Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 08:48:27 -0700 From: Joe Schaefer <joes-at-olympus.net> Subject: Wheel brgs At 10:24 19-05-97 -0500, you wrote: > > >Joe, > I did this with one wheel raised and could not feel any slop. Should I >raise both wheels? (I know this sounds elementary but I'm grasping >here!) > Jeff Herbst Jeff, Actually you can do it with the wheels on the ground, just shake it pretty good. BTW, I've still got one of the old pointer style torque wrenches too. I don't think it's probably as accurate as a new click wrench but so long as the pointer is centered under no load it should be more than adequate. Regards, -jj[Back to Top]
Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 09:09:45 -0700
From: Mike_Ahlmann-at-infinity.com
Subject: Re: Painting FSJ Bumpers
I think the bumpers on my '87 are aluminum, about 3/16" thick. I
don't know how they got that slightly brushed finish, but it's sure hard to
duplicate when you polish out scratches. I always end up with extra shiney
spots. I always use metal prep (phosphoric acid?) when painting steel
parts, but I'm not sure how it would work on aluminum. I'll try some
tonight and let you know what happens.
-Mike A.
brewer -at- thaad.tecmas.com
05/18/97 07:17 AM
Please respond to fsj-list-at-listserver.tehabi.com
To: fsj-list -at- listserver.tehabi.com
cc:
Subject: Painting FSJ Bumpers
I'm thinking of painting the bumpers on my '89 Grand Wagoneer either black
or the color of the vehicle. My question is, what are they made of or
coated with. I don't think that they are actually chrome and I can't
believe that they are stainless. Perhaps some kind of rhodium or vanadium
or a combination of these? Any info on this or on what kind of preparation
is necessary to make paint stick would be appreciated.
Comment on the asthetic nature of this would be appreciated as well.
John Brewer
"Any man who would trade liberty for security deserves neither."
Benjamin Franklin
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[Back to Top]Date: Mon, 19 May 97 09:11:22 -0700 From: bks-at-co.intel.com Subject: Re: Suprise Canyon Bert wrote: > Brad... I don't know but if you want to get a trip together I'm in... > Hear the surprise canyon can be ugly for us long wheel base guys. There > r other good trail in that area though. I live nearby and fly over the > Panamint valley all the time... Looks Tuff!!! > > Bert Garrison 78 J-20, 360 4bbl, T-18, D20 > Edwards CA I'll have to take a rain check -- a long one. I don't expect my wag to be on the road for a few years! I love that country down there -- it is tuff! -brad[Back to Top]
Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 11:09:27 -0700 From: "Renshaw, Ken" <krenshaw-at-resumix.com> Subject: RE: Quadra Trac swap >---------- >From: Kevin McConn >Sent: Sunday, May 18, 1997 8:25 PM >To: Multiple recipients of >Subject: Quadra Trac swap > >I need input, please. >The chain in my QT needs replacing, and I was wondering if now would be >a good time to replace w/ a part time case and hubs. What kinda price >are we talking for the swap?? The MileMarker P/T kit was around $350 and the hubs around $75. The kit comes with a new chain, and a stock QT chain by itself can cost $165 or so. -Ken ( Yes, it's one of the RubiKen's and yes, I'll send a trip report in shortly after the shock of the weekend wears off... ;-) >Kevin '79 Cherokee > > > > >--------------------------------------------------- >To Unsubscribe send email to macjordomo-at-listserver.tehabi.com with the >command >"unsubscribe FSJ-List" in the body of the message. > > >[Back to Top]
Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 11:48:55 -0700
From: Mike_Ahlmann-at-infinity.com
Subject: Re: Gone "Fishin" and Other Adventures
The Ford ignition module in my '87 failed over a period of time with
exactly the symptoms you're experiencing. I bought a generic
"Wells-Lamont" replacement at my local auto parts chain store and all the
problems went away. It's lasted 6+ years now. If the Ford part used by
Jeep is suspect, toss it and try a generic replacement.
-Mike A.
