Build Thread 79 CJ7 "They’re coming to take me away aha"

[Hedgehog]

Shift forks. From what I can gather, after some internet research on shift forks, the material seems to be, are you ready, nylon. My T-15 has some problems in this same area and I've considered getting some nylon stockings, melting them down and trying to dip my forks myself. Since my fork pads are all but gone, it certainly couldn't hurt. For the T-18 you might be able to replace them with the newer alloy forks. Which brings up another thing. My jeep expert says that the older close ratio T-18 's have forks like yours. The newer and desirable T-18 has the alloy (aluminum) forks. Which begs the question, do you have the more desirable T-18 with the very low first gear?

Love the write-up so far.

The HEI everybody seems to have decided are junk can be made good again by simply using your old distributer gear. I run a DUI Distributor and have absolutely NO complaints with it. Everybody says that the DUI gear is compatible with the stock gear, but just to be sure I used the old gear. Compared to what you've done this is an easy thing to do.

 

[mriplaybass]

Hey there folks - glad to see it's all moving in the right direction...

I will throw out a caution flag though...without starting another religious discussion on 304 ignitions, be very wary of any HEI you ordered, you can have distributor gear vs. cam gear battle royale...

I would get a stock distributor from NAPA for your year/model Jeep (has appropriate cam gear), then add the cap adaptor and MSD cap like I have. You already have a Motorcraft ignition unless the PO removed it for an HEI. If you're still Motorcraft, then get what I have (or BusaDave has) and get some high-end MSD wires and be done. Myself, TeamRush or Dave have some experience with this. TeamRush lives here near me and he can call you if need be.

Thanks 007, already anticipated this problem and will be switching the gear from the old distributor to the new one. Put a micrometer on each distributor, and everything matches. I read in one of Dave's posts this is kind of the ounce of prevention approach.

 

[mriplaybass]

Your definitely catching a bad break here. I'm stripping the Limited this weekend to make room for the Scrambler. I have a gas tank and a power brake system id gladly donate to the cause. Just have to figure out how to get it there

Thanks Pete, kind of looks like the chrome booster and bracket we bought is going to fit. I used the epoxy on our farm tractor tank 2 years ago and it is still holding. We appreciate the offer, and if things do not work out, we may take you up on your offer.

 

[mriplaybass]

[qus have forks like yours. The newer and desirable T-18 has the alloy (aluminote=Hedgehog;208030]Shift forks. From what I can gather, after some internet research on shift forks, the material seems to be, are you ready, nylon. My T-15 has some problems in this same area and I've considered getting some nylon stockings, melting them down and trying to dip my forks myself. Since my fork pads are all but gone, it certainly couldn't hurt. For the T-18 you might be able to replace them with the newer alloy forks. Which brings up another thing. My jeep expert says that the older close ratio T-18 'um) forks. Which begs the question, do you have the more desirable T-18 with the very low first gear?

Love the write-up so far.

The HEI everybody seems to have decided are junk can be made good again by simply using your old distributer gear. I run a DUI Distributor and have absolutely NO complaints with it. Everybody says that the DUI gear is compatible with the stock gear, but just to be sure I used the old gear. Compared to what you've done this is an easy thing to do.[/quote]

[FONT=&quot]Thanks Hedgehog, actually I have a similar idea. Not going to happen before the trip, but this winter I plan to melt down the nylon slides from a snowmobile suspension and try that. It’s designed for friction contact, so what the heck! And we do have the granny low ear, 6.32 I believe. [/FONT]

 

[mriplaybass]

Shift forks. From what I can gather, after some internet research on shift forks, the material seems to be, are you ready, nylon. My T-15 has some problems in this same area and I've considered getting some nylon stockings, melting them down and trying to dip my forks myself. Since my fork pads are all but gone, it certainly couldn't hurt. For the T-18 you might be able to replace them with the newer alloy forks. Which brings up another thing. My jeep expert says that the older close ratio T-18's have forks like yours. The newer and desirable T-18 has the alloy (aluminum) forks. Which begs the question, do you have the more desirable T-18 with the very low first gear?

