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walkerhoundvm's rebuild thread

walkerhoundvm

Just trying to stay upright
Lifetime Member
City
Cave Creek
State
AZ
This morning I troubleshot my misbehaving ignition system. Thanks to wm69 for help with this!

Symptoms:
1) not shutting off when I turned the key off.

2) ability to start without the key in the ignition

3) difficulty turning key in cold temps - stiff ignition.

I picked up a new ignition switch, a new lock cylinder, and a new sector gear and rack. The other day I installed the ignition switch. It was a bit tricky until I took out a couple large bolts holding the steering wheel up, so I could lower it a little to reach the screw furthest from the firewall. It's kinda clamped under some things so it helped to have room to get a wrench in there and actually see what I was wrenching.

The new switch solved problem #1, not shutting off, but not the others, so I waited until the new cylinder and sector/rack came in yesterday.

This morning, I pulled apart the upper portion of the steering column using some great instructions I found by John Strenk. I got the old lock cylinder out, pulled the old sector gear out (which is cast, not plastic like the replacement), and cleaned it up using a toothbrush and soap. Sprayed a bit of WD-40 into the rack area, toothbrush again and then some paper towels to clean everything up. Fresh lithium grease on the old sector gear, and reinstalled it. That takes some trial and error if you weren't paying attention to how it came out. You've got to get it lined up right so when you install the cylinder everything works as it should. Took me a couple of tries. I ended up reusing my original sector gear and rack, and will be returning the ones I bought.

Installed the replacement lock cylinder and got it locked in, everything seems to work as it should now. Won't turn without a key, and seems to want to turn easier now.

One thing I found out was that I have an accessory spot on the switch, but nothing comes on. Is that just an old CJ thing, or did I install the ignition switch one space off? Turning the ignition on seems to hit all the right spots, but when I turn it back - which I couldn't do with the old lock cylinder, nothing comes on

...Figured it out - my radio was plugged into the wrong spot in the fuse box. After plugging it in to the radio slot, all works as it should!
 

wm69

Scrambler Junkie
Silver Member
Lifetime Member
City
God's Country
State
AR
This morning I troubleshot my misbehaving ignition system. Thanks to wm69 for help with this!

Symptoms:
1) not shutting off when I turned the key off.

2) ability to start without the key in the ignition

3) difficulty turning key in cold temps - stiff ignition.

I picked up a new ignition switch, a new lock cylinder, and a new sector gear and rack. The other day I installed the ignition switch. It was a bit tricky until I took out a couple large bolts holding the steering wheel up, so I could lower it a little to reach the screw furthest from the firewall. It's kinda clamped under some things so it helped to have room to get a wrench in there and actually see what I was wrenching.

The new switch solved problem #1, not shutting off, but not the others, so I waited until the new cylinder and sector/rack came in yesterday.

This morning, I pulled apart the upper portion of the steering column using some great instructions I found by John Strenk. I got the old lock cylinder out, pulled the old sector gear out (which is cast, not plastic like the replacement), and cleaned it up using a toothbrush and soap. Sprayed a bit of WD-40 into the rack area, toothbrush again and then some paper towels to clean everything up. Fresh lithium grease on the old sector gear, and reinstalled it. That takes some trial and error if you weren't paying attention to how it came out. You've got to get it lined up right so when you install the cylinder everything works as it should. Took me a couple of tries. I ended up reusing my original sector gear and rack, and will be returning the ones I bought.

Installed the replacement lock cylinder and got it locked in, everything seems to work as it should now. Won't turn without a key, and seems to want to turn easier now.

One thing I found out was that I have an accessory spot on the switch, but nothing comes on. Is that just an old CJ thing, or did I install the ignition switch one space off? Turning the ignition on seems to hit all the right spots, but when I turn it back - which I couldn't do with the old lock cylinder, nothing comes on

...Figured it out - my radio was plugged into the wrong spot in the fuse box. After plugging it in to the radio slot, all works as it should!

Glad you got it figured out. I MAW'd mine (might as well) and pulled the column, put new switch in, new lower bearing, and cleaned all the old grease out. Works much better now.
 

walkerhoundvm

Just trying to stay upright
Lifetime Member
City
Cave Creek
State
AZ
I'm amazed at how much crud gets up in there at the top end of the steering wheel. I replaced my turn signal switch very early on (may be somewhere here at the start). When I had the wheel broken down I cleaned out that old switch again - it's a huge change in how easily it switches now, too. All that gunk built up there in less than 5 years/25K miles.
 

walkerhoundvm

Just trying to stay upright
Lifetime Member
City
Cave Creek
State
AZ
Coming up on my 5 year anniversary!!

Today it was about 80 degrees and I didn't have a lot to do at work. Ran home to take care of housework and wait on something special from the UPS delivery man!

