...my favorite part of a build - "assembly"! - love bolting up all the freshly painted hardware and then bolting up the components. Inner fenders are in - even splurged for fresh 1/4" black oxide body bolts with free-spin washers, and some hardware is in -

XJ overflow tank, Hyperspark coil, 12v 'switched power' solenoid, and big X2 Power battery (winch controller is currently at the top of the list to fill in the open area...) -




Hyperspark box installed -


Firewall mods done to bolt up the heater and bulkhead ports for the heater hoses - waiting for paint to dry...

 

It will be an absolute crime the first time you put that thing into the mud. It would be a bigger crime if you don't!

Enjoying the show!

 

ha haa yeah I hear ya - fortunately there won't be much mud in this Jeeps' future - just lots of rocks and mountains

**************

So this is interesting. I just tested my fuel system/powered up the OE fuel pump to check for leaks etc, and I noticed I wasn't getting any fuel coming through the return line. To recap, my fuel system consists of an OE in-tank fuel pump module (float-delete), Holley Sniper 2300 2bbl, and a return line. First I thought I had a plugged return port etc., but after talking with Scott at EFI Systems Pro I learned that the Sniper fuel pressure regulator is set at about 60 psi...and there is 58 psi on the mechanical gauge at the throttle body.

What is happening is the fuel pressure regulator in the OE sending unit regulates the fuel pressure to 58 psi, which is juuuust below the threshold for opening the Sniper pressure regulator, which is why I'm not seeing any fuel in the return line. Problem is, I want to circulate cool fuel through the throttle body/fuel lines to eliminate heat etc., and so I am going to try to 'delete' the OE regulator and let the Sniper unit do the job.

So, that's my homework...

 

Alright - finally was able to test my fuel system for leaks, flow etc., before I drop the body on for the last time, and discovered some interesting info. The Sniper has it's own fuel pressure regulator, set right about 63 psi, but I didn't know that the OE JK fuel pump module also had its own internal regulator, apparently set at 60 psi. When I activated the pump, the high pressure side filled up to the Sniper and displayed 58 psi on my mechanical gauge...but...I was not getting any flow out the return line. The reason was because the OE setup doesn't make enough pressure to open the Sniper regulator, which if left alone would essentially turn the Sniper into a 'dead head'...which IIUC is how the factory did it, too. But, because this Jeep will see extreme conditions (including heat soaking), I very much wanted an active fuel return line to continuously circulate cool fuel through the lines and throttle body, eliminating what little heat possible. So, I needed to figure out a way to alter the OE regulator to allow the pump to make more pressure...thus allowing the Sniper regulator to function.

...a'ite - so with that in mind, I pulled the module back out, took it apart all the way down to the pump and regulator (non-serviceable unit my ass), pulled the regulator, and removed the pressure spring. I 'thought' that removing the spring would enable the pump to flow at a higher pressure...but instead it reduced pressure down to about 30 psi.
Here's the basic fuel pump module -


Separate the spring-loaded top half, remove the pump housing, and then with 5 hands separate the filter assembly from the bottom (this was fun) -


this is what the OE Jeep (2014) wrangler fuel pump pressure regulator looks like -


and the pump itself, with the only part numbers I could find being REP500 07-04










Initially I thought I could increase the pressure by removing the pressure spring and remove the valve, but after cutting the end off the regulator and removing the spring the valve wouldn't come out...so I just left it there...






Reassembled and reinstalled everything, activated the pump...and now was only getting ~30 psi, and of course no return line flow. So, apparently (obviously) the spring is necessary to create pressure...but it's a spring...and I need just a little bit more pressure...so if it were a 'tighter' spring it might create more pressure...so with literally nothing to lose...I pulled it all apart, inserted a nylon washer to fill in some of the gap to the plunger, and crimped the housing closed so the plunger couldn't move at all...thus forcing the regulator to be at 'maximum'. Hey it's not like it's gonna blow up...


Slammed it all back together, hit the pump, and with a fully 'closed' OE pressure regulator the system filled all the way up, and made enough pressure to open the Sniper regulator (horray!), and fuel was flowing out the return line (horray!), and the gauge was showing about 64 psi - all now regulated by the Sniper system.

So, learned a lot about how the OE system works...but I'm not really a big fan of smashed-together pressure regulators...and while it would probably function as-is forever...I looked into regulators that might have a higher psi rating that if left alone would accomplish the same overall functionality as I've achieved...and I think I found them. DeatschWerks make 4 regulators, rated at 65 psi, and they all look identical to the JK unit, the differences between them (according to their tech folks) being the application they are for...but they all look identical...so not sure why the different part numbers...but hey it's progress.