Love the write-up so far.

The HEI everybody seems to have decided are junk can be made good again by simply using your old distributer gear. I run a DUI Distributor and have absolutely NO complaints with it. Everybody says that the DUI gear is compatible with the stock gear, but just to be sure I used the old gear. Compared to what you've done this is an easy thing to do.

One other thing on the Transmission , Posi looked up the numbers for us and it turns out that this Transmission is out of a 1978 J10 or J20 truck.

 

[Posi]

If you plan to keep the HEI swap the drive gear from the original distributor to the HEI. Just remove the roll pin and it will slide off.

 

[mriplaybass]

[FONT=&quot]We are in the process of taking the Dana 44 apart and cleaning it, (and once again, waiting for parts) so we have moved on to other projects.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I have no idea what is going on with the pilot bushing. Given the past history of this jeep, we do not know if it has the original engine. When I installed the new pilot bushing, it would not go all the way in. I pulled it out and discovered that there was a step in the end of the crank shaft. Not very noticeable, but enough to prevent the bushing from going all the way flush with the end of the crank. The bushing is the same as the one that I took out. Foolish me![/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] I actually took it for granted that since I ordered one for a 79 CJ7 with a AMC 304 , (or was it for a 78 J10?):dunno: which is what the Transmission is out of. I can’t keep things straight anymore! The old bushing was the same dimension as the old one (less the oblong bore) it should be right! Things have been so screwed up with this PO’s disaster that I never know what to expect any more. Nothing matches, everything is “boggered” together, and we are left trying to figure things out.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Anyway, I feel myself being drawn to the dark side (help me Luke Skywalker!). In true PO fashion, I decided to MAKE the bushing fit. I cut the bushing down about .004” about 1/4” from the inner edge, this is just slightly larger than the inner bore of the step. The crank does not appear to be damaged. The bore is smooth and precise. With the step cut into the bushing, it fit like a glove! Forgive me Luke! [/FONT]



[FONT=&quot]Further research indicates that I did indeed have the bushing from a J10, but it is in, it fits, it actually gives additional contact area with the input shaft, and it works!
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[FONT=&quot]Luke! Come over to the dark side. No!No! I won’t do it! I am a jeep healer! My mission is to heal PO’s screw ups. I must continue to resist the pull of the dark side![/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
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[FONT=&quot]Forgive me, I digress. Sometimes I just feel like I am losing my mind every time I go out to our shop to work on this jeep. (They’re coming to take me away aha!)[/FONT]


[FONT=&quot]Back to business. I just came to a very happy realization! We have turned the corner, and the unbuild thread has just become a build thread! The installation of the pilot bushing marks the installation of the first part! We are on a roll![/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] The clutch and pressure plate went in with no problems. We need to make a Transmission cross member, but I would prefer to have the axles in before I do this so that I can build the new cross member with the appropriate down angle to facilitate rear pinion angle. So for now, the Transmission and Transfer Case will have to wait for a while.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]With the Dana 30 up on the bench, we proceeded to rebuild the axle. Pretty much everything was replaced, new bearings, seals, u joints, calipers, brake pads, and an Eaton E locker with 4.56 gears.[/FONT]



[FONT=&quot]We discovered that the ball joints were very hard to move, almost impossible on the left side. There was no play in the joints, so I decided to try lifting the rubber boots and squirting some oil in to see if this would help. No luck. I really did not want to replace the ball joints if I could help it, so thinking what the heck, if I destroy them, they’re no good the way they are (the drag link was actually bent, and I believe the frozen ball joints are the reason) I drilled holes in the bottom of each joint and installed a grease zerk. It worked! Problem solved! The knuckles now move with considerably greater ease. [/FONT]



