Build Search and Rescue JoKe (2014 JK)

SuperBuickGuy · Mar 29, 2025

Update.
It's at Selkirk Offroad/Land Cruiser shop in Pomeray Idaho (right next to where I live in Sandpoint). They politely told me I could not drive it away until they looked at the noise. Were even going to diagnose for free - but I don't do that, I left it with them to pull the trans and reattach the flywheel.
Backish story. When I put the flywheel on the motor, I didn't get a warm fuzzy, but it torqued okay - but my car sense said it wasn't right. So I did the right thing and just left it. Roll forward to the current troubles, I checked the flywheel, fired it up while on my lift and it looked just fine (there's an access hole in the bellhousing to aid in easy looking. I hauled it up from Kennewick to Sandpoint and basically drove it to their shop (I knew of them in my overland travels).

They're pulling the trans, getting me a bit more clearance (which I had intended to do 'later') and figuring out what is wrong - I'm sure they'll find threadlock on the bolts - which, to me said I felt it was 'okayish' the alternative is I didn't and just failed to torque. Either way - fire me - I don't care but I do care they're into helping me and I am giving them a shoutout because their willingness to simply help for free (their words, "oh, you want us to fix it, we figured you'd just pick it up and fix it yourself" - also, they had to figure out a price to fix....)

Also, I'm in the midst of my move - so having someone with a lift, extra hands, and knowledge of the r2.8/tr-4050 really takes a load off my mind.

SuperBuickGuy · Apr 8, 2025

well, update is necessary. The crank is bent. It's wobbling .004. At first, I really thought I'd done it (and who knows, maybe someone will pipe up with how) - it's now to Cummin's warranty.... who isn't responding. Our current theory is the crank was bent when shipped - and that wobble caused the bolts to eventually pull out of the threads (seriously 3 of the bolts were pulled out of their threads, one had broken the head off - thus the noise)...
For Warranty, I probably will have to pull the motor and send it to them... all on my dime. To be honest, I don't know what I'll do - if it comes to that, I may just drop the crank, get it fixed, then reinstall. I bet it's every penny of 5k to R&R and ship the motor and that's something I know Cummins won't pay (contained within the warranty) - so I may just fix it myself. Alternatively, well, there are other options including potentially putting a Duramax 2.8 in it.... whatever makes the most sense (dollars and cents) will be the solution. what a soap opera.

SuperBuickGuy · Apr 20, 2025

In the trailer - nice of Cummin's Made-in-Usa box being narrow enough to fit through the side door.

engine vibrated, pounded the heck out of the crank end... this is a new one for me.

Off to Cummins tomorrow. Hopefully they stand behind their warranty.

SuperBuickGuy · May 1, 2025

Cummins claims they can't 'demonstrate' the problem even though there's video. While I will continue this fight, I'm buying another crank and flywheel to get this vehicle on the road.... if you imagine the words "when will you buy another Cummins?" the answer is when the devil is buying snowsuits. But I will advertise for them - and just like I advertise for Warn when someone suggest that crap product for anything other then a door stop... and coincidently as well as I advertise for Jeep after their incompetent mechanics couldn't hook a fuel hose and almost burned my house down (and let's not even go to airbag issue, the coolant leaks, or the overall chinese level engineering of their products)....

SuperBuickGuy · Jul 14, 2025

So decision time but figured I'd go to the webs to see if anyone knows how to get ahold of these people

Carobotor jeep wrangler JK digital dashboard J Pro

carobotor.ca

I want to use that dash instead of what's in the JK but I need to know I can hook via OBD II that comes from the r2.8. I've tried calling, emailing, and 'text' snapchat.... nothing but silence...

Dakota Digital would be my normal choice but they don't seem interested in doing a JKU dash - though they do have a TJ dash that works with the r2.8 - it would just be up to me to 3d print something to make it fit....

SuperBuickGuy · Jul 22, 2025

I've seen these on my floor before...

something I didn't realize, it really looks like the Jeep JK bolt pattern for the 3.8 is the same as the Cummins r2.8... still deciding what I'm going to do... AX15, rebuild the stocker or just send it with the overkill TR4050

SuperBuickGuy · Oct 21, 2025

well, it's back in the shop

this needs to go back in

but I need to make this all pretty.

hopefully I can get the wiring cleaned up this week then stab the motor back in before i go SEMA in a couple weeks.

SuperBuickGuy · Nov 20, 2025

first step, center the Jeep on the rack and start laying out how this is going back together

the wiring is an embarrassment - but I will fix it before it goes back together.... got a lot going on, but this is on deck for most of the rest of my focus

SuperBuickGuy · Dec 14, 2025

Back to this... but first, repairs
one of the wheels broke off (yay chinesium).... so welded new ones on

much better

and the motor is lurking

so quickwhatevertheirnameis charges big bucks for their adapter clutch.... but the clutch itself is just a cummins product

this is merely an adapter to use basically a GM pilot bearing

and because I'm so thrilled with them, so dimensions so you too can avoid them
GM pilot

so you need a sleeve this diameter

SuperBuickGuy · Dec 16, 2025

time to put it back together

I have no idea why the shop took the accessories off

they, of course, compounded the problem by only labeling a few of the bolt bags

hopefully these are the pressure plate bolts... again, labeling?

stopped there, my dial caliper is at the house not the shop... ah well, I had like an hour tonight to do anything

SuperBuickGuy · Dec 17, 2025

it amazes me at times how little I can get accomplished at any one shop time
installed the pressure plate

this weekend I have help to get the motor in the JK - but I need it ready to go.... and that is proving a challenge. Still need to find my measurement gauges....

SuperBuickGuy · Dec 18, 2025

across the face of the flywheel.... 0.011

SuperBuickGuy · Dec 21, 2025

as no one trusts anyone on the internet

with the trans attached.

fun aside, leave the t-case off, loosen the core support and the motor goes right in
like this

also fixed some power wires

and removed the driveshaft... for whatever reason the past people didn't but just held it up with motorcycle strap (and I implied they didn't give me anything)

so next is finish putting the motor back in, fix the wiring, find gauges, give to wife so I can change the timing belt on her Colorado (it's beyond due). I gave myself a week to get this on the road so we can take a bit of an out-of-town to Anaconda Montana then Yellowstone then Deer Lodge Montana to show my wife the cool car collection there... it should be a nice shake down.

SuperBuickGuy · Dec 23, 2025

push the motor back and hold it up with the engine cradle so I can get back on the lift

about where it needs to be

now the engine and trans are fully suspended (it's on the cross member)

I can push it back - we won't show how because it may cause some of the more delicate to lose sleep

SuperBuickGuy · Dec 30, 2025

time to reseal the t-case

clean surfaces

and reglue

SuperBuickGuy · Jan 4, 2026

well, throwing parts at it, and getting there

of course, there's missing parts - good thing I paid a lot of money for amateurs to work on it.

not quite sure why they took the entire exhaust off

keep in mind that one of the big reasons to have someone else to the work was because it's me, myself and I who practice nothing but the safety third principles

ah well, it would be ironic to be taken out by a Jeep

and yet it's in

time to start refilling stuff. Underneath, it's about done - put the top together and it runs again... with that said, I've been cleaning up and will clean up more of the wiring