so i dunno if many of you know much about v8's but im about to start a large project to save a wagoneer from a scrapyard. i just bought a 1971 wagoneer for 500 bucks, runs allright it will get me around, but found from a compression test that #8 cyl has 54 compresssion,
the most probably culprit is the valve, acording to my mechanic, he wanted to charge me 1300 bucks to replace it, but ive decided to do the work myself.

my main issue right now is i Dont know much about v8's and all.

first thing first im trying to formulate a list of things i need to buy to get the engine back to reliable.
ive found to rebuild my heads will be about 500 bucks
ontop of this i need:
edelbrock intake manifold.
holley carb.
cam,
lifters,
pushrods
waterpump
timing set.
distributor/ignition

Is it a 360 or 318? I'd stay away from the Holley, and try to find a Carter or something requiring less maintenance. I had a '74, and the ony problem I had was a u-joint.

its a 360, the other carb i was looking at was a edelbrock, im somewhat ok tuning it because i had a carb'ed atv that required constant tuning but less adjustment is always better

A 1977 Cherokee Laredo was my first truck - liived on a small island with lots of dirt roads. Failed inspection for "dangerous rust."

I have to ask - do you REALLY want to restore this? You're already into it for $500. When you're done with it - a long time and a lotta dollars from now - you will have... a 1971 Cherokee. Worth?

G-Man wrote:A 1977 Cherokee Laredo was my first truck - liived on a small island with lots of dirt roads. Failed inspection for "dangerous rust."

I have to ask - do you REALLY want to restore this? You're already into it for $500. When you're done with it - a long time and a lotta dollars from now - you will have... a 1971 Cherokee. Worth?

jeep is in great shape, no rust besides some sandable surface oxidation on the roof where the paint is thinned out from sun and rain.

i asked myself that when i got it and found out about the compression. but figured, i can spend 4k on a beat up old Chevy or ford truck that i dont know what is wrong with and doesn't have the appeal of this old wagon.
or i can drop 3-4k on this and have a truck that NADA guides for around 6k and i know every issue with. and the truck i learned to drive in, and spent alot of my growing up having fun offroad trips in.
and after droping my money into it will look similar to this


its kinda like when people ask me why i spent my money on a miata vs a s2000 or an evo or wrx. I guess that I like having something different

Any pics of your truck?

I can look at it if you want, see what could be wrong. There may be nothing wrong with the valve itself, it may just be the seat.

Edit, there's nothing wrong with a holley carb. I ran holleys on 3 cars.

here's a pic of it, i live up by the sonic we meet at now, so if you want to come by, feel free.

i also found a local guyparting a 1977 w/ 360, and hes going to sell me both dana 44 axles, the power steering pump, master cylinder, and heads for $350
that gets me a larger brake master cylinder. better axles. and disc front brakes. in a "mostly bolt in" package and the d44's can take up to 8" of lift before the pinion angle is to the point of premature wear on the ujoints. which is good because i want at MOST 6" of lift (wanted 4" of lift but SOA swap brings it to 6" in the front and gives me better articulation)

that does look to be in great shape.

yeah it has a few spots, mainly the right fender has a dent but thats 50 bucks shipped of metal so im not toooo worried. the interior is where the TLC is needed,

why can't i find a deal like that i want some transportation...

I recently got a 1971 Bronco, so I'm in a similar position to yours. Sounds like a great find as long as there isn't a bunch of hidden rust. The exterior is in really good shape given the age of the vehicle. This era of truck is really easy to work on and if you can read and turn a wrench the resources online can get you through just about anything. The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to find a club with members who really help each other out. Mile High Jeep Club might be a good place to start. One of the guys in my Bronco club was really involved with them, I can ask him about them if you want. I've had guys give me free parts, come over to help diagnose problems and share a ton of info about how to do stuff. One of the guys in Colorado Classic Broncos has the wiring diagram memorized. Also find a good online forum where the members are willing to answer tech questions. The other major benefit of old V-8s is that parts are really cheap and can be gotten from junkyards and local auto parts stores. Have you thought about just getting a junkyard head to put on it? You can probably get one for less than $100 (especially if you go somewhere that you can pull it yourself) and it may provide a good solution, even if it only means that the truck is running while you rebuilt the other head. Disposable parts like timing sets and water pumps are best bought new. Also, are you replacing the timing set and water pump just to make sure you know they're reliable (this is a good idea, just wondering). Finally, why are you replacing the carb? You may be able to rebuild it for the cost of a $25-50 rebuild kit. If you're looking for a performance upgrade, this is another thing you can get really cheap at junkyards and they're easy to pull. Aftermarket carbs are a common upgrade and it shouldn't be too hard to find one. Next, plan to spend some time doing things like repacking wheel bearings and doing basic manitnence. These trucks have often been neglected and changing the engine/transmissions/transfer case/diff fluids can go a long way to saving yourself some time and money. A grease gun may be the best $30 you ever spend. Finally, if you're looking for an off road carb, take a serious look at a Quadrajet. I've got not idea if an intake is made to match them to your truck, but they're a really good setup for wheeling. Let me know if you need some help with it, looks like a fun project and I'd be happy to help you out if I can get away (our second kid is due the 26th).

Holley carbs do sometimes flood on hills off roading. It can be dealt with by adding hoses from the breather tubes out the air filter assembly.

Edlebrocks can also do this. You can get off road float kits for both which help a bunch.

Justin wrote:Edlebrocks can also do this. You can get off road float kits for both which help a bunch.

Very true.

Are you planning to do much off roading with the jeep or is going to be more of a show truck?

Well Its mostly a snow truck because the speed is utterly useless in the snow. id like to get it to almost show quality. Basically a 5footer restore. I like to go mudding and some trails, but im going to stay away from serious rock crawling I have thought about going all out with a 401 swap and blower and making it a hotrod too but that's alot of money for a straightline car, and I already have a gofast vehicle