Jeep Enthusiast Forums banner

Scott's Build Thread- 85 CJ7

181K views 2K replies 85 participants last post by  Jim1611 
#1 ·
This will be a very slow thread! Since Clay and I are building his 5 I am not really building my Jeep at this time, but there are a few things that I am doing along the way. I can't put them in Clay's thread, so here is mine.

Her name is Lizzie. She's a 1985 CJ7 I got from a guy up in Hawkinsville, Georgia. She had sat in the woods for 5 years until I saw her and talked the guy into selling her to me. I got her for $1750. So far Lizzie has received a bench seat (from a Commando), MC2100, some gaskets, 2.5" RC suspension lift, ProComp 9000 shocks, and all poly suspension bushings. She is Nuttered and runs well. I am redoing the spare tire carrier and she just got some new wipers and dimmer switch.

Today I was replacing a wheel cylinder when AJ and his son JR pulled up. They helped me bleed the brakes and we discovered my Master Cylinder was bad. So we started to rebuild it. Used to be you could do that for about $3, buying a seal kit, but we discovered you can't find the seal kit anymore. So bought a reman master from Auto Zone for $18 plus the core.

Here are some pics of AJ working on the old master before we learned that we couldn't rebuild it, and some more pics of bench bleeding the new reman unit.

This is JR. He's as good a mechanic as his dad, AJ. Sitting next to JR is the old master cylinder disassembled.


To disassemble the master you have to remove the snap ring where the piston rod goes into the body. Then you carefully pull everything out. There are two plungers. The second one will be inside the body of the master. We used air pressure to force it out.


AJ buffing the lip so the lid will make a good seal.


Cleaned up and ready for the lid.


AJ used this tool to clean the bore of the master. The metal rod has a slot in the end. He used some sandpaper.


Wind it up on the rod.


Insert it into the bore and slowly spin the rod, cleaning the bore.


This is when we discovered we couldn't find a seal kit and opted for a reman. So we changed gears.


Here is the new reman master. I stuck it in my vise to prepare it for bench bleeding. I want to polish the lip so the lid will seal well. I used a metal file to do this. Keep it flat at all times. Protect the inlets from dust and trash.


Lots of filings.


Blow it out and level it in the vise.


Attach the bleeder nipples and tubes as described in the directions. Keep the ends of the tubes away from the inlets inside the reservoirs. You don't want to keep recirculating the air that will pump through the tubes.


Add clean fluid to the reservoirs, making sure the ends of the tubes are covered. Add fluid as needed to keep the tubes covered.


Push in slowly on the piston to begin the bleeding process. This will take you around a half-hour, more or less. Go slow. The directions say to use short strokes.


Bubbles!


Once all the air is removed top off the reservoirs, remove the tubes, and cap the nipples. You are ready to install.


Sorry for the super long post! But that will be all for awhile! :D
 
See less See more
16
#1,514 ·
To remove the existing brake line start with penetrating oil at both ends. For me, the best way to remove the threaded parts are to cut the line close to the fittings. Then use a 6 point socket on the nuts. Light tapping with a small ball peen hammer on the nuts, while applying the penetrating oil, can help the oil creep into the threads.

Yes, SS lines are difficult at best, to flare.
 
#1,516 ·
I bought this one to do my 3/8" SS fuel lines when I did my 5.0, and it barely held the line to make a bubble to help secure the runner lines I used to connect the pump and inline filter.

It does great for standard steel line, but the stainless just slides thru. Maybe I'm not cranking hard enough on the clamp part, but I'd hate to break a $400 kit...
 

Attachments

#1,517 ·
Nice set, Rick. There is a lot of praise for that set on different sites.

My wife came home with the rental tool from Advanced Auto yesterday, and I hoped to flare the line so I could take my Jeep to work. But the rental tool broke 3 minutes into use. This is a cursed repair!
 
#1,521 ·
I looked at that set as well. I would like to have it, but I can't justify it. It is not my intention to have to make many more brake line repairs in the limited time I have left on this earth! Which leads me to tell you...

