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Clay's Build Thread

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#1 · (Edited)
I have been contemplating posting a build thread for awhile. After viewing some of the current ones I got really pumped! I also figured that as long as I was going to be asking for help fixing stuff I might as well have it in the thread... so here we go. My 16 YO son, Clay, and I are building his CJ5. It's a 79 that I acquired in a boat/Jeep trade nearly 2 years ago. I got it for myself but I don't fit well, so I got a 7 and gave him the 5. He is really stoked about building the Jeep and I can't think of a better father/son project. Clay will be doing the work while I supervise ;). The 5 has a 258, T18A, D20 with axles from an 85 CJ7, D30 and AMC20. Gears are 2.72. We will probably go to a 3.73 in the future. It will get the RC 2.5" lift, Procomp 9000 shocks, and a urethane bushing kit (already purchased). It also has a FG tub which will require a bit of glass work. We had already completed the frame resto when we discovered that we didn't do it right. So we took it back down to bare metal again, finding some rot and a few cracks. We should have those repairs made in the next couple of weeks. After that the frame gets POR-15 and black implement paint. In the meantime, we'll be working on getting the engine painted and installing the MC2100. In these pics Clay is prepping the T18A for paint. He wanted to paint it silver with a red stripe, but I put the Kibash on that! So he settled for a silver tranny and red shift levers... when we get there. He plans to paint the rig International red (tractor paint) with a silver tub floor. Hmmmm... maybe! It MIGHT look good. We just finished watching the entire Season 2 of the Rat Patrol... so guess what HE wants to mount up!?!? :laugh:
 

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#4,272 ·
Thanks, Gido.

View attachment 476453

Drive shaft, did you try bending the tabs down? Yes it's basically a dirt/dust shield. Its possible it's thin from rust.

Oil leak, it doesn't appear to be the RMS, the oil is coming from to far toward. Did you reinstall or put a new gasket under the distributor after the pre-lube? Check there.

There should be NO movement of the yoke at the pinion, except rotational.

Bigger tires, these look good. The flares will help fill the gap by 2" or more.

Bill
The DS tabs are broken off. Theyz ain't none. Yep, the dizzy has a gasket, per your earlier instructions. Flares are painted and awaiting their turn for install.

Oh heck... I didn't even think about the intructions in the box!! DUH! Thanks again, Bill! :thumbsup:

I like I like. If you leave the tires that size, you can work on getting more flex ;), but I'm a rock guy (not my fault, its all we have here) so flex is always on my mind.

Bill's right about the DS dust shield. just take a punch (or flat screwdriver) and punch those tabs into the groove in the "other" piece.

My CJ5 rattles when I have the throttle right in between coast and drive, it comes from the t-case (I can feel the shifters rattling). I think its because my drivelines are out of phase by about 5 degrees which causes the yolk to speed up and slow down slightly as the driveline turns which rattles the t-case splines thanks to backlash. I don't feel it under coast or load.
I think the rattling is coming from the pinion shaft. It only does it when I let off the gas. Better check my preload. Do you think I have already ruined the races/bearings?

What's a rock? :dunno:

Wow, just wow..........Clay, have you hugged your parents today???

Yes, I know you busted your tail on the Jeep and you should be proud too....have you hugged your parents today ;)

I think the tire size is perfect :thumbsup:

Thanks, Dave. And, yes, he hugs me every day!

New shoes look great! You should not be able to move that pinion yoke up and down by hand. Something is not right there. I agree with Bill the oil leak appears to be more forward. If it was the RMS, I don't think you would throw oil that far forward. How was the pan mounting surface? Did you dab some RTV in the corners of the transitions? How does the timing chain gasket look? You said you get a rattle when you let off the gas but no vibration? I have a DS from my 7 with a TF999 that I do not plan to use, it might be short enough for your use? I plan to use a DC shaft. If you give me a measurement and it matches it is yours.

P
Pan mounting surface was scraped, washed clean, and wiped with Prep All. For the life of me, I cannot remember if I used RTV on the gasket. I THINK I did, but not sure. Mounting surface was alright, but we had one stripped bolt that Clay chased and used a longer one one to get into new threads. It seemed tighten down alright, but it is in the very front. I'll have look at it tomorrow. I never looked at the timing chain gasket... is that an oops??

Hold on to your DS for now, Paul, and I thank you. I believe ours is alright.

What would you do with up/down pinion play?
 
#4,266 ·
Automotive tire Wood Rim Gas Metal


Drive shaft, did you try bending the tabs down? Yes it's basically a dirt/dust shield. Its possible it's thin from rust.

Oil leak, it doesn't appear to be the RMS, the oil is coming from to far toward. Did you reinstall or put a new gasket under the distributor after the pre-lube? Check there.

There should be NO movement of the yoke at the pinion, except rotational.

Bigger tires, these look good. The flares will help fill the gap by 2" or more.

Bill
 
#4,268 ·
I like I like. If you leave the tires that size, you can work on getting more flex ;), but I'm a rock guy (not my fault, its all we have here) so flex is always on my mind.

