1990 Jeep XJ FIRST START IN 14 YEARS / Renix 4.0 Ep:01

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

In this episode I try to get the 1990 Jeep Cherokee XJ 4.0 Renix started, I was told its been dormant for 14 years so I am unsure of its condition but its worth a try to see if this old thing still runs. I don't know much about this engine but its clear that the electronics that govern the engine are dated, but there also very simple in some way and it shouldn't be that hard to figure them out. Once I get the electronics working I need to revamp the fuel system. Its got very old fuel in and hopefully I can clean it out and get it going. Anyway I hope you enjoy the episode and thanks for watching.

[@FamilyMods]

I have never seen anyone making "Grass Angels" under a wagon before... :D

[@88349]

Im lovin that ur gonna get this 90 back up im excited lookin forward to the rest of the build its worth it in the end the inline six is perfect with the cherokee really tuff engine has served me well in my 89.. safe travels ..

[@EigerSummitOffroad]

I gotta tell ya Mike, I could watch this all day long. Any other vehicle and I wouldn't really care so much, but seeing an XJ brought back to life is a bit of history made relevant again. It just doesn't get any better. I hope you find the time to publish more of your work on her. I know I'll definitely be watching. Thanks, man, for sharing!

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

Glad you enjoyed it mate. I'm really happy its running, just some tidying up and some tires and I can move it before the snow fall. Another episode soon! Thanks for watching.

[@Discovery_Overland]

The flex plates have been know to loosen up causing rattles. Good luck!

[@JackFalltrades]

I don't know which I enjoy more, the shop videos or the outdoor videos!

[@BrensRCracing]

Form some who's dad is no longer with us... It was a beautiful moment you captured when the engine fired up and both you and your dad shared a "satisfied and proud" nod to each other.... It's those little moments to cherish pal.......

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

It was really nice to work with dad on it. We don't see each other much these days so it will be remembered. He's following the progress on WhatsApp haha. Thanks mate and bless your old man.

[@thescousecyclist917]

I am looking forward to watching this from start to Finnish!

[@JackFalltrades]

Hi, Dad! 🙋

[@Useaname]

Nice that your parents are visiting. Electricians are very handy.

[@English.Andy1]

This will definitely help with your mental health, those long dark can be spent working away on it.

[@mjallenuk]

Always enjoy the 'chatting' at the end ... that's where most the decent honest info comes from. Fingers crossed for you chap

[@RealMJSr]

Two Jeeps going on trips with the family sounds great. Good luck with it!

[@maxjordan2625]

Funny seeing those same maxi flex gloves overseas haha they're the bomb!

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

They are fantastic gloves!

[@seanmacdonald8476]

Check to see if exhaust pipe is resting on or close to crossmember. Could just be rattling on that. Flex plate bolt would be a pretty consistent tap tap tap tap

[@RatdogDRB]

Congrats on the visit from family! That's always going to raise your spirit. If you have "SeaFoam" available to you, a minimum of a 20oz. can per 20 gals. of fuel to keep the fuel system in order, a heavier mix to clean it. You can also add a little diesel to the fuel to clean the system as well.

[@togray619]

You are on your way to having another Cherokee!

[@Aker66]

This is so cool! This was the first family car I can remember as a kid. Ours was white with these black/white cloth and seats. My dad was in the US Army and got orders to move from Fort Stewart, Georgia to Fort Irwin, California. He used this jeep to drive himself, me, and my younger brother cross-country while towing my mom’s car. I remember the rear part of the car was real low to the ground due to the weight of the towed car and trailer. While we were in the Mojave desert and almost at Ft Irwin, the engine overheated and caught fire and I thought we were done for but my dad poured a bottle of Gatorade on the engine and let it cool and we made it there eventually. My mom had went to visit family and later took a plane to us at the new base. I don’t think she knows about it to this day. Awesome jeep!

[@colbypearce7478]

Looking forward to following along.

