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1981 CJ5 Frame-up

108K views 513 replies 67 participants last post by  cjoffroad 
#1 ·
Hey everyone. So a few months ago I pulled the trigger and finally bought my first Jeep. Its a 1981 CJ5 with a 258. I have some pretty big plans for this build, and I'm hoping that along the way I can get some input from everyone on here as I'm sure much of what I'm going to do many of you have already been through.

So here's the problems that I have found so far. Pretty much the entire drive train leaks from one point or another. The transmission is extremely sloppy and will grind occasionally when going into first. The transfer case is extremely difficult to shift unless it is rolling slightly. The interior is trash. The sheetmetal below the doors are pretty well rusted, as well as some of the panels near the roll bar.

Now here's what I plan on doing in the next couple of months (these may change). I'm going to buy new seals for the engine. Rebuild kits for both the transmission and transfer case. I will buy some new seats for the front, and use a liner throughout the interior. Wherever I see rust I will patch it up. I'm a very good welder, but this will be my first time actually doing body work.

As for suspension I think I'm going to get a kit from Old Man Emu. Of all the research I have done I haven't heard anything bad about them. This should allow me to slap some 33's on.

I have found a company in Denver that will dip the frame in acid and then galvanize it for about $350 and I think I'm going to go that route.

All I've done so far is start stripping everything off to get it down to the frame. I'm hoping this weekend I can get the body off the frame, and start sanding. The only thing I've done to it mechanically is fix the carb. When I got it, it ran like a pig. I believe it was the idler tubes were clogged. I should have taken pictures but when I rebuilt it I was pulling chunks of dried up fuel out of the bowls.

So this will probably take me a while, I dont get much time to work on it other then the weekends.

At any rate I hope you guys can give me some pointers.


 
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#2 ·
Wooo hoooo, another 5... Well, I am kind of impartial!!!! :D
 
#4 ·
So I got the time to do some work to my Jeep saturday. At this point I have everything on the interior stripped, as well as the grille assembly. After reading some horror stories about rusty body mount bolts, I was worried about how that would go, but to my surprise they came out very easily.

So as it stands this is how it looks at the moment



I probably could have got the body off the frame very easily. I believe the only thing thats left attached are wires from the gas tank. I'm trying to get my hands on a body work table (basically angle iron with castor wheels) so that I can move it around easier before I take it off. I'm doing this work in my Uncles shop, so its important that I have the ability to move it out.

So the body seems to be in pretty good shape. The biggest rust holes are behind the seats where dirt collected between the roll bar and body




These holes should be pretty easy to fix. The only other spots that I'm aware of so far that has pretty good cancer is below the door sills, but I wont know the extent of that until i get some paint stripped.

While I was removing all of the linkage on the tub I got to the clutch. I knew that the clutch linkage was fairly sloppy but I had assumed that it was just in need of a good adjustment. But when I removed the linkage I found this;

It's pretty much the same story on the clutch pedal, and assembly that attaches to this linkage. I had done some reading about upgrading to a hydraulic system, but decided that for the time being I mechanical linkage would be fine. This would be fairly easy to fix, but I think this has pushed me into going ahead with the hydraulic setup.

Well thats it for now. Hopefully I will get my hands on that table soon, and can put some extra time into it over Christmas
 
#7 ·
Well I feel since I'm taking it down to the frame I might as well do anything I can to fix it up. My real goal is to have it ready to drive next summer, so I've got a bit on my plate with the time I have to work on it. I'm lucky enough to know a guy that will be willing to paint it for the price of paint, so long as I do the body work, and thats fine by me. So it will hopefully be nice and shiny. For the time being I'm going to leave the drive train stock. I would love to add lockers and all that fun stuff, but I'm a poor college student :laugh: so for the time being this will do
 
#9 ·
X2 ^^^

Check out the thread by 243. He has a nifty tub rack that he made and works well. Should be in the first few pages.

Great progress and good plan. Keep it up!
 
#11 ·
So I was planning on starting to rebuild the steering column today, its very sloppy. Unfortunately I got sick last night so I get to sit around all day. Why couldnt I get sick on a day I had to work?!?! O well.

