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Clay's Build Thread

556K views 5K replies 145 participants last post by  Skerr 
#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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#3 ·
My step father did the same with me when I was 15 with a 67 Mustang. I can't think of a better foundation to learn endless lessons not only pertaining to mechanics.

Me too. :popCorn:
 
#8 ·
Looks Good! Im also thinking of silver for my transmission and probably engine too. Seems like it would be easier to find leaks with that color. What kind of paint are you using?
Clay picked it out while I was at work. He wanted the silver, so he picked one with "Pizazz"! I never told him what to get, but I agree on his selection. It bonded well and looks good.

Dave- Thanks for the tips on resizing. I can't figure out how to resize the original pics, but from now on... :thumbsup:
 

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#6 ·
It looks great so far. Do you think your son will maintain his enthusiasm about the project the whole way through?

One thing I also enjoy about these threads is seeing other people's garages. It looks like you've got a good amount of space to work in.
 
#9 ·
It looks great so far. Do you think your son will maintain his enthusiasm about the project the whole way through?

One thing I also enjoy about these threads is seeing other people's garages. It looks like you've got a good amount of space to work in.
If/when Clay slows down it gives me the chance to do some work on my own. Every time I come out to the shop to work he joins me. :) His big brother bought back (from a friend who bought it from me) my 97 F150. Clay knows that when the 5 is done then he will have a cooler car than his brother, and he built it! Hopefully, they'll have about the same investment when it's all done. He'll be driving his 5 to 4-H where all his redneck buddies will see it! But I really think Mom is going to drive it a lot!

I actually built the shop as a pole barn to house my 22' flats boat. But since moving to north Florida we pretty much quit using it, so I swapped for the Jeep. I went ahead and closed it in so I could have it secure and dry. The shop is 26 X 28. The OA barn, with lean-tos, is 36 X 48. It was cheaper to build it then to buy a metal building. It seemed big when there was nothing in it, but now it is too small! It's hard to woodwork and build a Jeep at the same time. BUT IT IS MY MANCAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
#11 ·
I actually tried to do it already. I resized the originals and went to the "edit" function for that particular post. It does not give the option of deleting the "too large" pics, although I can upload more. I looked at deleting that specific post, but since it is the first post in the series, it will delete the whole thread. The pics are on my hard drive. I don't use a separate photo service.
 
#12 ·
INtake/Exhaust manifold

I was wondering if I can take this apart, clean it up for paint, and put it back together without buying a gasket? We're painting the engine on the cheap and I'm attempting to save the cost of a gasket set. My son is paying for all his own parts. I don't want to cost him money through my attempt to help him with his build... if that makes sense! The red circle is where the two manifolds join. I assume there is some kind of gasket there. The blue lines shows a rod that I assume has to do with prewarming the engine. Could I remove the rod altogether and throw it away? I will be putting an MC2100 on his engine... already have the carb.

We'll be posting up pics of the engine late tonight or probably tomorrow. He painted it silver and black with a red fan! Looks kinda cool! I'll get your feedback later.

Thanks
 

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#17 ·
Should I be concerned with the rust that is inside the ports? Most of it has been wiped out. A friend of mine told me that it means water got down the carb. Not sure if the picture is helpful... I couldn't get a good one!
 

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#19 ·
Skerr, great seeing you start a thread... From all the observing other builds over the last couple of months, should give you plenty of ideas on what path to take... Will enjoy seeing you and your son's build......
 
#20 ·
Calvin, Thanks. You are certainly right about the available ideas. This will end up as a hybrid cross between you, Dave and Mike! Gonna have to think of a name!! Cal-Da-Mi... Da-Cal-Mi... Dami-Cal! :rofl:
 
#21 ·
Clay degreasing the block with a spray bottle of Purple Power. This stuff will do strange things to your skin, so wear gloves!

I think I got excited and shot the black to the head and valve cover already. Clay is masking off those areas in prep for the silver. All my life (nearly 50) I have wanted to do this. It is finally happening. :thumbsup: Thanks, Clay.

Tape!! Is Our Friend! It can do ALL things! I like tape...

Clay shooting the Rustoleum. It is Aluminum high-temp paint. It is NOT the same as the metallic on the tranny. We'll see how close they come when they are joined.

Voila!
 

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#23 ·
Momma said that I have to spend time with the other boys, too! I've got four of them and it does get hard evenly spreading the time around. So the two little ones wanted to catch a fish... I have an old friend with a small farm pond where the bass just beg for plastic worms! It was good to get out.

Now back to the Jeep! :laugh:
 

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#24 ·
Exhaust manifold

Dave commented about replacing the gasket between the intake and exhaust manifolds. I decided to do it, and I'm glad that I did. I found one bolt broken off, and I broke the other (circled in red)! :D How can I correctly repair this? What should I expect in the process? In the past when trying to drill out broken bolts, I have found that it takes a long time to do it, and I usually get off center. Can I drill all the way through and use a bolt with nut, or do I have to stay with the threads?

Thanks
 

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#25 ·
^^^^Answered my own questions... drilled it out on the drill press. The bolt that I broke drilled easily. The original broken bolt was much harder and took two bits! But I got 'er done! Hit the manifold with the wire wheel and cleaned it up. Wire wheeling with shorts isn't the smartest thing I've done! :laugh: Anyway, the manifold needs to be degreased and it is ready for paint.

The MC2100 isn't going to be linked to the manifold prewarming valve (?). Not sure I called the name correctly... will it stay in the open position or do I need to ensure that it will?

Thanks
 
#27 ·
Oh Crap! Now what do I do?