[Back to Top]Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 14:42:10 -0500 From: brewer-at-thaad.tecmas.com (John Brewer) Subject: Automotive Programs Can somebody help my memory? I'm trying to recall the web address of an Automotive Programs site. If I remember, it is a collection of equations relative to engine and automotive performance characteristics. You can go in and select physical parameters and enter your own constants and get a result. The name that comes to mind is "Bolling" but a search turned up nothing. Does anybody know what I am talking about??? John Brewer "Any man who would trade liberty for security deserves neither." Benjamin Franklin[Back to Top]
Date: 19 May 97 16:49:25 EDT From: Michael Baxter <74172.1164-at-CompuServe.COM> Subject: lOld Blue's gonna get 9000s "john meister" <john-at-> writes: >> The RS9000's I"ve got won't fit the xj... But, it appears they will fit Old Blue... :-) << Please give us a report when you're done (as if I need to ask) on the difference in ride between the 9000s and the 5000s. -- Michael Baxter, 74172.1164-at-Compuserve.com http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/MBaxter From Reno, NV USA on 19-May-1997 at 13:35:44 PDT !^NavFont01F000AMGlHGuHGD88EA7[Back to Top]
Date: 19 May 97 16:49:14 EDT From: Michael Baxter <74172.1164-at-CompuServe.COM> Subject: [No Subject] Moake Brian <iw67-at-jove.acs.unt.edu> writes: >> Which way do I turn my dist. to advance my 360? << Turn the dist. housing opposite the direction the rotor turns. I don't know exactly which direction that is on a AMC V-8 since, I use the trail & error method. I suggest you don't try to advance the timing unless you have a timing light. You could easily get lost. -- Michael Baxter, 74172.1164-at-Compuserve.com http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/MBaxter From Reno, NV USA on 19-May-1997 at 12:21:03 PDT !^NavFont01F000DMGiHGrMG50HHp692D[Back to Top]
Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 15:19:49 -0500 From: "Sc0" <jjd-at-flex.net> Subject: Re: '73 Wagoneer > '73 Wagoneer for sale for $1700 > Quadra-trac, tinted windows, AMC hubcaps, brown. luggage rack, rear wind > deflector..... > (this was a drive by when I was looking at it.) > > In Houston, TX (down the street from me) The body doesn't show any signs of rust but, it has a dent around the front left hand fender and a small streak goes down the side.... must of hit some type of post. It has the box looking grill and some sort of protective plate under the front end.[Back to Top]
Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 15:07:00 -0500 From: "Sc0" <jjd-at-flex.net> Subject: Re: Midland CB > I've still got an old Midland 23 channel C.B. sitting around in the > garage. Talk about old. I have an old Solid State 23 channel CB, it has USB and LSB... I don't think it works anymore though.[Back to Top]
Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 15:15:36 -0500 From: "Sc0" <jjd-at-flex.net> Subject: brake adjusters? Can someone look in their manual for a '72 truck? To check if it originally had front and rear brake adjusters. I got my truck from Pep boys and they said that the front brakes were self adjusting and that the rear brakes had to be adjusted manually. My '73 Sevice manual says that the front and rear brakes were self adjusting..... Were the rears self adjusting, or did Pep Boys loose a part and told me that I have to adjust them myself? "Who are we?" Sc0[Back to Top]
Date: 19 May 97 16:49:20 EDT From: Michael Baxter <74172.1164-at-CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: Ford Explorer Offroad "Mike Hill" <wagoneer79-at-hotmail.com> writes: >> My Wago will pop out of drive when accelerated hard. You have to hold the gearshift in drive to keep it in. What could this be? >> You probably need to replace your engine and or tranny mounts. ON the other hand, your shift linkage may need to be adjusted a little. >> was grinding rust off the rear fender-quarter panel, There was a large amount of Bond-o covering about the whole thing. I bought it from my Grandpa and it had been in only one wreck, in the front by a Caddy. Could it be factory bond-o? << No factory bondo on FSJs. If the trucking co. that transported it to the dealer had an accident, it could have gotten bondo that way. It certainly wouldn't have been the 1st new car to be damaged being loaded/unloaded from the truck. -- Michael Baxter, 74172.1164-at-Compuserve.com http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/MBaxter From Reno, NV USA on 19-May-1997 at 13:33:33 PDT !^NavFont01F000AMGjHGsHI854471[Back to Top]
