Great Pumpkin Rebuild

[Comanche_County]

Commanche,
I want to thank you for your commitment and your sacrifice, its people like you that make our country what it is, the best place on earth. �Cary on.

Todd

Thanks brother, I appreciate that.

....back on that CJ5 I just resurrected, I let my conscience get the better of me and decided not to sell it without seatbelts and a roll bar, so I pulled those from a YJ, welded it in, took it for another drive and promptly, and embarrassingly, high centered it on a baby sized rock pile.....oh well it was fun getting it out.

[Comanche_County]

After little to no rain all year and the hottest summer on record, the rain finally came down last night. �Some of the CJ3A parts washed downstream, a set of 33" super swampers and a set of 35" Creepy Crawlies are somewhere down river also, a couple of them didn't go far fortunately. �This has only happened twice in the last 10 years that I can remember. �The water has receded about a 18" already, should be gone in a day or two. �I've been tearing it up lately but this is a disheartening setback. �Only good to come out of this is the farmers finally got the rain, but its probably too much, oh and the Rangers won last night!

I'm picking up another CJ3A today also, I'll try to get pics up later.

[Gunslinger]

OHH MAN, that sucks, I hope you get your stuff back and nothing got ruined.  

[Comanche_County]

OHH MAN, that sucks, I hope you get your stuff back and nothing got ruined. �:'(

Still cleaning everything right now. �I think I'll be okay. �There's some smaller pieces I'm going to have to dig around for. �I should be able to find them with a magnet.

I also found a great local place to get parts. �I heard a local legend about an old guy with an entire warehouse full of Willys stuff. �Turned out to be true. �He's an 89 year old WWII vet that flew P38s in the Pacific theater. �He had a stash of 30+ years of Jeeps and Jeep stuff. �I spent a couple of hours there and it was really fun talking to him and listening to his stories. �He was in the Army initially as a mechanic and told me that he and his brother tested some of the early 4 wheel steering prototypes. �He said they were really tippy. �Really great guy and still very sharp and active. �He has everything needed to put together many jeeps. �No overdrives or PTOs though.  At first glance the pics may just look like a cluttered mess, but each box is filled with assorted Willys goodies.

Anyhow, I picked up a few bits from him and I should have a rolling frame in a couple of days.

[Gunslinger]

Does he need help cleaning the place up?

[Comanche_County]

Does he need help cleaning the place up?

Sir, please leave that up to me haha!

[F Bill]

Is that the guy down in Brownwood I keep hearing about?? I called him once and wasn't impressed that he had much, but your pics show a whole different storyl Was it genuine WIllys parts or aftermarket/Crown/Omix stuff he had on teh shelves??

[Comanche_County]

Yes in Brownwood.  The best way to see if he has something is to go in person.  If you're looking for something let me know, I'll gladly go check for you.  Yup a bit of Crown and aftermarket stuff and a very healthy amount of original/pull off parts and lots and lots of "NOS"/older replacement parts.  Several engines L & F heads, a few complete, some just blocks,  engine accessories, cranks, T90s, D18s, and all sorts of other parts.  I was overwhelmed looking at everything.  It's not a business like Crown or Walcks, just a heck of a guy that loves old Jeeps.  He knows his stuff.

[Comanche_County]

The silver lining to the flood is that I'm now the proud owner of a parts washer! �Its now joins my top tier of favorite tools along side my crow bar and 4lb sledge. �The starter, carb, distributor, fuel pump and other assorted parts are now clean and "possibly serviceable". �Still need to test the starter. �When my mechanic's manual arrives in the mail, I may go back through them again. �Got a question on the fuel filter. �How critical is the bottom portion of the pump? �Mine is fried, see the broken/fried wire in the pics. �I've seen several L heads running a simple plastic fuel filter but I'd rather use the original components. �Is this rebuild-able? �





Also, since I don't have a press, I dropped the springs off at a machine shop to get the old worn out bushings pushed out. �But, the spring eye bushings I've got are not the right ones. �They (not pictured) are Crown replacements but unless I'm missing something here, these won't work. �Does anyone know the correct I.D. and O.D. of the correct bushings? �






Here's the pics of the 50' CJ3A I picked up, it runs and it HAS A TITLE! �Its future is still undetermined at this point, but I refuse to cannibalize it for the Pumpkin. �It actually would have been a better candidate for a frame off. �Strange how it was tucked in a back yard just down the road from me. �Usually it only takes one pass down any road for me to spot every Jeep. �










Also, just wondering,,,I lost out on an Ebay auction tonight for a 53' CJ3A with a dual output rear PTO in Abilene, TX. �I wonder if I was betting against you guys, if so, I'm sorry for driving the price up......couldn't help it....an old CJ with a brazen amount of farm implements hanging off it is one of the coolest things I can think of.

Thanks again for all the advice and support!
Jay

[F Bill]

Was that the 3A with rear PTO advertised on Craigslist over by you? I had made an offer sight unseen, but the guy never sent me pictures.....Glad someone besides the rockcrawlers got it. THe guy was hard to get hold of, but called me back the day I left town.

I wouldn't use a plastic inline filter on anything I didn't want to burn up..... Metal for me.. or an original sediment bowl at the carb. I made the plastic filter mistake once, burned up  a perfectly good 1978 Fairmont. OTOH my VW bugs before that  did well with plastic ones. Go figger.

What is that, an electric Stewart warner pump?

[Comanche_County]

I check every CL for half of the state just about everyday.  I didn't see that Ebay PTO jeep on CL or I would have bought it.  I spoke with him on the phone, he told me he had the reserve at $800, good deal IMO.  The white one I picked up wasn't advertised, just sitting in the back yard on four flat tires.

Ok, I was a little confused on what is obviously a second fuel pump.  I've got a mechanical engine mounted fuel pump.  This additional SW pump pictured above was bolted to the frame but not hooked up to the fuel line. I thought it was a sort of powered filter?  I guess I don't need this thing?

[F Bill]

Sometimes an electric pump is put in the system to help out with vapor locking issues. With a good functional mechanical pump and good fuel lines, you shouldn't need it..

Hey if you ever find any DJ stuff you don't want I'd appreciate a heads up.  I guess the white one isn't the one I was trying to buy..

[Comanche_County]

Roger that Bill, I'll keep my eyes peeled.  There's really not much left of the DJ I've got.  Its got a good frame and a non rusted tub, heck I don't even know what year it is.


Also, got a present in the mail!  $50 bucks on the ebay classifieds, I couldn't find one locally.  I'll have the axles done shortly now I've got this.


Tada! A hub puller!

[F Bill]

I LIKE that puller.. that is SWEET!

Might be interested in the remains of your DJ if you don't have plans for it.. I just picked up a 3A frame with the hopes of making it work in my DJ that is all cut up for a replacement motor...

[Comanche_County]

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