First keep yj 1987

Dereksteele

New Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2021
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3
Location
North Dakota
Just picked up a 1987 yj, got it from my wife’s sister. It hasn’t ran in over 15 years. It sat behind the garage and had nothing done to it, I’m going to start on it this winter has the inline six and a automatic, bone stock, was taken apart by her dad and left. Anything I need to really look for that could be a major problem?
 
Hum..where to start and what exactly do you mean "taken apart"? I see your in N Dakota. Wet,snowy,cold which will take its toll on vehicles sitting for long periods. Id pull the plugs and dump a ounce or two into the plug holes and turn the engine over by hand several times off the crank bolt to make sure its not froze up. If thats OK then off to the fuel system to see what condition its in. 15 years of sitting fuel could be a mess. Varnished solidified fuel/plugged up lines, gummed up carb,rusty tank that sort of thing. Hard to say without opening things up on that one. Fresh engine oil and filter before any attempts to run it. The brake system may be in need of lots of help from sitting. Rusted metal lines, leaky wheel cylinders,rusty/rotted hardware,nasty spoiled moisture laden brake fluid. This all needs to be looked over closely before hitting the road so you dont end up in a ditch or worst. Tires are likely cracked beyond use so look closely. If/once you get it going on the road and find it worth the investment fresh fluids throughout,diffs,Trans,T case,brakes,cooling system, hoses probably. Post a pic or two if you can. We all like to see stuff brought back to life from the dead.
 
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Hum..where to start and what exactly do you mean "taken apart"? I see your in N Dakota. Wet,snowy,cold which will take its toll on vehicles sitting for long periods. Id pull the plugs and dump a ounce or two into the plug holes and turn the engine over by hand several times off the crank bolt to make sure its not froze up. If thats OK then off to the fuel system to see what condition its in. 15 years of sitting fuel could be a mess. Varnished solidified fuel/plugged up lines, gummed up carb,rusty tank that sort of thing. Hard to say without opening things up on that one. Fresh engine oil and filter before any attempts to run it. The brake system may be in need of lots of help from sitting. Rusted metal lines, leaky wheel cylinders,rusty/rotted hardware,nasty spoiled moisture laden brake fluid. This all needs to be looked over closely before hitting the road so you dont end up in a ditch or worst. Tires are likely cracked beyond use so look closely. If/once you get it going on the road and find it worth the investment fresh fluids throughout,diffs,Trans,T case,brakes,cooling system, hoses probably. Post a pic or two if you can. We all like to see stuff brought back to life from the dead.
My thoughts exactly.
And to your last..Yes We do!
 
What I mean taken apart is the dash is in the back seat, the seats were in my pickup and under the hood there are a few things disconnected and I can’t find the air filter assembly. This is going to be interesting to put back together and get running again
 
Yes it is and its a call of how much are you willing to invest time and money wise." Far as what to look for" it seems frame rust is the #1 killer on jeeps as well as plain old abuse.
 
I know the frame isn’t in the best of shape, are the frame repair parts worth it? This isn’t going to be a project I get done in a short amount of time this is going to take a few years I think. A frame off restoration is in mind.
 
Sounds like a good plan!
Hope the rust isn't too bad, how do the floor pans in the tub look?
That's where I've seen the worst of the rust in old Jeeps.
I've yet to see an old flat fender tub the that floor didn't look like Swiss cheese.
 
Just picked up a 1987 yj, got it from my wife’s sister. It hasn’t ran in over 15 years. It sat behind the garage and had nothing done to it, I’m going to start on it this winter has the inline six and a automatic, bone stock, was taken apart by her dad and left. Anything I need to really look for that could be a major problem?
Lets see some pictures of it!
 
One of the worst spots for rust failure is where the skid pan bolts to the frame. The inserts rust out,the frame rusts etc. They make whats called "safety caps" IIRC that weld into place of the damaged frame areas. Look closely in the frame holes,around the spring hangers and the like for starters.
 
LOOK FOR SIGNS OF RODENT LIFE UNDER THE DASH LMAO. I am currently replacing the entire harness to play it safe after seeing what the little baysterds left behind. everything was rusted electronically. I'm goin the hard but safe route.