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bigwalton's Postal Stroker

I still have updates to make on this thread, work has been utterly insane lately.

BUT… today I got all hot and bothered over one small thing for the Postal. Using the Compushift controller for the AW4 means I have an Up/Down manual option for control. This is like the evolution of what I had before and I gain full customization of the shift points in auto mode.

For the up/down shifting I just needed momentary switches for each one that connect the up/down feed to a common wire.

I LOVED my little shifter that I had and I didn’t want pushbuttons for this that I had to look at to locate and use, so a toggle was my obvious answer. But finding a momentary 2-position toggle with a decently long handle was much harder than I ever thought it would be. I finally found a good candidate and bought three hoping that the “feel” was good. Solid but not too hard. With firm enough action that it couldn’t accidentally shift.

They finally got here today and I am THRILLED!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ClBt_zD58mY1QQRMIQiJgbr9LSDTGEKw/view?usp=drivesdk

To make it more “shifter like” the realization hit me that a valve stem cap might be close to perfect size for the end of this… so I ordered a set of these. I was going to glue it on but I realized I could cut the end off a stem and glue the threads on. Then I’ll have the ability to swap it out on a whim! So that’s the plan.

I had to get an idea what it would look like, so I fit up a short boot I ordered and jammed the cap on with some paper to wedge it on…

IMG_3478.MOV

drive.google.com drive.google.com

Hope those links work…

This one little thing has me absolutely GEEKED OUT!!!! :bacon:
 
Well, time to fess up, I have done almost nothing on this all fall/winter. While it was great that @dmorolli loaned me wheel dollies for the postal, my plan to pull it out to work on it and push it back to keep one garage spot available for the wife just wasn't terribly practical. I also have found out EXACTLY what "paralysis by analysis" means. Every time I would think about working on anyting, I'd think about the 6 related things that are tied to whatver that thing was. I'd also look at wherever I would be working and think "man, I really need to completely clean this first."

I'd end up debating/hemming/hawing/attempting to clean something and get frustrated.

Then my lack of progress and the GIANT pile of boxes/parts in my office staring at me everyday got depressing and it started a spiral... I finally moved the boxes into the living room we never use so I don't have them constantly in view, mocking me. The freakishly cold winter this year didn't help my motivation to get out there at all either.

Last weekend, I moved Kate's Jeep over to the single garage spot (not her favorite, but at least it's inside) and pulled the postal over where I can actually get to it. Now I've either added to my stress because Kate's will be kicked into the driveway when Mater comes out of storage or I'll finally get my ass in gear.

I've come to the realization that good enough is going to have to be good enough and I can't optimize everything in all the ways I was hoping because nothing's ever getting done.

After I pulled it out I HAD to do something productive in the little time I had, so I pulled out all the leaky OBA hose that I installed that was supposed to be temporary when I did it years ago. I wanted to put in the new, proper line and fittings I have along with new air chucks for both bumpers, but I started thinking about what else I would need to run along with those lines... so I stopped.

Let's see if I can get my lame ass in gear finally... I figure it'll be next year to get it going at this point but this needs to progress. :banghead:
 
bigwalton said:
Well, time to fess up, I have done almost nothing on this all fall/winter. While it was great that @dmorolli loaned me wheel dollies for the postal, my plan to pull it out to work on it and push it back to keep one garage spot available for the wife just wasn't terribly practical. I also have found out EXACTLY what "paralysis by analysis" means. Every time I would think about working on anyting, I'd think about the 6 related things that are tied to whatver that thing was. I'd also look at wherever I would be working and think "man, I really need to completely clean this first."

I'd end up debating/hemming/hawing/attempting to clean something and get frustrated.

Then my lack of progress and the GIANT pile of boxes/parts in my office staring at me everyday got depressing and it started a spiral... I finally moved the boxes into the living room we never use so I don't have them constantly in view, mocking me. The freakishly cold winter this year didn't help my motivation to get out there at all either.

Last weekend, I moved Kate's Jeep over to the single garage spot (not her favorite, but at least it's inside) and pulled the postal over where I can actually get to it. Now I've either added to my stress because Kate's will be kicked into the driveway when Mater comes out of storage or I'll finally get my ass in gear.

I've come to the realization that good enough is going to have to be good enough and I can't optimize everything in all the ways I was hoping because nothing's ever getting done.

After I pulled it out I HAD to do something productive in the little time I had, so I pulled out all the leaky OBA hose that I installed that was supposed to be temporary when I did it years ago. I wanted to put in the new, proper line and fittings I have along with new air chucks for both bumpers, but I started thinking about what else I would need to run along with those lines... so I stopped.

