Build Thread 79 CJ7 Frame Off Resto 1st Time Project

[Peanut Butter]

So I bought a 1979 Jeep CJ7 I6 GM Turbo 400 QuadraTrac on eBay vrom a guy in the Denver area back in 2008 for ~$1700. Trailered it home and drove it for a few years while working on some rust holes in the body. Added new seats to the interior and pulled all of the junk out. Emmissions air pump was shot, so that came out. Tires were 32x11.5x15. No lift as far as I can tell. Every major componet worked just fine. Started the frame off last year but really been working hard on it this year. Move from Colorado to Texas really helped with the health issues and allowed me to work more on the CJ. Had a Cherokee while in Colorado too, but sold it. (mistake) (it was really nice). So here are some pictures and all the stuff I'm doing if you would like to follow along. All suggestions are welcome. Rod

 

[Petescj]

Lets get the party started. I like bigger pics though.

 

[Peanut Butter]

Ok, how do I get the bigger pic in? I used the add image on the right below the smilies. Rod

 

[Peanut Butter]

Tore everything apart, and I mean everything. Got 30+ years of crud off of the frame and axles. Here is some of it:


Then I used Eastwoods Fast Etch solution to turn the rust into zinc phosphate.


Then I used a coat of Eastwoods rust encapsulator on it.


Next came the POR15 Chassis Black


Finally I topped it off with a gloss black enamal.


Hoprfully it won't rust for awhile! Rod

 

[Peanut Butter]

Pulled the engine and transmision off the frame to clean and paint it. It was real nasty but clenaed up nice. Used VHT Paint on the Transmission and Eastwoods ceramic engine paint for everything else. Rod

 

[Peanut Butter]

So after getting all the painting done, I decided to replace the leaking gaskets to prevent another dirty engine. I ordered a complete gasket set from discountjeepparts since it was cheaper that way than ordering just what I needed. Got the valve cover gasket done and moved to the pan gasket. I was vary happy upon engine inspection to find a very clean engine, no slop, andveything looking really good. Then I looked at the timing chain through the bottom of thecover where it is opened to the oil pan. The chain had a lot of slack in it. When I was driving the Jeep the engine showed no signs of a bad timing chain, so I was surprised. But no big deal. I order one and was glad I found it when I did. Got the cover off and tried to line up the marks on the sprokets........ There wer two markes on the crankshaft sproket and a pointer and a mark on the cam sproket. You can see some of this in the first picture below. So I rotated the engine till two of the marks lined up and check the mark on the crankshaft balancer to see where it was. It lined up TDC. So I felt good to go. I replaced the entire setup. Notice that the Rugged Ridge sproket for the cam is all metal as compared to the plastic teeth on the old one. Might make more noise, but should last longer. See pictures below. So I set the engine on the frame after replacing all the gaskets I needed to just to see what it looked like. Last picture...lokks good to me.

 

[BC CJ]

That is a beautiful rolling chasis. You're doing a great job!

 

[PaRenegade]

Looking good so far, and coming along quick too.

 

[Peanut Butter]

Thanks guys. Got more time than money. Hehehehe Rod

 

[Peanut Butter]

That is a beautiful rolling chasis. You're doing a great job! It's the Chrysler thing that I don't understand.

I was afraid of the metal flake blue for AMC. I've never worked with metal flake before, so I decided not to takw a chance and go the next closest color. Rod

 

[Peanut Butter]

It has been raining here for 40 dys and 40 nights so I haven't worked on the jeep much lately. I did however tare apart my Transfer Case gear reduction unit I got from STORKS in PA just to make sure everything was in order. I feel lucky that I found one. My QuadraTrac didn't come with one. Got it mated up with the transfer case and threw a coat of engine paint on all of it. I also took the cover off of the fork housing that engages the case into "emergency drive". No little spring or ball to be found on the shaft that engages the fork. Not real sure if the diaphram unit really works. My Limited testing says no it doesn't. So now do I replace it ($45 to $90) of design a manual lever to engage the fork? Anyway at this point it is ready to go back on the Transmission and attach the whole unit to the skid plate with new mounts. Here are some pictures: Rod



The Planitary gear is attached to the rear PTO shaft first.



