The Rubi Q Build

[UNSTUCK]

I mean I did the opposite on my XJ with a mid-arm 3 link so I don’t see why not. I think a truss over the top of the diff would be ideal over the factory cast mount

Just revisiting this thought as I need to get moving on something here. I feel like the cast mount is likely more than strong enough. If anything what goes inside that mount is the issue. The stock clevite bushing would likely fail quickly. Looks like rock Krawler and maybe others make a ball type joint that bolt/press in to the casting. On the other end of that control arm right now is a 2” wide tereflex joint. I think 3/4” thread. I could pretty easily adjust the frame end bracket to fit a larger joint, then make a new control arm.
Thoughts anyone?

 

[N-Smooth]

I think a few companies do make a press in joint of sorts that would be an improvement over the factory rubber bushings. At least they used to. A big part of that was also trying to get a larger bolt because it’s just a 10mm bolt IIRC.

 

[UNSTUCK]

The fixed block is back and much better now now. Naturally it took longer than promised. I’m much happier with it now. Here’s what all the measurements look like now.




Here’s the new pistons and rings. This set of pistons did not measure out as consistent as the last set, but I was able to assign them to bores that would make up the size difference. Should work well.




I’ve been slowly playing with wiring and then I got a wild hair and cut out the old motor mounts. I think I will end up cutting out the upper link on the passenger side, as I want to run a three link when I get a new axle. I’d much rather have the A/C compressor down low and out of the way as well.







I ran out of time to clean up the welds. I will fish plate the inside of the frame to strengthen it. That big hole behind the motor mounts likes to cause the frame to bend right there.

 

[UNSTUCK]

And so it began. Spent too many hours on Saturday building the new engine.

Blocked cleaned up and ready.


Some good parts going in.


Main and rod bearing clearances were all checked. They were all very consistent between 1.5 and 2 thou.


Checking crank end play and run out.


Everything torqued. Bolts with two paint marks indicate that it was torqued to spec and then angle added.


BTR Truck Torquer cam installed with new timing set and dampener.


Everything went together great. I’m OCD about taking notes along the way of all my measurements and things like that. But I think I screwed up. The Hastings piston rings may have got me. The top ring has no mark so it can be installed either way. The second ring has the word “up” on one side. These are supposed to be drop in rings but the piston instructions say that the top ring needs to be opened up 40%. The first 3-4 rings that came out of the second ring bag were already facing up. I’d stick them right in their bore and verify end gap. Then right onto the piston. I did this same procedure for each ring. When I got to #7 and put it on the piston I realized it was upside down. I took it back off and flipped it over. The ring for #8 was still in the bag and I noticed it was upside down. I flipped it over, checked it in the bore, installed it, and then installed the piston.
Now I sat there wondering about #6. I couldn’t specifically remember noticing if the ring was facing up. Knowing I wouldn’t sleep, I pulled it out. It was correct.
Well I didn’t sleep anyways. I know the first couple rings came out of the bag facing up and I know the rings for 7 and 8 were facing down. I now know 100% that 6, 7, and 8 are right. I’m second guessing myself at 4 and 5. I guess I just need to pull them and check them.
For me the problem was that the top ring didn’t care which way it went in so I wasn’t checking it. Now I’m worried I didn’t check the lower ring. I probably did……
I will start adding ring orientation to my notes on my next build. 😕

 

[UNSTUCK]

I took pistons 1-5 out tonight to check out the second ring. They were all installed correctly. 🙄

I’ll sleep tonight.

 

[UNSTUCK]

Two steps forward and one step back. I got the front and rear covers in place. The front cover is an LS3 cover without the VVT parts. It came with a seal installed. The rear cover is the stock cover and I installed a new seal in it. I then installed a new GM harmonic balancer. I went with an aftermarket LS1 oil pan. This one looks pretty nice. They sure are hit and miss. Then both oil pan to rear cover bolts pulled out the threads. I hadn’t even put the torque wrench on them yet. Was just pulling all the bolts down evenly. So now the pan needs to come back off and I’ll grab a new rear cover.