Bill's right about the DS dust shield. just take a punch (or flat screwdriver) and punch those tabs into the groove in the "other" piece.

My CJ5 rattles when I have the throttle right in between coast and drive, it comes from the t-case (I can feel the shifters rattling). I think its because my drivelines are out of phase by about 5 degrees which causes the yolk to speed up and slow down slightly as the driveline turns which rattles the t-case splines thanks to backlash. I don't feel it under coast or load.
 
#4,270 ·
New shoes look great! You should not be able to move that pinion yoke up and down by hand. Something is not right there. I agree with Bill the oil leak appears to be more forward. If it was the RMS, I don't think you would throw oil that far forward. How was the pan mounting surface? Did you dab some RTV in the corners of the transitions? How does the timing chain gasket look? You said you get a rattle when you let off the gas but no vibration? I have a DS from my 7 with a TF999 that I do not plan to use, it might be short enough for your use? I plan to use a DC shaft. If you give me a measurement and it matches it is yours.

P
 
#4,275 ·
I am totally honored to have you visit this thread Brent. Thank you very much. The biggest aspect of rebuilding a Jeep is a true desire to do it. It doesn't matter what you do or do not know. That's what this Forum is all about. You see all of these guys that post up comments?? They are all my best friends, and I have only physically met two of them! I think that is utterly amazing. Start your build. Do it because you're serious about it. Stick to it. Post up your questions. You'll make friends too, and they will help you along the way.

Blessings, Bro...
 
#4,273 ·
We have a serious day planned for tomorrow. You're thinking "What's he gonna do to the Jeep tomorrow? I can't wait!" Nothing. We're doing nearly nothing tomorrow on the Jeep. "What could be more serious than working on your Jeep"? Well... let me 'splain it to ya. We are going to host the Annual North Florida Redneck's AirSoft Battle of the Century... or, also known as "Hey Clem, Git Chyore Gun and Foller Me". Lots of little kids and a few BIG kids. :D Here are my Jeep troops making the targets for the walking course. Gonna be fun...
 

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#4,281 ·
Thanks, MoC. I need that reassurance!

Looks nice sitting there in the yard, calling out to Clay to come and take me for a spin! :D :2thumbsup:
Wish you were here to go riding! :thumbsup:

Love the new shoes! Give yourselves a pat on the back. The hard stuff is over with. 
The only way I ever get a pat on the back is if I do it myself! :pout:

Scott I would think your bearings and races are still ok because it's not like some sand or something got In there. But what do I know I have only built two axles and I have yet to finish them. (if only FedEx updated tracking) haha. Lookin great man. But did you torque the nut on the pinion down correctly? It should be around 130lbs? Maybe I can't remember exactly what I did on mine but should be in your manual.
Thanks, Trent. Yeah, I torqued it down, double-checked, triple-checked, etc. I was feeling very confident about the rearend when I finished it.

Not sure about the bearings, but you have nothing to loose in running them. Did you use a crush sleeve or shim pack? Did you torque until the pinion had ~22 inch pounds of rotational resistance??
I used a crush sleeve AND a shim pack. Shim pack for pinion depth, crush sleeve necessary for an AMC20 for preload. Also used a beam-type torque wrench to determine preload. There are a couple pages of the whole process in the thread. I'm planning to tighten the pinion nut enough to eliminate the up/down slop and go with it... unless there is something horribly wrong while turning it by hand.

Scott, Clay's 5 looks immaculate!

My fiancé wants to have one (but baby blue) that she can ride around in some day. So that will be my project when I get the space. I think it's great you and your son have such an awesome project to work on. Clay is a very lucky kid. Me and my dad worked on cars quite a bit when I was growing up but it was because he bought $500 (or cheaper) cars and that's all our family drove. So you can imagine that I got a lot of experience. The only thing he and I bought that was decent was my YJ. That was 12 years ago and I still have it today.

Anyway the jeep looks great and if I was Clay I would make that my DD for a little while.

I'm sure this has been beat to death but I would recommend Clay go into school while his mind is still in that mode. I got my engineering degree and had a great time in college. I also was able to work part-time and do some manufacturing engineering. After college I wanted to get my masters but listened to my mentors who were all engineers. They said to go get some experience so I did. 3-1/2 years later I'm back in school getting my masters but I landed another part-time student engineering position at the local utility.

My point is, he can find work if he looks while in school. Most engineering colleges or departments recommend taking a semester or year off to do a co-op or internship with a company. It makes it a whole lot easier to get in with these companies if you've started your degree.

I know it's all his decision so I hope he does what's best for him. I'm just offering my experience as that's all I can.

I can't wait to for the salsa by the way!

Thanks again Scott and you and Clay keep up the good work.
Hey Lou! Very good to hear from you. Clay plans to earn a welding engineering degree. Right now he is finishing up his AA and some kind of industrial engineering certificate (includes welding, electronics, manufacturing, quality assurance, and one or two other things I can't remember) at the local college... which has just become a 4 year college. The Forestry opportunity is a great one where he could learn so much that will apply to other endeavors, and the state pays for additional ed. Best-case scenario... Clay completes his schooling, gets good experience, blah, blah, blah. Worst-case scenario... Clay stays with Forestry for the next 40 years because he loved working, but mostly because he married his Babe! :D Have to wait and see. Thanks, Lou

Salsa getting mailed Monday. PO was closed Friday!
 