[@TaralgaBushAdventure]

Hi Mike - I also had a car that had very bangy noisy idle but fine at revs. It was broken engine mounts, the rubber had broken and at idle the metal parts of the mount were touching and vibrating, but at revs, the engine flexed sideways enough to not touch. Just a thought of something simple to check. Cheers, David.

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

Good to know David, I will take a look at that also. I cant imagine its anything really bad because she sings when revved up. Thanks again!

[@Seto3993]

Super excited for you

[@alexk9984]

Definitely sounds like a flex plate.

[@jasongeorgeson8551]

I think I’m slowly falling in love with the jeep XJ. Thanks for posting mate, most excellent content

[@Robdutton91]

Buy one quick while they’re still kinda cheap

[@GypsyBushcraft1]

Great decision looking forward to getting up and going

[@williamboske2771]

@ 12:08 something jammed right up in there - o-ring? also I feel that there is vaccuum issue - hook to manifold vacuum or a combination of vacuum leaks

[@ClanGunnBushcraft]

Cracking job there Mike

[@JaffaGaffa]

Our guy here ...ligger i gräset och klövern och meckar med bilen. Gillar denna mini-serie

[@Robdutton91]

Awesome to see you working on the Jeep with your dad

[@jasonjavelin]

Very hype for this! Im more of a toyota person these days but love the XJs a lot. Had an absolutely ragged out one in college but it was such a fun SUV I didnt care.

[@Shadow_Wraith]

As a viewer with no mechanical or electrical knowledge you make these videos a joy to watch, especially with your god like humour 😁 I reckon you'll have it all done in around a year, maybe sooner and then you'll have 2 mint jeeps as well as being a Jeep master mechanic.

[@danny.belanger]

It will be Max first car until he start his own project :) I suggest you do it

[@JoseSlices]

nice work mike! i started watching your content back when you were doing bushcraft and have been following since. i recently got an xj running after sitting for 12 years and have been slowly restoring it. Nickintime sure does know his stuff for sure. I am very excited to follow this series. Cheers

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

Thanks for watching for so long. Ah nice, sounds like a great project! Fair play for getting her running. I've watched a lot of Nicks videos, very helpful!

[@Dylan-Reid]

Flexplate is a very high possibility

[@mrjono999]

the difference between 'down the barrel presenter mike' and 'off hand chatting' shit mike' is soooo good. love your videos.

[@paulfollo8172]

Great job getting it running again! 👍

[@MartWilliams]

During my KZbin search for clues as to why my old toyota hiace diesel engine had a rough rhythmic noise at low revs, I watched a series by Mercedessourse here, where he was fixing an old Land cruiser. He mentioned something similar to your American guy. Something in/ near the torque converter. The guy in this channel has talked through diagnosing diesel engine issues in a few of the vids I've watched and I think mentioned that plate at the front of the gearbox before and it causing issues with idling. In my case, it looks like it was a worn alternator/vacuum pump - mine didn't sound like yours though. Well done so far and good luck!

[@MartWilliams]

Also, during my attempts to fix my noise, I've changed an idler pulley, done a diesel purge and engine oil flush and those have helped quieten things. So in my case, there were multiple contributers to the ill sounding lump - 1991 engine in my case. An entirely mechanical normally aspirated diesel engine.

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

I watch Mercades Source also, hes the man on Merc stuff! Thanks for some more poetical clues! I will dig deeper and see what I can find. Hopefully a Flex plate, but i bet there is much more contributing to it. Thanks for watching.

[@cowboy6591]

Harmonic balancer can make noises at idle like that.

[@yorkshirepudlian]

Glad to see you’re restoring the XJ Mike. Your experience and knowledge will get you over the line! Hopefully another jeep saved! 🙏🏻😅

[@explore_off_road]

Oooo, that's cooool! Have one for your wife to drive, what a great idea. That's what we did... My wife got bored in the passenger seat. But once she had her own ... Game Changer! .... But then I was traveling with a newbie. Everything changes when your in the driver's seat. Would love to see this go that way, and see (or hear) what her plans are. That's quite exciting.

