$600 Jeep Revival - From Abandoned to Reliable! 

Angus's idea of rolling it to get access to the bottom end is big-brain strategy. I say this man has earned the title of "Head of Innovation for Increasing Repair Productivity During Every Revival Project", or HIIRPDERP for short.

O’ Rileys should get an award for best supporting character in this channel

I don't watch just ANY 1+ hour long video, but when Junkyard Digs puts one up I know it'll be time well spent. Nice work everyone!

I think these are the best types of revivals - something that anyone could obtain and do themselves on a vehicle that isn't too wildly hard to find. I love the old rare automobiles but there's just something about bringing back a modernish car to use as a reliable daily.

“Hitches can’t get enough of me”, that’s pure comedic gold there, Jerry🤣

I know of the recall about the hitch. I was told by the dealership mechanic that if the hitch wasn't factory installed if you were rear-ended it could rupture the fuel tank.

@JYD, just wanna say thankyou, i had to put down my 14 Y.O labradour the other day, her favorite show was junkyard digs, we used to leave it playing on the TV for her when we went out, keep saving cars and beeing legends, appreciate it 🤘🤠👍

4.0's almost always sound like they're dragging log chains but they keep going. They aren't the most powerful engine on the planet but in my experience they're pretty dependable. My first one had 201k on it when I traded it in. (one of my biggest mistakes ever) No idea how many miles are on my current one. It was replaced at some point.

It is a good day when Junkyard Digs posts a new video. I can tell this will be a good one

that knock sound is 100% normal for those motors. i have one with half a million on it and its been doin it since factory. i wouldnt worry about it

ZJs are champs! I've had a 97 4.0 and have a 98 5.9. After a few oil leak repairs, and never ending door lock actuator failures, they're great cars.

glad to have come across this video as i have just purchased my very first jeep [1998 jeep grand cherokee laredo] from a friend of mine for $250. i've started reviving it myself and this video is going to help me make alot of progress on my own jeep. thank you for the content Kevin.

I love it that you are good enough friends to hook Angus up, I like that dude. Great videos and channel-one of the best really.

I have had a few Jeep Cherokees, all with the 4.0 HO inline 6 cylinder engine. I've had both standard and automatic transmissions and both 2 and 4wd. They are truly awesome engines that perform way above their weight class as far as power. My last one, a 5 speed standard 4wd 1998 model with a 3 inch lift, 31×10×15 tires averaged 22 miles per gallon for the entire 400k miles I drove it. It finally succumbed to a cracked piston when I overheated it severely on my way to work one morning. They are prone to cracking the cylinder head on the #1 cylinder exhaust port when ran low on coolant and then water/coolant is added while still hot. Body wise, the doors are essentially glued on and the body that the hinge is glued to is subject to failure, it will tear and the door can fall off.

I really like these ZJ Grand Cherokees - especially the later '96 - '98 models. Solid rigs, easy to work on, and parts are super easy to find whether you're a junkyard diver or just need some quick parts from the store. Or, if you want to build one up, you have all kinds of options that pretty much just bolt in since it was already factory-designed with a good four-link suspension and space for a variety of engines. I fixed one of these up for my Mom years ago that was pretty much this same spec; Laredo 4.0L with the 242 T-case (best T-case option for these in my opinion). She's real tough on cars, and got tired of paying out $700+ for every little bump or ding that she had with her new 2nd-gen Honda CR-V. I found one with about 260,000 miles on it, and spent a few months getting everything fixed up. I also added skid plates (like $5 each from the junkyard plus some wire brushing & paint) and high-end floor/cargo mats, because as I said, she tends to beat on cars. Also put in low-amp LEDs for the interior and an automatic headlight switch, because she had a tendency to leave lights on and kill the battery. Thing's a champ; she's still dailying it to this day, and anytime there's a minor knock or a broken light, it's cheap and easy to fix. Thing was like a Terminator in the snow too, especially with good tires.

I got the inspiration to fix up a 1996 jeep cherokee xj that was becoming a part of nature because of videos like yours. I'm now daily driving it. Keep it up man, your videos are awesome

Man seeing this Jeep takes me back to when I had my 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo in the same red color with a grey cloth interior as my first car, handed down from my grandfather who drove it daily for over 20 years before passing away. I will always miss that car and my Grandfather;(

Mildy interesting fact from Angus's "whole seven yards or so" is that the expression "giving it the whole nine yards" originally refers to the length of a full machine gun belt

Those I6 engines are almost bulletproof. With the rockers being that rusted i'm 99% sure there are holes in the floors too even if they are only pin holes. Awesome video guys! I really enjoyed it.