 

[RockChucker]

Ah the joys of building an engine. Pull it apart, put it together partially, pull it apart. Put it together again. Repeat 27 times.

 

[1969honda]

So true

 

[UNSTUCK]

Just a quick update. Ive been working hard on this and slowly making progress. I gutted almost all the wiring in the engine bay to clean it up. I got rid of quite a few wires from the Jeep ECM that are no longer need and kept the ones that will continue to run the dash gauges and a few other items. To me it looks way better and will help fit the GM ECM wiring. The GM ECM will be mounted right under the Jeep ECM. The two will be tied together using one wiring harness, with the hope of looking like a factory install.




The engine is fully assembled now. I hung it in there for a test fit. I will need to notch the passenger side frame to clear the A/C compressor in the factory location. I have all the parts to build a three link, but not sure I really need to. I may just need to limit up travel an inch or so. Still deciding on that. I will need to relocated the accumulator though and figure out new hoses for that.

The goal for this week is to have the engine finished mounted by Saturday.

 

[UNSTUCK]

I decided to notch the passenger side frame rail to help clear the A/C compressor. It is staying in the stock location. The below picture is looking straight down on the frame section I removed. I took out a little over an inch as I recall.








I smoothed it out and it now looks like it was never touched. This will help greatly to fit the two lines coming off the compressor.

 

[UNSTUCK]

I also went ahead and prepped for the three link. In order to do this I needed to beef up the driver side link. A 2.5 Jonny joint with a 5/8” bolt for the axle end, the Jonny joint uni ball with 5/8” bolt designed for this specific application, and 1.5” tube. To make the big frame end joint fit I needed to modify the Tera link bracket.


Welding in the tube insert.


Cutting out the inner ear of the bracket to mount up the Jonny joint so I could see what needed to be done.




My fake press brake in action.


All the parts needed to beef up the frame side bracket.


Comparing the old Teraflex long arm on the left to the new Joshaflex long arm on the right.


New bracket parts welded in place.




I have yet to install the uni ball in the axle. Probably this weekend. I’ll wait to remove the passenger until the engine is in and I can flex the suspension.

 

[UNSTUCK]

I decided to go ahead and do the engine wiring outside of the jeep. You know, to save my back. I mocked up the ECM to roughly where it will sit in the jeep in relation to the engine and then started getting after it. Of all the wires that were kept, most needed to be shortened. A few needed to be lengthened. I needed to replace a couple connectors that were damaged. Every wire connection got soldered and shrink wrapped. This is by far the most involved harness I have done to date. I have a stand alone 6 fuse/relay box that will power everything I need. I will also be using some of the factory jeep relays and fuses, because they are there and factory is the goal. This engine will have all the emissions stuff left in place and functioning. I am probably using too many fuses and relays to power everything, but it will help later on to separate everything as much as possible if there are issues that need to be found and fixed.






Most of the wires in these pictures are now organized and in their final location, but I still have probably 30 more connections to make including a group of wires that need to go inside the Jeep.

 

[UNSTUCK]

So this finally happened.





Got it in, but didn’t get as much done as I wanted to. I wasn’t sure how the transmission mount would go, but was very pleased to see room to easily mount a trans mount cross member. This is so much better than mounting it to the belly pan. Also, it looks like there will be plenty of room to install two cat converters between the transmission and the passenger side frame rail. I was worried about one using one and if that would pass the emissions inspection. I still need to move the whole thing back about an inch and will do that tomorrow when I build the cross member. Feels so good to have it in.

