I am looking forward to hearing more, as well. I am ready to push my rear axle back and inch or so.  I will can prefab everything, using the axle from my wrecked Sport and some new parts.

Did you make your lower trailing arms?

It has been a winter of issues for me.  The new crossmember did help with the response to tire ruts on the freeway.  But it appears that other factors may have been more influential.  It appears that my steering box was ever so slightly loose.  Too long of bolts were bottoming out when tightening.  Also back DS control arm bushing was shot.  Also cracks on frame crumple zone that have been repaired and plated.  So hopefully those will take care of steering issues.

I was changing out timing chain, tensioners, and spokets, and ran motor with broken oil pump sproket.  Then timing chain skipped a couple teeth and stopped turning over.
As I have years of wiring issues I decided to follow my advise and get a donor vehicle and start over.  Piece of cake as I already know where everything fits.
So I went through hunting season without my Tracker.  Tore motor tranny TC and all wiring out., and bought an 06 XL7 with 120K miles and one dent in it.
Right now I have almost all the wiring in my Tracker, new motor mounts, motor, transmission, TC with electric shift, all in place.  As motor sets a little different, I have clearance issues with front driveline.  It does start and run, but radiator and other items still need fitting.
To top off this drawn out project I dropped my guard and allowed a flu bug to catch up with me.  Been wasted for a week now and just trying to get back to the garage.

Get well soon. I am glad to see you back on the forum.

wow that sounds like a very rough winter for you hope you get better soon and get the tracker up and running again ....I know you it wont be long and you will be there

Good to hear that you are making progress!  The timing chain system on those motors is a little bit out there isn’t it?

Good to hear that you are making progress!  The timing chain system on those motors is a little bit out there isn’t it?

The timing chains setup seems pretty complex in with colored links and dot alignments.  The colored links are only an initial alignment, and after one revolution you may not see that correct alignment again.  (Obviously those marks will after many revolutions would eventually have to be correct again, but seeing them in alignment may not happen.)  The dot marks do alignment every four revolutions.  And there are two half moon keys on the crankshaft pulley and the back one rotated out twice on me, pushing into and breaking the oil pump sprocket.

The PO of my ‘Kick bought his daughter a Tracker with a 2.5.  He pulled the motor out to reseal the oil pan and replaced the timing chain components and resealed the timing cover.  There are like 4 chains, correct?

The PO of my ‘Kick bought his daughter a Tracker with a 2.5.  He pulled the motor out to reseal the oil pan and replaced the timing chain components and resealed the timing cover.  There are like 4 chains, correct?

Yes.

Working on Tracker was productive.  There is a broken wire between the BCM and junction of BCM, ECM, TCM,  After finding the open wire, I ran a jumper wire from TCM to BCM to proved it fixed the communication issues.  After a permanent jumper is installed, I can finish putting it back together.  Motor sounds good.

good to hear. is it going to be a wiring nightmare like you last motor or did you use the full harness?

I took the advise I have been giving everyone, that it is easier to do a complete swap.  It is easier, but not that much.  I had to find a broken wire on the C-Buss, and just jumpered across from the TCM to effect a fix.  As I Do Not have ABS, Air Bags, TPMS, I am working out issues that create alarms on the dash.  I don't know whether I can create a decent looking Dash pod, or whether I will just run the inputs into my modified dash.  Of course it fell on the floor and cracked the clear plastic front.
I put the XL7 shift linkage in, and it is too tall, so now I have to change it out with my older linkage.  I shifted into reverse and chirped the tires,  same thing going to drive.  Of course my garage floor is pretty smooth so not that big of a deal, but it does engage.
The wiring does look much better than my coupled mess, everywhere.  I am tying up the dash wiring, and have most of motor compartment in place.  Not much room left there.  I have been saying two more weeks for at least a month and half. 
At least now it is running without an alarm.
I want to have it ready before your Whipsay Run.  (I wanted to get up there and do a snow run, but I have been slower than I thought I would be.  Old man syndrome.)

still no idea when that is going to happen, seeing if Eric wants to come up with the Oregon guys but they are traveling through Montana as its a shorter distance but will definitely try and figure something out for the summer months. if you don't rush it then you will get all the bugs out instead of finding them out when its the worst time 

BRD HNTR - How did you setup the air to your lockers?  Are you running the ARB compressor or another one?  Did you add a manifold and connections for airing up, airing down, etc? 

BRD HNTR - How did you setup the air to your lockers?  Are you running the ARB compressor or another one?  Did you add a manifold and connections for airing up, airing down, etc? 

When I installed my first ARB and even the second ARB I ran an air compressor from a Lincoln for seats, and a cheap emergency air compressor for airing up my tires.   It worked fine and I still have it on the bench.  On my first trip to Moab, I was having trouble with non functioning ARB's, so I figured it was the insufficient air compressor that I had, and I purchased a better compressor from ARB.  The ARB compressor I got is capable of running continously for long periods time at pressures under (I think it was) 30 psi.  So now it is the only compressor I have on board.  Also it was not the air compressor I had that was at issue, I had over heated the poly airline and when I put 100 psi on it, it blew a hole in line that would almost close at times making ARB's work sometimes.  I have my ARB compressor mounted under drivers seat, with lines going out the shift  lever hole for front locker and emergency brake hole for rear locker.  Also have an air line fitting on compressor before valves to lockers that I can plug a coiled air line into for airing up tires.  Compressor is a little noisy when running, but I am outside when airing up tires.  It takes a couple seconds to pressureize the compressor to 105 psi, and I can get both lockers locked without compressor cycling back on.  When running locked or turning lockers back on, compressor will cycle, repressurizing system to 105 psi, which usually takes about two seconds.  So you can hear it go brrup occasionally when I am locked.  The lockers have seals so they should not use much air, but each time they are activated it takes a small amount of air.

ARB lir line is 5mm, and very sensitive to heat, so a hot line with 105 psi will rupture quickly.  ARB also has extreme air lines for higher tempeatjure extreme use which are priced accordingly.  Now I run my front air line, which goes over my automatic transmission through a rubber fuel hose to insulate it from the potential heat, and have not had any further blowouts.  My rear air line has not had any issues.  5 mm poly hose is hard to find on the road, so I carry a splice kit, and I put a coil in the line at compressor incase I have to make a trail repair.

The ARB compressor came with a wiring harness that was wired for Air compressor power, then rear ARB, then front ARB.  Compressor has to be on for power to rear switch, and rear ARB has to be on for power to front switch.  I modified my harness so when compressor is on, front or rear can be activated as I choose.

Thanks BRD HNTR.  I am preparing to lock both ends of my Sport.

I have two compressors and I'm trying to decide where they will go. I can fit both compressors under the seat or one compressor under the hood near the brake booster.  I would prefer to run both compressors. 

I found a kit that has BSPT male thread to AN-3 adapters and braided stainless lines to replace the fragile blue hose.  I have thought about running a hard line down the frame with AN /JIC fittings on each end. That would allow me to use short sections of soft line on each end.

The switches will most likely go where my ashtray is. It's the perfect width for 5 ARB / Carling style switches.