
That's a really nice looking bumper!
Dennis
10-20-2023, 07:44 PM
Yeah, bumper looks great.
All after market bumpers should have integrated receivers
started in on the rear this weekend and got it almost wrapped up. as i pulled the factory bumper i was super impressed with how clean this jeep is! popped off the side plastic and ... womp. probably need to get some of those rocker armor plates to cover it.
front bumper had way easier brackets, and came pre-bent. this rear came flat and the brackets alone took as long as the entire front. seriously, between the unibody mods, fitting, and final welding, they took as long. then the bumper itself, i would never buy a flat DIY bumper ever again, the amount of extra welding and finishing is just stupid.
that said, i still really like this bumper, both Mohave from DirtBound. great fit, great structure, very little fiddling outside of getting the bends right.
FINALLY got it fully welded and started in on the finishing. randomly got shown a YouTube of different levels of weld finishing last week and that was a win. i'm pretty happy with how this is coming out!
-80grit 6" flap wheel to cut down the bulk of the welds
-80 or 100grit 5" velcro sanding disc on firm foam backed pad chucked into a drill to smooth
-120grit in a random orbital sander to finish
https://i.imgur.com/sFlpHLJ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/9M7mqGe.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/G93CKuw.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/nP9yRtK.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/hR7pUIh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/8GbqlDO.jpg
Cobound
10-23-2023, 12:47 PM
Lotta work, but damn that is nice!!!
Unique build, so cool...miss but don't miss our XJs. To have one super clean w/ light mods would be nice, but I'd never let it see winter if I ever got another one.
but I'd never let it see winter if I ever got another one.
this one is clean, but not THAT clean ... I'm going to drive this to save some salt on Hank if i can. but i'll FluidFilm the cccrrraaaaappp out of it first.
Cobound
10-23-2023, 12:59 PM
Yeah, if I had one that was just clean, same deal...drive it like I stole it.
Our last two were really clean, for MN standards especially...but once you start seeing a HINT of a bubble, or discoloration somewhere, it's too late, and you either cut it out and go to town, or live with it and let it take its course.
I sold the last one for more than I paid - but I also stuck some coin into it. It was reliable, drove great, but after a few instances of being "stranded", my daughter was paranoid. "Dad to the rescue" was getting old for her and the wife, so we tossed her the JK and got the wife a car.
She misses the space, but loves the JK...all's good. Think we're done w/ XJs now - they just got to be too old for the daily.
Think we're done w/ XJs now - they just got to be too old for the daily.
... this is the newest vehicle i own/drive! :lol:
(wife's rides excluded)
Cobound
10-23-2023, 03:28 PM
LOL - right on!! Got some mad respect for you and Nate - running the old iron is cool.
Your wife's ride is definitely the exception, to a lot, cuz you drive it all year, correct? I mean, when there's no snow anyway?
xj_man_646
10-23-2023, 03:39 PM
this one is clean, but not THAT clean ... I'm going to drive this to save some salt on Hank if i can. but i'll FluidFilm the cccrrraaaaappp out of it first.
use NHOU instead of fluid film.
use NHOU instead of fluid film.
never heard of that ... experience?
i bought a 5gal bucket of FF, so it'll still be another year or 2 before that's used up :lol:
LOL - right on!! Got some mad respect for you and Nate - running the old iron is cool.
Your wife's ride is definitely the exception, to a lot, cuz you drive it all year, correct? I mean, when there's no snow anyway?
it's more fun this way!
she drives the 'vette every day she can, it's almost got 90,000 miles on it now
SO MUCH GRINDING!! I went thru like 35 cheap-o sanding discs ... i did the back first and ground the face flat around the hitch but didn't really like it. left the front full weld around there, and now i'm debating going back to cut out the weld to re-make a full weld on the back. probably doesn't matter either way.
wife said i should clear them, the silver wouldn't look bad against the blue.
https://i.imgur.com/ZjH0SGu.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/nb0TVTv.jpg
Cobound
10-24-2023, 01:14 PM
Driving the Vette like that, the ONLY way to own one :rock:
Those bumpers - wow, clean, yeah, clear them - you can always go back and paint them later if you changed your mind.
