Starter issues

1979 and 1980 were great years for a CJ.

It will crank but not start up?

Is your Jeep mostly original?

Need two things from you, third would be a charm!

Lets do this outside, out by itself with a soaking wet towel at the ready and a fire extinguisher if the towel don't work out!

Let's put 2 teaspoons of gas down the carburetor throat, Important! Stick the breather back on quickly.

Give it a try. Does it fire up? Even for seconds? Does it spit and sputter as if it wants to bust off and run?

How about a pic of your solenoid so I can see the wires on it (see my pic 1).

Lastly, Sometimes I see wrong stuff in pics, If you want to, lay the hood against the windshield frame, remove the breather. Take some "well lit" pics on the left and right side and overhead of the engine (and anything else that may be hidden in your pics.

I have a '46 and a '77, I have upgraded my '77 to be much like a '79 ignition wise and HV(no AC). A 4 barrel Holley was a must on my 258!

The Medic

If you try starter fluid, give it a one second squirt.

Be fire conscience with it also!

Send results so we can start attacking the right places and doing the right tests. We really don't want to start throwing parts at it, we want to do this methodically and inexpensively.

Some people just grab for straws and listen to every "up grades" that their friends and other folks sling out there.

Your Jeep will run perfectly and purr like a kitten using nothing but original equipment. (We may have to purchase some of it new- I'll make recommendations then)

I promise!

If it's really nasty under the hood, use "Purple Power" in a spray bottle or pump-up sprayer. Soak everything down. Wait 10 minutes then blast it off with a garden hose sprayer.

The regular works well, the concentrate is even better! Wal-mart carries both. (Pic below)

Keep it off of your exterior paint and wear safety glasses when rinsing.

When you are done remove the distributor cap and "wash" it out with WD-40, it shouldn't take much, shake out any extra or wipe it out.

Maybe you will feel better with cleaner hands!

Later, for a better cleaning, after we get you running well, take your Purple Power to the car wash self wash bay. Insure you take a screwdriver and WD-40 too. If you don't get the water out of the cap, it will run like crap!

Do you have a cheap digital voltmeter? Harbor Freight has them for around $5.00.

The Medic

Try them pics again! They did not show. The medic

I want a few more pics!

Things are not real bad under the hood, there are a few things that need a little attention or replacement, nothing extreme so far.

Pics I want:

Drivers side around the canister (around/ below the master cylinder).

Take the breather off, shoot some pics around the carburetor.

Area below the battery.

When I get them all, I will point to and label the pics with the problems I see. Like I said, I see nothing really awful, however, fixing the stuff will make it run better.

Does your Jeep have a winch? (Seeing the big battery cables at the solenoid area)

What has happened with the fuel introduced down the carburetor throat?

The Medic

Got you a 1st pic to start on.

The filter before the fuel pump has been added on.

You may need to keep it, if the tank is bad off. Get the largest one you can and make it a "clear" one so you can see when it's full of crap.

Keeping a spare one or two on board may keep you from walking!

Pic 3) Check out that long range 21 gallon tank. (Plastic tanks are available in 15 gallon too)

The Medic

That would be the drain hose for the "air box" (cowl vent drain).

I found a place that has the hose and the "Duckbill" that goes on the bottom of it. (See pic)

Let's get it running!

Any luck with a big clear filter that will fit the tubing?

The Medic

Waiting for filter results.

Then a good Purple Power cleaning!

Then I'll link you to a good tuning up!

The Medic

Okay,

You were with a reputable CJ technician.

Are you going to finish this task yourself?

I can guide you through all of the mechanical stuff.

I cost absolutely nothing!

Your carburetor (the Carter BBD) is a great system!

However,

The carburetor is 40 years old, it has 40 years of wear on many of the parts.

Even buying a re-manufactured carburetor may still leave you with worn parts reused with in it.

There are some tedious adjustments that need to be made, sometimes the re-builder does not make these "tweaks" to the re-manufactured.

The average Joe with limited knowledge will build it wrong or damage a part without knowing it.

I'm almost embarrassed to make this suggestion, I have suggested this many times and so far, have always gotten good results (with local Jeeps)(With 2carpros forum fixes).

Seems that the Jeep Carter BBD carburetor is not made domestically anymore, re-manufactured's are about all that are available. And you still have an "old" carburetor!

Over the pond, they are making new ones! They work great! They adjust as they should!

It's been a while since they hit the market, they have gone up in price a little. They are still way cheaper than a re-manufactured, but just a little more than a rebuild kit. It's ready to go!

If you go this route, I will be glad to aid with installing it and tuning the Jeep properly!

I've looked over the whole bunch, this would be my best suggestion. See this link.

This link just won't last but so long (for all of you future followers).

This is a darn good price!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Barrel-Carburetor-Carb-BBD-Carter-Type-AMC-Jeep-Wrangler-CJ5-CJ7-4-2L-US-Stock/153622836679?hash=item23c4a275c7:g:7McAAOSw74xeDxBU

So we get the Jeep back, I help you install this and help you tune it.

Cost?

A few evenings reading my stuff.

What do you think of this plan so far?

I don't think the other feller will work this cheap, most likely he does not love Jeeps as CJ MEDEVAC does.

As far as the choke goes, we can install a manual choke kit, I already have pics (and forum answers) for many of my Jeep operations.

The Medic

We will get you going and correctly!

Impatient?

Look at this

Pic 1) My '46 Willys ("Willy") in 1991, Neglected forever in a field, purchased for $100

Pic 2-4) Lots of side jobs and 2 years later, roadworthy but not quite exactly what I want.

Pic 5 and 6) 29 years later, more side jobs, just what I wanted.

Pic 7) Daughter was about 4 when he arrived, she learned to drive him at 10, now throwing him his 73rd birthday party.

If you love him, set him free, he can't go anywhere anyway!

You never get to know your Jeep or the things that will get you out of trouble if someone else is having their way with him.

The Medic