[FONT=&quot]Ready for the axles. I put the axles in and tightened down the spindles. Before putting the backing plates and rotors on, I decided to rotate the axles to make sure everything was lined up…………….wait a minute…………………the axle only turns about a quarter of a turn then it binds. Is the locker still engaged from when we tested it? ……………….OH OH! The grease zerk I put into the upper ball joint hits the u joint when the axle turns! Even with the low profile zerks as are in the u joint, there is not enough clearance. Well, the grease is already in there and the ball joints turn freely, so I just [/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]removed the zerks, [/FONT] plugged the holes and moved on. If the joints require more grease at a later date, then it’s time to just replace them. Time is getting short, so time to move things along.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rotors, calipers, and everything else in, and the Dana 30 is now another “finished” part of the project.
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[FONT=&quot]We hope to move on to other things this weekend.[/FONT]

 

[Petescj]

Sorry for the cobbled together mess but this thread is a great read. Love the Star Wars references but I always wanted to be Darth Vader more than Luke anyway.

 

[mriplaybass]

Thanks Pete, Sometimes drifting off into a universe from long is the only way to cope with this disaster! I only wish that I could add a light saber to my tool box to make some of those............necessary adjustments,...... to correct the PO's mess easier. (and more fun!)

 

[mriplaybass]

[FONT=&quot]Let the fun resume! Nothing special about rebuilding the Dana 44 rear axle, though as usual, there was more damage than we had expected. The inside of the axle tubes were pretty rusty, but most of it was superficial, so we cleaned them out, pulled the old seals, and removed the carrier. Upon removal of the carrier, we discovered a chip under one of the bearing caps. It was where the cap had the least amount of contact with the housing, so we decided it would not pose a structural problem. The problem we did have though, was removing the axle bearings and collars! I dream of 5 minutes alone with the person who designed this assembly in a room with medieval torture devices! After getting the old bearings and collars off, we had to wait for the new ones to come. The new ones came, but now we discover that we have the wrong outer seals! More waiting, oh well……….not like we are running out of other things to work on. For now, the differential is set up, and we wait for parts.[/FONT]



[FONT=&quot]Our son came out this weekend and gave us a much appreciated hand with our project. He enjoys working on engines, so, have at it son! He took care of a few minor things like a new thermostat, and radiator hoses, but did the thing that I really hate to do, rebuild the carb.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I worked on the brakes. We decided to upgrade to power brakes, so pretty much everything got replaced. I was going to rebuild and convert the original master cylinder over to power brakes, but a rebuilt cylinder was only a little more, so the time savings was worth it. All the lines got replaced along with the proportioning valve which is now adjustable.[/FONT]





[FONT=&quot]The calipers were the “as usual” with this project. One caliper was rebuildable, but the other one was so severely seized that we just decided to replace both of them. The dark side may be calling me, but I must resist when it comes to the brakes.[/FONT]



[FONT=&quot]The geometry of the front steering components was awkward looking to say the least. To correct this, we decided to install a dropped pitman arm. Easy you say? I hear the drums…………….”They’re coming to take me away aha!” I tried a puller……………….no luck………………….let it soak for several days with PB blaster…………..nope!......................I really don’t want to heat it because that will destroy the sector shaft seal, and even though the seals leak, I really don’t want to have to rebuild the gearbox until after the trip. Sigh!.............no other way! Out comes the smoke wrench! (That light saber might come in handy right about now!). Same result. !#%!!**! Take the gearbox out. Once up on the bench, I get an “It’s you or me, this shop is not big enough for both of us” sort of mentality. Get a BIGGER puller and more power! (grunt, grunt, grunt! TheTim the tool man in me is beginning to show! ) I know you are not supposed to use impact tools on a puller like this, but one of us has got to go! 550 ft. lbs. of torque!!! Stand back!............ The impact gun is barely turning,……………then it sounds like a shotgun blast and puller, pitman arm, and gear box all go flying in different directions, and ultimately agree upon the divorce and at last are separated! I WIN!!! Well, after pricing rebuild kits, we are again overwhelmed with common sense and decide for the little extra that a rebuilt gear box would cost, the time it will take to rebuild the old gear box just isn’t worth it. (Why didn’t I have this epiphany before spending hours fighting with that !#%!!**! Pitman arm? :dunno We await another visit from “FedExclaus”. (Ho,Ho,Ho!)[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Just so we don’t run out of things to laugh about…………………Our son noticed that it didn’t take long for bugs to start committing suicide in the bucket he used to drain the radiator anti freeze into. I told him to cover it up, and put it out of the way. Well, to him, out of the way happened to be on my work bench. We decided to call it a day, but first, I wanted to show him a few pictures of the gears in the Transmission that I had on my cell phone. My hands were greasy, so I laid my phone on some nice clean paper towels covering a box on my bench to show him the pictures………………….only…………….it wasn’t a box…………….it was the bucket full of antifreeze! Dive in after it? Or hum taps as it sinks?............... DIVE!!! [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I am pleased to announce phone and I are both doing well! I need a break! We will start in again Sunday. For now it’s time to relax for a while.[/FONT]

