Build Thread My '77 CJ5 rebuild
polish85
Active Jeeper
Just wanted to say thanks for all the other build threads that are out there. I really enjoy reading them and learning how everyone is going about rebuilding their JEEPS. I finally decided to make one myself.
I have a 1977 CJ5 that i got back in August for what i thought was not such a bad price ($2900). Im from the Charlotte area and they dont come around that often unless they have major issues.
The PO said he used it for a daily driver, not sure if this is really ture. I got the Jeep and drove it home, about 100 miles to Charlotte, and by the time i got it home it had almost ZERO oil left in it. Anywhere oil could be leaking out of it was!
Fist thing i did was try to locate where the oil was leaking from. Came to realize it was from the rear mail seal and valve cover. So i started my never ending oil leak project
. (I know the basics about auto mechanics but never did anything major before so i figured this jeep would be a good learning experience).
First problem i ran into was that i couldn't pull the oil pan out without lifting the engine up about 3 inches. One of the moter mounts wouldnt clear without lifting it up. I didn't know what to use so I put 2 1x4 on my jack and up it went (will try to find the picture of this). When i finally got the oil pan out there was a lot of gunk in it. Not sure what the PO put in it to stop the oil from leaking when i was test driving it but there was a lot of
. BTW the PO also said he replaced the rear main seal. When i got to the Rear Main he infact did replace the seal, BUT only the bottom portion 
. The PO wasn't the smartest of people as you will see later on. Took about 30 min to get the top portion of the seal out and it looked like it was in there from 77! After Slapping everything back together and putting oil it, I was ready to give it it's first test drive. I FAILED! 10 min ride and there was oil everywhere again. Back under the Jeep i go. Realized that the oil pan gasket wasnt on there correctly so i figured i would use RTV so it would move when i was tightening it (I have pictures/videos of all this that i will post when im home). But once again I failed! At this point im thinking the Oil pan is warped but im not giving up! Back up the engine goes and this time RTV everywhere and then gasket and then more RTV. Finally the oil stops leaking, well about 95% of it. I currently have a very slow leak from what looks like the pully area. I will get to this later on but for now im ok with the slow leak.
When i got the jeep the only part i knew i needed to replace was the Carb. I went ahead and upgraded to a 2 BB Weber carb which works like a champ (Figured i would go ahead and spend some money on this $324). Ran into a problem where the studs that hold the carb down were to long so i had to get them cut in order to mount the carb.
So finally the jeep is street ready. I go to the DMV to register it and on the way back I go to press the brakes and a loud boom! I lost my brakes!!! Lukely i was only about a mile from my house and it was early in the morning so not to mcuh traffic. Took the drums off and realized that everything needed to be replaced including the drums! Replaced everything from the springs, shoes, adjuster, cylinders, hoses, and drums starting with the back and worked my way to the front. Also my MC was leaking so i went ahead and grabbed a new one from Auto Zone ($20). When i got to the front i noticed something wasn't right. The PO i guess attempted to put new shoes on and he put the 2 bigger shoes on 1 side and the 2 smaller ones on the other side. I just started laughing. Changed everything out and now have brand new brakes all the way around!
Sooooo,
Now its ready!
NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The big boom was my wheel bearing blowing out basically.
I went ahead and got the inner and outer bearing and seals. When i was taking off the bearing i noticed this.
We had to cut off the inner piece of the bearing! Finally i got everything off and went to put the new bearing in when i realized that the racing snapped
and shaved off some of the wheel hub causing it to be 2 loose. Back to the internet to find a new wheel hub. 1 week later i got the new hub ($89) and this is what it all looks like now. 
So after a few months of work i managed to get it running and stopping under its own power.
Gatta do some work (since im at work) will add more in a few hours.
I have a 1977 CJ5 that i got back in August for what i thought was not such a bad price ($2900). Im from the Charlotte area and they dont come around that often unless they have major issues.
The PO said he used it for a daily driver, not sure if this is really ture. I got the Jeep and drove it home, about 100 miles to Charlotte, and by the time i got it home it had almost ZERO oil left in it. Anywhere oil could be leaking out of it was!
Fist thing i did was try to locate where the oil was leaking from. Came to realize it was from the rear mail seal and valve cover. So i started my never ending oil leak project
. (I know the basics about auto mechanics but never did anything major before so i figured this jeep would be a good learning experience). First problem i ran into was that i couldn't pull the oil pan out without lifting the engine up about 3 inches. One of the moter mounts wouldnt clear without lifting it up. I didn't know what to use so I put 2 1x4 on my jack and up it went (will try to find the picture of this). When i finally got the oil pan out there was a lot of gunk in it. Not sure what the PO put in it to stop the oil from leaking when i was test driving it but there was a lot of
. BTW the PO also said he replaced the rear main seal. When i got to the Rear Main he infact did replace the seal, BUT only the bottom portion . The PO wasn't the smartest of people as you will see later on. Took about 30 min to get the top portion of the seal out and it looked like it was in there from 77! After Slapping everything back together and putting oil it, I was ready to give it it's first test drive. I FAILED! 10 min ride and there was oil everywhere again. Back under the Jeep i go. Realized that the oil pan gasket wasnt on there correctly so i figured i would use RTV so it would move when i was tightening it (I have pictures/videos of all this that i will post when im home). But once again I failed! At this point im thinking the Oil pan is warped but im not giving up! Back up the engine goes and this time RTV everywhere and then gasket and then more RTV. Finally the oil stops leaking, well about 95% of it. I currently have a very slow leak from what looks like the pully area. I will get to this later on but for now im ok with the slow leak.When i got the jeep the only part i knew i needed to replace was the Carb. I went ahead and upgraded to a 2 BB Weber carb which works like a champ (Figured i would go ahead and spend some money on this $324). Ran into a problem where the studs that hold the carb down were to long so i had to get them cut in order to mount the carb.
So finally the jeep is street ready. I go to the DMV to register it and on the way back I go to press the brakes and a loud boom!
I lost my brakes!!! Lukely i was only about a mile from my house and it was early in the morning so not to mcuh traffic. Took the drums off and realized that everything needed to be replaced including the drums! Replaced everything from the springs, shoes, adjuster, cylinders, hoses, and drums starting with the back and worked my way to the front. Also my MC was leaking so i went ahead and grabbed a new one from Auto Zone ($20). When i got to the front i noticed something wasn't right. The PO i guess attempted to put new shoes on and he put the 2 bigger shoes on 1 side and the 2 smaller ones on the other side. I just started laughing. Changed everything out and now have brand new brakes all the way around! Sooooo,
Now its ready!
NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The big boom was my wheel bearing blowing out basically.
I went ahead and got the inner and outer bearing and seals. When i was taking off the bearing i noticed this.
We had to cut off the inner piece of the bearing! Finally i got everything off and went to put the new bearing in when i realized that the racing snapped
and shaved off some of the wheel hub causing it to be 2 loose. Back to the internet to find a new wheel hub. 1 week later i got the new hub ($89) and this is what it all looks like now. 
So after a few months of work i managed to get it running and stopping under its own power.
Gatta do some work (since im at work) will add more in a few hours.
