I was talking to my 02' tonight

[metalmoto]

Yep, I was talking to my KJ tonightdrunk.gif. I'm depressed, and I'm going to miss her:mwah1: I was only with her for 8 months, and she dropped a valve.
In a Autozone parking lot, just after I bought her a brand new oil filter...:flowers2: She is such a pretty pearl blue... My heart is broken:icon_cry:

I promised her, she would live on...:cocktail: In parts, for other Jeep lovers...
And a lot of her would go on to live on an silver 04' I just bought.

I wish I could bring her back to life. But she is too old, and to far gone for me to fix. I spent $2000 on her in those 8 months. Dam if all of her is going to the junkyard to rust!

She will live on:happy3: In my new KJ and many others...

May she rest in peace :Bye:

 

[TwoBobsKJ]

My wife thinks I'm loco for talking to my KJ - and she's not even on her deathbed (the Jeep, not the wife.)

Glad you signed up your '02 to the donor list when you renewed the tags

Bob

 

[metalmoto]

I just climbed under the 04' tonight. A lot of differences that I did not expect to see...
The 02' looks carefully made. But the 04' looks like it was slapped together quickly.
Different transmission, or I would of swapped the engine into the 02'. Different exhaust system, that I paid a lot for... Build quality just doesn't look as good on the 04' Oh well...

Thanks to the "lowest" bidder, that supplied the parts!
Sure, most parts are the same...and I'll get to swap most parts, but others are useless to me.

Soon you will see a post, for cheap or free parts, for an 02' Liberty. Just my way of saying "Thanks" to everyone, for all the "excellent" help I got from this forum!

I just hope I can help others, as much you have helped me!

I am slowly stripping the 02' for everything I can remove by myself.
So the parts can live on, in someone else's 02' or about, Jeep Liberty...

Thanks to everyone for there help!

Metalmoto

 

[Conundrum2006]

Sorry you weren't able to fix her. Cars have away of growing on us. I do believe certain cars can have a personality, whether or not it's all in the human mind I'll leave to the psychologists.
When I've had the choice I sold a car dirt cheap to a guy who needed it because I thought would take care of it. So far he has.

Fascinating that there are such differences in the first year and the 04. I usually end up owning the first year of a model, probably because they come up cheaper sooner. Usually later years have some improvements and a few fixes, although the commander has a lot of little things different in the later years I think we're better in the 06.




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[dude1116]

I just climbed under the 04' tonight. A lot of differences that I did not expect to see...
The 02' looks carefully made. But the 04' looks like it was slapped together quickly.
Different transmission, or I would of swapped the engine into the 02'. Different exhaust system, that I paid a lot for... Build quality just doesn't look as good on the 04' Oh well...

Thanks to the "lowest" bidder, that supplied the parts!
Sure, most parts are the same...and I'll get to swap most parts, but others are useless to me.

Soon you will see a post, for cheap or free parts, for an 02' Liberty. Just my way of saying "Thanks" to everyone, for all the "excellent" help I got from this forum!

I just hope I can help others, as much you have helped me!

I am slowly stripping the 02' for everything I can remove by myself.
So the parts can live on, in someone else's 02' or about, Jeep Liberty...

Thanks to everyone for there help!

Metalmoto

Most everything can be swapped between those years with little to no modification/adaptation. Engine included.

Anyway...whatever you do...I hope it makes you happy I'm much happier not driving the Jeep every day. The ride is pretty uncomfortable even with the proper lift. And the mileage bites. So the Scion has been great to me.

 

[Hdale85]

You should drive a Chevy spark if you think the kj ride quality ***** lol. Honestly the kj drives a lot better than I thought it would when I bought it. I just finished 1400 miles on mine for vacation.

 

[metalmoto]

Engine Swap

Most everything can be swapped between those years with little to no modification/adaptation. Engine included.