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

It would be epic to get her out and us convoy or do some adventures together. She would love it. Thanks for watching

[@hondaman4423]

Pretty excited to see this series to be honest, and part of the reason really is how you solve problems. I realize car parts are more expensive there, so you have to fix what you have out of necessity which is really interesting to me.

[@chrismcca]

V happy this is moving forward, the resto will be good viewing and the idea of going out in convoy is cool too. Is the fuel regulator just "gummed" up ? Seafoam or equivalent could help , also for the injectors And the oil galleries. Sitting in ATF is also a neat way to un-gum injectors , noting you're using diesel similarly in the crank.

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

I will pull the fuel regulator and see how it looks. It must be totally blocked given how much pressure I put into it. I think the diesel has helped a lot, another oil change after the engine gets nice and hot should also help a great deal. Thanks for watching!

[@itsmedavearoo]

Miss the family vids.

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

I didn't film any this year, time is precious together and the camera can take away from that. Not to say there wont be any every again though, just a busy summer together with lots of visitors.

[@JackFalltrades]

Another fun video. Thanks, Mike! 😊

[@JackFalltrades]

Good to see you again, Mike! 😊

[@robertlittle1567]

Great job on getting the growing again. Keep the videos coming. I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do with it.

[@robbienorquay4916]

Great video, looking forward to seeing the rest in the series

[@robertkrasa9316]

I am not sure I trusted you with the original question. I don't think you are the type of person who would just throw away a such a car. You are way too enthusiastic to do that :D Anyway, glad you didn't. I an very curious where does this journey take you.

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

As soon as I saw the condition of the frame and body I couldn't bear to rip it apart. It will be nice to have a 4.0 in the fleet! Thanks for watching

[@KiIIerhock]

I'm happy to see progress on all your projects I'm currently going through a similar process here in Canada on my second XJ (1999 4.0l AX 15) that been in a accident hasn't run in 10 years one of my favorite channels on YT by far

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

Ah nice, hope the project is going well 👍 it's enjoyable work, most of the time haha. Thanks for watching 👀

[@KiIIerhock]

@@WorkshoptoWilderness my 2000 that I purchased 2 years ago had a new roof welded on cause of rust its the only work I hope to never do again hahaha

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

@@KiIIerhock ah man that must have been savage!

[@KiIIerhock]

@@WorkshoptoWilderness honestly the worst. You think the rust you guys have in northern Europe is bad Canada way worse cause when its warm enough to salt the road they dump the Atlantic ocean worth of salt on everything and when it gets to cold all the paved roads look like back country gravel roads.

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

@@KiIIerhock I hate that. It doesn't do old cars any favours at all. I live in land and they don't salt the roads here, but if I drive say 200 kilometres east then its very salty. I never take my cherokee if I can help it. I just pulled the carpet at the rear on this new project and it's looking like the rear has been leaking for years... I've got some rust repair to do

[@rollandklontz]

Nothing wrong with Renix 4.0's. There are just things you have to do with them, especially pre 1990

[@MarkVicarage]

Major step chief. Good work. Got a lot more ahead of you now! Good luck.

[@shaunmccaw2911]

Your mad but think this is going to be pretty interesting 👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@Nic-po7yl]

Love your channel ive been inspired by you for years

[@SeMoArtifactAdventures]

You need to get in contact with Dex jeeps. The guy knows his stuff on Cherokees. He has close to 1000 of them.

[@michaelmacdonald7342]

Your tough, I love these square body XJ Cherokee's, best of the lot after the SJ's, those 4.0's are pretty tough, think it will be good. Enjoy all of your videos, keep it up - great content.

[@SarahSmith-hd8kd]

Another great video man. I am still willing to donate that 8.25 axle like I offered. I also have a complete 4.0L and alot of XJ goodies probably not found in Europe often if ever. Well l if interested... you cover the shipping only all my gift in thanks of your last 3-4 year's of video's ive been watching.

