Jeep CJ7 Rehab

[DanStokes]

Like the mono-cover over the valves. Inlines GOOD, 5 or 6 cylinders - who cares??!!

Dan

[milner351]

DUDE - this rocks in every way! I've been remiss in checking in here and BOOM - Stiney has gone full out gonzo on the jeep - well done indeed!

[STINEY]

Good to have you back John! Thanks for the props.


Continued gonzo-ing.....

Nearly done running stainless brake lines. Still need front calipers and rear wheel cylinders, will probably go rebuilt NAPA ones.



Stainless cushion clamps from Fastenal instead of the little metal clips Jeep used.

Ignore the wooden block - it was in there to hold the brake lines up while I figured out which ones went where. The prebent stuff was fairly good, but some of the bends needed adjusting as the planes of the angles were way off. Bends good, but needed to twist the line to get the bend in the right direction.



And on to the combination proportioning valve area. Everything landed in the correct place and the valve will fit the lines with very minor tweaking. Very pleased with that aspect.



The original valve - before.



And after. I left several inches of the old lines, hammered them flat on the anvil to seal them up, and sandblasted it - THEN went to work breaking the old line nuts loose.

Hopefully it still works after sitting idle for 21 years and probably several more years before that, after all the brake lines were already rotted out when I got it. Might try to rig up something to flush it somehow.




On to the rear. The flexible brake hose was DOT approved (the approved ones have a plasticy sheathing over the braiding, and a sticker) which is nice, but they really need to work on their frame mounting end. This has a hexagon shape where the original has a round washer shape, and the hex is just enough smaller in diameter to pull through the factory hole. Not good.

I tried to make an adapter from a thin washer, but it was simply still too thick. Even shaping it into a cone wasn't enough, got real close but no prize for close here.

After pondering a while, I simply drilled a new smaller hole in the frame crossmember an inch to the left of the original hole. Rebent the hard line to reach it, presto.

Also tapped the breather hole in the axle tube for a brass nipple fitting and installed it. The red cap is just there to keep junk out, the breather hose will run up high into the body cavity/fenderwell area.

[SuperBuickGuy]

It sure looks pretty, even with your reflection in all that chrome....

[STINEY]

I have to use chrome for reflections, mirrors tend to crack. Its difficult but I manage......


Moving on. I went on a haymow safari (think parts hoarding adventure).

As I put more and more parts on this thing, I am always thinking of the next parts needed, and have developed a short list of "stuff I know I have but darned if I know where they are".

And the safari was fruitful. I found stuff I forgot I had, stuff I don't know why I have it but do recognize as mine, and eventually the last box of CJ7 parts from 20 years ago. And I trashed 3 boxes of unneeded crap, guess my standards have gone up since then, lol. Honestly, it looked like hurried packing junk, as in "we're moving, just box everything up and sort it later". Guess later just happened, eh?

I even found the last rear factory fender flair under a VW hood in the very uppermost haymow. Success! Every missing part on my list is accounted for.

Am still confused on how that automatic trans linkage I distinctly remember removing from the old frame last fall got into that box of stuff I removed 20 years ago. Weird.....can't be memory, must be gremlins or kids playing mind-games. Or wife messing with me?

Finally went on to cleaning out the combination/proportioning valve.

Opened up the front first, looked very good with only some slight goo-deposits on the spring.




Removing the plastic centering warning switch showed the valve had assumed the position that results from a rear brake line failure.

Removing the rear residual pressure valve showed lots of nastiness.

Yuck.


The residual valve was blocked. Blowing through it was impossible, as was the rear portion of the block.




Spent some quality contemplative time with a can of brake cleaner, rag, small screwdriver, tiny wires, and an airhose, and everything is open now. The sliding part of the block moves back and forth like it should now too, so I recentered it and reassembled everything, and installed it on the frame.

One step closer.

[SuperBuickGuy]

you those things cost maybe $10 .... but it's just brakes, you don't need brakes in as flat of place as Ohio (where the highest part is the bit between the Os)

[STINEY]

$10? Where do you shop?


Most listings I've seen are $100+. There are some $50 ebay specials, but I'm more scared of them failing than this OEM unit.

Besides, I'd still have pull a new one apart to clean out the chinesium metal chips that always seem to be in new stuff these days.


And you are right about Ohio. You know, I went north to Sandusky last week. Saw a hill on the way.........that's scary stuff!

How do you cope with living where your backyard is a life-threatening drop just lurking and waiting to do you in some dark night?

(Shivers)

[SuperBuickGuy]

okay, $40.... https://www.pricefalls.com/product/g...rakes/59311136
To be clear of what you've said... you trust the Chinese crap-in-the-box instead of that proportioning valve which has 100% Yankee crap in the box? I hate to tell you this, but it's all the same crap.... but it must be a Jeep thing, so carry on

just a minor pitch


Buick is a bit concerned, though... but he's concerned about pretty much everything.

[STINEY]

To be clear....I trust either one after I have disassembled, inspected, and cleaned them myself.

If that effort is a given, then why spend the extra money when the one I have is perfectly functional.

I'm leary of anything that comes in a new box, you are right, its all the same crap.

Buick is right to be concerned, probably worried you are about to tip over while taking that picture.

Abby was equally concerned with some recent inclined plane foolishness........flatlander dog witnesses strange angles.

[SuperBuickGuy]

I noticed that she's paying attention to the source of her greatest danger....

[Russell]

Are you getting or removeing a shed? Must be new Noone would ever get rid of a shed

[STINEY]

I built it in 2000, moved it in 2001, sold it last week on Craigslist. Just call me Noone, lol.

Henry was the hired driver hauler, and his rig is really neat. Remote control and it has hydraulics out the wazoo. Moves in all conceivable directions.

My wife had been using the shed, but after we jazzed up the shop barn we decided to devote part of one of the haymows to the storage job the shed was doing. (The boys have a clubhouse/man cave in the other half)

Frees up the yard some. and we sold the shed for about what I built it for, so it's all good. Plus I no longer have the shed to maintain.

[STINEY]

Busy weekend, youngest son turned 11 yesterday and that other HallMark Holiday thing.

Saturday that Hallmark thing caused this to turn up in the barn shop.




Did manage to blast and paint some hood hinges and alternator bracketry.

Not sure on the hinge color - had an extra pair so did one black and one tan. Will compare them later and decide then.

[RideTech_Ryan]

That Motorcycle behind the tool box looks like it could be a fun project also!

[Russell]

Nice tool box.