Clay's engine has been sitting for many months. Since we found rust inside the intake ports I decided to try and turn the engine by hand. I pulled the plugs and found corrosion on most of them. I got out a 1/2" drive ratchet and put it on the crank pulley. All I ended up doing is tightening the bolt! So I then thought to spray some Blaster down each cylinder. I wanted a "straw" to shoot the Blaster inside the cylinders so as not to get it all over the freshly painted block. While spraying through the straw into the cylinder the straw flew off and went INSIDE THE CYLINDER! Now what do I do?? Do I HAVE to pull the head? I was not planning to do all that. CRAP! Need help...
 

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#34 ·
... While spraying through the straw into the cylinder the straw flew off and went INSIDE THE CYLINDER! Now what do I do?? Do I HAVE to pull the head? I was not planning to do all that. CRAP! Need help...
Could you try turning the engine until the piston pushes the straw up higher? I know the whole point of all this was to get the engine turning.

That would make the chamber smaller and might make it easier to get the straw out.

If you can get the straw in a position where you can see it, you can use a $10 dodad used to retrieve stuff from small spaces. I don't know what they're called, but they're usually a long flexible metal tube with a metal grappler on the end. You use a spring-loaded push-button on the othe end to open and close the grappler. Cheap and low-tech.
 
#28 ·
Try taking a drinking straw and a fish hook with the line fed through it. Stick it through the spark plug hole and try to hook the small straw with the fish hook, pull the line so the hook pinches the small straw into the drinking straw. Pull them both out as one assembly. Picture a dog catchers noose.

Does that make sense? Not sure how else to explain it. Not sure if that will work but it's the first idea that popped into my head. If you can get the crank to turn, getting that piston higher in the cylinder may help. You may even be able to get it with some needle nose pliers if you can get that piston to TDC. Good Luck!

PS. I also dig the contrast of the red fan.
 
#30 ·
Try taking a drinking straw and a fish hook with the line fed through it. Stick it through the spark plug hole and try to hook the small straw with the fish hook, pull the line so the hook pinches the small straw into the drinking straw. Pull them both out as one assembly. Picture a dog catchers noose.

Does that make sense? Not sure how else to explain it. Not sure if that will work but it's the first idea that popped into my head. If you can get the crank to turn, getting that piston higher in the cylinder may help. You may even be able to get it with some needle nose pliers if you can get that piston to TDC. Good Luck!

PS. I also dig the contrast of the red fan.
I'm going to have to try this just due to the sheer creativity of it! I would never have thunk of it. :laugh: I understand your concept and I'll try and execute tomorrow.

Short of holding the engine upside down and shaking the straw out, you'll have to extract it. I like the dog catcher's noose idea.

You could get a Shop Vac and somehow find a smaller diameter hose. Feed that into the engine and see if you can suck the straw out. Be sure to start with a clean Shop Vac so you can check to see if the red straw is actually removed from the engine.

It reminds me of the time when I took my 1986 Isuzu Trooper to the car wash / oil change place to get the oil changed. The guy was about to refill the oil and pulled the oil hose down from the ceiling. He set the dial for 5 quarts and started to insert the filler tube into the oil fill hole which was on the valve cover. At that moment, the nozzle on the end of the fill tube fell off and dropped off into the valve cover.

I had to wait about 3 hours while they obtained a new gasket and pulled the valve cover to retrieve the nozzle.

After that, I learned to change my own oil.
MADE ME LAUGH! :rofl: Thanks... that is EXACTLY my first thought. The shop vac is also a viable idea... one I did not think of but can do. Tough about the Trooper. I have used oil change places for years. It was worth it to me to pay $25 to get it done and not hassle with waste oil. Now it is $50 and I do it myself again.

I should make a note that I was unable to turn the motor. Should I pull harder???

Thanks Guys...
 
#29 ·
Short of holding the engine upside down and shaking the straw out, you'll have to extract it. I like the dog catcher's noose idea.

You could get a Shop Vac and somehow find a smaller diameter hose. Feed that into the engine and see if you can suck the straw out. Be sure to start with a clean Shop Vac so you can check to see if the red straw is actually removed from the engine.

It reminds me of the time when I took my 1986 Isuzu Trooper to the car wash / oil change place to get the oil changed. The guy was about to refill the oil and pulled the oil hose down from the ceiling. He set the dial for 5 quarts and started to insert the filler tube into the oil fill hole which was on the valve cover. At that moment, the nozzle on the end of the fill tube fell off and dropped off into the valve cover.

I had to wait about 3 hours while they obtained a new gasket and pulled the valve cover to retrieve the nozzle.

After that, I learned to change my own oil.
 
#33 ·
Clay is applying the finishing touches to his intake. The exhaust manifold is already done, but in black. For some reason I can't wait to get these parts bolted back up. I ordered a gasket set last night from Morris. I keep picturing Dave's frame pics and remembering how good the frame/engine combo looks. That is my goal. I don't think I am going to repaint the power steering pump. It should be done to stay strict with the finish, but I'm worried about taking it apart. I can take anything apart, but I sometimes have trouble putting back together!!
 

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#45 ·
The cool thing about following your build with your son is that it reminds me that I learned a lot from my father working on stuff in the barn for all those years. Now that I am working on my own Jeep things that he taught me are coming back to me all the time. We talk on the phone and I still run ideas by him to make sure I am not about to do something stupid!
 
#46 ·
The cool thing about following your build with your son is that it reminds me that I learned a lot from my father working on stuff in the barn for all those years. Now that I am working on my own Jeep things that he taught me are coming back to me all the time. We talk on the phone and I still run ideas by him to make sure I am not about to do something stupid!
:rofl: You DID read the part where I shot the straw into the cylinder, didn't you? Wish I didn't do stupid stuff... life would be so much easier!
 
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