So you guys got me thinking about going with mechanical linkage again, I found the kit Davidnex was talking about. Its 60 bucks and includes everything, including the bell crank.
Clutch Linkage Kit for 76-86 CJ-5, CJ-7 & CJ-8 with Manual Transmission - Acme Jeep Parts

I also found this linkage that is much more stout, and all the connections have bearings, which would be nice.
Rod Links Clutch Linkage for 76-86 Jeep® CJ - Acme Jeep Parts

I'm sure these could be found cheaper elsewhere, but this is what I found with a quick search. I'm not 100% either way, but I believe I'm still leaning towards the hydraulic. All the manuals I grew up driving were hydraulic systems, so I dont really have an issue with it. One of the trucks I drive at work is a mechanical tho, so I will have to pay attention to the feel next time.

Thanks for the tip Skerr, I checked out 243's thread and found some great info. He did a beautiful job on that restore, I wish I had the time and money to go that deep with it. The frame set up you were talking about is great! I'm gonna have to go down to the scrapyard and see how much it would cost me to build one. It definitely solves the problem of how will I work on the underside.

Mister 4x4; I agree I'm very lucky. During the tear down I managed to break one of my good Torx sockets removing the seat belts, the only way I could get it out was heating it with a torch. I broke a few of the bolts taking the roll bar out. I cant complain with that since these were in easy locations to work on
 
#12 ·
Wow it has been a long time since I have got the chance to post an update, well if you can really call it an update. So first off I must have been a very good boy for the last year since I received a suspension system for Christmas:2thumbsup:. Its the Old Man Emu suspension. I decided on OME for a few reasons, first of all I havent been able to find a single negative comment about it. And the other reason is that the leaf springs are all wider then the stock CJ set up, actually they are the same springs from the Wrangler. So it should provide a very nice ride. Judging by the appearance it seems like a very nice kit, and provides everything needed.






Notice that all of the steel is very heavy, I think it will hold up well.

I've really been revved up to get to work on the chassis, but for the last 4 weeks when I wake up on Saturday it looks something like this:


Colorado....gotta love it. Well here's to hoping for better weather, I'd really like to get moving again.
 
#15 ·
I might have to change my plans so I can actually get something done, but I was hoping to get the chassis down to the car wash, and then spend some good time with a wire wheel to get that portion down. Since its not actually my shop I dont really want to be flinging grease and grime all over a wood shop lol. I may have to jump on the body with this weather.

And ya thats the Arkansas in my avatar, in the Royal Gorge to be exact. I've worked as a guide for 5 years now, looking forward to my 6th. This picture follows what happened here;

if you look real close at the right side you can see my helmet sticking up, I was the only one that managed to stay in the boat:rofl:

NIIIIICE!!!!! Santa brought me a set last year, but it's not as nice as yours! :thumbsup:
You have the Rough Country right? Have you got the chance to test it out yet?
 
#17 ·
Well Colorado finally had a decent weekend. Both Saturday and today were great, until about 1, then the clouds rolled in and it got quite chilly, but you really cant complain when the mornings are about 60 degrees in January.

So I got my body off the frame and started getting ready to pull the drive train out. All thats really left to get that done is removing the mounts, so shouldnt take too long unless something goes wrong. While I was beginning to remove the drive shaft I was wondering to myself if I should replace the U joints on the drive shafts. Well I didnt really have to worry about it very long cause that question was answered for me about 30 seconds later.

Thats the front U joint off the rear drive line. To my surprise there was not a single needle bearing left in it. The rest weren't as bad but you can tell they were neglected over the last several years.

The rest look about like that, the needle bearings are still there, but they are bone dry. This revelation makes me feel both better and worse about this project. On the one side this explains a lot of the slop I felt in the drive train, so perhaps the transmission isn't nearly as bad as I thought. On the other hand what other goodies will I find due to poor maintenance.

But at least I am finally making some headway again. So this is how it stands now

 
#18 ·
Another weekend down the drain. So I had more fun this weekend then you can shake a stick at. My girlfriend owns 15 pool tables at a local hotel her father used to be the manager of. Her father got tired of the BS, quit, and then the owner decided to change the locks on the tables and call them his own. That was about 4 months ago. Well we got a call that she could finally come down and remove them. So Friday night we went down to remove them, got 9 of them loaded onto trailers, and the Sheriff shows up. In short we were ordered to move them back in. I was so angry that I dearly wanted to pound the owners face in when he showed up. He's probably about 120, I weigh about 200lbs, you can do the math here :laugh:.

