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New to the forum - looking to get my dad's old CJ running again for the farm.

12K views 169 replies 14 participants last post by  Chowlie 
#1 ·
Hey there - new to the group, hopefully going to be getting my dad's old Jeep running and driving again in the next few months. I know nothing about Jeeps, but am an otherwise experienced mechanic. These photos are from 2009 and are the only ones I could find handy. It's been sitting in our barn since then and needs quite a bit of maintenance. From what I remember the brakes are dead and it needs a new fuel supply. (It has had a boat tank hooked up in the past)

I'll probably be investigating it this weekend to see if it'll crank and whether it needs any wiring help. Fingers crossed it's not locked after all this time. Any tips or tricks about what I have here would be more than welcome!
 

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#2 ·
Assuming the 4cyl F-Head in that early CJ-5, new points and a good carb clean and it should fire right up and run. Even better if you have a V-6 though. As for brakes, Walck's has everything you will need for the brake system. Not that you won't get good info here, but you may also want to join http://earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php as they are specific to the early short fendered CJ-5's. Good luck with your project, they are fun simple rides.

https://walcks4wd.com/Brake-System_c_1328.html
 
#3 ·
Nice looking farm rig, even at 2009 photos.
Does look like you have some fun ahead of you, and sure you will enjoy working on your Dads Jeep, as many others on JF have done!
Try to get current photos with details of engine, drive-train, year, model, etc, and sure you will get the best help "free" can provide!
Post often as you go through the process of getting it running again.
Welcome to JF :)
 
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#5 ·
Just took from fresh pictures. Definitely must more dusty now. I'm really having a hard time decoding the VIN as well. I get the "Open Body Universal CJ-5" part but not the last six digits. I can't find any table that corresponds with it.
 

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#6 ·
Oof, and I thought I had a project. Cool that it has family history though. I'm kinda hoping the kids take an interest in our Heep, and it becomes a family thing. Nobody else in my family is ridiculously sentimental about vehicles like I am. Hoping I pass that trait on. :laugh:


Looks like some small furry friends left some presents for you on top of the radiator cowl. That's to be expected I guess, after sitting for so long. Might be worth borescoping the manifolds/cylinders, see what's in there. Darn vermin. :(
 
#7 ·
Oof, and I thought I had a project. Cool that it has family history though. I'm kinda hoping the kids take an interest in our Heep, and it becomes a family thing. Nobody else in my family is ridiculously sentimental about vehicles like I am. Hoping I pass that trait on. :laugh:

Looks like some small furry friends left some presents for you on top of the radiator cowl. That's to be expected I guess, after sitting for so long. Might be worth borescoping the manifolds/cylinders, see what's in there. Darn vermin. :(
Ha, yes - history indeed. My dad flipped this thing over sometime in the 70's and had a pretty close call from what I heard. lol I think the license plate was last renewed in 1988.

Clearly it's not a feasible full resto, at least not IMO. If I can get it running smooth and driving around the farm I'll be happy with it.

By the way, I did find another serial number table, and I think this may have been manufactured in 1965.
 
#9 ·
Sitting that long I'd be worried about stuck rings and possibly scoring the cylinder walls when you try to crank it over since it will be bone dry and the pistons sitting in one spot for so long. Mix a little diesel and oil in an oil squirt bottle and remove all the plugs. Spray a squirt or two (not alot) down each spark plug hole and let it sit over a few nights. Leave the plugs out and turn it by hand until it's rotating smoothly. Wouldn't hurt to run the oil pump manually before too (after putting new oil in it of course :smile2:)
 
#11 ·
I'm sure it's going to be a 100X better after you wash it.

I like the winch on the front. PTO?
Auxiliary heater is nice.
Aluminum hard top!!!

Do what these guys are telling you and you will have it up and running in no time.

My 65 had a seized piston so hard I had to chisel it out. Honed the cylinders and put in a new piston and all was fine.
These things are a cake to work on.

I second recommending earlycj5.com as a great place for information for those years.
 
#12 ·
I think you have a solid Jeep and (barring any surprises) should have it running in no time.

Remember:
Insure the brakes are working.
Check ALL the fluid levels
Take a moment and lube/inspect the steering bellcrank and drag link.
File/clean the points and reset.

Early CJ's are retardedly simple, which means you can fix just about anything yourself with basic tools.

Be sure to fill out your profile and continue to update it. This helps us answer your questions.
 
#14 ·
If you are an experienced mechanic you will find that this Jeep is the easiest thing you've ever worked on. Very little changed from 55 to 65. The fact that it belonged to your dad makes it even more special. You could have a show Jeep or a blue highways traveler. Have fun!
 
#16 ·
Anytime you can open the hood and look down and see the ground you know that you have a simple to work on Jeep. The dirt will wash off and the rusty body parts can be replaced or repaired. You can even replace the entire body with a new fiber glass one.

Please fill out your profile and give us a geographic location. One or more of us may live nearby and might know where you can find spare parts. Two weeks ago I went with another member to find parts and repairs for his son's 66.
 