#4,278 ·
Scott I would think your bearings and races are still ok because it's not like some sand or something got In there. But what do I know I have only built two axles and I have yet to finish them. (if only FedEx updated tracking) haha. Lookin great man. But did you torque the nut on the pinion down correctly? It should be around 130lbs? Maybe I can't remember exactly what I did on mine but should be in your manual.
 
#4,279 ·
Not sure about the bearings, but you have nothing to loose in running them. Did you use a crush sleeve or shim pack? Did you torque until the pinion had ~22 inch pounds of rotational resistance??
 
#4,280 ·
Scott, Clay's 5 looks immaculate!

My fiancé wants to have one (but baby blue) that she can ride around in some day. So that will be my project when I get the space. I think it's great you and your son have such an awesome project to work on. Clay is a very lucky kid. Me and my dad worked on cars quite a bit when I was growing up but it was because he bought $500 (or cheaper) cars and that's all our family drove. So you can imagine that I got a lot of experience. The only thing he and I bought that was decent was my YJ. That was 12 years ago and I still have it today.

Anyway the jeep looks great and if I was Clay I would make that my DD for a little while.

I'm sure this has been beat to death but I would recommend Clay go into school while his mind is still in that mode. I got my engineering degree and had a great time in college. I also was able to work part-time and do some manufacturing engineering. After college I wanted to get my masters but listened to my mentors who were all engineers. They said to go get some experience so I did. 3-1/2 years later I'm back in school getting my masters but I landed another part-time student engineering position at the local utility.

My point is, he can find work if he looks while in school. Most engineering colleges or departments recommend taking a semester or year off to do a co-op or internship with a company. It makes it a whole lot easier to get in with these companies if you've started your degree.

I know it's all his decision so I hope he does what's best for him. I'm just offering my experience as that's all I can.

I can't wait to for the salsa by the way!

Thanks again Scott and you and Clay keep up the good work.
 
#4,284 ·
Jeep looks great with the new wheel-tire combo!

About the oil spill...... check the dipstick tube, distributor an fuelpump seals, they do leak (at least mine did) I re-did them all with a thin layer of RTV.
 
#4,287 ·
Here is a clip of the shooting course Hero!! We had a lot of fun yesterday. 17 kids with full-auto rifles, 51 YO knees and a single-shot shotgun, resulted in getting my butt shot off!

 
#4,289 ·
Scott, thinking about that pinion moving around you said it moves up and down? Which means you can probably also move it side to side? You have seen how it all goes together. Any lateral movement would have to be from, a. bearing loose on pinion (you would have noticed right away), b. race loose in bore, again I think you would have noticed, or c. bearing not seated in the race, i.e. crush sleeve did not actually crush. Can you pull/push the pinion in and out with the DS disconnected?
 
#4,292 ·
Clay's Jeep is loaded up early to have it at the shop by 7:30. I wanted to catch the guy when he opened. Warren (the owner/mechanic) is a great guy, and he has done our mechanicing for about 5 years now. He was actually pleased to have the Jeep in his shop. He pulled the pinion yoke off and asked me to bring him the factory 20 yoke. I had swapped a D44 yoke onto it for the benefit of u-bolts vs. straps. So I ran it up there, but it was late, so I'll hear something tomorrow. I'm hoping beyond hope that there is some kind of subtle difference between an AMC 20 and D44 yoke, but I can't see it. I have been told they are completely interchangeable. If the 20 yoke doesn't remedy the rearend problem then Warren will have to go into the R&P... which will humiliate me and bottom out my wallet. So keep your fingers crossed!

Jeep loaded up on a borrowed trailer.

Squaw going with me to town, and she is carrying LOU'S JAR OF SALSA!! YAAAY!!!

Where I am sleeping tonight!

And I have always wanted my very own grill in the rearview shot. Except mine is covered in the morning dew.
 

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#4,299 ·
I have Good News... I think!

My Mechanic just called and told me that I never crushed my crush sleeve. Wow! Backlash was good. My gear pattern is okay. Bearings are good. Just never crushed it, even with my G.I. Joe Kung Fu grip! Can you believe that? Mechanic says he likes to start the crush on a press and crush it maybe 10-12,000ths. The Wise and Knowing Jeepers have spoken! Bill, Paul... as usual, you were right. I feel like a real wuss.

Verifyiing that a D44 yoke DOES fit on an AMC 20! So if you want U-bolts instead of straps this is a good swap.
 
#4,300 ·
Don't feel too bad. I had a crush sleeve for a Chrysler 9.25" that my 660 ft lb impact gun couldn't crush! It was some doorman piece of junk. I replaced it with a good one and it worked great. I later tried to squish it in my 12 ton press and it still wouldn't budge!
 
#4,301 ·
That's really good news, really good!!! You didn't mention the bearings, with the short amount of time on them, I wouldn't think the're hurt.

Bill
 
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