This video is so helpful. I have taken a semester of automotive brake and steering & suspension classes and this helps freshen me up in those skills! Thank you for all the long, hard work you have put into creating these videos!

Angus is just fantastic. Love it when he's in the vids. Looking forward to the next one. Cheers 🍻😁

Congratulations on a great channel Kevin, nice to see the old abandoned vehicles coming back to life again. Thanks for your service to your country, well done. All the best for future success from down here in Christchurch NZ. PS I was amazed at the "interesting" construction of your limousine and hope you and friends can go through it and make it safe as it looks like a fun vehicle otherwise. A big thanks to Mook too as she makes every video great with her smile and laughter.

Ahhhh.....been looking forward to a new video from you guys and this one did NOT disappoint. Great project and pretty great results! Keep us all posted on what needs to be done to this next. A new front end?? Engine knock?? Ohh....what a tease...let's see more of this....please.

Well, obviously, you had to have had a bad bearing somewhere in there. The good side is, it's nice and quiet now. Something I've never had all the good luck with. It's always been an out of round crank, and meant that I had to either tear it all down or buy another motor!! Good job Kev!!!

Man, Kevin, I love your channel so much. Performance cars, random motors, junkers, weird shit like the golf cart of doom, british sports cars, doesn't matter...you guys have such a great formula.

Yaaay! Always a treat when Angus shows up. That dynamic is just so great. Reminds me of wrenching on Humvees and 7 tons in the Marines.

Love seeing Gene's Arnold Motor Supply hat, was my favorite parts store when I lived in the Cedar Rapids area. Love seeing my former state represented more and more on youtube.

I had a 99 grand Cherokee with the 4 liter while going thru college. Bought it for 500 bucks, rebuilt all the suspension in the front due to death wobble and did everything you guys did. I loved that jeep. It was rock solid. It had the knocking sound too. It was lifters and it went away when it warmed up. That jeep gave me no issues but the capilers loved checking on fire

I'm driving an old XJ I bought for parts here in Australia. I've put 15,000k on it so far and it's great. The old 4.0 has 420,000k on it and still runs like a dream.

Good stuff. Glad to see Angus got himself a solid ride, and also glad to see John landed a police officer job like he's been wanting. And finally thank you for introducing me to QA1 suspension products. I'm currently redoing the suspension on my 67 Camaro and by your recommendation, I decided to go with QA1 and give them a try. Love the content, wrench on!

I had a 98 ZJ Laredo. One of the best rigs I've ever had. It started having some electrical issues so I got rid of it. I still regret it and would love to get another. This brought back alot of great memories. Rain, sleet or snow. My ZJ got me through it all with no problems. Just rugged simple utility with enough comfort. They are great vehicles.

"What do you say?" "I say..." "He says!" "....heck." "oh, heck!" "Heck I say!" "Heck he say!" I love it.

I'm pretty sure when you see copper, that's a Telltale sign of bearings that are shot! I think you're going to be fine because you caught it in time. I would run a slightly heavier viscosity of oil in the future. It's so cool having a shop and the capability of going through a vehicle and replacing all the consumables. If Angus drives that vehicle easy it should last him a long time.

Great video! A few years ago I got a ZJ with a blown Dana35 for less than a thousand bucks. Got another 35 out of a junkyard and she ran flawlessly until I sold it years later for more than twice what I had into it. Cash for clunkers killed most the remaining ZJs off but it meant I had LOTS of parts to pick from.

love the classic grand cherokees, I had a 94 with the inline 6. Would have kept it, if it wasn't completely rotted out and the trans was slipping when going up hill.... And yes, the fuel pump going out is a thing, and yes you have to give it a good 5-10 seconds before turning over the engine, for the fuel pump to properly prime the system. I followed that mantra ever since we replaced the pump in mine.

Super informative and well put together! Love the content!

I like when the gang gets together to work on a project. Great episode!

