First Time On The Road

[athawk11]

Austin,
You wouldn't be the fist guy to get good at holding it in gear at just the right time.  Enjoy the darn thing.  When you're ready, just don't make the mistake I made. (Piece meal replacement on parts). I had this thing apart 5 or 6 times replacing one part at a time.  Not a good plan of attack.

Tim

[macrisel]

Don't be afrain of rebuilding the transmission or transfer case yourself.  While it certainly sounds complicated, it really is not.  There are several great guides (with lots of photos) on this forum and the 2A forum that walk you through step-by-step.  The hardest part of the rebuild is determining what parts are bad/worn without having new/good parts to compare them to.  In my opinion, if there is a question of good/bad on a part, get a new one and replace it while it is out.  (Only use NOS or used OEM parts)

Rebuilding my tranny/t-case was one of the most rewarding parts of my rebuild.  Plus, it will get you some major respect in hot rod circles.  You can be talking to a guy that has built a twin turbo 502 big block in an Impala and tell him you rebuilt your own motor and he may smile politely.  When you tell him you rebuilt your own tranny, his eyes bulge out and he'll look at you like your crazy.

[Austin]

My plan is to find a part jeep and rebuild the transmission first and then put it in my jeep immediately so I dont have any down time. This way I wont be in a rush either and wont end up messing anything up. I would like to rebuild the engine too. My engine isnt bad, it just smokes a little. Not a big deal, but the more you mess with the jeeps the more meticulous you get about small things.