Great Pumpkin Rebuild

[Comanche_County]

Visited Mr. Durtcshi in Brownwood today, rummaged through his stuff for a while happy as a fat kid in Willy Wonka's Factory. �He let me use his valve machine to grind my valves down. �I thought they were a little bent but its tough to tell. �Still need to clean up the stems....now if only I can get the valve seats like this.   Also picked up some brake items and a Solex carburetor.







Also, my Panacea for most jeep problems (PB+heat+sledge) has failed to remove the remnants of my old shackles...I don't want to have to buy a cutting torch really. �First reason is money related. �The second is because it'll be a huge distraction from the Jeep because I'll be spending all day burning stuff for fun. �Gotta borrow one I guess. �Gonna try a rigged up gear puller next. �If that doesn't work I'll be replacing the spring brackets.

[Comanche_County]

Went down to Mr. Durtcshi's again today. �He taught us how to re-arch springs on an anvil. �Which is simply: bang the heck out of it till it curves more.  Actually there's an art to it, the more you hit it, the more you get a feel for your effect on the metal.� Also played with the press and then found a gem hidden low under a shelf.....







I'm really happy about this one! �Too bad I forgot to bid on a Koenig PTO recently on ebay, I just wasn't watching the time and it got away from me for a price I would have blown outta the water. �Would've been a good match for this little baby.




Picked up a mini RR anvil...


Got back home and continued on the hubs.


My parts washer earning it's keep.

[Comanche_County]

Broke into my little stash of old replacement parts. �Rebuilt both front wheel cylinders and wire wheeled and painted 1/2 of the front axle, the rest included the rear should be done tomorrow. �A little closer to a rolling frame.















Oh, the new Solex...


And my mechanic's service manual came in the mail. �Fast shipping from Kaiser/Willys. �I might as well order a second one because this one will be too greasy and unreadable by the time I'm done with this Jeep, and I've got another CJ3A lined up.

[Comanche_County]

I'm renaming this the "Curse of the Great Pumpkin".

First the bent axle, bent frame, then the flood, now a black widow bite. �I was digging around in my large storage box where I keep pullers, large wrenches and assorted large tools and found this dangling off my pinkie, no ill effects though. �



I'm working on the Rear 44 and have a few questions. �Is this a genuine 51' D44? �I saw how to decode the date somewhere but I can't find it now. �I want to verify so I'm following the right specs for axle end play. �Which I'm setting from scratch. �The center spacer in the diff is loose, and the pinion had a audible "clunk" when turned. �I suspect end play wasn't set right and caused that slop, or its just old. �Also judging by how it had a large and small wheel cylinder on each axle, and the rear brakes were set up with two long shoes on one side and two short ones on the other, I just can't trust any previous work done to it. �I don't have the money right now for new gears and a new diff, so that will have to come later, unless I find a good used set. �Despite the slop and pitting, which will certainly whine, it still has some life in it.









New Pinion seal.


On to the end play...




I'm following the Service Manual and Randy's Ring and Pinion book, I should be able to do it with the available shims I've got. �The SM only details dis-assembly and Randy's explains it ok. �But I've read that I only actually need to do one side due to the axle shafts riding on the spacer in the diff. �Is this so? �The spec is .001"-.005" of end play, correct for 51? �I've read that it's 0.004" to 0.008" for a D41-2.

Ive got a magnetic base dial indicator and after some test fitting today, I should have this put together tomorrow after I get the hubs/drums/wheel studs pressed back together. �I think I should be able to get it in spec after another good cleaning, installing one thick shim on "thinner side" (the bearing cup is about .010" out of the housing), and then using the remaining available shims on the "thicker" side (the bearing cup is about .060" out of the housing) and gradually remove shims until I'm in spec. �Then recheck to ensure I'm .001"-.005" on both sides. �Does this sound like the way to do it?

Thanks,
Jay

Oh yeah, the drums are done and ready to go....This pic was taken before I pressed the wheel studs out and separated the hubs.

[Comanche_County]

I got the rear D44 done. �I've got .002" of end play on one end and .004" on the other. �Dr. Verns pics came in handy. �http://www.vernco.com/RearAxle2/id721.htm. �Hopefully I'll be able to locate the missing vent hole in this axle that I've been searching for.