Anyway...whatever you do...I hope it makes you happy I'm much happier not driving the Jeep every day. The ride is pretty uncomfortable even with the proper lift. And the mileage bites. So the Scion has been great to me.

From my research, the newer trans has less bolts, 8 instead of 10 where it mounts to the engine. The exhaust system is very different. The computer is different. And something with the frame, is angled, instead of straight, where the trans mounts.

I'm not expert, but it seems like a lot more needs to be swapped, other then the engine. Besides, I don't have an engine hoist, the time or money.
And you would think a newer KJ would be better?

 

[Conundrum2006]

The bell housing bolt pattern should be the same


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[dude1116]

From my research, the newer trans has less bolts, 8 instead of 10 where it mounts to the engine. The exhaust system is very different. The computer is different. And something with the frame, is angled, instead of straight, where the trans mounts.

I'm not expert, but it seems like a lot more needs to be swapped, other then the engine. Besides, I don't have an engine hoist, the time or money.
And you would think a newer KJ would be better?

Not necessarily. A KJ that was taken care of is your best bet.

The 3.7 is the 3.7. That is from 02-12 in Liberties and even the ones in the new GCs and all V6 Dakotas. Was a very widely used engine. There might be a few adaptations that you would need to do (specifically remember the reluctor ring being different between a few years). Trying to put the trans and exhaust into the '04 would be a little bit more hairy due to computer differences. The exhaust and trans crossmember in 02's and early 03s were different to fit the different transmission.

 

[JeepJeepster]

How many miles did the 02 have on it?

Honestly the build quality should be the same, if not better on the 04. Supposedly they are less prone to popping valve springs. Not sure about the valve seat, probably all suck in that department.

Just dont overheat them.

 

[yellocoyote]

While the 3.7L engine may be the same, the transmission in an '02 is different than in '04 (42RLE vs. 45RFE)... which is why the bolt pattern is different and why the supports are different.

 

[Conundrum2006]

While the 3.7L engine may be the same, the transmission in an '02 is different than in '04 (42RLE vs. 45RFE)... which is why the bolt pattern is different and why the supports are different.

Which bolt pattern ? The bell housing should be the same. The block didn't change for ten years


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[yellocoyote]

I'm sorry... I was thinking crossmember and TCM would not play well between the years. I'd be curious to look at the different FSM's to see what exactly the difference in mounting to the engine would be.

 

[Conundrum2006]

I'm sorry... I was thinking crossmember and TCM would not play well between the years. I'd be curious to look at the different FSM's to see what exactly the difference in mounting to the engine would be.

Yeah that makes sense. The bolt Pattern to the block should be the same, everything else can be just about anything. The jeep only needs a few point to be the same the rest can be very different


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[metalmoto]

The 02' had 155,000 on it. I crawled under the 04', and noticed a lot of differences right a way... I spent so much time under the 02'. I was working on it every weekend, for months. Sometimes it took me a few days, to fix things. (Glad I could use the wife's car to get to work). Wish I could find that long list of parts I replaced... I got to know it very well.
Let me think, first it was the coolant recovery tank. It was cracked. Then the radiator leaked on the left plastic part. Then the water pump started leaking. So I replaced everything coolant related, hoses, thermostat etc. It was one thing after another failing.
Then it was the brakes, new front brakes, rotors were warped. The first set of cheapo brakes didn't last a week, before the backing plate came loose, and jammed them up. Bought the best brake pads they had, strange but they did not have sensor that makes noise, when you need to replace them! But when I went to put them on the rubber brake line just crumbled in my hands, when I took the caliper off. The I noticed rear "drum" brakes weren't working at all. New wheel cylinders, new rubber brake line, and some metal lines that busted, well I spent 2 weeks fixing them. I could go on and on. But I think the 02' was sitting for a very long time, outside, and the car dealer just put a spit shine on it, and saw me coming from a mile away... I had the car 8 months, and spent about $2,000 for new tires and many other parts. Whole new exhaust.. I did all the work myself! And I don't think I'll ever try replacing the whole exhaust system myself again!
Oh, I saved a lot of money, doing it myself! But I was in pain for 2 weeks afterwards...
Not like I have a lift, just a crawler and hand tools. Need to get an air compressor that will run my impact wrench, at least. Bolt just broke off, knuckle busting, using a hunk of pipe for a breaker bar... I am a small, but strong man. Just had heart surgery, doctor told me I had 6 months to live. Surgery went well, And yeah, very determined to "do it myself". Don't even tell me I can't do it, because, that will make me even more determined, ti prove you wrong. That is just me...