Let's see if I can get my lame ass in gear finally... I figure it'll be next year to get it going at this point but this needs to progress. :banghead:
Click to expand...
I have to 2nd the freak winter... the cold/snow has been quite impressive. Been 10 years since it has been like this. Spent 3 hours last night digging out from the blizzard of `26 (still more to go).

I am finding the paralysis as well. It is as "simple" as breaking down into small tasks and accomplishing one at a time and onto the next one. However, in practice, that is rarely the case, especially when there is life going on all around.

cb
 
certifiablejeep said:
I have to 2nd the freak winter... the cold/snow has been quite impressive. Been 10 years since it has been like this. Spent 3 hours last night digging out from the blizzard of `26 (still more to go).

I am finding the paralysis as well. It is as "simple" as breaking down into small tasks and accomplishing one at a time and onto the next one. However, in practice, that is rarely the case, especially when there is life going on all around.

cb
Click to expand...
Simple like putting in new OBA lines... but they were running from the tank under the bed to the front and rear tied up with the auxillary wiring I added to make the postal top lights I added for SEMA... maybe I should pull all of that out to do it right... well, it's highly unlikely that I'll ever use the top like that again, so no real need for those lights... should I just pull all that wiring and relays out? But I actually did that kind of nicely for as fast as I did it... but it really adds a ton of wires in the engine bay where it's all picking up power... and the relay box is taking up bed space since I never mounted it exactly the way I'd intended... maybe I should mount it right and leave it... if I pull it all, how should I mount the OBA lines better... maybe I should get those nice clamps and drill/tap holes in the frame, but how many things total would I want clamped in there to know what to buy...

yeah, pretty much like that about 100 different things with this.
 
Been there - and still am on a lot of projects. (Willys Wagon project - lost count of the years in the garage, maybe 26 now? Swapped in a 4.0L from a 1996 XJ when it was still fairly modern! But I try to do something on it at least once a year and it is now drivable!) Maybe it's a sign of too many project Jeeps?

My time seems to be so limited anymore and when I have time, it seems I so exhausted it's hard to get going on a big project that I know I cannot finish in a weekend or whatever. I find sometimes you just have to jump in with both feet, make compromises and focus on the immediate project/goal/problem. If it's convenient to piggyback something(s) small along the way w/o going too far out of the way of the immediate project I'll include them, but if those something(s) are going to derail the project, I am "learning" to compromise and save them for another time. It sucks, but sometimes you have to draw the line and just know you will be back in there again in the future.

Hang in there and pick away at it. Even if you can find an hour here and there it can feel like progress if you set your "daily" goal small enough to accomplish. Good Luck, hope this rambling helps.
 
That’s what I’ve started trying to do. Picked the new fuel tank and access hatch next.

Going to spend a day out there on Thursday with a pair of extra hands through!
 
Lol. I relate to this. I haven't touched a thing on my Jeeps all winter. I wish I could blame the indoor baseball practices, but in reality I did have a little time. It's really hard to find motivation when everything is cramped in the garage for the winter. Not much room to do anything.
 
Didn’t get out there on Thursday after all and now the kid’s XJ needs injectors. Good times!
 
It's like I tell my guys - you gotta start to finish. And as soon as I start I say if it ain't one thing it's another. Keep plugging away. We'll keep you motivated!
 
bigwalton said:
Didn’t get out there on Thursday after all and now the kid’s XJ needs injectors. Good times!
Click to expand...
As noted, just keep plugging... Finally got the powertrain back in our Corvair and running. Been out since Oct. Had a few issues along the way, but just kept at it. Would be nice to see the old Postal in July, but if not, at least make progress on getting it there...
 
Hey Eric, we're going to need to chat. I've been away from the site for awhile with life. I came back to look at the 4.0 swap information here as I just picked up a stroker for my 8. I've been away so long, I didn't realize you were in the middle of a swap too. It looks like you've got a good head start though!
 
You’d think so, but I’ve done very little thus far. Congrats on the stroker, we can definitely compare notes.
 
Update to say that I've done basically nothing. Kate had major surgery in May (she's going great!) and a couple of different things happened with work that have made my life revolve around that for a month and a half (14-16 hour days, working weekends). So I get to look at the Postal sitting there in shambles every time I go into the garage...
 
How about I get something done?

I do have things I should have posted in here. Mainly reworking the under dash wiring harness to make it work for the RHD (the firewalls aren’t simply mirrored in these). The way the wires exited the fuse block under the dash (straight up) wouldn’t work for me so I had to separate the block halves and route he wires out the sides. That’s in and I have the wires routed to their various locations for shortening and termination.

