Should get my SJ back this weekend

[lazy rambler]

It's been sitting round a mates garage since early auguist, but I should get it back this weekend. But I need some help deciding what to do with it. The head gasket has already gone twice this year and it needs new leafs and shocks at the very least. I'm in two minds as to wether I get rid of it and look for a new one, or go for a full re-build.

[ScottieJ]

when you last had the head off did you get it pressure tested for cracks and skimmed if it had warped? I would whip it back off and do that if you didn't. There has to be another underlying problem for it to blow another headgasket shortly after the first one. what brand headgasket did you use?

IMO there's no point selling it with a blown engine. Dan2k has a good 1300 sat in his garden

[lazy rambler]

Yeah it's been pressure tested, and is now fully working, hopefully we tracked the problem down. All new belts and pipes have gone on. Not sure on the brand of the gasket, but it cost enough, so should be good.

[ScottieJ]

ah I get you! I thought it still had a blown headgasket from the way your post was worded

Just fix it! you always find problems on vehicles that you buy, at least if you have fixed everything on yours you know what has and hasn't been done.

[lazy rambler]

Only trouble is, i've been told that since the head has been skimmed twice, it might not take the strain of off-roading. I don't know how true this is though. I just thought that now it's working I better sell it while I can. And go for somthing bigger and more reliable.

[ScottieJ]

do you know how much the head has been skimmed in total? all it will do is up the compression a bit. I don't know why someone told you that it might not take the strain of off roading anymore?

What do you mean by bigger and more reliable? hope that's not a land rover because trust me they are not more reliable than an sj when you offroad them.

[lazy rambler]

No, i'd never get a land rover. Not sure what i'd get.
I don't know how much has been skimmed, i'll try and find out.

[ScottieJ]

That's good to hear I think you should stick with the sj (I would say that) it should be fine with the shaved head.

[lazy rambler]

Now i've started thinking about my sj again i've got so many ideas with what to do with it. But for sale locally is a good wrangler sport, i'm very tempted by a 4 liter strait 6.

Sent from my GT-S5830 using Forum Runner

[ScottieJ]

If you do go for a wranger just make sure that it has a Dana 44 rear axle not the Dana 35 of you want to run large aggressive tyres.

From what I have read on Pirate4x4 Dana 30 and 35 axles are weaker than SJ axles I would still rather keep an sj over a anus, But then again It wouldn't be right for me to run this website if I didn't

A quick google came up with

I need the last 8 digits of your vin so I can get a list of what your vehicle came equipped with. Hows this???????????? There is also a tag with these codes on it under your hood.
Sales Codes;
[BGA]=Brakes - Power Front Disc/Rear Drum
[BGK]=Brakes - 4-Wheel Anti-Lock
[BRW]=Brakes - 4-Wheel Disc
[DME]=Axle Ratio - 3.73
[DMF]=Axle Ratio - 4.11
[DMM]=Axle Ratio - 3.07
[DMU]=Axle Ratio - 4.56
[DRJ]=Axle - Rear,Dana M35/194MM
[DRK]=Axle - Rear,Dana 44/226MM
[DSA]=Axle - Trac-Lok Differential
[DSE]=Axle - Trulok Differentiale positive.