#17 ·
Anytime you can open the hood and look down and see the ground you know that you have a simple to work on Jeep. The dirt will wash off and the rusty body parts can be replaced or repaired. You can even replace the entire body with a new fiber glass one.

Please fill out your profile and give us a geographic location. One or more of us may live nearby and might know where you can find spare parts. Two weeks ago I went with another member to find parts and repairs for his son's 66.
Ok, I think I got the profile and garage thing straightened out. :wink2:

Made baby step progress today as I had several things to accomplish, but I did clean out the rear and poured a shot of ATF down each cylinder. I'll give it a few days and try to turn it over by hand before I try to start it. Still need to get gas to it somehow though.

And sadly we hauled off the remains of our 2004 Forester today after I spent the last two years parting it out. Someone ran a red light and T-boned my wife with our infant son in the car, but fortunately everyone was ok. I had only changed the timing belt about 2,000 miles prior, so we found another Forester with a bad engine and transplanted it.
 

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#18 ·
Cudos to Subaru safety. Glad to hear everyone was ok!
 
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#19 ·
That one looks to be in better shape than mine was (also a "farm" rig). I wound up doing a frame-off when I originally was thinking "just a few rusty bits to patch."

Just do us one favor ... promise you will not ever try to hang any kind of "implement" off the tailgate!!

Good luck and have fun with your project!
 
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#21 · (Edited)
That's off the bumper; fair game.

I'm talking literally OFF THE TAILGATE.

Like this ...

Edit:

Klooge was used as a "hunting" rig ... story goes, there was a feeder or something hanging off the tailgate. That's what it did.

SMDH.
 

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#23 ·
Today's progress: Started replacing the fuel lines and cranked it.

The sediment bulb was completely covered with grime, which I removed. Inside was a bit of crud, but no so much I'm too concerned. I do think getting the sediment bulb to seal will be a problem, though. Does it typically use a gasket or O ring? There's a lot of corrosion where it sits on the fuel pump. I bought several feet of 1/4" fuel line and a new fuel filter. The filter I removed was between the pump and the supply line to the carb and looked... very old, to say the least. lol

I tried manually turning the engine over with the fan, but had no luck there. The generator is kinda loose (and not even wired in) and the belt was very rotten and slack. So I just went ahead and cranked it with the starter, which it did happily. I put the plugs back in and cranked but didn't get a hint of fire. Holding the coil wire close to the body I didn't get any spark, so I ordered a new coil along with a set of wires. There is a hot wire going straight from the hot terminal of the battery to the + side of the coil due to the generator being disconnected.

I removed the distributor cap and everything looked surprisingly good inside, which I was thankful for. I think if I can figure out how the distributor is clocked I'll be in good shape to test fire it with some gas down the carb.
 
#24 ·
I put the plugs back in and cranked but didn't get a hint of fire. Holding the coil wire close to the body I didn't get any spark, so I ordered a new coil along with a set of wires. There is a hot wire going straight from the hot terminal of the battery to the + side of the coil due to the generator being disconnected.

I removed the distributor cap and everything looked surprisingly good inside, which I was thankful for. I think if I can figure out how the distributor is clocked I'll be in good shape to test fire it with some gas down the carb.
No spark? Lets troubleshoot.......
Use a test light.

Remove the ignition wire from the coil and turn the key on.
Do you have power at the wire? If not, then you have an issue between the battery and the coil.
If so, install the wire back on the coil and remove the wire from the dist side. Do you have power at the - coil post? if not, you have a coil issue.
If so, reinstall the dist wire and open the points. Do you have power at the point arm? If not, then you have an issue between the coil and the points.
If so, then file and regap the points. You should have spark every time you open the points with your finger. If not, check the points ground and the condenser.
The dist connects to the oil pump with a beveled drive. It will only go back one way. You will need to readjust the timing once you get it stuck.
 
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#25 ·
This is where I get to learn all about points and distributors. :wink2: Most of my auto experience is with mechanical diesels and fuel injected gassers.

I didn't check continuity of the wire between the + terminal of the battery and the + terminal of the coil. Like I said, the generator isn't even hooked up so it's been rigged to run off the battery only. When I hook up the new coil I'll crimp a ring terminal on the end of my wire to make sure I have good continuity to the battery. I know I can also check coil resistance to make sure it's not open, but I haven't gotten that far yet. I'm actually finishing up my degree as an industrial electrician at the moment, so I'm pretty excited to have a fun electrical project at home. lol

What sort of test device should I use here? One like this or this?

My game plan is to get the new coil hooked up and tested. Then I'll hook up the new plug wires and make sure I have spark on each. If I don't, I can guarantee I have a problem in the distributor which I can investigate at a later time.

Quick question - but is the coil grounded to the distributor in order to make sure the coil is only firing when needed for spark? The wire coming from the distributor looked a little frayed and it made me curious.

As for the distributor, the wire going to cylinder 1 (the rearmost cylinder, yes?) should always be in one position. Is that correct? Or can it be out by 180 degrees? I read how you could remove the spark plug in cylinder one and use your finger to determine when it's on the compression stroke, then pull the distributor cap and see where your wire needs to go. This is what I need to figure out first thing - I'll work on properly timing it once I can get it in my basement and work on it somewhere clean.
 