 

[UNSTUCK]

The drivetrain is finally 100% mounted. I built engine mounts and a rear crossmember that the stock GM trans mount bolts to. Very simple to allow room for the future cats and muffler to clear. With no jacks or jack stands under it I was able to roll it forward and clean up. That was needed! The floor was a mess.
I will say keeping the GM A/C compressor is the factory location makes fitment hard! I barely have enough room to get the two hose bolts started into the compressor. They rub the frame as they go in. On the other side the header was hitting the steering shaft support and base. I had to modify both. Everything is very tight. The bank 2 head is about a half inch from the firewall. Maybe a bit less. The fan will likely hit the water pump as it did in the test fit. Not sure with the final mount though. I have an idea for a new shroud that will gain me a half inch.
I put in all new tensioners and an idler pulley as well as belts. I’ll keep all the old stuff for trail spares. I got all the fluids and am ready to put them in.




Part numbers for future reference.






I loved being able to reuse the stock GM transmission tail housing with a simple clocking ring. The tail housing has a built in mount ready to go. Luckily it was located perfect for a new cross member.


I kind of want to try building the exhaust , but this looks hard.




As luck would have it. The transfer case output is about 3/4” in front of where it was with the old drivetrain. I may be able to reuse my driveshafts.

Now back to wiring.

 

[RockChucker]

I’d recommend cutting those 3 bolt flanges off the headers and replacing with v-bands. I constantly fought exhaust leaks and keeping them tight before I did that. With your skills, no doubt you could build the exhaust. It just takes time and patience. The plus side is you know it will be what you want rather than what the exhaust shop does to get it in and out as fast as possible.

 

[UNSTUCK]

If you knew what it would take to remove the driver side header, you’d just keep those kinds of comments to yourself and just wish me the best of luck. 😂

 

[RockChucker]

If you knew what it would take to remove the driver side header, you’d just keep those kinds of comments to yourself and just wish me the best of luck. 😂

I’d imagine it sucks about as bad as my Jeep. Still worth it LOL

 

[UNSTUCK]

Ok, talk to me about exhaust. My headers are 2.5". I have a good tail pipe and the Magnaflow straight through, universal muffler I installed about 2 years ago. All 2.5". I'm thinking about bringing both down pipes to the passenger side into two new cats (I don't have them yet) that will have front and rear O2s. After the cats I will run a Y pipe and bring both banks into one and go into the muffler and from there out the back hopefully using the tail pipe I have that already fits around the rear 4 link.

I could do the downpipes and cats and then use a Y with a 3" outlet and go 3" from there. That would require a new muffler and tailpipe. All of that would require a 2.5" tube kit and a 3" tube kit.

What cats do I get?!?!?!?! Looks like Amazon has cats from $50 to $1000. Anyone have good success with a universal cat? I need them to be oval/narrow so they will fit next to each other and go into the Y pipe.

 

[UNSTUCK]

This was a ton of work as part of the details portion of the build. Making the cruise control light and the MIL light work right. Both of these lights are controlled through the Jeep BUS so you can’t easily hijack their control. The next best step is to remove the factory LEDs and swap in your own, with their own wiring.

Once the gauge pod is removed just unclip it all.


Once to the back remove all the groups of four screws. This allows the circuit board to come apart.


With the board apart you gain access to the light tubes.


These are the LEDs that need to be removed.




Notch out a spot for the new wires to clear the circuit board. If you don’t the wires will get pinched.


Stick the new light in and fill in around it with hot glue.


Use solder wick to soak up the solder holding the factory LEDs in place.


I drilled a couple holes on the outer cover for the new wires to come through then used a four wire plug I found laying around.


All back together and tested. Lights are a little brighter than I want. Hopefully it’s because the battery was showing 16 volts.

 

[UNSTUCK]

Thanks @RockChucker for talking me into this mess. 😂



It’s the best (and worst) exhaust I’ve ever built. Ok, it’s the only one. I don’t love it, but am happy enough with it. I forgot to bring home the drill bit I needed for the O2 bungs so I’ll install all 4 of them tomorrow. The muffler mounts in almost the exact same spot as before so I should be able to mount the tail pipe pretty easily as well. It’ll be great to have this job done.