 

[Petescj]

This thread is the gift that keeps on giving. looks like you'll have the majority of it rebuilt before Colorado. Question : Did you buy the power brake lines from the master cylinder to the proportioning valve pre bent or did you bend your own? If pre bent where did you get them?

 

[mriplaybass]

Gotta keep up the humor to keep from goin crazy. I bend my own, but Morris has complete sets starting at around $115. I have another source for brake lines at home. I dont know if they sell individual lines though. I will send it to you when I get home from work Friday.

 

[007]

Loving the progress. I know you'll make it and have it on the trailer in mid July.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mriplaybass]

Thanks 007! Sure hope that you are right, really looking forward to seeing everyone again.

 

[mriplaybass]

[FONT=&quot]We are still waiting for some axle seals for the Dana 44 , but that won’t stop us from putting the Transmission , Transfer Case and rear axle in and setting the correct angles and fitting up the cross member. Not real crazy about lying under a vehicle that is only supported by jack stands, so we reach a mile stone. The front tires are on! This also gives us additional ground clearance to work.[/FONT]




[FONT=&quot]With our son helping, the Transmission and Transfer Case go in easily. (Easy? It must be a dream.) [/FONT]



[FONT=&quot]With the engine back in where it belongs, we will no longer need Mount Vesuvius between the front seats.[/FONT]



[FONT=&quot]It would be a little difficult to shift the Transfer Case like this, so a bit of sheet metal fabrication is in the near future. Or maybe……………………..I could take the shift ball off, slip a piece of pipe over the shift rod, weld the pipe to the shift rod, then I have some threaded rod that I could weld to that………………No! I will not cross over!![/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]With the Transmission and Transfer Case in and supported on a jack, and the down angle roughly where I want it, it’s time to set the rear axle in place to do a mock up. I know that by lowering the engine back to where it belongs, the drive shafts could very well be too long, so we need to know this so we can order new ones if necessary. The rear springs are in, and blocks are under them so that the springs have the weight of the vehicle on them. I pick up the axle and start guiding it through the spring on its way over to my son waiting on the other side to guide it through his spring. I try to set my spring perch over the locator pin, but my son keeps on pulling. “Jim, stop pulling, I’m trying to line up the pin.” “Dad, I still need about 6” before I can line up the pin on my side.” “What do you mean? I’m right where I need to be!” “Dad, it looks like the axle is too narrow!” “WHAT???!!!”[/FONT]




[FONT=&quot]After a lot of ……………….loud verbalization……………and a few tools learned how to fly……………….and after my blood pressure returns to normal, I returned to my normal analytical self. There has to be an explanation for this egregious error! I get out the tape measure and measure the hub faces on the old AMC20 . Right around 54” Then the Dana 44 , the same! What’s wrong?? Now keep in mind, though I am a reasonably good mechanic, I am also a relatively new jeeper. I measured the front axle and the springs were roughly 27” on center and the hub faces were 54”. Then I measured the rear springs………………35” centers. ? Remember, my wife, as her name, "oldjeeplady" implies, is the jeep person. She looks at me relieved that calling 911 to summon paramedics will no longer be necessary since I am no longer going to have a stroke. She then says to me, “that’s right! Unlike the CJ5 ’s the CJ7 frames are wider at the back!” Thank you dear! With all of the time I have spent under this jeep you would think that I would have noticed something like that. Oh well, I invoke the new jeeper clause, but now the world is back in focus, and I can return to my happy place again.[/FONT]