Date: 19 May 97 16:49:09 EDT From: Michael Baxter <74172.1164-at-CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: stall speeds... "john meister" <john-at-> writes: >> > suggested the non-locking converter with a lower stall speed would > be an improvement for all but unloaded highway driving. Apparently > the stall speed on the locking converters is too high to be of > practical use in these vehicles. Just a thought. > > Gord The stall speed thing confuses me... What is the best thing for our FSJ's? If I went with a non-locking that would mean I'd have higher rpms? Or just more slippage??? << Stall speed is basically the speed at which the engine will turn with the one foot on the accl. peddle, flat to the floor, while the other holds the brakes so vehicle doesn't move. But (big but) the speed really depends a lot on converter stall speed. The same converter behind a 304 will have different stall speed behind a 401. As long as your engine is built with bottom-end torque in mind, the lower the stall speed the better. A low-speed converter allows less slippage between the engine and the drivelines. Better mileage, better compression braking going down hills, etc. Disadvantage: possibly not as fast in a stop-light grand-prix (depending on engine). The best case would be a low-stall converter with lock-up. I'm not sure anyone makes an aftermarket low-stall converter with lock-up for the TF-727? -- Michael Baxter, 74172.1164-at-Compuserve.com http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/MBaxter From Reno, NV USA on 19-May-1997 at 12:17:54 PDT !^NavFont01F000EMGlHGuMH8DHK706A0B engine size/power. I really don't know what standard is used for rating[Back to Top]
Date: 19 May 97 16:48:49 EDT From: Michael Baxter <74172.1164-at-CompuServe.COM> Subject: RE: decisions, decisions... Jeff Herbst <JeffHerbst-at-electrosys.com> writes: >> When I first put them on they made the same tick sound as a leak. After checking for leaks, the muffler shop checked too, I determined that they were just noisy. I cured this with some header thermal wrap from cool-tech. This required removal and reinstallation. Now I like them alot! << Even the thick tube headers (like 16 gauge or better) are more noisy than cast iron. Essentially you are hearing the exhaust pulses form all eight cylinders. Every set of headers I've ever heard are like that. The thinner the tubing the louder they are. I hear the right side much more than the left side in my Cherokee. When I do encounter an exhaust leak, I ask myself "how many cylinders am I listening to." The answer only comes from experience (can't be put into words here on the list anyway). If I only hear one cylinder leaking, then I know it's a header. Often on V-8s you can tell which side of the engine the cylinder is on. If you can hear 4 cylinders, then the leak has to be between the collector and the Y on a single system. Again, you can often tell which side it's on on a V-8. If it's a dual system, it's between the collector and the muffler if it's loud or behind the muffler if it's...well muffled. If it's after the Y but before the muffler...you guys get the idea. The way to diagnose exhaust leaks I've ever learned is the old shop vac. up the tail-pipe method. With the exhaust system cool; hook you shop vac's hose up to the blow port and then adapt the hose to the tail pipe such that it doesn't leak. Turn on the shop vac and then run you hand over every joint/weld in the exhaust system. This works real well most of the time. ONly leak you can't find is the one that gets worse as the exhaust system gets hotter and those kind are rare. 99% of them are the inverse. -- Michael Baxter, 74172.1164-at-Compuserve.com http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/MBaxter From Reno, NV USA on 19-May-1997 at 11:04:32 PDT !^NavFont01F000AMGmHGvHLD3663C[Back to Top]
Date: 19 May 97 16:49:01 EDT From: Michael Baxter <74172.1164-at-CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: Air Lift Spring Installation in a Je Gordon McKenzie <gordmck-at-direct.ca> writes: >> The guy who did my rear springs desperately wanted me to get rid of the air shocks. Does this make sense or was he just trying for another couple of hundred bucks? << IMO he is correct. Although I'm sure at least 51% of his motivation was getting another $200 out of you. In reality, the shock mounts on our Jeeps are beefy in the usual Jeep over-engineered style. I don't believe that using the shock mounts to relieve the springs of a little additional weight is going to hurt anything. My air dampening than the low-pressure gas shocks they replaced. IMO, the dampening is now perfect where it was slightly harsh before. Our FSJs are sprung pretty softly. They wouldn't ride so nice if they weren't. It's a compromise deal. The rear is especially soft as evidenced by the sag when you put a little weight in the back. My rear air shocks are capable of some ungodly high max. psi like 175(?). I have never put more than about 50 psi in them. Unloaded I run at the min. of 20 psi. Towing or transporting 6 people, I put 50 in them. With 20 psi, they push the rear up just the right amount and ride very nice. With 50 psi, the dampening is much more in line with carrying heavy loads and they do relieve the springs of enough weight to keep the rear end from squatting in true FSJ style. I'm on my second set of air shocks (Monroe, BTW) and the shock mounts are as straight and true as ever. There are a lot of different types of air shocks out there. Some require as much as 50 psi min. to prevent internal damage (Gabriel I believe). These will produce a harsh ride and will push the back-end