My New 83 Chief - Help needed

**Rompn** · 02-20-2001, 01:48 AM

Hey Arbi,
This is Pat here up the hill. As far as oil goes, I use Quaker-State 10W-30 Off Road Version which is a semi-synthetic blend and I have had no problems with it other than the price.

If the motor is brand new, I was always told to break it in with a non-synthetic 5W-30. This is what I did when I rebuilt my motor and I guess it worked cause I don't have any problems.

For the rest of the fluids, I used B&M Trick Shift transmission fluid which has agents to reduce foaming and improve sloppy shifts.

I also put in Valvoline gear oil(80W 90) in the rear and front diffs.

For a carpet kit, I think JC Whitney has them.They are stock replcements.

And finally, for your interior spare tire carrier, I thought you had that external one that also holds 2 gas cans on the outside of the Jeep? Did you get rid of this? I really hope not cause I wanted to come down today and get measurements off of it so I could build one for my Jeep and also for the list. Later.

------------------
INNOVATIVE FABRICATIONS
79' Cherokee Chief W/T
360/TH400
Jacob's Pro Street Ign.
31x10.50x15 Fun N'Mud's

[This message has been edited by Rompn (edited February 20, 2001).]

**78Chief** · 02-20-2001, 02:22 AM

You only need to lock your hubs when going into 4wd. Technically, you can leave them locked all the time, but I've heard this will burn out your bearings, so I wouldn't do it.

------------------
78 Chief
401 (The Beast)
33" BFG a/t
Hey It's Big and Green!

**Puvong** · 02-20-2001, 03:09 AM

Congratulation! and enjoy your new Chief. I'am also a year old new-owner of the 80 Cher-Lerado and this full size toy is going to be my longterm project since I don't have much time to work on it. The folks on this homepage are very helpfull and many of them have a solid background knowledges on FSJ. These are my opions to your questions:

1. I thought the Selec-Trac has an auto-Hubs, may be the PO had the manual hubs on as an option?. Anyone out there know about this?.

2. The Synthetic oil is the best, but they cost 3-4 times more than regular motor oil. I have been using them for a long time.

3. I replaced all the fluids with Synthetic lubes/fluids also.

4. I saw a full capet floor kit on the JCW's catalog cost around $219, but I wanted to see and touch it before I buy it.

5. Try to call Specialty parts 800-504-5337.

6. I love to see when you are done with the design, because I also hate the spare tire hanging on the side wall of the trunk?.

7. I had mine estimating for reupholstering, and it will cost aruond $600. I am thinking to go to the yunkyard and get a set of the premium leather seats for that cost?.

Yes, all FSJ owners have a huge grin on their faces, including myself!!.

**jeepbob** · 02-20-2001, 03:29 AM

As for running the Syntec, I noticed a 50% to 60% drop in oil pressure on a 302 Ford when hot. This was using 5w-30 syntec vs 5w-30 vavoline. I switched back to the regular oil and oil pressure went back up. I also was experiencing some lifter rattling that I never had before.
They say that the synthetics are better, but I am not totally convinced as there are not a racers using them. When we ran an early synthetic in our old race car we started losing motors and we finally found out the synthetic oil was breaking down under heat and load causing premature bearing failure. This was determined by sending oil samples to a testing lab to run test on. This was costly but far cheaper than the $30,000 motors we were blowing up and the motor builder helped pay for the tests cuz he wanted to know why his motors were blowing. Synthetics have come a long way, but I do not believe that they are quite there yet.

Running your hubs locked will not burn up your bearings as long as there is sufficiect lube in the axle, look at all the full time rigs on the road and most of the newer rigs, they don't have lock outs. The problem is just the opposite, if you run the hubs UNLOCKED on a full time rig, the hubs will fail due to a lack of lube.

------------------
65 wag. 360/edelbrock rb4/t400/20 t-case/4:10 d27/d44 tracloc/onboard air/onboard 110v power(no inverter)/1999 Lincoln t.c.leather buckets/taurus ctr console/winch/33x12.50/tunes/water proof door pads
soon to have new motor/d44frt/d60r(4:10)welded diff/custom bumpers
see ya in da mud

[This message has been edited by jeepbob (edited February 20, 2001).]

**BobBarry** · 02-20-2001, 04:02 AM

The main drawback to locking hubs up front with your NP229 Selectrac case is what happens if you happen to engage 4wd with the hubs unlocked; you burn out your transfer-case's $350 viscous coupler. That is less of a problem on your '83, as it's not shift-on-the-fly (well, the case is, but it's not set up to operate that way; you have to pull down the little lockout pin in order to move the lever on the vacuum switch from 2wd to 4wd, right?), so you're less-likely to engage 4wd w/o locking the hubs.

Your '83 should have a front-axle disconnect, which allows the front driveshaft, ring-gear and transfer-case chain to sit immobile while the truck is in 2wd. All the lockout hubs do is stop the axle-shafts from spinning; not much of a savings, but again, if they're there, and they work, then there's no real reason to remove them.

I do prefer the solid front hub drive gears, though; less to go wrong.

------------------
Bob Barry<UL TYPE=SQUARE>* '78 Cherokee 4-door
* '88 Grand Wagoneer[/list]http://studentweb.providence.edu/~rbarry/wheels/

**Millerluck** · 02-20-2001, 04:15 AM

I too don't trust synthetics. When My engine was built they planned on it using good ol' motor oil. All the passages and tolerances are set up for motor oil. I change it every 3,000 miles, and don't have any problems yet.... Knock on wood.

Just my 2 cents.

Larry Miller

------------------
88GW "Mississippi"
Black,360,727,NP229
D44 F/R,3.31gears,
Tracklok F/R,
Superwinch hubs,
4" Skyjacker no blocks,
31x10.5x15BFG AT's.
TEAMRUSH UPGRADE,
MSD SUPER CONDUCTOR
wires,BLASTER TFI COIL
Thorley headers,3" exaust,Flomaster

More JEEP

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1377593&a=10390487

Pics of custom knobs for sale http://albums.photopoint.com/j/Album...593&a=10756848

**Puvong** · 02-20-2001, 05:57 AM

Well, what can we say about the motor oil?. The bottom line is, you get what you pay for. The Synthetic oil is being used in Military equipment for many years.The reason is to minimize the risk of oil viscosity breaking down. The Synthetic oil has far more benefits than the conventional oil product:

1. no bi-product to burn.

2. Higher Flash point.

3. Lower pouring temp.

4. Uniform molecules.

I agree that you don't need to use the synthetic oil, but they will give you an xtra protection, especially for offroad driving or heavy towing. I think the new Covettes is also required to use Synthetic motor oil.

**78Chief** · 02-20-2001, 06:49 AM

The reason I was saying not to leave them locked was because in mine I have part time 4wd, so I only lock them when I go into 4wd.

------------------
78 Chief
401 (The Beast)
33" BFG a/t
Hey It's Big and Green!

**ironroad29** · 02-20-2001, 12:59 PM

just a note for the syntetic oil ,you can expect i loss of about 10 psi of oil pressure ,don't be worried , just play it safe with the rule of 10 psi for every 1,000 rpm. class dismissed

------------------
"If a jeep can't take you there, maybe you should think twice about going"

My New 83 Chief - Help needed

My New 83 Chief - Help needed

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment