You comin' to see me and collect on that bet?

 

No, my folks live in Walla Walla and I need to help them with a few projects. Like I said, I would have already been up to see you and your rig if my plate wasn't so full! Maybe after the new year? How are you coming along? I picked up a spare motor the other day, so I might be getting the Ranger going soon, better hurry! !

 

Coming along very nicely. I'm probably going to be firing it up for the first time later this afternoon. Wish me luck!

 

Nice! Can't wait for the report!

 

I just happened to check this thread today. I live in Tri-Cities, mind if I come look at your rig while you're in the town so nice they named it twice?

Brad

 

Sure, I'll send you a PM

 

Well, I just wrapped up and cleaned up for the day.

I got THIS CLOSE >< to getting it started up. I pulled all the GPs squirted 5 cc's of ATF into each hole and cranked it over for a couple of minutes at a time a few times to get the fuel and oil systems all primed.

Just about the time I drained most of the juice out of one of the 850 CCA batteries that I borrowed out of my F250 I finally got some oil coming out of one of the oil cooler hoses to my secondary oil filter. Unfortunately it was the WRONG hose...

I had no info as to which was the outlet vs. inlet so I had to guess. As always, with a 50/50 shot at it I made the wrong choice. <sigh>

So I have to swap the ends (and connections) of a couple of the hoses before I can fire 'er up. That and re-install the GPs and change out the GP relay (when I tested it it didn't click). Oh well, shouldn't take more than a couple of hours to get that all done and fire it off!

 

Sorry to here of the setbacks, I'm sure you will get it all sorted out.

 

Well I just got back from my road trip in the Jeep. As for the fuel mileage, I averaged 24.4 with 3 fuel stops. The reason why I stoped so much is on the first 100mi the wind was BLOWING (read white caps on the Columbia River), so I figured the mpg's would suffer, so I topped it off when it died down. To my supprise the 3 leggs wern't far off from each other, 23.5-26.2. I consistantly get 25+ in town, so I was expecting more on the freeway. Maybe I am asking too much from a jacked-up, mud tired,4x4, 3900lb brick going 65-70mph bucking a head wind! All and all it was a good trip with only one issue, the funky "cigar" return fuel line sprung a leak, easy fix. I also met some new friends from Tri Citys who came over to see my Jeep. He and his wife are planning on a similar project. It is nice to get a chance meet people you talk to on this site!

 

NICE. Don't pooh-pooh 24-26 mpg. Even the 4 cylinder Jeep Cherokees with a 5 speed hardly ever get even 20 mpg on the highway, and the 6 cylinder autos are doing good if they get 17-18 mpg. Take that from a current owner of 3 of them who's already worn out and scrapped 2 others. 24-26 mpg from an XJ is phenominal. I'll be tickled spitless if my project does as well...

As an owner of an 84 MB 300CD turbo, I can also tell you your mileage is pretty typical for the 3.0 L turbo running at that speed. The best mileage I ever got with my MB I drove from Spokane all the way to Kent (just under 300 miles) and kept it just under 60 mph the whole way. I got better than 31 mpg on that drive. Something about that 2600-2800 RPM sweet spot that makes it just barely sip the fuel. And I usually get around 23-25 in mixed driving (20 mile commute each way to work and back) in my MB.