Alright so now that I vented... at any rate we were down there until 5:30 saturday morning, and then went back in the afternoon to finish unloading 8 of the tables. I was able to borrow my uncles Bobcat to help unload them tho, so it required much less physical labor. So that burned up Saturday, and today I am so sore I'm finding it difficult to get off the couch.

I'm really wondering if I can get this project done in the time frame I have set lol. Next weekend I plan on going snowboarding at Loveland, and gambling in Blackhawk, so thats shot too. On the bright side I've got two new people helping me at work where I was originally doing it all myself. This will be the first time I've really had to manage other people, but hopefully I can use it to find some time during the week to get some work done.

Well gents I hope your weekend turned out better then mine. I think I'm going to have myself a nice cold beer for my efforts this weekend :rofl:
 
#19 ·
I gotta say we are having some beautiful weather here in Colorado so I finally got the chance to put some time into the Jeep. Got the drive train unbolted and lifted out.



This was also a perfect excuse to buy an engine stand. It was only 40 bucks down at the local HF, cant beat that. By the time I got done with this it started to drizzle. The first time its done that in 6 months or more, spring is on the way. Tomorrow looks like it will be in the high 40's, so I might try to drag it out into the gravel and get it cleaned up real nice, and then start replacing the gaskets. I've got a full set, and lets be honest, I have no idea where half of them go :laugh:. Or I may drag the chassis into the garage and start cleaning that up. Either way now that I've got this done the weather shouldnt affect me very much, should have plenty to do in the nice warm garage.

As for the rest of the evening, I'm going to head to Cripple Creek and see if I cant win myself a little money on a craps table! Heck, maybe I will walk home with enough money for the whole project!
 
#20 ·
Another great day, windy, but compared to the deep freezes we've had you wont find me complaining.

So I started degreasing the engine block today. After about an hour of doing that I realized that I was honestly wasting my time. So I slapped a wire wheel on a drill and went at it. The results were much quicker and better. I guess I dont think everything through before I jump into it.




I'll have to run to the hardware store tomorrow after work for a couple more wire brush's but I dont think it will take me all that much longer to get it ready for some paint. Before I actually get to the paint tho I'll start working on all the seals, we'll find out how long that takes.
 
#21 ·
Great project! One point of caution when repairing those holes in the body. If you plan on replacing the roll bar in the stock location beef up that area that is rusted through. I have only seen it happen once, but it was horrific, when a guy on the trail replaced that area with regular body sheet metal, and then consequently rolled over on his top and the roll bar broke right through. He managed to live but will never be the same again.
 
#23 ·
I thought about that when I was tearing everything down, but decided I could figure it out when I get to it. From what I noticed I'm very surprised they mounted it this way, it seems like even if it was beefed up it would be able to rip the body apart. I see in your pics you have a 6 point cage, did you do anything to beef it up; frame tie in's or anthing. Also keep in mind I wont be doing much wheeling, but all the same I'd like it to not fail.

You like the lift huh? :rofl: I think everyone needs one. If you ever start using one, you really cant go without
 
#25 ·
gpets I couldn't agree with you more. My sister mentioned something about driving it with her daughters (2 and 3 years old) and I just about ripped her a new one for even considering it. In fact at present I dont even plan on having a back seat. I definitely want this to be a safe build, I dont want it to be my casket. In your opinion would beefing up the existing roll bar be enough to manage a roll over, or should I start thinking about building my own?
 
#26 ·
Jered,
The existing cage can be made perfectly safe it you run two extra gussets along the existing mounting points that cross over the frame. The problem with the stock location on the CJ's is they do not touch any frame cross members. You can either do it inside the body or externally. Especially if you are not planning on wheeling hard, the stock roll bar configuration can work great.
http://www.quadratec.com/jeep-replacement-parts/body/images/bodykit.jpg
I know the picture here isn't the best but if you look at the stock location of the roll bar. The metal is thicker than anywhere else in the tub. You just need to extend the mounting brackets on the roll bar toward the center of the tub to cover the area where the frame runs underneath it.
 
