This March, 2024, marks the 20 year anniversary of when Enginetech engineer, Will Pollard, bought his first new car, a humble Jeep. Since then, he has done everything right to keep it running. We asked Will, “How?!”. Here is what he had to say:
“Taking care of your equipment is a recipe for many miles of adventures.”
The Origins of Will’s Jeep.
Will bought his Jeep Wrangler X back in March of 2004 with only 5 miles on the odometer. Prior to this vehicle, Will had never purchased a new car. Rather, he would purchase older vehicles from individuals or car lots and get them running properly again. The Wrangler X is original, and has never been rebuilt. It now has 243,000+ miles on it!
And it’s still going!
Will has never rebuilt the engine or transmission on his Jeep. However, he has done the following:
| Mods | ||
| 3.5″ Springs | Rubicon Express | |
| Bump stops | Daystar | |
| Adjustable control arms | Rusty’s Offroad Products | |
| Adjustable track bars | JKS | |
| Slip yoke eliminator and driveshaft | PORC | |
| Shocks | Bilstein | |
| 33″ tires | Various | |
| 4.56 gears | Yukon | |
| 1″ Body lift | JKS | |
| Sway Bar Links- Front | Rubicon Express | |
| Sway Bar Links- Rear | Rubicon Express | |
| Repairs | ||
| Water pump | Murray | |
| Radiator | Summit Racing | |
| Throw-out bearing / Clutch | Luk | |
| Flywheel | Luk | |
| Clutch Fork | Omix-Ada | |
| Driveshaft pinion yoke | Omix-Ada | |
| Heater core | ||
| Diff | Omix-Ada | |
| Ring Gear | Motive | |
| Valve cover | Crown | |
| Ignition rail | Jeep | |
| Catalytic converters | Flowmaster | |
| Muffler | Walker | |
| CV Rebuild kit | Spicer | |
| Harmonic Balancer | Crown | |
| Steering Links | Crown | |
| Steering Damper | Monroe | |
| Control Arm Bushings | Moog | |
| Transmission Mount | Anchor | |
| Tie Rod Ends | Moog | |
| Maintenance | ||
| Regular maintenance-fluid changes | ||
| Brakes | 2 front sets & 1 Rear set | |
| Front Rotors | 1 set | |
| Spark plugs | 3 sets | |
| Tires | 5th set | |
| Soft top | 3rd one | |
| Wheel alignments | 3 times | |
His Most Important Tip.
Just like any piece of equipment all require maintenance for proper operation and longevity. This is for all systems of the vehicle, engine, transmission, suspension, coolant, brakes, HVAC and electrical. Read the owner’s manual and become familiar with the operation and maintenance schedule requirements of the vehicle. Between maintenance intervals make it a point to check all fluid levels and look the vehicle over for potential leaks, loose parts and unusual sounds and smells. Ensure any maintenance and repairs performed are completed using quality fluids and parts. If the vehicle is used in extreme conditions such as salted ice roads, racing at the track or off-road adventures, be sure to clean the vehicle thoroughly and check it over for potential issues. Go ahead and address any maintenance required that may have resulted from that extreme environment…fluid changes, brakes, tires, etc…
On a couple of occasions, he’s been approached at traffic intersections with offers to buy the Jeep. All we can say is: Nice Job, Will!
Enginetech has hundreds of parts available for Jeep applications, and we have experts in house to assist you! We also sponsor JeepSolid on YouTube, a creator who rebuilds Jeep engines in videos and live streams using Enginetech parts. Visit us online at enginetech.com, or give us a call at 1 (800) 869- 8711 today to learn more!
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