The long haul part 2

[AussieCJ3A]

Day 3 started with a minor shower so we assembled a sheltered work area over the jeep.
The spare hands turned up around 10 am I had the box under the jeep and resting on the jack let the fun begin, we jacked it up dragged it forward wiggled and lifted lowered and wiggled and tried many combinations on trying to get it back together ..success happened with the application of a second jack under the motor a lift here and lower there and the spline slid into the hole. A final reposition of the starter and it mated up tight.chucked a few bolts into the main sections to hold it there so it didn't slide apart. The hands abondoned me to go and try and instal some speakers into another car so I kept on working inserting bellhousing bolts and getting them all up tight final lift of the motor and the crossmember was tightened again. Started on the reversal of the dismantle process tailshafts clutch linkage were put back in . Quick check on the sump revealed that none of the bolts were tight ratch pulled them up nice and firm, this discovery of loose bolts lead me to check the tightness off every bolt unneath and on top. Quiet a few were loose.
The repair works done we packed up all the tools and reloaded my spare parts back into the jeep quick tidy up and few gifts for my mates assistance and I was back on my way. The constant fuel stops were annoying me so I bought a jerry can at the next servo and doubled my travel ranged, things were going well, so I didn't see the jeep slap coming, my late travel start meant I had to turn on the light the came on nice and strong this is great ...1hr down the road and I noticed that the lights were going dull, next servo stop I checked through the electrics looking for the faults couldn't find it ..replaced the dirty fuses and cleaned up the contact points for good measure and bought a cheap torch. It will be right I thought only 45min drive to next stop point.

WRONG again 15 miles outa the next half point pitch dark and the lights were making the engine cough and die.. so I turned the headlights off kept the tails on and illuminated my way with the cheap torch. Got to love the old L134 "Go Devil" engine with its own spark and the poor amount the battery had left to run the tail lights I made it to the halt point and camped up for the night.

Day 4 early start this time 700kms (359-400miles) to cover. Tired the key start, nope no good ..out came good old trusty crank handle one spin and she fired..(damn that engine rebuild was good) fuelled up and cranked it again to get outa the servo off I went. Halfway through the trip I realised I was going to be in the dark for the last 160 miles this was not looking good so I pulled into another set of car shops. Testing began yeap battery's dead dead and alternators not charging right won't be able to get one for a few days. No good for my trip I was supposed to be back yesterday so I hot a new battery chucked in and kept it disconneted. There were a few crank handle starts that day and a few running roadside fuel top ups outa the can. I reconnected the battery when it got dark and ran on low beams through some windy narrow country only using high beam sparingly. 4 miles outa home and I was thinking what a good run when it coughed and spluttered ..I'd forgotten to do a running refuel more concerned with dying lights, it coughed to a stop and I rolled onto the shoulder.. this became painful ..refuelled and cranking over it wouldn't start tried choke full off and half nothing .. pulled the air filters line off and gave it a small drink directly down the carbie and two cranks later I was in business and getting the final drive done.
It was 11pm when I pulled up and could turn it off. Cold and exhausted I slept half of the day away.

Now I just need to rebuild it back to a good running state the motors there so is the body plus a new paint job and rego for a daily mean machine.