Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts

Came in on the hook...

Update: Long story short, after consulting with the one mechanic, its going to another shop tomorrow - both the 1st guy, as well as my Mercedes mechanic, recommend them.

Talking to the 2nd guy - he's going to start with the fact that it overheated, possible sticky t-stat combined with the computer going into limp mode. I've driven the Jeep twice since I got it home, close to home, about 2 miles. It exhibited NONE of the problems it showed on the road trip - so this guy may very well be exactly right. In any event, it'll get checked out by somebody that knows more than I do.

AND...

Just to make it complete, the battery died on the old MBZ. The good news was that it was from 7/22, so I got a pro-ration. The bad news is that it really didn't die, it was killed or at least severely wounded. The first time was when it was about 6 months old and I had the perfect storm of failed alternator brushes and a burned out battery idiot lite - I drove it home for about 20 miles at nite, I turned off everything except the headlites, and they were basically dim running lites by the time I got home - thank Goddess a cop didn't see that! Charged it up and it was fine, but I knew then that I wouldn't get full life out of the thing. Then last week I left a parking lite on and drained it flat, flat, flat, flat. Hopped in yesterday and the dome lite wouldn't even come on. Charged it up and the car started, but by this time I didn't want to trust it, so got a new one.
 
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Another update:

Drove it down to the mechanic today (with no observable problems), who proceeded to do a complete cooling system check - finding nothing. No DTCs, no nothing, everything perfect. Which was what I originally expected. He was about to give up until...


... he put it on the lift. He wasn't aware there were 3 cats on the thing, and the rear cat showed bluing! So that's gonna be taken care of along with mounting a new muffler. I asked him if it made sense to replace the front cats at this time, he said it really did not. The guy is honest - THAT will be remembered.

Oh, and he heard a rattle in the rear cat as well - which I had been hearing for some time.
 
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Zorba said:
Another update:

Drove it down to the mechanic today (with no observable problems), who proceeded to do a complete cooling system check - finding nothing. No DTCs, no nothing, everything perfect. Which was what I originally expected. He was about to give up until...


... he put it on the lift. He wasn't aware there were 3 cats on the thing, and the rear cat showed bluing! So that's gonna be taken care of along with mounting a new muffler. I asked him if it made sense to replace the front cats at this time, he said it really did not. The guy is honest - THAT will be remembered.

Oh, and he heard a rattle in the rear cat as well - which I had been hearing for some time.
Click to expand...

+1 point for @Apparition
 
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Zorba said:
Another update:

Drove it down to the mechanic today (with no observable problems), who proceeded to do a complete cooling system check - finding nothing. No DTCs, no nothing, everything perfect. Which was what I originally expected. He was about to give up until...


... he put it on the lift. He wasn't aware there were 3 cats on the thing, and the rear cat showed bluing! So that's gonna be taken care of along with mounting a new muffler. I asked him if it made sense to replace the front cats at this time, he said it really did not. The guy is honest - THAT will be remembered.

Oh, and he heard a rattle in the rear cat as well - which I had been hearing for some time.
Click to expand...

I'd remove the rear cat completely, unless you live in a communist state that requires inspection. It honestly isn't doing anything that the front cats aren't already doing.
 
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Zorba said:
Another update:

Drove it down to the mechanic today (with no observable problems), who proceeded to do a complete cooling system check - finding nothing. No DTCs, no nothing, everything perfect. Which was what I originally expected. He was about to give up until...


... he put it on the lift. He wasn't aware there were 3 cats on the thing, and the rear cat showed bluing! So that's gonna be taken care of along with mounting a new muffler. I asked him if it made sense to replace the front cats at this time, he said it really did not. The guy is honest - THAT will be remembered.

Oh, and he heard a rattle in the rear cat as well - which I had been hearing for some time.
Click to expand...

The fronts should go before the rear?the rear is an unmonitored cleanup cat,I took mine off and the wife’s feet are so much happier!yep,leave it off @Zorba it will make the future tummy tuck way nicer.
 
mjonesjr84 said:
I'd remove the rear cat completely, unless you live in a communist state that requires inspection. It honestly isn't doing anything that the front cats aren't already doing.
Click to expand...

Moglocker said:
The fronts should go before the rear?the rear is an unmonitored cleanup cat,I took mine off and the wife’s feet are so much happier!yep,leave it off @Zorba it will make the future tummy tuck way nicer.
Click to expand...

Guy called me back, and told me that white powder came out of it when it was cut off, I'm going down to pick it up in a few and will be able to see it for myself. As for its replacement, let's just say I'm not going to discuss that on the Internet.
 
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Cats going bad and causing problems. Who knew? :unsure:
badcat (2017_11_20 00_38_12 UTC).jpg
 
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A friend had this issue a few years ago on a 2001 XJ. He kept complaining it was slow, and I didn't believe him since I thought he was comparing it to his other quicker cars (completely stock XJ). Sure enough I drive it one day and the thing would barely merge onto the highway and wouldn't downshift the automatic transmission. At first I thought maybe a TPS or some other sensor but found the 3rd cat had a rattle and sure enough it was broken apart inside and clogged. When it was running the exhaust was glowing.

I cleaned the broken pieces out of the cat, which was essentially hollow now, then put it back and it ran great and still passed emissions for another 5 years with the two manifold cats until he totaled it.
 
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TheBoogieman said:
That's why your 97' is a superior machine. ;) 🇺🇸(y)
p.s. I miss all of my 98-99' Jeeps.
Click to expand...

My 98 TJ has been the best Jeep (knock on wood) of the 5 I've owned. My first was a '90 XJ 4.0L, it was reliable, but the RENIX electronics were quirky, and you needed a voltmeter to diagnose which sensors were bad. The second and third were both 2000 XJs, and man those manifold pre-cats just bake the engine bay, which makes the already marginal cooling system in a Cherokee that much worse. My daily GC is really too new with only 60k miles to get a good estimate yet of how it will be.
 
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Its home. Drives fine - the exhaust rattle I've heard the past year or so is gone. Exhaust is slightly louder than before. There were bits of ceramic falling out of the old cat. However, the "blue spot" they found wasn't a blue spot - it was over sprayed black paint from my painting under the Jeep! There's no question the cat was bad, and I'm 99% hopefully optimistic that that was the real problem, but that wasn't a blue spot! I didn't enlighten them...

They were very impressed that the cooling system was in great shape - which made me feel good about my working on that. Also, the tow truck driver who brought it home for me was impressed with how the parking brake held the Jeep on his tilted flatbed. That was very recent as I hadn't been able to adjust it correctly until I replaced the mass of rust adjuster dingus under the Jeep.

And he also thought that the radiator was a bit on the small side - I'm inclined to agree with him.
 
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Zorba said:
Its home. Drives fine - the exhaust rattle I've heard the past year or so is gone. Exhaust is slightly louder than before. There were bits of ceramic falling out of the old cat. However, the "blue spot" they found wasn't a blue spot - it was over sprayed black paint from my painting under the Jeep! There's no question the cat was bad, and I'm 99% hopefully optimistic that that was the real problem, but that wasn't a blue spot! I didn't enlighten them...

They were very impressed that the cooling system was in great shape - which made me feel good about my working on that. Also, the tow truck driver who brought it home for me was impressed with how the parking brake held the Jeep on his tilted flatbed. That was very recent as I hadn't been able to adjust it correctly until I replaced the mass of rust adjuster dingus under the Jeep.

And he also thought that the radiator was a bit on the small side - I'm inclined to agree with him.
Click to expand...

So hopefully he cleaned out All Of the bits in the 3rd cat.you should be fine now!
 
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