#29 ·
I'll do some research on that. Looks like a good conversion.

Ok, for the points/condenser, just order a new set rather than mess with what you have. There should be a tag on the distributor with the brand and model on it, you will need to make sure that you order the right set of points. Once you pull the cap and rotor, the plate that the points are mounted on removes after you take out the two screws that hold down the catch/latch for the cap. Once you have the screws out, the plate will lift out of the distributor. There are 2 screws in the points, one holds them in place, the other is a cammed head that adjusts the gap. Do not turn the one that is in the oval slot on the points (gap adjustment), just take loose the other screw and the lift the points off of the pivot pin. The new set of points should be close enough to drop back onto the plate and put the holding screw in and get the engine to fire up, you can fine tune the point gap later. the 'ground' wire from the coil connects to the points and spark occurs when the points open. make sure the you also replace the condenser, this absorbs the extra voltage when the points open and close to llimit the spark between the points as they open and close to extend the life of the point contact surface. if the condenser is bad, it can short directly to ground and the points will never charge the coil to get a spark.
I really can't stress this enough, but everything inside the distributor looks brand new. Like it was replaced 25 years ago and run for maybe an hour before being parked. If I still don't see spark at the plugs after this I'll definitely be tearing into it.

The distributor on the F-head has a flat drive and timing limited adjustment so as long as the oil pump gears are timed correctly to the cam you should be close on the timing. so #1 can really only be in 2 positions with that distributor. no being 'teeth off' when you put in the distributor.
Ok, that's good to know. Do you know which position should be for cylinder 1? This little diagram isn't much but it might be accurate anyway. Looks like cylinder 1 is likely pointing toward the front of the engine.
 

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#27 ·
Ok, for the points/condenser, just order a new set rather than mess with what you have. There should be a tag on the distributor with the brand and model on it, you will need to make sure that you order the right set of points. Once you pull the cap and rotor, the plate that the points are mounted on removes after you take out the two screws that hold down the catch/latch for the cap. Once you have the screws out, the plate will lift out of the distributor. There are 2 screws in the points, one holds them in place, the other is a cammed head that adjusts the gap. Do not turn the one that is in the oval slot on the points (gap adjustment), just take loose the other screw and the lift the points off of the pivot pin. The new set of points should be close enough to drop back onto the plate and put the holding screw in and get the engine to fire up, you can fine tune the point gap later. the 'ground' wire from the coil connects to the points and spark occurs when the points open. make sure the you also replace the condenser, this absorbs the extra voltage when the points open and close to llimit the spark between the points as they open and close to extend the life of the point contact surface. if the condenser is bad, it can short directly to ground and the points will never charge the coil to get a spark.




pertronix is a good conversion, but I would hold off until you get the rest of the wiring straightened out and make sure that the motor runs.
 
#28 ·
The distributor on the F-head has a flat drive and timing limited adjustment so as long as the oil pump gears are timed correctly to the cam you should be close on the timing. so #1 can really only be in 2 positions with that distributor. no being 'teeth off' when you put in the distributor.
 
#30 ·
Cylinder 1 should be the front cylinder. Firing order, if I'm not mistaken, should be 1-3-4-2. I'm seeing diagrams showing counter-clockwise rotation; might want to verify that. As to where the timing should be set for the 4-banger, I have no idea. The I6 is generally set 6-8* BTDC from the factory.
 
#32 ·
#1 on the one picture that you have of your distributor looks to be more about 4:30 or 5 o'clock. if the distributor has been out, #1 could either be there, or where #4 is (10:30-11 o'clock). As I said though, this is as long as the oil pump gears haven't been out and the distributor drive in the wrong place.
 

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#33 ·
Thanks for that. At least I have somewhere to start. If I don't have any luck in that position I'll just rotate the wires 90 degrees until I find it.
 
#37 ·
BTW, If you have the coil connected directly to the battery, you might have trouble shutting it off after it starts.
Someone may of done that just to try starting it some years ago.

I would have to check the schematic but it's likely you will also need a ballast resistor so you don't burn out your ignition coil.

and this would be more useful than the other one.
 
#38 ·
BTW, If you have the coil connected directly to the battery, you might have trouble shutting it off after it starts.
Someone may of done that just to try starting it some years ago.

I would have to check the schematic but it's likely you will also need a ballast resistor so you don't burn out your ignition coil.

and this would be more useful than the other one.
Pretty sure we just pulled the battery cable to shut it off, IIRC. But yes, the only function the key would serve in this setup would be for the accessories and starter solenoid.

I'm looking through the service manual PDF for the CJ-5 printed in 1965 and there is no mention of a ballast resistor in the ignition circuit, and no mention of it anywhere when I Ctrl+F the document. That is, unless it's supposed to be incorporated into the voltage regulator (which is also not hooked up, obviously). I do believe there is a ballast resistor on the back of the firewall, but I'll have to double-check how it's wired.

I may try to pick up a spare from the parts store just to use temporarily while I jury rig it.
 
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