I'll be holding onto the radiator and I'll have it repaired. I could probably fix it myself but I don't have the time to deal with it right now and wheeling season is here.
CK5
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Same happened to me.
New radiator, poly radiator mounts/isolators and optima battery arrived yesterday. The radiator was slightly shorter (about 1/2") therefore I welded a couple pieces of square tube under the top radiator mount to make up the difference. Hoses lined up damn near perfect. Radiator took 4+ gallons of premix coolant. After a couple cycles of the fuel pump the engine fired off and purred like a kitten 
Oil PSI was @ 45-50, no CEL's. I was pleasantly surprised how quiet it was however with a blip of the throttle it gets rowdy through the 3" magnaflow and side exit exhaust. I already know I'll be breaking shit with too much skinny pedal. I ended up turning it off as the head temp approached 180sh since I was short coolant and it was getting dark.
Oil PSI was @ 45-50, no CEL's. I was pleasantly surprised how quiet it was however with a blip of the throttle it gets rowdy through the 3" magnaflow and side exit exhaust. I already know I'll be breaking shit with too much skinny pedal. I ended up turning it off as the head temp approached 180sh since I was short coolant and it was getting dark.
I was wondering if you needed more coolant. Mine took nearly 6 gallons.
This radiator takes more than the 454 radiator for sure and I expect 6 gallons should be pretty close. After running it for ten minutes the radiator was half full and I don't think the thermostat was open yet.
@Chevk587 and myself are trying to hit Fordyce tomorrow night so I have a list of shit to thrash on tonight and tomorrow. The list is growing however this should be the majority of it...
1) Add coolant, run through a heat cycle or two.
2) Wire fans to Howell harness, confirm they kick on.
3) Install new heat shield/barrier under driver.
4) Clean & install belly plate
5) Fabricate new engine crossover bar (old one won't clear the 8.1L.
6) Reinstall all wiring to winch, headlights, trans fan, mini light bars, horns etc.
7) Install Fenders & hood
8) Fabricate mount to support intake and filter. Probably need to trim the 90 degree elbow coming off the T-body so it clears the hood.
9) Remove doors, install tube doors.
10) Bolt check, install front 40's
11) Check all fluid levels.
12) Load up, pack and go wheeling.
1) Add coolant, run through a heat cycle or two.
2) Wire fans to Howell harness, confirm they kick on.
3) Install new heat shield/barrier under driver.
4) Clean & install belly plate
5) Fabricate new engine crossover bar (old one won't clear the 8.1L.
6) Reinstall all wiring to winch, headlights, trans fan, mini light bars, horns etc.
7) Install Fenders & hood
8) Fabricate mount to support intake and filter. Probably need to trim the 90 degree elbow coming off the T-body so it clears the hood.
9) Remove doors, install tube doors.
10) Bolt check, install front 40's
11) Check all fluid levels.
12) Load up, pack and go wheeling.
My 01 8.1 took @6.5 gal with a flush and new OSC factory replacement rad
Thanks for the info. I'll probably pick up another 4 gallons so I have an extra in the tool box.
You're crazy! I hope you pull it off tho. You must not be working for the next 2 days? 
Awesome update
I work 10+ hour days and it's over 100 degrees out
The first cold beer at camp is going to be glorious.
I work 10+ hour days and it's over 100 degrees out
Nice! I literally laughed out loud when I read that you were going to hit a trail with it this weekend.
Got to break it in some how, hoping for the best.
Good thing Fordyce is a mall parking lot.
Good thing Fordyce is a mall parking lot.
What surprised me is that he's still here replying.
After the list was generated I expected him to be on it till it's done.
I have done similar with no distraction
Maybe we need to stop posting in the thread so he won't get distracted.
I don't depend on the truck getting me home, just back to the trailer now
Maybe we need to stop posting in the thread so he won't get distracted.
I'm stuck at work so it's a perfect time to post on CK5 and make plans for after work.