#30 ·
You're there... what's another $20?? I say do it and don't look back.

The build is looking really good. Cleaned up nicely. Have you considered a new oil pump as well?
 
#31 ·
Looks like a fun project! I'm rebuilding my CJ5 currently too, but it seems have quite a bit more rust...(no floors left) :( I spent a lot of time wacking the front pump seal out too. I used a screwdriver and a nice sized hammer and tapped the edge out slowly. They really made it seal well and corrode in place, which is much better than the alternative of leaking all the time :p You should get a new timing chain, it can't hurt.
 
#33 ·
Thanks for the tip. I guess I will just have to be a little more patient when I try and remove it tomorrow.

To tell you the truth who knows how much rust is on mine. I'm kind of dreading the bodywork. When I bought it I didnt realize how lucky I was with the condition, in my mind any rust is too much. At least they sell panels for them at dirt cheap prices
 
#32 ·
I agree with both of you, I'll just go ahead and buy a new chain. I looked a little closer at it today, when you put tension on it you can see where the chain rides up the sides of the teeth. Might as well just get it over with. Skerr I hadnt thought about the oil pump until now :laugh:. It had good pressure when I had it running. I'll have to run down to Carquest tomorrow and see what prices on the chain and pump are. The chain is a definite, the pump... well we'll see. I found the timing chain with new sprockets for a little over $30. Hopefully they will have a good price at Carquest
 
#34 ·
It was a surprise for me. I had floor panels that were patched in small pieces here and there. I cut out a rusty section and found there were 4 layers of floor on the drivers side. Each time a previous owner just layed down a new panel over the rusty one. So...they're all gone now and a nice clean one is going down.
 
#35 ·
Some people really shouldnt be allowed to own vehicles :laugh:

Well I stopped by carquest on my way home tonight. They want $57 for the timing chain, and $70 or more for the oil pump. So it looks like I'll be ordering the chain online, and I think I will hold off on the oil pump, like I said it had great pressure, and I can always use an excuse to get greasy.

I'm gonna get a quick dinner, then I'll probably start cleaning up my head, oil pan and such. I got a Haynes in the mail yesterday. Only 4 bucks. So now when I'm putting it all back together I know how tight to torque them
 
#36 ·
I like to use Rock Auto to get a general idea on the price of parts. I looked up the timing chain for you on there; there's a few options but they range from $17 to $68. The only problem with that website is that you never really know what you're getting. There's super off-brand stuff on there that just barely passes an inspection all the way up to top of the line. If the price is too good to be true, it probably is. On something like a timing chain, I wouldn't go with the Chinese knockoff, the fit will hit the shan if it breaks.
 
#37 ·
Well I ended up ordering a comp cams timing chain and sprockets, after all was said and done it cost me $53. Not a huge savings but hey its 10 bucks. Plus its made by Comp Cam, you know your getting a good product.

Tonight I flipped the engine over and started taking off the valve cover and head. Now keep in mind since I'm working in my uncles shop I'm trying to be quick and clean. Well my uncle comes out and encourages me to make a bigger mess and take longer. He talked me into having the cylinders honed and new rings and such. So we went ahead and tore right into it






This Jeep has been sort of an emotional roller coaster. I have days like the one with the U-joints that make me question what I got myself into, and then some days are like today. Look at those cylinder walls! they are immaculate. You can just barely tell where theres a wear line. I know the guys that rebuild engines locally, so I'm going to head down there tomorrow. I'm hoping they say it doesnt need to be honed, and can help set me up with new rings and bearings. I'll go ahead and have them clean everything up while they are at it, and rebuild the head.

I gotta say I'm pretty happy with how things turned out tonight. Sure its a few more bucks out of my pocket. But its entirely possible that for a couple hundred dollars I'll have a rebuilt engine. I have to wonder if it was rebuilt not that long ago. The PO owned it for 11 years, you would have to think if he had done it he would have used it as a selling point. The odometer reads 49 thousand miles. Of course I've assumed it has 149, so theres no way it looks this good without some work done.
 
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