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need some info on a CJ7

1K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  Gaducker 
#1 ·
My nephew has a 83 CJ7 renegade with a 258 in it. Unfortunately while wheeling this past weekend his passenger motor mount broke and fell on to the oil filter and punctured it. He didn't know it and ran it until it died. We thought it was just a motor mount and oil filter fix, but once we fixed it, the starter wouldn't turn it over. thought ok, lets pop start it and deal with the starter issue later (we were camping and just wanted it running to get it home) even in fourth gear as soon as you popped the clutch it comes to a screeching halt. we couldn't turn the motor over at the crank. I am afraid he welded it tight.

My question being, what year doners should he be looking for for a complete 258 swap. It has a 4 speed, is there different trans for this year?

i am hoping i can find him one that was swapped out for a v8 for cheap. Is this doable or are they hard to come by?

I appreciate any info you CJ guys have, I have a TJ and other than universal jeep and automotive know how, the CJ7 is an animal I know nothing about.

Could the bendix possibly be stuck out and holding the flywheel? I figured we would have broke the teeth when we tried the hill pop start.

he's just graduated HS and bought this two years ago and has been working on it and I feel bad that he is stranded now... life's lessons I guess
 
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#3 ·
#5 · (Edited)
He is graduating HS in a few days, with no good employment to sink a lot into it. What money he does have is for getting by day to day! (I remember those days, and occasionally find myself in the same situation)

We have a running 304 we can put into it, when I say we I mean my brother in law and a tight knit group of wheelers consisting of family and close friends. But as much as we would like to hook him up and do the swap for him, the only way he will learn, and take something away from it in life, will be to figure it out. Kind of the teach him to fish theory.

That being said he is family and he'll get more than enough help with the wrenching part of it, and we won't let anyone screw him and sell him junk. I guess I am just trying to educate myself as much as possible so when he has questions, I am not leading him wrong. He needs to know what questions to ask and what to look for, and learn how to negotiate. There are about 4 CJ's in our group, and everyone is knowledgeable, but we all agree that this is on him to figure it out. He's going to have to find the motor on his own, and with some adult help go check it out, get it back to the shop, and learn how to take the old one out, put the new-ish one in, and get it running.

I've seen 258's anywhere from 75 bucks to 150 sitting in garages taking up room, and that is right up his alley. I just want to make sure I know what i am talking about if he calls and says "Uncle Kevin, can you go check this motor out with me?"

My ignorance falls into the lack of knowledge in change over years between motor mounts, trannys mounts and accessories.
 
#7 ·
wow, one of our guys has been running one for a couple years, got the complete engine, exhaust and wiring harness for 75, and I have seen them on CL around 150, I guess I better tell him to jump if we come across one.
 
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