I may have to ditch work mid day tomorrow, depends how tonight goes. It's over 100 right now so it's going to suck.
I thought you are home today and tomorrow to finish it.I don't depend on the truck getting me home, just back to the trailer now
I'm stuck at work so it's a perfect time to post on CK5 and make plans for after work.
I may have to ditch work mid day tomorrow, depends how tonight goes. It's over 100 right now so it's going to suck.
I guess I should keep posting
No updates since Thursday, so I’m assuming there will be an awesome successful run post in the next day or so!
I ended up leaving work early Friday so I can thrash on the truck and knock out the remaining list of stuff to mentioned below. All but #8 and part of #7 were completed. Plenty of other small stuff was finished that wasn't mentioned in the list.
1) Add coolant, run through a heat cycle or two.
2) Wire fans to Howell harness, confirm they kick on.
3) Install new heat shield/barrier under driver.
4) Clean & install belly plate
5) Fabricate new engine crossover bar (old one won't clear the 8.1L.
6) Reinstall all wiring to winch, headlights, trans fan, mini light bars, horns etc.
7) Install Fenders & hood
8) Fabricate mount to support intake and filter. Probably need to trim the 90 degree elbow coming off the T-body so it clears the hood.
9) Remove doors, install tube doors.
10) Bolt check, install front 40's
11) Check all fluid levels.
12) Load up, pack and go wheeling.
It was hot and I was thrashing so I didn't take many pics.....
Bending the engine crossover bar. Haven't used this machine for a while and it showed
I bent the bar a little too wide/tall so it doesn't clear the hood. I also need to lean it back further but I didn't have time to deal with it. I said Fk-it and went roadkill style because big block. Also our power went out right after I finished welding so the garage was dark and hot.
Loaded up that later that night when @Chevk587 showed up. In the morning we planned on meeting up with another buddy with his FJ40 with a fresh 6.0 swap.
In the morning I noticed the river flows were increased as of Thursday and likely limiting our travel on the trail
Around 9am we arrived at the Eagle Lakes trailhead, unloaded and hit the trail. We arrived at driveline hill with 30-40 jeeps at the bottom contemplating the obstacle and recording us as we went up.
At the top our buddy with the FJ40 with the fresh 6.0 swap said he was low on voltage. He had a brand new Premier Power Welder alternator installed that we came to the conclusion wasn't charging properly. After a quick phone call we found a replacement OE style alternator and pigtail in Truckee. A few minutes later we found the K5 optima yellow top was bulging and leaking battery acid all over. We then made the decision to head back down the trail for an alternator AND a battery....
We made it a 100 yards and the FJ sheered a tab for his hydro ram (full hydro) sending him into a tree. He was going slow and everyone was fine. It's a reverse high steer setup and the tab on the truss ripped 4" square piece out of the axle truss. His truck has reid knuckles with the front TRE spots empty so I recommended that I tow him with "X" off my back bumper so I can steer him like a wagon. Meanwhile the K5 battery is really hot and smells like sulfur so he decided to stay at driveline hill while I tow the FJ back. The FJ had two optimas so I would steal one at the trailhead and bring it back to the K5.
I towed the FJ a good 1/2 mile or so and then my truck began to missfire and sputter. I got out to check the plug wires and look around and everything looked fine. As I pressed the throttle it died and I hit the starter button and hear "click". Fk me, dead battery. Now were both dead on a narrow section of trail that nobody can get around with one rig that can steer and my dead pig pulling it
A couple younger kids come rolling up in their Toyotas from the front, one of them had a FJ80 with an LS swap that works for WFO. Then behind us was a linked CJ7 with a battery jump box. We used the jump box and quickly determined that I wasn't charging so the FJ80 yanked both of us about 50 yards where the trail was wider. Then we pulled one of the optimas out of the FJ40 and sent it with the FJ80 up to the K5 that needed a battery. They forgot bug spray so I traded him bug spray for his delivery services.
