Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ radiator
I want to hear your thoughts on the contrasting Red grill. Love it? Hate it?

Love it. I always respect the decision to repaint. Patina often looks better in pictures. The tan looks amazing, and was a good call. But keeping the grille is a nice way to tie it back to where you started with it.
 
I already know what @NashvilleTJ is going to say…

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Took a little Saturday morning drive, just to the gas station. Running pretty good, maybe just a little more tuning. I built a tow bar, because I'm a better fabricator than mechanic, and I'll probably have to tow it back to the shop sooner or later.
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I'm trying to get it running smooth. Its got a bit of a rough idle I'm trying to figure out, and once it gets hot it misses under load. The engine will rev great, but as soon as you are driving, it struggles. I don't trust it to take it off road yet. It acts like it has a vacuum leak, so I've replaced and sealed everything on the intake side. A vacuum gauge shows its about 20 in/hg, which is great for my elevation.

Compression test shows about 80 per cylinder, which is fine (for my elevation) but they are ALL exactly 80, so that kind of rules out a valve problem. Unless one of the lobes on the cam is rounded out and the valves are not fully opening. I checked valve lash and its dead on.

So that leaves timing and fuel. I took the Sniper EFI off and put a carter wo carb on and it actually runs a little better, but still not great, so its probably not a fuel issue since the symptoms are the same.

I've tried static timing, timing light, timing by vacuum gauge, and just timing by ear. Doesn't seem to really matter. Still has a rough idle and studders under load.

Anyways, feel free to throw out ideas, like I said , I'm a better fabricator than mechanic.

Since I don't trust it on the trails yet, have another shop pic

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I would try to hook up a tester and see if you can get it to act up while driving it & that might show you where the problem is. Is the coil new?

80 PSI for compression even at your elevation seems low. What is the vacuum doing when driving and it's stumbling?

While you can't throw a scan tool on it and do data logging you can still hook up testing equipment and see what is happening.

I had a CJ5 that would act up once it was warmed up and I was driving it. Turned out to be gunk in the fuel tank.
 
I would try to hook up a tester and see if you can get it to act up while driving it & that might show you where the problem is. Is the coil new?

80 PSI for compression even at your elevation seems low. What is the vacuum doing when driving and it's stumbling?

While you can't throw a scan tool on it and do data logging you can still hook up testing equipment and see what is happening.

I had a CJ5 that would act up once it was warmed up and I was driving it. Turned out to be gunk in the fuel tank.

80 is a bit low, I would prefer it to be over 100. but at least all four cylinders are within a few psi. Coil is new. distributor is new (both pertronix) .

At operating temp (180) The vacuum gauge bounces a little at idle, 19-21, as soon as you go above idle it falls rapidly. but once its nice and hot the needle bounces like crazy 15-25. I don't know what that means

I should mention too... when it first gets to operating temp, it runs pretty good, its only after a few miles and its hot, it has problems. Water temp never gets above 180
 
After going over EVERYTHING again: Ignition, timing, fuel, coil, I even pulled the timing cover off to make sure I didn't get the chain off one tooth (new chain). I pulled the head to measure how much the valves raise out of the block (no rockers on the L heads) And they check out.

I'm going to replace the valve springs, they are the originals and there may be one or more that are floating... it would explain all symptoms. Just waiting on parts. If that doesn't work, I don't know.

TDI swap, lol
 
After going over EVERYTHING again: Ignition, timing, fuel, coil, I even pulled the timing cover off to make sure I didn't get the chain off one tooth (new chain). I pulled the head to measure how much the valves raise out of the block (no rockers on the L heads) And they check out.

I'm going to replace the valve springs, they are the originals and there may be one or more that are floating... it would explain all symptoms. Just waiting on parts. If that doesn't work, I don't know.

TDI swap, lol

Hope you can get it figured out.
 
Waiting on a fuel pressure gauge. The first one got lost. I had this thought too, but it's unlikely. The sniper EFI behaved exactly like the carb leading me to think it's something else. None the less if my gauge ever shows up i want to know too
 
Not likely the cause but figured it can't hurt to ask - how's your grounding all around the Jeep?
 
Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ radiator