Well Kevin, the amount of wear on the rod side of those bearings is definitely enough to get rod knock. My guess is that there was some kind of oil additive like STP to thicken the oil and sticky it up just enough to quiet the clatter in both the top and bottom ends. The plastigage only referenced the cap clearance and if you would have checked the rod side it probably wouldn't have registered at all. The roll-in was a good call.👌 The mains would have been a good idea as well, but taking the chance of stressing that rear main seal, definitely not worth the risk.👍 Good luck Angus...🤙

Great to see you guys again! God bless you and be safe out there.

I love this channel. You get to learn alot, and its fun to watch. These guys are awesome hosts and mechanics also

That's right on the hitch - NHTSA claimed most years of the '90s Grand Cherokee and '00s Liberty had increased risk of fire if rear-ended at fairly low speeds, and Chrysler agreed to either install hitches on vehicles without them to better spread out the rear impact force so it didn't hit right into the tank, or inspect any aftermarket hitches to confirm whether they could do the job and replace them if they weren't good enough

Again you guys hit a home run! Fun, educational and authentic :) My favorite channel.

The great thing about JYD and its characters, is that its the perfect mix of entertainment to education, and there are very many thing i have learned about revivals, and have actually revived a chevy c10 with little to no effort.

I've got a 93 Jeep Grand Cherokee it's a 5.2 I've owned it since it was new and it's still my daily driver, I love it as much as I did the day I brought it home

I miss seeing you guys doing videos with Thunderhead 289. Your guy's revival with the satellite was by far my favorite series.

The recall is actually for extra protection in a crash to help prevent the gas tank from being crushed.

Hey Kevin, I enjoy your Channel and Mooks antics, the two of you crack me up. Great job.👍

Best episode ever. You two really work well together and are funny as heck.

Now that's impressive I've never seen anyone put bearings in with the crank in the vehicle absolutely impressive

Wow $600! My soul would leave its body if I could find one that cheap up in Ontario

The black eye makeup looks good on ya Kev! Always a fun time in the junkyard yard digs garage! The paint looks quite nice for it sitting so long! I had a 78 jeep cj7, it looked nice but was a money pit and had everything wrong with it, was glad to see it go!!

Really good video! Love the bit with the joints!

Kevin with the 4.0 they are prone to "piston slap" this is a normal occurrence and won't hurt drivability. My 2nd 98 ZJ has had lifter knock for a year

I enjoyed seeing a later model Jeep on the channel. There are so many out there that make great winter beaters or daily drivers for a low cost investment. Nice showing some basic maintenance and small projects that keep them on the road.

Always epic videos.Blows my mind the shit he gets to start and run.Good job Kevin and friends.

I just can't explain to ya how upset a guy gets when I ain't getting my jyd fix weekly . I know life is probably getting at ya like nobody's business but just figured I'd let ya know I can't wait to see some more of those barn car/truck videos. You guys are one of my top favorite channels to watch. Hope to see lots more here soon.

I absolutely LOVED my 5.2 ZJ grand Cherokee, seeing the thumbnail for this video made my day! I've got a 2nd gen explorer now with a blown trans and I miss the ZJ even more after seeing this 😂

Great video guys I had a 94 and a 96 Grand Cherokee. And it's always a joy seeing you work on something old because then I learn something

Nice work getting it out at the beginning guys @Junkyard Digs

Thanks for sharing the Boltster, that thing looks like one of those things that once you see it, you say to yourself, "why didn't I think of that". Neat product.

I love that you were able to find some tech time even on some reasonably simple maintenance 🤘🤘

Kev, Mook seemed she had had enough of that cold standing in your field 🤣. She looked like, alright can we get this over with already! Your right, it was a change of pace for you and the fellas not doing the old and crusty again. Don’t make it a habit. Love your old and crusty videos Kevin!!! Glad it all worked out in the end. 👍

Episodes like THIS is why I am a faithful subscribe!

You were right about that hitch recall. I never did one but we had stacks of hitches that were a pain to worn around.

I enjoyed this. Mook sure was rather quiet.

I always use non-greasable u-joints on my Jeep axle shafts. They are stronger because they aren't crossed drilled and less likely to break.

The thing with that green plastic strip in the bearing… that’s something I never heard about! Thank you for sharing 👍👍👍😀

Dude that sounds amazing after changing the bearings good job Mook 🍷

Looks great! Awesome job guys. I was hoping y’all would weld some license plates over those rust holes though.