I attempted a brake line repair this evening. With the broken Imperial tool rented from Advance Auto. I found a fence staple to use in place of the pulled-out rivet that holds the clamping bar together. I used my tubing cutter to cut the OEM brake line below the booster because the line was nice and straight. I deburred inside and out, ending with a slight chamfer. I used the backside of the clamping bar to file the cut end flat. Checked for burrs again. Flipped the bar over to the concave side. Used the flare die to check for proper protrusion of line. Got it! Placed vice grips for added clamping pressure to the bar. Installed the adapter, then the yoke-thingy, and started making the bubble. Fellas... let me tell you how good I am! I made a PERFECT bubble, then secondary flare. The whole time Beth was watching me, and she squealed with joy and gave me a sloppy kiss on my sweaty neck! "Oh Baby... you are so awesome!", she exclaimed. No kidding! Really!! Then I realized I had forgotten to slide the fitting back on the line!!!! No kidding! Really!! She went to the house, unable to watch her sexy hunk emanating such overwhelming masculinity.

Fudge

So I cut it off, did it all again, made a slightly off-kilter flare, went to AA, returned the tool, bought a stick of brake line, used my bender, got it all routed, went to screw it all together, and had the wrong fittings on the new brake line!

Fudge

So it's going to the shop. I am done.
 
#1,519 ·
I was looking at that one too, but I didn't like how it needs a vice. I was adapting lines on the vehicle already, so that would have been hard to do.
 
#1,523 ·
Skerr said:
I looked at that set as well. I would like to have it, but I can't justify it. It is not my intention to have to make many more brake line repairs in the limited time I have left on this earth! Which leads me to tell you... I attempted a brake line repair this evening. With the broken Imperial tool rented from Advance Auto. I found a fence staple to use in place of the pulled-out rivet that holds the clamping bar together. I used my tubing cutter to cut the OEM brake line below the booster because the line was nice and straight. I deburred inside and out, ending with a slight chamfer. I used the backside of the clamping bar to file the cut end flat. Checked for burrs again. Flipped the bar over to the concave side. Used the flare die to check for proper protrusion of line. Got it! Placed vice grips for added clamping pressure to the bar. Installed the adapter, then the yoke-thingy, and started making the bubble. Fellas... let me tell you how good I am! I made a PERFECT bubble, then secondary flare. The whole time Beth was watching me, and she squealed with joy and gave me a sloppy kiss on my sweaty neck! "Oh Baby... you are so awesome!", she exclaimed. No kidding! Really!! Then I realized I had forgotten to slide the fitting back on the line!!!! No kidding! Really!! She went to the house, unable to watch her sexy hunk emanating such overwhelming masculinity. Fudge So I cut it off, did it all again, made a slightly off-kilter flare, went to AA, returned the tool, bought a stick of brake line, used my bender, got it all routed, went to screw it all together, and had the wrong fittings on the new brake line! Fudge So it's going to the shop. I am done.
It gets to a point sometimes where all you can do is shake your head and have a chuckle at the whole thing. All things considered, it could always be worse Scott.......at least it's not a broken bolt or electrical!
 
#1,524 ·
Scott, you just described every brake line repair I ever do - you'd think by now I'd remember that fitting!! Or the fitting slides off when I wasn't looking...

They make brake line adapter fittings to adapt premade lines to the vehicles... Might be a thought.
 
#1,527 ·
I'm glad to hear others have the same problems I have with brake lines. I thought it was solely my ineptitude. Ya'll make me feel better!
 
#1,531 ·
Hey Fellas... I got my line flared correctly and bolted everything back up. No leaks! YAY! Bled the brakes with wifey in the cab. Went pretty good. Took it for a test drive, and now my steering is very funky! The steering wheel sort of seizes then releases, then seizes, then releases, wondering if my power steering pump is going out?? No whining sounds coming from it, fluid level is up. This is all after installing my Daystar 1" BL.

Brakes are soggy and soft. Pulled into the local convenience store and dang near didn't stop before I ran through the front door with 'El Jeepo! Determined the master cylinder is bad. My original master won't fit the booster, the bore is too small. My adapted master and booster was given to me by another JF member. I ASSUME it comes from a Chevy something. Any of you guys know what I should ask for at the parts store? The adapted master has the line connections on the passenger side, and the bore is larger than the factory master. When I say bore, I mean the part that fits snugly into the booster.