Then the gear reduction unit containing the sun gear is bolted up to the transfer case.


The final assembly:



NOTE: I have the rear cover of the gear reduction unit removed and the PTO shaft out put slipped on so that I can rotate the gears to make it easier to attach to the transmission. Rod

 

[Petescj]

Dave and the guys from Storks Automotive are good people. Ive dealt with them many a time. You were almost in my nieghborhood kinda sorta.

 

[Peanut Butter]

I just happened to see some parts they had listed on eBay, thought I'd call them and see if they had one. Yep, they sure did. $AMC 150 plus about $34 for shipping. I don't think that was too bad given the fact that the junk yards down here have never even heard of a CJ. Rod

 

[mark23487]

Now that's a good lookin' motor and trany!

 

[Peanut Butter]

Re: 79 CJ7 Frame Off Restoration

It's been awhile since I posted any progress. Last January I had a total right knee replacement. So I was out of commission for a couple of months. I started back on my project working on the matching trailer for my Jeep. I was able to work a couple of hours a day without the need to get down on the ground etc. Here are some pictures of the trailer:

This is what it looked like when I got it:


The roof rack didn't come with it. The body was built from galvanized metal. The wheels are from a Subaru Brat.

So I took it all apart and striped the frame of rust.






I primed the underside of the tub and used an undercoating paint on the bottom.


Put it back together and primed the whole thing:


Then painted it with a Ceramic Urethane from Eastwood:






I added LED Lights, reflective strips, new hitch, trailer jack, and wheel bearing grease hubs. I've ordered some chrome trim rings for the wheels. Should be a pretty nice little utility trailer for my Jeep.



Hint: The Jeep will be the same color and type of paint when I get to that part. Rod

 

[Peanut Butter]

Re: 79 CJ7 Frame Off Restoration

Next I started working on some of the sub-components of the Jeep. First was the wiring harness. Like most 30+ year old vehicles it has seen many modifications, lots of dirt and grime to include oil, and was a tangled mess. If the replacement harnesses were a little more affordable I might have bought one, but instead I decided to rebuild mine. First I got a wiring diagram from eBay for my Jeep. It is made by "Prospero's Garage". Well worth the money. It is color coded to the same wires as the actual harness, laminated, and easy use. With this guide I repaired all of the broken links, took out all of the unnecessary splices, and soldered and insulated every connection. Here are some pictures:

Before:




After:




Here is a good example of what I did: Notice the junction for the dash panel lights and instrument cluster.......

Before:


After:


If any of you are thinking of attempting this, I suggest getting the wiring diagram from Prospero"s Garage, use a good soldering gun, and plenty of different sizes of heat shrink. Marine heat shrink is waterproof after heating. It secretes a silicone like substance over the joint. I also use a good heat gun to shrink the tubing. One from Harbor Freight is great for this type of work. Good Luck, Rod

 

[Peanut Butter]

I also bought a four wire wiper motor and the intermittent harness and switch. As it was used and came in a dirty grimy mess, I reworked it also.







Doesn't rain a whole lot in South Central Texas, but we get what I call the drizzly drips when it does rain. This setup should come in handy! Rod

 

[Peanut Butter]

Re: 79 CJ7 Frame Off Restoration

I also reworked my steering column. Took everything apart, cleaned and inspected it. Painted the outer parts to match the Jeep color, and reassembled. There was no need to place the bearings or the turn signal switch as these were just fine. Basically everything just needed cleaning and new paint. Here are the results:

Before:


Teardown:




All of the parts:


In this picture you can see the actual shaft which can be removed from this end now. You also see the shaft that is part of the shift linkage for the automatic Transmission .



Here everything is primed for painting:


And the finished product, minus the steering wheel:



A simple project as long as you keep all of the parts in order. Rod

 

[Peanut Butter]

Re: 79 CJ7 Frame Off Restoration

Day before yesterday I started on the fuel system. Bent one of the fuel lines, installed it. Also installed a new fuel tank and a new skid plate with new straps. Had to do this due to all of the rust on the original parts.



It feels good to start accomplishing some work on this project! Rod

 

[Colo Dean]

Looking good will keep watching the progress.