Wow!! Nice work dude...know it took some time, but worth it!
xj_man_646
10-24-2023, 01:16 PM
never heard of that ... experience?
i bought a 5gal bucket of FF, so it'll still be another year or 2 before that's used up :lol:
Not personally, but several friends use it and love it. It seems to hold up better to a winter environment than fluid film.
5 gallons is a lot :lol:
Not personally, but several friends use it and love it. It seems to hold up better to a winter environment than fluid film.
5 gallons is a lot :lol:
with 3 vehicles getting coated every year now, plus my FIL when i can ... bulk is cheaper ftw. $0.31 /oz in the bucket vs $0.89 /oz in the rattle can.
nblehm
10-26-2023, 07:59 AM
Bumpers look great. I like the flush mount look on the hitch. Raw with clear coat would be a different look. I always got whatever Bmx frame I was buying in some sort of raw finish. Just thought they looked cool.
bumpers are DONE and on! i'm pretty happy with em. was a lot of work but learned how to finish metal better, and way better price. i even put a receiver without a ball in there for emergency situations, and the front battery is easy for the receiver mount winch leads to reach.
needs a slightly lower back spacing wheel and 31s, but later. also need to make some rocker armor to cover where the old bumper used to.
Spartan locker in the back is 1000x better driving in the rain, i actually have the traction to accelerate now. found the worst over-use of RTV i've ever seen when i popped the diff :lol:
https://i.imgur.com/5AWnUqv.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/IBbQW4k.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ppMBovc.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/uwVONHD.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ZzzLjay.jpg
the TDI forum is having a discussion over a TDI swap'd XJ with a stick vs the AW4. apparently "auto's stuck" set some ppl off :lol:
Cobound
10-30-2023, 11:16 AM
Nice, damn 2 door, TDI, custom bumpers...you rare, dog!!
LOL, the auto vs manual debate :lol:
xj_man_646
10-30-2023, 01:23 PM
Part of me wants another XJ again very much.
The other part of me remembers how cramped they felt 15 years ago. :lol:. Not so much in the legs, but my torso being tall...head height was a premium.
Part of me wants another XJ again very much.
The other part of me remembers how cramped they felt 15 years ago. :lol:. Not so much in the legs, but my torso being tall...head height was a premium.
yeah ... that's still a thing! i'd love to do thinner seats with lower mounts.
Cobound
10-30-2023, 03:56 PM
Tall people problems, I don't have them.
Chunky guy woes - yeah, it's not as roomy as a fullsize, I can attest to that :lol:
nblehm
11-01-2023, 09:02 AM
Part of me wants another XJ again very much.
The other part of me remembers how cramped they felt 15 years ago. :lol:. Not so much in the legs, but my torso being tall...head height was a premium.
I felt big in our old xj. Can’t imagine being taller or wider :lol:
started playing the tuning game with a guy, trying to get this right. it starts WAY better, is way smoother, but is still kind of shooting high EGTs ... but better is better so far!
xj_man_646
11-27-2023, 10:30 AM
What kind of tuning software do you have? Are you able to adjust everything as far as injection quantity and timing?
Diesel tuning is somewhat sketchy to me. Things can go awry awfully quick :lol: The injection timing is the sketchy part to me.
i'm just loading emailed tunes from a dude ... who's apparently still learning a little as we go to. but all the "big names" are like a one n done thing, where this guy is really wanting to go back n forth and make it right. we'll get there.
i mean, 12V is fixed injection timing. once you go so far, you just have to know not to go full-beans until past peak torque.
xj_man_646
11-28-2023, 10:57 AM
Yes, the 12v is fixed injection timing because its mechanical. Set it once and you're 'done'. You can still advance or retard it though, its just a more involved process than punching some numbers in a software program. Injection timing gets a little more complicated than you're used to with ignition timing on a gasser, being compression ignition and direct injection.
i don't even need this jeep to be crazy power or whatever ... i just want it clean and a very safe tune that'll fuel thru the capable 25psi
xj_man_646
11-28-2023, 03:15 PM
I can't recall that far back...did you do any fueling upgrades to support that turbo?
yup!