[FONT=&quot]So we order a new set of spring perches and move on to something else.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The clutch seemed like something that should be pretty straight forward. I line up the bell crank on the bell housing and try to line it up with the pivot point on the fire wall but it is on a weird angle. I will admit that what had been done, though idiotic, showed some creativity. It really demonstrated the lunacy with which the PO tried to build this jeep. Since the engine had been lifted several inches, the bell crank pivot point was too low. So instead of just bolting a piece of flat steel to the fire wall and bolting the pivot ball to that, the PO cut the pivot ball assembly in half and rewelded the bottom half to the top![/FONT]



[FONT=&quot]We purchased a new pivot assembly and installed it. Now things should go together. Not yet. Again, to compensate for the lifted engine, they shall we say, modified the clutch pedal rod by cutting it and welding in a piece of pipe.[/FONT]




[FONT=&quot]A new one from Morris is on its way.[/FONT]

 

[Hedgehog]

When ordering up the clutch parts go with the Heim Joint conversion. Or you can do it yourself. Makes for a MUCH nicer clutch feel and isn't crazy expensive.

 

[mriplaybass]

[FONT=&quot]It’s been awhile since we posted any updates, but we have not been sitting on our hands. The build has continued at a break neck pace. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Not a whole lot of pictures because a lot of things were pretty routine…….(who am I kidding! That is one word that should never be used in this build!) Anyway, the clutch linkage is assembled and everything works fine. I like Hedgehogs suggestion of the Heim joint, but the OEM clutch rod was already in. Maybe over next winter, we’ll see how the stock one works out.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Dana 44 rear axle is now assembled and installed.[/FONT]





[FONT=&quot]This picture may look like I may have accidentally pressed the shutter on the camera, but it is one of the most significant pictures in this build. All 4 wheels are on! No steering linkage, so not quite a roller yet, but getting close![/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]The left header was hitting the frame, so that was the next project.[/FONT]





[FONT=&quot]I have read on other sites that this is a common problem with these Hedman headers, and a little “persuasion” is required. I tried to pry on them gently but decided incorporating the head as a hold down point was probably not a good idea. Next, I put them on the bench and clamped them down and applied the smoke wrench to key points. No luck. OK, the last resort. I put relief cuts in the header tubes which finally allowed me to move the tubes away from the frame, and re welded them.[/FONT]







[FONT=&quot]This did get the header away from the frame about ½” to ¾ “, however in so doing, it also put the header very close to the starter, and especially the starter wire. The driver side header was almost against the clutch bell crank and nearly touching the new motor mount that I had just put in. I GIVE UP!!! Too much wasted time! We ordered a set of new aftermarket cast iron manifolds and moved on to the Transmission cross member.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]In the interest of kicking this project in high gear, I had considered spacing the POS piece of diamond plate cross member that the PO put in away from the frame, and just using it until I had more time to make a better one. I dragged it back into the shop and stood there looking at it in all its bent and twisted glory…………Once again, the dark side is calling me ………….. Use the Force! Don’t give in! Even though this would save a ton of time, I just can’t see us using this bent piece of scrap metal for a crossmember.[/FONT]




[FONT=&quot]I started to design a nice crossmember to somewhat replicate some of the ones that I have seen on various forums, but again, time is short, so I settled for a really basic one. Not real pretty, and I could have saved an inch to an inch and a half of ground clearance with better design, but this will do for now.[/FONT]










[FONT=&quot]It looks a lot lower than it actually is. That big ol’ T-18 really hangs down, and the Transfer Case drain plug is even with the top of the tube.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]TaDa! The CJ is officially a roller with the installation of the steering linkages.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] For the few dollars more, we went with a new steering gear box instead of rebuilding the old one, and since the PO had put in power steering hoses from who knows what (flares did not even match so the PO just put in a bunch of “O” rings, rubber washers, or what ever to make the hoses seal) new hoses were also added to the mix.[/FONT]



[FONT=&quot]We also decided going with a dropped pitman arm to give better steering geometry would be a good idea since the old straight one may have contributed to bending the linkage before we got the jeep.[/FONT]