While I was waiting, I had ordered some new dash lights, courtesy of DirtyB's thread last year:

For the blinkers, oil and voltmeter lights

For everything else


Neither my 4WD nor brake lights worked in the past, and the rest of my speedo lights were intermittent, so I was hopeful. While changing the old out for the new, I sanded up the connections so there'd be good electrical flow.

Happy to say for the first time, all of my dash lights work! And they're bright as all getout, just like DirtyB promised :)

Sometime last year I bought an old set of the accessory lamps - fan, heat, etc. I had a bunch of new housings so just swapped the old films into the new housings for that old-timey CJ green feel :)

IMG_20150316_142502.jpg

What's left to do?

1. Work on the Dana 44NT rear I picked up last month, swap in 3.31s +/- locker; same for Dana 30 front.

2. Hope I can find a soft top bag for hard doors in nutmeg.

3. Tub work or new tub and paint (been saying that this whole time!)

Something tells me it's going to be a race between #2 and #3, with my money on #3 happening first. At this rate it'll be another 5 years!
 
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walkerhoundvm

Just trying to stay upright
Lifetime Member
City
Cave Creek
State
AZ
It's been three years since I updated this thread, and in preparation for the restoration I thought it would be a good time to bring it back to life.

Fitting, then, that I spent the past week working on something that I first cut my teeth on 8 years ago - the rear main seal and oil pan. I made the mistake of doing my last oil change with synthetic, opening up every leaking inch of gasket.

All this work, and some motivation from a couple board members, finally got me in the mood to start the restoration, so I contacted Drew at the Jeep Farm here in Phoenix, ordered up a new tub from Willys-Overland, and told the wife.

Some photos of the hoard:

20180401_065435.jpg

Nutmeg pieces - half soft top, tonneau, Laredo rear seat (under bestop covers), nutmeg console with refab pad.

20180401_070527.jpg

Mud flaps, painless kit, WORKING cassette deck, tach, clock, and badges.

20180401_071141.jpg

All the interior decals.

My plan is to go back to the original color (copper brown metallic) with the full nutmeg Laredo trim, half soft top, soft doors, and tonneau.
 

walkerhoundvm

Just trying to stay upright
Lifetime Member
City
Cave Creek
State
AZ
Here are some photos as she sits, slowly rotting away.

20180401_112218.jpg

20180401_113317.jpg

20180401_113332.jpg

Engine bay and front bumper with warn 8074 and turn signal lights.
 

walkerhoundvm

Just trying to stay upright
Lifetime Member
City
Cave Creek
State
AZ
The Jeep Farm has scheduled her in this fall. We'll be replacing the tub, repainting, and adding all those little things I've accumulated over the past 8 years.

Not pictured - Laredo dash, Jeep bed box, fender flares, and maybe some aluminum running boards.

I've got a Dana 44 rear nt that is getting rebuilt, and the front Dana 30 will be rebuilt later with 3.73 gears. I may eventually move up to 32 inch tires, we'll see.
 

bigwalton

Alaskan Postal nutjob
FORUM MANAGER
SOA Member
City
Dexter
State
MI
Awesome to hear that this is happening, what a great set of parts :drool:
 

certifiablejeep

Definitley Certifiable
Lifetime Member
City
Bedford
State
NH
Sounds like it will be a very nice finished product when it is done... love that color combo!

cb
 

tower210

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Olathe
State
KS
Woot!

Glad to see this is happening!!

Is the 258 moving across?
 

walkerhoundvm

Just trying to stay upright
Lifetime Member
City
Cave Creek
State
AZ
The 258 is going to make the cut, but only because I don't have the budget for a swap and it's doing OK right now. Maybe at a later date, but I'm going to try to get as much life out of the 258 as I can.
 

AJ2393

Scrambled in the Head
Silver Member
Lifetime Member
City
North Dighton
State
MA
Not that you asked, but I noticed it is still running manual brakes. I suggest upgrade to power brakes if your doing all this work. Be a shame to get this far and not be able to keep her out of the back of somebody else. More importantly, glad you never gave up on her and your on the way to getting her done the way you want!!
 

walkerhoundvm

Just trying to stay upright
Lifetime Member
City
Cave Creek
State
AZ
That's in the plans :)

Edit: up to and including full discs ;)
 
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walkerhoundvm

Just trying to stay upright
Lifetime Member
City
Cave Creek
State
AZ
Got my new antique plates in the mail yesterday. Someone at ADOT obviously thinks they're funny. This jeep wishes it had 49hp.

On another note, the replitub is expected to arrive on Tuesday! :woohoo:
 

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walkerhoundvm

Just trying to stay upright
Lifetime Member
City
Cave Creek
State
AZ
:DROOL: I want rear discs too!!!

I ended up reworking the 11" drums that came with the Dana 44. I've also got one of the MBM power brake kits that Morris sells. I think I'll be OK stopping.

Pics on progress to come at a later date. I've got her mostly stripped down, just in a holding pattern waiting for the shop to have room open. I have a spare bedroom crammed with parts, the wife is almost as excited as I am to get things moving.
 
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