[@SarahSmith-hd8kd]

@@WorkshoptoWilderness Hey Mike, I just replied via the email you provided, if you would like to delete the email you left above a day or two ago.✌️

[@nonsequitur807]

Watching from Autin, TX, USA

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

Appreciate you watching! This 1990 Renix is coming back this Sunday for some floor pan replacement.

[@IdRatherBejeeping]

I wanna come help out!

[@zackoneill4740]

Nevermind the jeep, did your parents bring you the Yorkshire Tea??

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

Sadly not this time, I do have a parcel on the way though!

[@ccaldwell8556]

I have a similar sound (the possible flex-plate one) coming from my 4.0 (in a Wrangler TJ), but more mild, less intense. Very interested to see what yours turns out to be if you get that far. +1 on the Seafoam (or similar additive/cleaner ideas). I had other noises that completely disappeared after I gave a thorough "top engine clean" and "fuel injection clean" to my 4.0 ... I used to think that stuff was snake oil!

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

I will take a look later and see if its the flex plate. Hopefully it is! I have herd a few guys mention seafoam, I will have to give it a go because it sounds pretty good. Thanks for watching!

[@israeldelabra9069]

Not the NickNTime films !! . That guy is hilarious!

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

Yeah he's really funny, I've watched his stuff for years. Decent guy. Thanks for watching

[@old-fashionedJoe83]

I would be very very sad and disappointed and probably upset if you scrap that! In my humble opinion the renix Cherokees are the best including the engines, They aren't the most powerful 4.0s on the market but they are the simplest and easiest to work on and maintain and again in my opinion they are the longest lasting. My daily driver is an 87 Cherokee and everything mechanical aside from the usual tune-up items the alternator and power steering pump are original under the hood. 230k on the clock and still going strong. Again not the most powerful out of the box; but that can be upgraded, it doesn't really need to though, it's got everything you need to do what it's meant to do. Good on you for keeping the renix alive!

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

There is no chance i will scrap it. It's in fantastic condition. I will restore it as best I can and make it a nice XJ again. I'm slowly gathering parts for it, and when the snow melts, I will rebuild everything. Appreciate the information on the model and year, I probably won't boost the engine performance any time soon, but it's good to know it's a tough old thing that I can put some time into.

[@TheXJthatCould]

The rattle means she will drive another 400k buddy😂

[@hempseedaddict]

Daunting!

[@BigRigsLongWeekend]

Doing a similar restoration on my channel right now brother. Great video. You just gained a subscriber

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

Ah nice I will check it out! Thanks for subscribing and appreciate the comment.

[@maxjordan2625]

So to be ckear it was running in diesel oil for a few minutes? Haha that's wild

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

Haha yeah, it was sloshing around in 30 litres of diesel/oil mix. Seemed to help because it started really slow and gradually sped up while cranking.

[@JackFalltrades]

US mile? US and Imperial miles are the same, are they not?

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

A UK mile and US mile are different from memory.

[@JackFalltrades]

@@WorkshoptoWilderness Hmm. 🤔

[@JacobWard101]

Hey Mike, really appreciate your videos been here since MCQ, have been looking at buying a 1998 Cherokee XJ, its a 2.5l diesel, and was wondering if you may be able to help? is there any common problems i should look for when i go to look at it? Cheers Mate :)

[@daryokenar6215]

test drive the 2,5TD about half an hour on 60 mph and take care of temperature and oil pressure. go then for a obout 5 min. around 75 mph. then stop, listen to the idle sound carefully. the VM engine is a powerful one as long as you take care of it. when it's got more than 150K, be prepared for cyl. heads and pilot injector , good luck !