[FONT=&quot]The new exhaust manifolds arrived last week, and as usual, disappointment arrived with them. I put them against the header flange to make sure they were the right ones. Looks like the bolt holes all line up, and the ports are the same. I lowered them into place just to make sure they would fit in the space alloted, and they did. Matched them against the gaskets, all is well….??? !!#%!**. I wish we were playing horse shoes or hand grenades where close counts! Engine parts however, have to be exact. I could not see it in spite of all my checking, but the manifolds hit the head bolts thereby raising the manifold just enough so that the bolts for the center 2 cylinders won’t line up close enough! (I think to myself “now would be a great time to have one of those above mentioned hand grenades!!”) Thank you Omix-ADA and all the wonderful junk from China! [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Hard to see, but the manifold bolts have not even been tightened because it would probably crack the manifold if I force it.[/FONT]






[FONT=&quot]Passenger side is even worse. Several of you suggested that I use studs, so I tried studs on this side. The manifolds would not even pull up to the head.[/FONT]





[FONT=&quot]I didn’t bother putting the nuts on since this is where the manifolds bound up on the studs. To force them any further would only damage something. The vendor would not talk to me on the phone, only emails, so I just ordered a new set elsewhere It took all week to get close to a solution. After claims that they have sold over 50 sets of these manifolds with no problems, and “generously” offering to waive the 30% restocking fee, I blew! I sent an email telling them again that the manifolds were defective, and they should also pay return shipping. I got an email yesterday stating that they think that the manufacturer should probably have no problem with this. So we wait. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]We moved on to a few other things. The replacement for the broken distributor cap arrived, so the plug wires are now cut and installed.[/FONT]




[FONT=&quot]Something looks wrong here, nice new distributor and wires, new power brake components, hoses?? Geezzz that engine is filthy! Oh well, something to do over next winter![/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]This might not look like much, but for us it is a momentous occasion.[/FONT]



[FONT=&quot]The switches for the Elockers are finally in! The big hole in the dash is just a speaker hole.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Other things that have been completed:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]All new brake lines are in and bled.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]All new parking brake cables.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]New speedometer cable.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Made a new torque arm for the Transmission . (thought I had a pic. Will add later.)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rebuilt clutch bell crank.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Cut off top of Transmission dog house since with engine in correct position, the tall box is no longer needed. New cover to be fabricated soon.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Fuel tank has a new sending unit, and is back where it belongs.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]All lights have been rewired and now work.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I know there is more, but I hear Oldjeeplady getting ready to have at it (no, not that!:drool so off to the shop for another day of fun. We will post more soon.[/FONT]

 

[mriplaybass]

[FONT=&quot]The new manifolds came and they fit like a glove![/FONT]





[FONT=&quot]Since there is now a custom made crossmember to accommodate the Transmission adapter from the J series truck, a factory exhaust system is out of the question. I started by making my own flanges out of 3/8” steel.[/FONT]





[FONT=&quot]I purchased some reducers at the local parts house and tacked them to the flanges to do a mock up. I was amazed, given the extremely Limited space under the jeep, how many “over the counter” 90 and 45 degree bend pipes fit right in. I did however have to make a few bends myself to make things fit.[/FONT]



[FONT=&quot]Bends made, and with a little gentle persuasion, the exhaust system went in a whole lot easier than I was expecting! [/FONT]








[FONT=&quot]I didn’t have too many problems getting as far as the mufflers, but when it came to going over the rear axle, I knew there was going to be problems. The bends were too tight to use my tube bender. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Much beyond 30 degrees, and all that happens is the tube kinks. The bender is really not for such light gauge tube. [/FONT]Oldjeeplady came in with a pipe in her hand from what we consider to be the “junk pile”, and said “how about this one?” I could not believe it! An old pipe, that really was not that old, from our 59 “one piece at a time” build was literally a perfect fit! As seen on the right side of the above photo. All we had to do was make it a little longer coming out the back.[/FONT]