 

[uss2defiant]

wait... what?
i take it that it was 6 months to live before the heart surgery?

How's the recovery going?

 

[Conundrum2006]

Holy crap! Heart surgery ? 6 months to live? What are you doing under a vehicle !?

I think I get it because I wouldn't be that different about it. Stubbornness runs in my family. Grandpa out lived most of his doctors, smoked until the last three months of his life, he was 83.
Hope you have his luck with longevity and beating the odds



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[metalmoto]

Yep. The heart surgeon said, I needed surgery ASAP! I had a congenital heart defect, that wasn't discovered before. It's sort of a long story, but I'll make it brief as I can.
I was laid off from my job (I worked for a printing company) after 27 years of service.

I spent 2 years unemployed. The printing industry was dead, computers took the place of paper... books, mail, advertising etc. The U.S. postal service is another good example!

I had to change my career. I operated and repaired large machines. I applied for many different jobs... Then I found a job as a machine operator. I had now idea what kind of machines I would be operating, until I went for the interview.
I scored a job as a machinist, making fasteners, for the aerospace industry!
Two months at the job, and I had to have an abscess lanced, in my armpit.
The hospital said to follow up with my family doctor in 2 weeks.
I did so, but my regular doctor was on vacation, so I got to see a nurse practitioner.
All was well, my abscess was healing fine. Then she listened to my heart. And said, Do you know you have a heart murmur. I said no. She sent me for an echo-gram of my heart. Not an EKG, this is more like a sonogram, like they do to see to women, when pregnant. They could see the valves in my heart, and listen to the blood flow.

The test results were not good... They told me I could die anytime, from heart failure.
I was 49 at the time. Much too young to die... I was only working at my new job a 2 months. I needed to work there for 3 months to be eligible for short term disability.
That was the "longest" month of my life!

Anyway, the time came, I had open heart surgery. Yes my heart was stopped, and a heart/lung "machine" took over, pumped my blood, and breathed for me...

My aortic heart valve was replaced with a prosthetic valve from a cow.
3 months later, I was back to work. I'm glad to be alive, and running large machines and fixing my Jeep!

Now on my second Jeep, over a year since my surgery, and still going strong!
Thank You all, for the help you have given me! It's too bad my first Jeep died...
But I will keep going, nothing will ever stop me from climbing under my new Jeep, and fixing it! That is what I enjoy doing...

 

[ltd02]

Keep hanging tough and God bless you!

I see my cardiologist next week. I'm hoping for much less excitement. I've had a very mild murmur since I had scarlet fever many many years ago so I get checked regularly.

 

[nullptr]

Anyway, the time came, I had open heart surgery. Yes my heart was stopped, and a heart/lung "machine" took over, pumped my blood, and breathed for me...

My aortic heart valve was replaced with a prosthetic valve from a cow.
3 months later, I was back to work. I'm glad to be alive, and running large machines and fixing my Jeep!

Now on my second Jeep, over a year since my surgery, and still going strong!
Thank You all, for the help you have given me! It's too bad my first Jeep died...
But I will keep going, nothing will ever stop me from climbing under my new Jeep, and fixing it! That is what I enjoy doing...

It's amazing what modern surgical techniques and technology can do, isn't it?

Glad to hear you're on the mend!

As for talking to the Jeep... you mean I'm not the only one who does that? Awesome!