Thanks
 
#1,533 ·
Finally getting back to you about this... definitely was binding, and I resolved it. Better! Thanks for the idea. I never thought about it.

However, as in everything of late, the power steering pump is failing. I went for a test drive after freeing the nylon pins, and the steering was getting horrible. The column had a better position, but the steering was "jerky". I pulled off the road to turn around and I was swallowed by a billowing cloud of white smoke! In fact, the whole road was wafting in smoke as far as I could see!!! I was only a half-mile from home so I zoomed back, popped the hood, and found PS fluid dumping from the return line. It was split at the pump. Nipped it off and reattached it. Steering is much better, but the pump is whining loudly.

Here are some pics of stuff we have done but I hadn't posted. Primarily, the bending table, which I tried to use yesterday and today, and ended up sacrificing two sticks of tubing! I thought it was magic.
 

Attachments

#1,534 ·
Man that's a hefty table! That's the kind of table every shop needs. Scott post up exactly how the bender was setup when you kinked the tubing. Put it back just as it was with the tubing in it so maybe we can figure out why it won't work right.

Thanks for the pictures on my thread, just what I needed!
 
#1,535 ·
Here is how it was setup when I kinked the tubing. Also, kinked tubing! These are the first two pics.

The remaining pics...
I can make a sweep (with a different die), but I can't replicate it. Also having trouble staying on plane. I started a thread in the Fab Shop.

Hmmm... after reviewing the pics the first pic shows the dies I used, not how it was set up. I am in for the day, not going back out. Too hot! I'll post up pics of the set up in a couple days.

Thanks, Jim.
 

Attachments

#1,539 ·
Jim, I didn't get measurements, but I did take some pics. Here are some current pics of the tubing bender as I had it set up when I had the problems.

The first two pics are of the die that makes a sweeping angle. You could make a complete circle if wanted. Bend the tube, open the jaws, push the tubing in an inch or two, bend some more, repeat until you get the angle wanted. I can do it, but I can't replicate it as the machine has no markings/graduations on it.

The second two pics are of the 180* return die. This is not listed in the manual, but there is a Hossfeld YT video showing it, and that is where I got my info. But I think they were bending pipe in the video (IIRC).

The rest of the pics are just stuff we have been doing. Enjoy!
 

Attachments

#1,543 ·
You might be right Jim. I am challenged by everything these days! But the hat... the hat.... dang it, it's my very favorite, and I wear it everyday. Might be why I'm going bald!?
 
#1,544 ·
The baldness is genetic, aint your fault :D There's more hats where that one came from too. George told me I was vertically challenged. He just got married you know so now we can expect to see improvements in George. No doubt he'll be a different man!! :laugh: Oh and speaking of George, he emailed me and said that he cannot get back on the site after the password change.
 
#1,546 ·
Scott, a little late chiming in here, but a couple thoughts. When I used my buddies bender, his dies were almost polished and we used a coat of wd-40 when we bent. The other thing was, all the tolerances in the bender were tight... Putting the tube in was tight--kept everyone aligned. Maybe fiddle with it and see if you can get things a bit tighter and hopefully some of the bends will be more consistant. I'm with Jim, it looks like some of the bends are too tight for that diameter tube.
 
#1,547 ·
Hi Guys! I need some serious input.

I have an opportunity to purchase a 1969 K5 Blazer. It is NOT in restorable condition, but it has a small block, auto transmission, transfer case, and both axles (both Danas). Also, a seperate small block, tranny and tcase from another '69 Blazer. All of it for $800. I was thinking about full-width axles and SBC power for my 7. I'm assuming the tranny is a TH350?? And I have 4.56 gears/35" tires, and I really need a 5 speed tranny. Should I pass this up, or should I do it!? Thanks
 
#1,548 ·
Do you have any pictures? Scott the older engine in this Blazer makes for a simple swap and a good one at that. I'm not brushed up on the TH350 length but it might not be too long for your CJ7. The transfer case in the Blazer is likely an NP205 and that would sell pretty decent for you, it's not really what you want in the Jeep. Too bad this Blazer is not in restorable condition as it would be great to have!
 
Top