[FONT=&quot]I know that the pipes look uneven. They are. I don’t think that the 79 CJ7 was intended to have dual exhaust, and since the OEM parts would not fit, duals it is! The fit is obviously very tight but nothing hits or rubs. There are a few places where just to be safe, we are going to wrap the exhaust with header wrap. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]And to the great group going to Ouray in a few weeks, sorry for the glass packs, try though I did, there was just no room for oval mufflers. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Maybe over next winter we may try to find other mufflers.[/FONT] Right now we are in the “git er done” mode.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The steering has been aligned, (toe) and all the clamps are now tightened.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Time for the once over to make sure that there are no bolts left untightened, and everything is in its place. Lay down on the creeper for one more ride under the jeep. What’s this?? Oil running down the inside of the left rear tire. I wondered about this. The inner axle seals that I ordered were just regular seals. I kind of expected seals that had the additional metal “funnel” that helps guide the axle into the tube like the Dana 30 front uses, but those were what was listed, so I put them in. I am guessing that I knocked the spring out while installing the axles, and now it leaks!
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]OK, further research indicates that there are seals that do indeed have the metal funnel, so I order a set and head off to work Monday morning not looking forward to pulling everything apart when I get home Friday.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Got home yesterday and the new seals had arrived. I proceeded to take the axle apart to replace the inner seals. No oil in the axle tube! What the????
I can’t believe this!! I can’t even invoke the “new jeeper” excuse on this one! The oil turned out to be brake fluid that had dripped along the edge of the brake drum and down the tire while we were bleeding the brakes last week! Nothing wrong with the seal, so not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, I put everything back together.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]When we filled the radiator, there was a leak at the thermostat housing, so I ordered a new one and installed it. No more leaks. Time to see if we did everything on the engine correctly.

Moment of truth. Hit the starter, and the engine cranks but won’t fire. I check for spark, and nothing. No power to the distributor. Turns out to only be a loose wire. Fix that and the engine starts. I set the timing, and the ol’ AMC 304 is running smooth as silk!

The engine seems to be running pretty rich. I talked with 007 who has the same carb, about jetting, and I have decided to replace the 49s with 45s as we had discussed. I also talked to a carb guy in Colorado who agrees with this change for the Ouray area. The new jets should be here Monday. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
So what next? Surely there has to be something to delay us further. We can’t find anything. Could it be time??? ……………………..Really?.............................Right now??.................[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]IT LIVES!!!! [/FONT]



[FONT=&quot]All of our gas cans are empty except for one 2 gallon can, so we can’t really drive too far until we get enough gas in the jeep to make it to the gas station, but we had a lot of fun tearing up the pasture! Everything works. This is really the first time I have driven a CJ, so the handling seems foreign to me, but I am sure I will get used to it. I am not sure if I should put the front sway bar on since this jeep is going to be primarily an off road vehicle. More research needs to be done.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Though far from done, we can now start putting some miles on before heading to Ouray later this month. Over the next 3 weeks we will work on making the bumper, skid plate, spare tire carrier, and fitting up the top and doors to name a few of the many other items needed. But for now, looks like we met our deadline on exactly the last day I wanted in order to have sufficient testing time.[/FONT]


[FONT=&quot]Barring something blowing up , looks like we made it!!
[/FONT]

 

[Lumpy Grits]

OUTSTANDING
Great story!
LG

 

[Hedgehog]

Nicely done .... So, I hate to bring this up. ...... I had exhaust pipes that came out in the back essentially where yours do. Hate to say this but it was awful. The blunt nature of the rear end of a CJ creates a vacuum that fills with exhaust fumes. If you have a nicely fitting top you might get away with it, but in an open CJ the fumes were terrible. I had to add bends to allow the exhaust to exit at the rear corners which put in the turbulent air flow and eliminated the problem. I hated to do it, my CJ came with great looking square tips and the sound was VERY hot rod like, a nice burble. Cutting off the tips and adding a bend at the end changed the sound more than expected, but at least I don't stink of exhaust anymore. I hope you don't experience the same problem, but be aware.

RED! That's a lot of red for what looks like a flat black jeep! I like it!