Sandblast KILLED me without the postal a second year so I’ve kicked my own ass and Kate is now fully space driving me to get out there more.

So, rather than trying to get on the wiring again (which was very discouraging) I tackled the fuel system.

Going in tank with a Tanks Inc pump in a new Genright tank and I got their fuel tank access hatch for the bed (since I refuse to drop the tank to deal with a pump/sender.)

Started with the hatch. Realize that in a Scrambler the hatch BARELY fits between two bed stiffeners. Glad I did a lot of measuring before cutting. I realized that the hole they suggest isn’t really needed for the fore/aft dimension and I only did 11.5” to clear the inside “lip” of the hole frame. Then I trimmed back the very ends of the ribs just enough to let it drop in flush. (The hole they said to cut would have been the full size of where I cut the ribs back to and would have gotten up into both frame stiffeners/a good bit of one if I didn’t cut the other.)

I’m debating not bothering with ALL of the rivet holes and opening up four or eight of them and countersinking some stainless screws/nuts. I don’t really love the idea of rivets and the trim job I did was amazing because the frame does not move in the slightest when dropped in.

Thinking about just putting anti skid tape stuff on the hatch, paint is just going to get beat straight to hell.

Would you believe that this is the first (and only) time the stock tank has been dropped in my ownership?
IMG_7781.jpeg

Before the carnage begins. Remarkably good thanks to the World Cab never being off before I owned it.
IMG_7782.jpeg

I figured out that using the frame this way was the best way to mark the cut line. The notches for the ribs were perfect.
IMG_7784.jpeg

Marked… deep breath. I used a step bit to put 3/4” holes in the corners to get room for my hackzall blade.
IMG_7785.jpeg

Dread turned to excitement when I saw that I got the measurements dead nuts and now had easy access for everything.
IMG_7789.jpeg

This shows the trimming on the ribs. You can see the edge of the bed reinforcement below it that is left by doing the hole this way. It wouldn’t have cut much, but I didn’t want to take any more than absolutely necessary.
IMG_7793.jpeg

Dropped in. It fits exactly between the two ribs on the outside with VERY little wiggle room. The frame is basically locked in, with no wiggle at all, unusually good work for me.
IMG_7790.jpeg

Can see what I did versus the instructions.
IMG_7794.jpeg


So as soon as I had it sitting in place, I had to jam the tank in to see what the view/access was like… the tank isn’t fully in place and the pic isn’t directly above the hole but this will be absolute perfection as you’ll see when the pump goes in.
IMG_7792.jpeg

And with the cover installed.
IMG_7791.jpeg

It sits barely proud of the ribs.

I am STOKED about this now after being scared to death of the idea of getting this installed knowing how much I had to cut.
 
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On to the tank now. Genright tank with a Tanks Inc pump matched to the flow rate needed for the engine per the injectors we went with. Got the extension setup to be sure to reach the bottom of the tank.

Tank is set up for a YJ pump but I need more flow, so I am using the block-out plate for the pump to mount a Holley lidar non-contact level sender.

Then I’m drilling the right side for the pump assembly. Fitting it between an internal baffle, the tapered back end of the tank and the vent fitting hole was a lot of measuring. Tanks Inc wants the baffle tray side-to-side so it’s basically sitting just in front of the sloped rear end pointing into the back corner.

As far as I got tonight. Pump hole cut (another nail biter) and fitment of everything verified. Have to assemble the pump (need some fuel proof sealant for the fittings) and cut the block off plate for the level sender (sitting upside down in the pic.)

Called Speedhut about the sender and their gauge. There’s a bench calibration procedure you do on the sender, then you can use the Speedhut custom empty/full setting with an empty/full tank to calibrate the gauge.

(Vent popped out for hole sawing and painters tape was to seal up the holes from as much metal dust as possible)

IMG_7841.jpeg
 
Got the frame and cover painted, still think I'll add non-skid to the cover but since I was already painting...

Decided to just do 8 bolts/locknuts on the frame to hold it in, picked up stainless allen head hardware today for that. Also grabbed the fuel proof thread sealant to get the pump assembly together. Got a lot of holes to drill between that and the level sender. Going to need to rig up a setup for the bench calibration on it...
 
Touched up the cut edges with the grey implement paint and had to drop in the painted frame before heading up to the dunes so I could say I did something on the Postal five days in a row…

Looks right at home with the grey bits
IMG_7846.jpegIMG_7849.jpeg
 
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