45 minutes later the K5 arrived and towed us back off the trail and we got to the trailhead around 3:00pm The FJ loaded up and went straight to the shop that did the suspension work to fix the hydro steering they did a couple years earlier. I tried diagnose the alternator issue however I came to the conclusion it was either the howell harness or a failed (brand new) alternator. I also remembered that I never checked voltage with the new swap so it may have been running off the battery the whole time. The K5 charged my battery, I loaded up and left.
2) Wire fans to Howell harness, confirm they kick on.
3) Install new heat shield/barrier under driver.
4) Clean & install belly plate
5) Fabricate new engine crossover bar (old one won't clear the 8.1L.
6) Reinstall all wiring to winch, headlights, trans fan, mini light bars, horns etc.
7) Install Fenders
8) Fabricate mount to support intake and filter. Probably need to trim the 90 degree elbow coming off the T-body so it clears the hood.
10) Bolt check, install front 40's
11) Check all fluid levels.
12) Load up, pack and go wheeling
It was hot and I was thrashing so I didn't take many pics.....
Bending the engine crossover bar. Haven't used this machine for a while and it showed
I bent the bar a little too wide/tall so it doesn't clear the hood. I also need to lean it back further but I didn't have time to deal with it. I said Fk-it and went roadkill style because big block. Also our power went out right after I finished welding so the garage was dark and hot.
Loaded up that later that night when @Chevk587 showed up. In the morning we planned on meeting up with another buddy with his FJ40 with a fresh 6.0 swap.
In the morning I noticed the river flows were increased as of Thursday and likely limiting our travel on the trail
Around 9am we arrived at the Eagle Lakes trailhead, unloaded and hit the trail. We arrived at driveline hill with 30-40 jeeps at the bottom contemplating the obstacle and recording us as we went up.
At the top our buddy with the FJ40 with the fresh 6.0 swap said he was low on voltage. He had a brand new Premier Power Welder alternator installed that we came to the conclusion wasn't charging properly. After a quick phone call we found a replacement OE style alternator and pigtail in Truckee. A few minutes later we found the K5 optima yellow top was bulging and leaking battery acid all over. We then made the decision to head back down the trail for an alternator AND a battery....
We made it a 100 yards and the FJ sheered a tab for his hydro ram (full hydro) sending him into a tree. He was going slow and everyone was fine. It's a reverse high steer setup and the tab on the truss ripped 4" square piece out of the axle truss. His truck has reid knuckles with the front TRE spots empty so I recommended that I tow him with "X" off my back bumper so I can steer him like a wagon. Meanwhile the K5 battery is really hot and smells like sulfur so he decided to stay at driveline hill while I tow the FJ back. The FJ had two optimas so I would steal one at the trailhead and bring it back to the K5.
I towed the FJ a good 1/2 mile or so and then my truck began to missfire and sputter. I got out to check the plug wires and look around and everything looked fine. As I pressed the throttle it died and I hit the starter button and hear "click". Fk me, dead battery. Now were both dead on a narrow section of trail that nobody can get around with one rig that can steer and my dead pig pulling it
A couple younger kids come rolling up in their Toyotas from the front, one of them had a FJ80 with an LS swap that works for WFO. Then behind us was a linked CJ7 with a battery jump box. We used the jump box and quickly determined that I wasn't charging so the FJ80 yanked both of us about 50 yards where the trail was wider. Then we pulled one of the optimas out of the FJ40 and sent it with the FJ80 up to the K5 that needed a battery. They forgot bug spray so I traded him bug spray for his delivery services.
45 minutes later the K5 arrived and towed us back off the trail and we got to the trailhead around 3:00pm The FJ loaded up and went straight to the shop that did the suspension work to fix the hydro steering they did a couple years earlier. I tried diagnose the alternator issue however I came to the conclusion it was either the howell harness or a failed (brand new) alternator. I also remembered that I never checked voltage with the new swap so it may have been running off the battery the whole time. The K5 charged my battery, I loaded up and left.