SO...to keep the 'closed' regulator in it now...or install a DW unit and hope it is actually a true 65 psi unit - that is the question.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/dwk-6-45-m54

Oh and incidentally, these are the absolute very best gas cans I have ever used - fast-flowing, and no leaks -

https://www.ebay.com/itm/375797050768

and you'll need the respective fill spout -
https://www.ebay.com/itm/28553006826...Bk9SR-7L-setZQ

Awesome gas cans, now my permanent units 👍

- Sam

 

Discovered that Holley is now producing an updated/simpler main harness for their Sniper/HyperSpark kits so grabbed up one of those (consolidated, much simpler to wire up, etc.), and it was SO nice that the first thing I did was take it apart...so I could wrap it with faraday tape. Removed the black tape, took off the outer loom, and like I said wrapped it all with faraday tape. Why? These Snipers are primarily designed and intended to swap onto engines originally running with carburetors...engines that also typically have big powerful energy systems called distributors, coils, and multiple high energy lines called spark plug wires. I fought infuriating EMI/RFI issues with the Sniper on my last machine (proven by the data logs), which were resolved after applying the faraday tape to the harness and wiring the Sniper system directly to the battery, both of which cleared up the issues. So I took a page from that project and applied it to this one in advance.







this is the faraday tape - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097HC9HR7...sin_title&th=1

 

dash is assembled - I'm diggin' it 👍



Also, picked up this really slick 'low-oil-level warning switch' - when submerged in oil (in my case - power steering oil) the switch is 'open' / no signal, and when oil is drained away it's closed, sending 12v to a warning light on the dash - takes about 10 seconds for enough of the fluid to 'drip away' to create the signal - hopefully I can see the light before the system drains itself too much and sucks in a bunch of air.
- Rochester # S286 - Rochester Sensors S286/V03 1/4 in. Male NPTF Brass Oil Level Switch
- Pigtail Raffenday HA-43 - https://www.digikey.com/en/products/...HA-43/13901324

 

Added a set of 'batwings' to the heater box cover - the original design had the lower main vent aiming sorta straight out, and I wanted those two main ports aiming straight down at my feet, so I 'relocated' the two side vents to do just that - worked great. Then rotated the upper ports 90* to the outside to better align with the upper HVAC plumbing. All mating surfaces got a layer of adhesive-backed rubber to help seal them better, and I baked the outer cover to keep down the smell once the heater has 200* coolant flowing through it. Also tested the switch to make sure the motor works etc. - both low and high work as they should, and no funny noises.

Before -


Now -






And my fuel system is good to go. The 65 psi regulator (DeatschWerks Performance In-Tank Regulators 6-45-M54) does indeed provide just a bit more pressure (compared to the OE JK regulator) to enable the Sniper regulator to pop, and the system now performs the way Holley designed it, and no voodoo. I ordered a second M54 regulator and I'll do the same mod to a spare Wrangler JK tank module, so if I ever lose a fuel pump all I have to do is swap the whole module - won't have to tear it apart to swap a pump 👍 .

Here's my 'crushed' demo OE Wrangler JK regulator, and the new M54 unit - they are identical, just with (apparently) a slightly heavier spring in the M54 (65 psi rating). The OE Wrangler is apparently set at 58 psi, while the M54 is rated at 65 psi, thus enabling the ~59 psi Sniper regulator/fuel system to do what it was designed to do . Now I can wrap everything up for good, and the fuel system is verified 'ready' 👍 .

 

I took some online advice and relocated the coil over to the other side, which allowed me to remove about 3 feet of coil wiring, then isolated the coil wires from the main loom and wrapped them in faraday tape, then wrapped a ground wire around both ends and captured them in adhesive shrink wrap, and that aught to provide about as good of RFI resistance as reasonably possible -







Picked up some big 2" square adhesive backed mounting posts to tip tie the harness(es) to the firewall and other places -



...and where the coil used to be provided an excellent place to mount the voltage regulator -



and now I'm about to lay in the main harness, currently with it laying on the engine to checking some lengths -

 

welded some sturdy grab handles to the cage, primed, and painted. With that done I can now install the dash and run the wiring for good -

 

...got a bunch of small stuff hammered out this past week...

Primed/painted the brake pedal bracket and installed the Painless brake light switch -




Lined the inside of the fuse block bracket with door edge guard -




Power steering low-fluid-level warning light switch is installed (about 1/2 inch above the filter) and reservoir is mounted -




Filled the engine with fresh Zerex G05 50/50 to check for leaks...and found one I need to fix -








Needed a way to switch between 'heat' and 'defrost' and found these Y-splitters, and needed a way to mount them up under the dash, so fabbed up a couple brackets that are now welded to the bottom of the cowl behind the dash, and the splitters screw up to the brackets -










Also needed a way to merge the single heater vent output into a dual path, and PVC plumbing from Home Depot supplied the hardware for that. Then, also needed a way to mount them up behind the dash, and several hose clamps welded to the back of the cowl did the trick for that -




Lastly (for today), got a dual port fitting (Nitrous Outlet 00-01705) to house both the fuel pressure warning ight switch (Stewart Warner SW76063) and the Marshal 100 psi fuel pressure gauge (Marshall Instruments MSB00100) -




...mocked up the dash, connected the wiring, and did the final fuel pressure test and everything works as intended: the warning light is on/closed at/below ~37 psi and off/open above it, giving me a simple alert if fuel pressure ever gets wonky -


...then I came in to get some breakfast and get ready for work...