'Mater - '77 Cherokee S 4-door

Show off your FSJ photos and videos!
User avatar

Topic author
bigwalton
Posts: 161
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2012 10:33 am
Location: MI

Re: 'Mater - '77 Cherokee S 4-door

Post by bigwalton »

I know there's probably a handful of threads on tailgate window fixes and the safety switch bypass on here or the other FSJ site. I may have actually done a thread on the other site when I did mine way back when. Can't remember. Search on "FSJ tailgate safety switch" online in general and you're sure to find it.

The switch cut power to the motor when the tailgate isn't closed, it's up near the latch on the drivers side IIRC, been a long time now. Reason for the switch is that the glass is heavy enough that it can break off if opened when gate is down, so if you bypass it, you just have to be safe ;) Once the switch goes, you can't get any power to the motor at all and the window is down or up until you fix it. Everyone assumes a bad motor (and it could be.)

If your glass is down (suck!) disconnect the lift mechanism from the glass through the access hole (have new clips ready, old ones may never work again), put the gate up enough to grab the glass without it being too horizontal (have help), take the glass out very carefully and set aside, then work on the guts. Fix everything electrically, lube everything including the guides on the sides, and reinstall the glass with the switch bypassed (if that's the issue). Replacing the rubber wipe can do wonders too, if it's all hard and brittle and still touching the glass, it can make it hard to go up and down.

Pull and test the safety switch. If it's bad, you're probably near done. Bypass it and move to cleaning/lubricating. If you find a bad motor (I jump power to it directly to test it by itself), you can just put the tailgate back together until you get a replacement, if the glass was down, it's no different. With no action from either the dash or key switch, it's almost certainly either the motor or switch or the wiring between the two. Doubt both switches are bad, but it's easy to test with an ohmmeter.

I'm coming into an insane time for work and travel through the end of the year, but might be able to help sometime...
'77 Cherokee S - EFI 401
'84 Alaskan Postal Scrambler
'18 JKU Rubi Recon
'01 XJ - kid's DD
'01 XJ - winter beater
'18 Renegade

74cherokees1980
Posts: 49
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2014 8:39 pm
Location: Ypsilanti, MI
Contact:

Re: 'Mater - '77 Cherokee S 4-door

Post by 74cherokees1980 »

I'd love your help with it. I am at a busy time with two jobs right now but spring and summer I have a lot of downtime so it's not a huge priority at the moment. All I know is by late spring or early summer I'm gonna need to do something with it or I'm gonna lose my mind not driving my rig around and showing it off to people. So if interested at some point next spring just let me know. Otherwise I'll take your advice that you gave me and try it with another jeep buddy I have.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

74cherokees1980
Posts: 49
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2014 8:39 pm
Location: Ypsilanti, MI
Contact:

Re: 'Mater - '77 Cherokee S 4-door

Post by 74cherokees1980 »

Thanks again bigwalton and I hope we can cruise sometime together. Also any jeep clubs in the area?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
User avatar

Topic author
bigwalton
Posts: 161
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2012 10:33 am
Location: MI

Re: 'Mater - '77 Cherokee S 4-door

Post by bigwalton »

I couldn't make it that long without being able to drive anywhere and everywhere :shock:

It shouldn't take you but a half an hour or so to get the rear glass out and it's possible another half hour could find/bypass the switch. You don't need me, dig on in! At worst you store the glass out of the gate instead of in it and it's sitting there ready for you to get into whenever you have a few minutes.
'77 Cherokee S - EFI 401
'84 Alaskan Postal Scrambler
'18 JKU Rubi Recon
'01 XJ - kid's DD
'01 XJ - winter beater
'18 Renegade

74cherokees1980
Posts: 49
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2014 8:39 pm
Location: Ypsilanti, MI
Contact:

Re: 'Mater - '77 Cherokee S 4-door

Post by 74cherokees1980 »