I almost bought one of these for my first car but then I bought a 1997 GMC Jimmy. Have a great day and may GOD bless everyone!

I love Junkyard digs because when I watch you videos I be so happy and I learn very much from your videos and keep the good work up❤

beautiful jeep! glad you got it working!

I legitimately very much want this. The first car I ever drove was a 95 Grand Cherokee, so they have a special place in my heart. Also, that thing can rock-crawl better than you’ll believe even after reading this comment :)

I had two ZJs - 93 4.0 and a 98 5.9. 4.0 was great and never let me down. The 5.9 was amazing. Did a 242 swap and it was a bomb. I miss both of those. Now bombing around in a 2008 Diesel WK and it's still going strong.

I recently discovered your channel. I like that you’ve worked on AMC vehicles. I’ve always felt they were a good value and under-appreciated.

Them 4.0 are known to have a “knock” at idle. I’ve seen a few have loose wrist pins and the pistons are slapping back and forth in the cylinder, so that might be something to look at as well.

Good news is the oil pressure sending unit is working... bad news is I think those are 1 wire ones so that 40psi might not be 40psi.

while i always enjoy every video, Its nice to see you guys working on something different like that. My 01 Cherokee has the 4.0 with 200k, shes got that valve train noise but as long as you keep the oil clean and replaced every 3-5k its not an issue. The 4.0 is one of those engines that are very reliable as long as you do basic maintenance, but if you don't keep up with it, it'll start spinning bearings, or develop piston slap. The oil galleys are small and if sludge starts building up in there, its all over, irreversible damage.

The vibes in the Junkyard Digs garage are always perfect and funny. Lol

I think this is the first video I watch to completion. Great video!

I always look forward to the weekly updates, you guys have built such a great channel. Forget all those scripted big budget fake cable shows, this is the real deal. Great work, keep it up!

We got JYRD digs back with it again! Man you are so cool and you never let me down! Thx for the content!

I love it how this jeep is brought back to life with cheap and easy fixes, because it's a nice looking car that only needs a few rocker panels as far i can tell from this video.

an awesome video AND a Supertroopers reference. this is always the best channel on RU-vid!

I wonder if this man has ever owned a new car

I've had 3 of these Jeeps. If I remember correctly, I think I read somewhere that the oil pressure sensor is fake. It's a switching sensor instead of a variable sensor, so if you have enough pressure to trigger it the gauge will show about 40 regardless.

The GOAT video..loved it! My bet would be a stuck lifter and your boost in oil pressure from new rod bearings unstuck it. You could hear the miss of a cylinder. Great job.

As someone born and raised in the hometown of Jeep, I really like this one; good job boys.

When putting a new fuel pump you should always replace the fuel filter most likely that's what caused the other pump to go bad

Love you guys lots like family hope to hear back from you guys soon thanks and how's your wife's doggie doing these days????

My first JYD episode I ever watched

FYI : When bleeding brakes you should start with the farthest wheel cylinder from the master cylinder.

Those aren't "Pins". They are "Needle bearings".

The month of freedom has been epic 👍🧑‍🔧😂. I can't wait to see what you do for the month of June. You continuously outdo yourself with the content you provide for us over and over. Thank you

I had one of those jeeps given to me. same problem with the master cylinder. replaced it boom brakes were work. had to find a couple vacuum leaks as well. after doing a couple test runs with the transmission went in it. Jasper actually sent me a bad tranny. When I installed it and transmission fluid came pouring out of it from the main seal. Sent it back and got the new put in no problems. I added another transmission cooler just for piece of mind. I think the only other thing I had to do after that was replace a wheel hub. It had a sun roof that was leaking so the interior was pretty rough but was able to clean it up pretty good. Eventually I sold it to my buddies dad. Running strong with out 300k miles now. It technically is on it's 3rd transmission. That's the major downside with those model jeeps. Those transmissions are junk. Great video can't wait to see more jeep projects.

Great revival of an awesome looking Jeep.

Great to see a new video from you guys. Hope the house move went well.

Enjoyed the video as always, best wishes Kevin and Mook

I used to have one of these, I miss it dearly. One of the best vehicles I will ever have. First car, had it for 5 years, had all the bells and whistles.

That's a cool looking Jeep!! The way it's fixed up, I'd be proud to own something like that!