New Owner w/ Basic Questions (1980 CJ5)

[Snowcal250]

I am the proud new owner of a 1980 CJ5 with the 2.5L 4speed setup. I am new to the whole jeep lifestyle and have a number of basic questions that I need help finding answers to.

1. What is the proper procedure to engage the 4-wheel drive system?

I put the gear shift in neutral, locked the hubs, and attempted to engage 4wd. When I pushed the stick forward into 4Lo I saw the light in the dash illuminate which indicated 4wd had been engaged. When I attempted to pull it back into 4Hi nothing seemed to happen in regards to the light. By locking the hubs am I in 4Hi? Or is it a separate gear that I wasn't able to engage? Or maybe it engaged and the light doesn't work for 4Hi. Can I engage while moving? Please explain.

2. How does the Choke system work?

The only other vehicle I've used with a Carb used a gas pedal engagement system. One pump of the pedal before turning the ignition would engage the choke. Is it the same on the jeep?

3. Tech Question- I purchased the vehicle with the intention of building an OHV trail rig. That said, it drives great on the street and I am interested in registering it in California. It failed two points of the Smog Check.

Point 1: Fuel Evaporative Control Functional - FAIL
Point 2: CO (%) at 2500 RPM; Max=2.00 Ave=0.40 Meas=2.44

In regards to the CO (%) it passed the check with room to spare at idle. It failed while revved to 2500RPM. Does anyone have any insight as to what I could do to fix this issue? How much I might expect to spend to have it fixed? I also have no idea what the Fuel Evap Control is or how I might fix it. The technician mentioned that there is likely some sort of large leak and possibly corrosion in the tank. I don't know which tank he meant or what was leaking. I basically want to figure out if it would be worth addressing these issues so that I can get out on the road.

I live on the border of Califonia and Nevada so I'm also considering ways of registering the vehicle in Nevada, which would be a last resort.

Thanks for any and all help, I'm excited to get and running in this Forum

 

[IOPort51]

The only advice I can offer on the co2 would be to drive the jeep for about 200 miles at highway speed the day before you went for the test. This is the best way I have found to reduce border line issues like this. A decent tune up with oil change has its advantages as well. Good luck and :ww:.

 

[Snowcal250]

That is an interesting idea, thanks you! I did the exact opposite when I had it tested today. I let it warm up in my driveway for 2 minutes and then drove 1/2 mile to the testing station. Ooops That could address the CO% issue, still not sure about the EVAP issue.

 

[IOPort51]

That is an interesting idea, thanks you! I did the exact opposite when I had it tested today. I let it warm up in my driveway for 2 minutes and then drove 1/2 mile to the testing station. Ooops That could address the CO% issue, still not sure about the EVAP issue.

I would think that would have to have something to do with the fuel evap canister. Maybe a broken hose or something but I have no idea how they test it or what they are testing for. Hang tight, some one will stumble in that knows something about these things and make a suggestion. I hope I have been of some help.

 

[TDHofstetter]

I am the proud new owner of a 1980 CJ5 with the 2.5L 4speed setup. I am new to the whole jeep lifestyle and have a number of basic questions that I need help finding answers to.

1. What is the proper procedure to engage the 4-wheel drive system?

I put the gear shift in neutral, locked the hubs, and attempted to engage 4wd. When I pushed the stick forward into 4Lo I saw the light in the dash illuminate which indicated 4wd had been engaged. When I attempted to pull it back into 4Hi nothing seemed to happen in regards to the light. By locking the hubs am I in 4Hi? Or is it a separate gear that I wasn't able to engage? Or maybe it engaged and the light doesn't work for 4Hi. Can I engage while moving? Please explain.

2. How does the Choke system work?

The only other vehicle I've used with a Carb used a gas pedal engagement system. One pump of the pedal before turning the ignition would engage the choke. Is it the same on the jeep?

3. Tech Question- I purchased the vehicle with the intention of building an OHV trail rig. That said, it drives great on the street and I am interested in registering it in California. It failed two points of the Smog Check.

Point 1: Fuel Evaporative Control Functional - FAIL
Point 2: CO (%) at 2500 RPM; Max=2.00 Ave=0.40 Meas=2.44

In regards to the CO (%) it passed the check with room to spare at idle. It failed while revved to 2500RPM. Does anyone have any insight as to what I could do to fix this issue? How much I might expect to spend to have it fixed? I also have no idea what the Fuel Evap Control is or how I might fix it. The technician mentioned that there is likely some sort of large leak and possibly corrosion in the tank. I don't know which tank he meant or what was leaking. I basically want to figure out if it would be worth addressing these issues so that I can get out on the road.