I moved one of the gaskets, they're not doubled on the final install.

[Comanche_County]

I dropped off three windshields at Mr. Durtschi's, the 51', the 50' and a 74' CJ5. �He's got a glass maker that does flat windshields for 150 installed.

Here's the man himself a day after celebrating his 90th birthday. �I hope I'm still Jeepin' at 90!


So as I bounce between different tasks and problems on this I am making slow and steady progress.

The L head is almost back together... I'm debating taking it to a shop but I couldn't trust anyone unless they had a couple of L heads sitting on the floor and could demonstrate a little knowledge on rebuilding these. �I stopped by the only local shop and they had an F Head ready for pick up. �The guy showed me the receipt - 1,600 bucks! �Part of that was a $250 piston! �No wonder the owner has left it there for 6 months. �

I've got it honed good, its getting rings and a gasket set. �I'll check the compression and do a leak down test when its back together, then if there's problems I guess I'll take it somewhere. �Gotta keep costs as low as I can.




Still trying to get this flapper valve freed up, its being real stubborn. �I may give up on it soon.


Not too comfortable with the water pump either, it doesn't spin as smoothly as I'd like. �Kinda feels like the bearings are slightly brunneled. �

[Comanche_County]

I gave up on these , I've got new brackets ordered.


Also, I can't find a frame shop and I'm trying to figure out how to get this straight....this frame is hurting in a bad way. �I'm going to try some backwoods engineering and put it behind two trees then winch on it. �

[Comanche_County]

Took a while to get the inside of the intake clean...




The T90 was caked in crude, when I got it clean I found it had been repaired sometime in the past.  Everything lines up and the gears still turn fine.

[F Bill]

Wow, that tranny case is an engineering marvel..Need another one?  Your frame needs a Porto Power application.. and LOTS of measuring. If the only thing wrong is the one bend, a porta power placed against the bend, with a chain over the other end of the ram going to the nearest crossmember intersections (Think bow and arrow) will do it.. Along with some heat at the bent part...you need to shrink the flanges at the bend.. How the heck did it get bent like that?

Have you checked with Brownwood Auto Glass (they have the half a car hanging on the wall) and the other glass place down the road from them about windshield pricing?? I am gonna need a couple of 3A pieces made soon myself, and I haven't gotten to know who does the flat work in the area yet.

[Comanche_County]

I'm certain I could find a frame place in DFW that could do what you're describing but I'm afraid they'll charge several hundred dollars or far more than I could buy a replacement frame. �I won't tackle it yet, I'll wait and mull over the damage I'm willing to do the the bank account for a while first.... :-/

I think what happened to the tranny case was that it cracked and someone put the bead all the way around it. �Actually the weld isn't bad, its got good penetration into the case. But I probably should get another one to be safe.

I just keep getting surprised with this one.

That could be the glass guys that Durtschi uses, I'll call tomorrow and ask.

[F Bill]

Do you have access to a 10 ton porto power?  I will try and bring mine down from NY next trip but it will be Christmas at least...I do have the torches here tho.  You gotta make it to Coleman some day.  8-)

[Comanche_County]

Coleman, shoot, you're only an hour away.  I'll definitely load up some day and head out there.   The porta-power,  I don't have one of those but Durtschi does, saw it laying in his shop.  

[Gunslinger]

You could accomplish the same with a good jack, maybe a highlift.  I bent my windshield frame and use a hole in the garage wall and a couple blocks to straighten it, that and my not so trivial weight.  Your going to have to bend that frame a little at a time, start at the edges of the bend and work toward the middle, otherwise you get a double bend, and be careful with the torch.  Sometimes its better to re bend them cold as the energy from bending will spread out over a larger length of the frame. If you are going to heat it, heat it a distance away from the point where you are applying force and move slowly.

[Comanche_County]

I used a high lift on it today, got it pretty close and decided to let the jack sit on all night...I'll try to post pics later.

[F Bill]

It will help to try and "relax" the frame by light tapping with a hammer everywhere you suspect there is a bent part.. You aren't trying to actually hammer the frame straight, more like coaxing the molecules to line up in their new home once you have it straight with a jack.. Hammering  will also help to minimize any springback..