2022 AEV Gladiator Rubicon build

[Flyin6]

Then I just blew the rest of the can on it for a good second coat.

This is about what I was expecting. some of the filler shows and is not completely feathered. I like how the primer shows the defects so it is easier for me to chase after them when the primer dries.

Overall, I'm satisfied with the result thus far.

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[JTdiRtyD]

Then I just blew the rest of the can on it for a good second coat.

This is about what I was expecting. some of the filler shows and is not completely feathered. I like how the primer shows the defects so it is easier for me to chase after them when the primer dries.

Overall, I'm satisfied with the result thus far.

I hate sanding parts, which is why I keep looking at getting one of those 20lb abrasive blaster setups from HF. I dont need a fancy booth, just something I can drag outside when needed.

 

[Flyin6]

I hate sanding parts, which is why I keep looking at getting one of those 20lb abrasive blaster setups from HF. I dont need a fancy booth, just something I can drag outside when needed.

Concur!
I owned that HF blast cabinet for nearly 10 years. Wasn't all that good. Requires modification to actually work...

 

[Flyin6]

Ripp sent me the tune, and I got the thing written into my GPEC5 PCM-Yippee

Then I went for a start

And it started right up, settling into a 1500 RPM cold idle. I let it stay there for a moment to check the oil pressure, which was good. I thought I heard a sound but wasn't sure, so I shut it off and checked everything, which seemed OK. The coolant reservoir was empty, so I topped that up with another 1/3 jug of the Mopar stuff and fired it up again.

That's when it started making a scary sound, which I recorded.

I sent that recording to Ripp and spoke with them on the phone. They and I think there is something wrong, possibly with the supercharger head unit, and they have advised me to begin a teardown to visually inspect. As a precaution, they ordered another unit to be assembled just in case tomorrow's visual inspection goes sideways.

I'm not discouraged. Things happen. A couple of space shuttles blew up, so despite the best engineering, the best craftsmen, and all the QC men can provide, things still sometimes go wrong.

I can say I feel fully supported by Ripp. I heard they were great folks, and with me, they are proving it.

 

[JTdiRtyD]

Ripp sent me the tune, and I got the thing written into my GPEC5 PCM-Yippee

Then I went for a start

And it started right up, settling into a 1500 RPM cold idle. I let it stay there for a moment to check the oil pressure, which was good. I thought I heard a sound but wasn't sure, so I shut it off and checked everything, which seemed OK. The coolant reservoir was empty, so I topped that up with another 1/3 jug of the Mopar stuff and fired it up again.

That's when it started making a scary sound, which I recorded.

I sent that recording to Ripp and spoke with them on the phone. They and I think there is something wrong, possibly with the supercharger head unit, and they have advised me to begin a teardown to visually inspect. As a precaution, they ordered another unit to be assembled just in case tomorrow's visual inspection goes sideways.

I'm not discouraged. Things happen. A couple of space shuttles blew up, so despite the best engineering, the best craftsmen, and all the QC men can provide, things still sometimes go wrong.

I can say I feel fully supported by Ripp. I heard they were great folks, and with me, they are proving it.

Sounds like maybe something is loose in there. You aren't missing a 10mm socket, are you?

 

[Flyin6]

Sounds like maybe something is loose in there. You aren't missing a 10mm socket, are you?

Actually...I can't find the 1/4" drive 10mm...

I took a peek into the inlet volute. Clean as could be. Zero evidence of anything funny so far

 

[Flyin6]

...Still can't find that socket, but I am now sure it is not in the supercharger impeller ;-)

Today, I focused on two areas:
1. Troubleshooting the Supercharger
2. Finishing the bumper

Unfortunately, I had to do a partial teardown in the engine bay. You simply can't see anything well enough to determine whether it is broken, working properly, installed incorrectly, or has a bad attitude.

I have checked every pulley, the belt, all major belt-driven components, the supercharger intake system, and its mounts.
Everything appears to be fine so far.
I even started the engine a couple of times to examine the parts in the dynamic mode.

So far, indications still point to an internal issue in the Vortech blower.

 

[Flyin6]

Back to the bumper. With the required body filler set up and drying time, I would work on the supercharger some, then switch to the bumper. It has now undergone three iterations of plastic filler and smoothing.

 

[Flyin6]

Satisfied that I have gotten it where I wanted it, I sprayed the whole thing with my favorite rust-proofing primer. The next step will be the final coat of paint or urethane bed liner material.

 

[RubiNewbCB]

...Still can't find that socket, but I am now sure it is not in the supercharger impeller ;-)

Today, I focused on two areas:
1. Troubleshooting the Supercharger
2. Finishing the bumper

Unfortunately, I had to do a partial teardown in the engine bay. You simply can't see anything well enough to determine whether it is broken, working properly, installed incorrectly, or has a bad attitude.

I have checked every pulley, the belt, all major belt-driven components, the supercharger intake system, and its mounts.
Everything appears to be fine so far.
I even started the engine a couple of times to examine the parts in the dynamic mode.

So far, indications still point to an internal issue in the Vortech blower.

I've heard Vortechs make that noise before on FoxBodys 5.0s when the bearings were smoked.

 

[Flyin6]

I've heard Vortechs make that noise before on FoxBodys 5.0s when the bearings were smoked.

That might be the case, dunno at the moment

Good: Chris over at Ripp is on top of this. He is staying in touch and said he would have them build another unit just in case mine is defective. Have a bunch of appointments today, but should have it off and inspected by nightfall.
I want to make a point here. These folks at Ripp have supported me throughout this process. They have shipped me parts without charging me, based solely on my word. That's rare these days. Doing something like supercharging your $75K vehicle can be a scary proposition, but when you are supported this well, from a proven company, pulling the trigger is much easier. From my perspective, sure, I would have liked the supercharger to be fine, but with all the support and concern I get from Chris at Ripp, this isn't a huge issue for me.

 

[NC_Overland]

With all due respect, why did you buy an AEV build to swap everything out? Things like that front bumper and the wheels are super desirable and expensive and you paid for them and then you removed them. Change of plans? My apologies if this has previously been discussed. It’s 51 pages and counting.

Don’t get me wrong, I like your Jeep. Also, good luck sorting your supercharger. I’m glad that ripp customer service is stepping up. I’ve heard good things about them from way back in my 3.8l JK days.

 

[bd100]

Wondering what fraction of the swap time was taken up by the larger radiator and associated adjustments? For example could the total swap time be 1/3 less if using the stock radiator?

 

[Flyin6]

Wondering what fraction of the swap time was taken up by the larger radiator and associated adjustments? For example could the total swap time be 1/3 less if using the stock radiator?

At least 1/3, but likely closer to 1/2, of my time was spent on tweaking and modifying. To do this without cleaning every single piece, and not fabbing anything, I could do it in four half days. I was only working a few hours each day with one 8-hour build day. Today, for example, I was only out there about an hour troubleshooting the SC, and the rest was on the bumper and other things.

 

[Flyin6]

Today I pulled the Vortech unit back off to inspect it. Before doing so, I drained the fluid into a clear glass and inspected it. I didn't find anything unusual.

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