I live on the border of Califonia and Nevada so I'm also considering ways of registering the vehicle in Nevada, which would be a last resort.

Thanks for any and all help, I'm excited to get and running in this Forum

Lots of questions.

Ok - the four-wheel drive. When you get to a place where it looks like you MIGHT need 4WD, you stop & lock your hubs right then. Later, you might not get a chance. When you're confident that you won't need 3WD any more, unlock the hubs (it saves gas & drives better that way).

Locking the hubs doesn't put you in 4WD. It engages the front wheels to the front axle, but no power's going to the front axle yet - that only happens when you shift the Transfer Case lever into 4Lo or 4Hi.

When you push or pull the lever into 4Lo or 4Hi, you might have to rock the Jeep a tiny bit in first gear or reverse to get it to engage. Do that while you hold pressure against the lever. The gear teeth, for lack of a better layterm, aren't necessarily lined up every time you shift it, but rocking the Jeep will line them up.

If the 4WD light comes in in 4Lo, it WILL also come on in 4Hi when it's fully engaged.

You can shift the Transfer Case into 4Hi from 2Hi while you're driving at speed, as long as the hubs are already locked. You can shift back into 2Hi at driving speed, too... but don't mistakenly pass 2Hi and get it into neutral - you have to stop the Jeep (and sometimes shut it off) to get it back into 2Hi. You CANNOT shift it from 2Hi into 4Lo without stopping the Jeep... and then it should be done - best you can - with one short, swift motion so it won't get caught in neutral along the way.

The choke. If your Jeep hasn't been converted to a manual choke (pull knob on the dash someplace), it'll have an automatic choke that works exactly the same way that previous vehicle did - when it's cold, push the gas pedal once to set the choke, then start it. If you flood it, prop the choke open with a screwdriver or a Bic pen, then hold the gas pedal to the floor until it's started.

The evap canister should be located on the inside of the left front fender, at the rear, down low. It's about the size of a coffee can, all black plastic, with several hoses running to it. You'll see it with the hood open. That canister is an easy replace; label the hoses (three or four), pull them off, unscrew the canister (two screws, I think), and toss it in the junkbucket. Reverse the process to install the new one.

 

[TDHofstetter]

The Evap Canister "Control" fail is related to the small plastic cap (you can't buy just the cap) on the top of the canister. It contains a little valve. One of the hoses delivers raw uncontrolled vacuum to the canister to keep it purged of fuel fumes. Another hose delivers controlled vacuum, only when the engine's warm and the gas pedal is off idle (under load); that controlled vacuum switches on the raw vacuum to purge the canister. If it was on all the time, the Jeep wouldn't idle right.

The little valve in that plastic cap is made of rubber, and it can dry out & crack or develop a pinhole. When it does, it'll leak vacuum... and the raw vacuum won't get switched on, and the canister won't ever get purged. That's what happened in your case - it does, from time to time, and your Jeep is thirty years old. It's about due.

 

[Snowcal250]

Thanks for all the help guys! If my fix is as simple as a tune up and a replacement canister I will be very happy.

New Question. I drove my car to work today and when I finished parking I couldn't get the ignition to turn off. AKA I couldn't turn the key to the off position. I tried all sorts of shimmying and torqueing but could not get the ignition to turn off. I removed the key, turned off all electrical, and now I'm at work. As it is, I can now start the car without a key. Any fixes I can try? I noticed that there was a little metal push lever just below the emergeny lights, but depressing that lever did not allow me to disengage the ignition. That said, I wasn't able to push that lever very far in. Thanks guys for any help.

 

[TDHofstetter]

That little lever is what's SUPPOSED to let you lock the wheel. You push it down with your middle finger (it should move down about an inch) and turn the key with your index finger & thumb.

DOWN.

Not IN.

It sounds like that little lever may have gotten bent so it's no longer sticking out - it should stick out towards the passenger's knee.

...unless it's a different style than I'm imagining, which I doubt...

 

[Snowcal250]

I'm eager to get out of work and see if I can use your advice. Well, I guess i'm just eager to get out of work! My jeep has consumed my thoughts and mind a whole lot more than I expected. I'm assuming i'm not the only one who has experienced this.

I have another question about Cross-Compatibility with other Jeeps. What model year parts from other CJ5 's will work with my 1980 CJ? Is there any compatibility with CJ7 parts? I found a trailer hitch setup online for a 1977 CJ7 that was very reasonably priced, so I am trying to figure out if I could possibly use it.