way-up. Others can run at zero psi. without damage. The bottom line is; if you want your back-end up 3/4-1" when unloaded without ruining your FSJs nice ride and the ability to carry six people & and travel at night without other drivers wondering if you're squirrel hunting, then a set of low minimum pressure air shocks will work great. They only run about $60-65 a pair and are easily the most flexible solution to a sagging rear end. If you install the external bladder type of shocks, a heat shield should be used on the right shock by the exhaust system. Just a piece of sheet metal or aluminum air duct bent to conform to the shock's body and held on with a tight tie-wrap is all it takes. Mike, thanks for the info on the Airlift's. I have about 5" of up travel now. The lift will probably add 3" to that since I'm planning on skinnier tires than I have now and the Wide-Tracks have plenty of room in the wheel houses. Hence, should be no need to limit up travel. Down travel is easily be more than 8" now. I would be way outside of the Airlift's range and I'm sure I would have to remove the bladders before doing any serious off-roading. That would just have to be a necessary evil since, I can not think of any other way to have my cake and eat it too :-). -- Michael Baxter, 74172.1164-at-Compuserve.com http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/MBaxter From Reno, NV USA on 19-May-1997 at 11:14:36 PDT !^NavFont01F000EMGiHGrMGAFHP70A587 shocks with the min. 20 psi in the bladders are just a little softer in[Back to Top]
Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 17:05:02 -0400
From: "Dennis M. \"Doc\" Fariello" <fariello-at-inspace.net>
Subject: hey, what happened to 319?
Anybody got digest #319 handy they can send to me?
Sitting here reading #320, and seeing all kinds of quotes that I haven't
read... good stuff, too, I'm missing out! <grin>.
thanks, guys... now off to do a carb-ectomy on poor old Timex... she got
the EGR valve cleaned yesterday, ran great on the way to work, almost had
(yay, what a difference!), and ANOTHER new starter (which ALSO is screwing
up already).
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Home of the "Bottomless Transfer Case"
_____________________________________
email: fariello-at-inspace.net
http://www.inspace.net/~fariello/fsj
_____________________________________
to push her home this morning. She also got a new steering stabilizer
[Back to Top]Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 16:58:16 -0400
From: "Dennis M. \"Doc\" Fariello" <fariello-at-inspace.net>
Subject: re: observations
Joe, the Performer, like most low-rpm manifolds, are designed with the
small ports and runners, do improve low-end performance. This is usually
exactly what we want with an off-road vehicle, or a large, heavy vehicle
with high gearing, that is used on the road.
The best thing to do is simply "port-matching". This is slightly
enlarging the ports to conform to the gasket opening. Doing a full port
the ports kind of rough, it helps prevent the fuel dropping out of the air
stream.
>Now to my point....I was moving some parts around and I noticed
>the ports on the Edelbrock performer for the 360 are rather small.
>Looks like someone with a lot of time could really improve the flow
>(Michael?) by porting the intake and heads. The ports "looked"
>to be smaller than those on a small block Chevy. (I had a Chevy manifold
>close-by to compare, I did not measure them)
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Home of the "Bottomless Transfer Case"
_____________________________________
email: fariello-at-inspace.net
http://www.inspace.net/~fariello/fsj
_____________________________________
will wreck the low-end performance. You also want to leave the inside of
[Back to Top]Date: 19 May 97 16:49:33 EDT
From: Michael Baxter <74172.1164-at-compuserve.com>
Subject: Painting FSJ Bumpers
brewer-at-thaad.tecmas.com (John Brewer) writes:
>> My question is, what are they made of or coated with. I don't think that
they are actually chrome and I can't believe that they are stainless. Perhaps
some kind of rhodium or vanadium or a combination of these? Any info on this
or on what kind of preparation is necessary to make paint stick would be
appreciated.
<<
The bumpers were indeed changed to one-piece aluminum bumpers in 1979. The
produced them did not do a very good job. The chrome has a tendency to
flake-off exposing the aluminum to corrosion.
The chrome bumpers were not around for very long. Jeep's supplier stopped the
chroming process in circa '81 and they just polished the aluminum after that
time.
The aluminum itself is surprisingly resistant to dings and bending. Mine show
a lot of battle scars (paint from other cars) and have always come-out the
winner.
If you have chrome, you're going to have to find a way to get the chrome off.
Sandblasting is not good idea for aluminum. If you have the polished aluminum
bumpers (which I believe were clear-coated), just get the clear coat off with
sanding and then prep/paint the bumpers with a good aluminum primer.
Someone's suggestion of powder coating them would be the ultimate.