It's cool. I appreciate the advice and help you have given me. I'll see what I can do even though I've never soldered anything. If i dig into it and can't figure things out I'll just let my mechanic tinker with it but I will buy more clips from either Bjsoffroad or teamgrandwagoneer. I did find the switch though as I was looking around in the jeep today. Thanks again for everything and I hope we can stay in touch and hopefully get to see the rigs. By the way my jeeps name is 74 Hoss. I like the name mater though. How did you come up with it?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
User avatar

HeavyMetalThunder_81
Posts: 740
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2012 5:01 pm
Location: Haze Gray

Re: 'Mater - '77 Cherokee S 4-door

Post by HeavyMetalThunder_81 »

Looks great! Do you have any more plans for it?
-Jonny B.
1979 Cherokee Golden Eagle - UNDER CONSTRUCTION
7" lift, 35x12.5x15
AMC 401 - Pro-FLo 4 FI
NV4500/NWFBB/NP205 - Triple Stick'd
F D44 - 4.10, Eaton E-Locker
R M23 - 4.10, Detroit Locker

1979 Cherokee Chief - Parts
1979 Cherokee Chief - Parts
1979 Wagoneer - Sold
1981 Cherokee Chief - Cubed
User avatar

Topic author
bigwalton
Posts: 161
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2012 10:33 am
Location: MI

Re: 'Mater - '77 Cherokee S 4-door

Post by bigwalton »

Old thread update time...
74cherokees1980 wrote: Wed Sep 02, 2015 4:01 pmI like the name mater though. How did you come up with it?
My daughter picked it when we got the Cherokee.
'77 Cherokee S - EFI 401
'84 Alaskan Postal Scrambler
'18 JKU Rubi Recon
'01 XJ - kid's DD
'01 XJ - winter beater
'18 Renegade
User avatar

Topic author
bigwalton
Posts: 161
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2012 10:33 am
Location: MI

Re: 'Mater - '77 Cherokee S 4-door

Post by bigwalton »

HeavyMetalThunder_81 wrote: Wed Sep 02, 2015 6:26 pm Looks great! Do you have any more plans for it?
Thanks, part of this is what I came back here for.

I put a FAST EZ-EFI system on the 360 a few years ago and it was a dream. Made this into exactly what I wanted with the ability to just get in it and drive.

I swapped out the leaking power steering box so it's not dumping fluid as fast as I can put it in.

I was ready to just enjoy the Jeep that way for years with only the basic maintenance it needed.

Then I happened to find a take-out low-mile 401 drivetrain local to me for a really great deal :shock:

I finally needed to swap in a new radiator to replace the JB Welded one that had started weeping again and in doing so I found this deal that happened to include an almost new BJ's radiator, exhaust (which I also needed), and the quadratrac has the same part-time kit my Jeep already had. It was a no-brainer to buy and make the swap. I put a cam and lifters in the 401, took a risk and didn't do a full rebuild because it had been a solid runner for the seller, who I knew and completely trusted.

It went ok aside from some minor things, got it running and was enjoying it until it developed a miss on acceleration. I couldn't figure it out for the life of me and gave up for a number of months while other Jeeps took priority. Read something a couple weeks ago about someone having problems with the tachometer RPM signal adapter for a similar TBI EFI kit. It's the little gizmo that turns the HEI tach signal into a "clean" square wave for the EFI to read to know when to fire. I had a nice ground set up for this on the head with star washers, but went head and ran a ground to the battery directly. I also replaced the spade terminal I put on the end for the HEI signal with a factory-style HEI connector with the clip to engage the cap. Seems that those two things have cleared up the miss and it's back to running great!

Now my only issue is that it actually runs a tad too cool around 180-190. I need to recheck the timing, I had played with it while trying to sort the miss and may need to dial in some more, but it's great to have back on the road.

Now I just need to sort the leak at the speedometer cable connection on the quadratrac (which is why I came back here).
'77 Cherokee S - EFI 401
'84 Alaskan Postal Scrambler
'18 JKU Rubi Recon
'01 XJ - kid's DD
'01 XJ - winter beater
'18 Renegade
Post Reply