running 11psi into the injection pump vs letting it draw for itself, plus i went from 0.190 injectors to 0.260's
right now trying to dial in the fueling is what's giving him trouble, like there's too much or something :lol:
so i was getting mad at the XJ for being a little jerk ... i couldn't get a decent datalog cuz it would go into limp mode on the highway occasionally, but never just around. well yesterday i got mad and started beating it like it owed me money up n down the freeway. got it hot, countless cycles of mid RPM coast to full boost back n forth, up and down gears. well something cleaned up or broke loose! could be i blew out some carbon buildup, broke in the new injectors, unstuck something from it sitting so long, who knows.
it runs noticeably smoother and i'll see about limp mode this afternoon when i go for a basic drive. cross your fingers for me we're on the up-n-up now!
xj_man_646
11-30-2023, 02:02 PM
Did you pull the intake and give that a good cleaning before the transplant?
Did you pull the intake and give that a good cleaning before the transplant?
i did! but maybe not as detailed as it could have been cuz i was hoping to get a "better" intake.
on the other hand, i also tried to clean out the head as best i could too. i wonder if i had some buildup get stuck to a valve and keep it from seating fully ... finally cooked it off with the 1350deg EGT pull i did.
xj_man_646
11-30-2023, 04:25 PM
Sounds plausible for sure. Gotta blow out the carbon every once in awhile.
he's still convinced that my "new" turbo has sticky vanes from the logs ... and i can't disagree. i'll have to take it apart and clean everything out really well. maybe i can find a rebuild kit while i'm in there
xj_man_646
12-01-2023, 09:02 AM
What did that turbo come from? I didn't realize it was VGT.
VNT-17 from an 04-05 Passat. bigger and more efficient than the old VNT-15 i had. plus it's a totally different location that's higher and more forward ... gave me more clearance for better engine mounts.
VNT is the VW name for VGT
xj_man_646
12-01-2023, 01:46 PM
Ahhh. Interesting. I wonder how the ECU software is different between the two engine models. Could be something with that, but I'm also assuming you weren't the first one to attempt such a swap and the subsequent tuning.
nblehm
12-02-2023, 08:25 AM
I’ve work on a tdi where the intake was basically packed solid with carbon build up. That was an interesting find.
xj_man_646
12-04-2023, 02:49 AM
Yep it is quite common in the TDI world, I assume due to heavier EGR usage than other diesel applications. The diesel soot and oil material that forms due to crank case vent and EGR in diesels is nasty stuff.
whoever thought it was a good idea to put EGR and a crappy PCV on a smokey diesel was a doooooouuuuccchhe. lets just mist the intake with oil and carbon dust, that'll work great!
you can kinda see in this pic what my intake was to start with ... i cleaned it like 3/4-ass'd
https://i.imgur.com/lAxqyD7.jpg
so i asked the tuner to take my original Malone Stage-3 tune and just scale only the fueling for my larger injectors. even down 5psi peak boost from his prior tune, i'm probably 2x the power n torque now!
everything is better across the board. power comes in sooner, harder, has more, and then pulls longer. starts better, lower EGT's across the board ... and he's still arguing that Malone doesn't know what they are doing. now, he's got some theories and wants me to try another tune. it's entirely possible if he figures something out that his tune could be better MPG and maybe idle a tiny bit smoother, but i don't see any possible that i gain power anywhere. he's a super nice guy and has helped a ton by finding other issues i had too. he totally deserves the help when he wants to learn what's up.
now i want to figure out what program he's using to write the tune ... i have everything else now to tune any engine.
#towrig
https://i.imgur.com/xPZ1bnu.jpg
wrath
02-23-2024, 09:42 PM
Is there a trailer underneath it or are you hillbilly like me and just lag bolt a tongue to the building and deck screw the axle to the building?
-4 2x4's scabbed together for a tongue
-2 trailer stub axles welded to plates and bolted to the bottom of the shed.
i build the set-up before we build the house to move and use this shed then, but now it's in the way again, so i just jacked it back up and threw tires back on it. if you notice, they are the OE XJ wheels n tires bolted on backwards for better spacing
Cobound
02-26-2024, 11:03 AM
Tiny home tow rig :lol:
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