 

[TDHofstetter]

The hitch MIGHT fit, depending on how it attaches.

There are some important Jeep distinctions you should know about. Of the Jeeps in this range, there's the '72 through '75 CJ5s - they're the beginning of AMC's influence on Jeeps, and they're pretty much all identical but to a degree incompatible with SHEET METAL stuff on later CJs (a lot of the sheet metal is compatible with OLDER Jeeps).

Then there's the '76 through '86 CJs - they're mostly compatible with each other with a few exceptions. The CJ7 frame & body are obviously longer than the CJ5 , made so to accomodate automatic transmissions.

Then we get into the '87 & up Wranglers (from Chrysler's influence - the early Wranglers (YJ) are largely sheet-metal-compatible with CJ7s, but not perfectly. They've got all that dang electronic stuff in 'em for emissions, they've got fuel injection and vacuum-operated 4WD.

Since yours is an '80 CJ5 , you're mostly interested in parts from the '76-to-'86 CJ group... including CJ7s.

If you can determine how that hitch attaches (Frame? Bumper? Aftermarket bumper?), you can probably find it (or something similar) in one of the online CJ-parts catalogs & see whether it's listed as fitting both the CJ5 and the CJ7 .

Examples:

Jeep Parts, Jeep Accessories & Jeep Soft Tops From The Jeep Parts Experts - Quadratec

Jeep CJ5 1955-1983 - Jeep Parts, Jeep Accessories and Jeep Soft Tops from The Jeep Specialists | Morris 4x4 Center

Replacement Jeep Parts, Jeep Accessories, Bumpers, Soft Tops, leading Manufacture OMIX-ADA

Discount Warn Winches, Ramsey Winches and Mile Marker Winches - Every winch on sale. - Acme Jeep Parts

Vintage Jeep Parts - Jeep parts and Jeep accessories for civilian and military Jeeps - Extensive On-Line Catalog.

Jeep Parts and Jeep Accessories for all years and models of Jeeps

JC Whitney for all Auto parts - Car, Truck, Jeep, Motorcycle & RV Parts

 

[Sasquach]

How come I have to wait till I get "off work" to go online and talk CJ?

 

[TDHofstetter]

How come I have to wait till I get "off work" to go online and talk CJ?

Because you're not a (barely) self-employed telecommuting software engineer?

 

[Snowcal250]

I have been unsuccessful in my attempts to disengage the ignition. Consequently, my CJ has been sitting idle in my driveway with a dead battery. I tried pushing the metal lever below the ignition to release it but to no avail. When I hold the metal lever down while turning the ignition on, the turn of the key lifts the metal lever, so I feel like it is actually connected to something, but it's just not allowing me to disengage the ignition. I don't want to have to disconnect the battery everytime I'm done driving, so I would appreciate any more ideas on how I could get the ignition to disengage. Hopefully something that doesn't involve taking apart the entire steering column... Thanks guys!!

 

[TDHofstetter]

Dang - sure sounds like the linkage inside has fallen into disarray. It won't involve taking apart the WHOLE column to fix it, though - just the top end... starting with the wheel. The wheel requires a puller to remove it. You should be able to borrow exactly such a puller from AutoZone, if you have one in the area. Saves ya buying one...

 

[Snowcal250]

Hey guys! Thanks for all of the responses.. I was able to get the ignition to turn off with a little muscle and steering wheel jiggling. It has not gotten stuck since, so who knows what was going on there. Anyways, I am ready to get my new Fuel Evaporative Canister and have not had much luck tracking one down online. I thought that I found the correct part at International Scout Parts - Scout II Parts - Your Authorized IH Lightline Dealer and it was around $60-$70. That Part # was 508891C91.

If anybody could verify that that is the correct part mentioned earlier in the thread I would appreciate it very much. Also, if anybody has any further suggestions for replacement or alternative distributors to purchase from I would be thankful for the help. I'm still adapting to the world of the JEEP!!

 

[TDHofstetter]

Dang a carrot, that canister is a SMEG to find! I'm told that they're the same from your '80 CJ up through the '91 TJ, but I can't verify that.

The Scout canister might or might not work - it could probably be MADE to work; since it works for one engine/tank it can almost certainly be made to work for another engine/tank. But... I wouldn't expect the hoses to be a match fit, and it might take some cobbling to get it to do what it's supposed to do.

For that matter, though... one could argue with just as much validity that nearly any canister from nearly any US-built car with a similar motor could likewise be made to work just as well, if you found one in a salvage yard.

Sure wish I could help more on this one...

We may end up having to disassemble that canister & figure out a way to fix what's there.