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

If I were to buy another diesel again I would buy it with the certainty that I would be replacing the cylinder heads with newer ones (if the heads were still original). They are normally always cracked and the cooling systems are rarely maintained by previous owners which contributes to overheating and head failure. My solid advice if your buying it is to do this - Start the Jeep and drive it around normally to warm it up and open the thermostat. Then take it on the motorway for 15 to 20 minutes so that the head warms up to full operating temperature. Keep a close eye on the coolant temps while doing this and see if they rise above 100c while on the motorway. If they do its not a problem, but it means that the cooling system (radiator, pump, fan etc) is failing to cool the engine and it will all need looking at once bought. Now pull over, open the bonnet and look at the expansion tank. Has coolant boiled out of the cap? Take a rag and protect your hand and open the cap of the expansion tank. Does coolant boil out quickly and spill out all over the place? If no, then the head is not cracked. If yes then there is a very strong possibility that there is a small crack in the head between the exhaust valve and the coolant channel (only 7mm thick ). Another thing to check for is Limp mode. When driving the Jeep and taking the revs up to and above 2000rpm, does the jeep suddenly loose power? If so then the engine is in limp mode and you have an issue with either the MAF sensor, No1 fuel injector, maybe CPS but unlikely. (those are the most common). If so then you will need to change those parts to see any turbo spool because the engine ECU is cutting fuel on the pump to stop any power and protect the engine. This is all just engine related stuff. My advice would be to test it properly before driving.

[@JacobWard101]

@@WorkshoptoWilderness Thanks for taking the time to write this awesome info Mike, really appreciate it, should be going to check it out this weekend so will certainly heed your advice, take care of yourself mate hope you and your family are well, 🙂

[@JacobWard101]

@@daryokenar6215 Thanks for the advice mate, its got 190k on it so will definitely have to be careful, it has been looked after apparently but they all say that dont they🤨. Cheers

[@chopperchuck]

fly me over there I'll fix it

[@JackFalltrades]

You're sure a glutton for punishment, Mike. 😃 Were you bored with the other Jeep?

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

Haha, yeah I little bit. I like the work and it keeps me busy I guess. The diesel still needs much love and i've been working on it every week for ten years almost now. Its nice to redirect to another project for a while and just use the diesel for trips you know. Saying this I have to build a new front drive shaft for the diesel atm. Thanks again for watching!

[@JackFalltrades]

@@WorkshoptoWilderness You remind me of my dad. He's a retired engineer, 94 years old. He's constantly fixing things. Maybe that's why his mind is sharper than mine! 😅

[@raykirkland555]

who told you they where no good? ive had 6 of them all got over 400,000 miles ive been to Alaska twice and south america i own a 98 now . ive done deserts and 13,000 ft mountains. parts are easy to get. hell in the U.S. can buy one for $1000 i just Bought another one. And the wat rough country makes great lift kits for them!

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

A number of people have said that Renix isn't good. I think someone said it was the worst year of that engine. I've now heard otherwise from Renix owners as apparently this model engine has the strongest pistons.

[@niksosmis1592]

Hi i have to jeep Cherokee Xj 2.5 td cooling fan I can’t find but fuse is works anywhere electric still looking where did go ?

[@Ijusthopeitsquick]

?

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

Hey, I cant understand the message? Do you mean your looking for a fuse or relay in the engine bay for the electric cooling fan? My Diesel is a viscous clutch fan and I have no electric fan so I don't know here the fuse would be.

[@niksosmis1592]

@@WorkshoptoWilderness I understand sir

[@keniferusxj7047]

Flex plate might be cracked

[@keniferusxj7047]

I disagree the renix era has the best pistons and internals, Once you get the electrical straightened out there way better then the 92 and up xjs Change the radiator to a closed system..replace all wires and you’re good to go..mine has 240k and doesn’t burn a drop of oil..

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

Thanks for the info, that's good to hear. She runs great now and it should be a solid jeep

[@jerrya27]

every xj is worth fixing

[@ddyracer7084]

Third

[@erichimes3062]

1st 🥇

[@promiscuous675]

Thank you.

[@shooter77us]

If you want wiring diagrams for that I can get them for you. You'll appreciate them when you have them.

[@WorkshoptoWilderness]

Thank you that would be useful! Maybe on email? Mine is [e-mail] or I can take yours. Thanks for the offer!

[@shooter77us]

@@WorkshoptoWilderness I'll send you an email.