-- Michael Baxter, 74172.1164-at-Compuserve.com
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/MBaxter
From Reno, NV USA on 19-May-1997 at 13:45:30 PDT
!^NavFont01F000AMGkHGtHK489ED6
early aluminum bumpers ('79-?) where chrome plated but, which ever co.
[Back to Top]Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 16:43:22 -0500 From: Jeff Herbst <JeffHerbst-at-electrosys.com> Subject: RE: [No Subject] > > >> Which way do I turn my dist. to advance my 360? > << > > Brian, Clockwise to advance, counter-clockwise to... well you know. My '82 say's to set to 10deg BTD, if I time 'by ear' then check it with a light I am usually -at- 12-15deg BTD. In other words I am not sure if the factory setting is the best! Jeff Herbst 1982 Wagoneer LTD > Texas > > >[Back to Top]
Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 17:06:50 -0500 From: "Sc0" <jjd-at-flex.net> Subject: Overdrive? Saturn All-Range Overdrive? http://www.ozemail.com.au/~marks4wd/odsat.html Who has one of these things? They sound REAL good but I have never heard of them. "Who are we?" Sc0[Back to Top]
Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 14:57:22 -0700 From: Joe Schaefer <joes-at-olympus.net> Subject: Re: Automotive Programs At 14:42 19-05-97 -0500, you wrote: >Can somebody help my memory? I'm trying to recall the web address of an >Automotive Programs site. >John Brewer John, Try Bowlings site at < http://deverse.cebaf.gov/~bowling/auto.html > -jj[Back to Top]
Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 15:40:20 -0700
From: SuperKen <kenns-at-concentric.net>
Subject: Re: It's a mystery
ahhh i didnt read that part of the email, acn u repeat??
William S. McBride wrote:
>
> Ken
>
> Thanks. Any suggestions to explain the apparent front lift?
>
> Bill McBride
> 1968 J-100
>
--
Sincerely
kenneth e. wetherall If a Wagoneer can go where a
kenns-at-concentric.net CJ can go, then it's a
Super Wagoneer.
[Back to Top]Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 15:50:46 -0700 From: "Renshaw, Ken" <krenshaw-at-resumix.com> Subject: Rubicon Trail Trip Report Another name for the writeup could just as well be " The Deflowering of a Rubicon Virgin ". This post is very long, but it is FSJ-centric in that it is from the point of view of trying to get my '79 Wagoneer over the Rubicon. I was to meet SuperKen Wetherall's four wheel drive club, the Hill Hoppers, at Ice House Road Saturday morning at dawn. I had brought my son Thomas, and three friends with me, two of which were going to ride the Rubicon on dirt bikes. We arrived at camp at 11:30 PM Friday night, and performed last-minute bolt-tightening and fluid checks that lasted until 1:30 AM. We awoke at 5:30 AM, and after locating SuperKen via CB included my '79 Wagoneer, Superken's '67 Wagoneer, a nice early '70 Bronco, an M38-A1 and three CJ3/5's ( I think, SuperKen correct me if I'm wrong...). We also had a Honda 125 dirt bike and a brand-new Kawasaki 650 KLR motorcycle. After shuttling one of our trucks to a campground we hit the road towards Loon Lake, and twenty minutes later we were at the Rubicon trailhead airing down our tires. My 36" TSX swampers started out at 20 psi, down from 32, but very quickly into the trip SuperKen took me all the way down to 6 psi (!). The sidebiters on the TSX's make the tire very rigid, and with beadlocks you could probably run them without air at all. The trip begins..... Seconds after embarking upon the Loon Lake trailhead the trail becomes granite slabs, and after crawling roughly a quarter mile of the granite sheets, the trail drops down into the trees. As I arrived at the first rock garden, I was treated to my first "Uh oh!" feeling of many throughout the day. Three CJ's in various twisted positions were trying to get around/over/through some rather large rocks, and the trail offered at least three paths with which to approach the rock garden. SuperKen narrowed the choices for our two FSJ's down to just one path: one that kept the tires on the highest points of the rocks, and one that also ended in dropping off some tall rocks, crushing both rocker panels beneath the doors and both rear quarter panels between the rear bumper and the rear tires. Ouch. None of the vehicles got stuck there, but some of the little open-diffed CJ's had some fun climbing through the boulders. SuperKen and I were the only two totally locked-up vehicles, I believe. The was a smattering of lockers and posi's between the other rigs, but Superken and I had the best traction, I believe. SuperKen runs a PowerLock in the front and a Detroit Locker in the rear, and I run a pair of ARB air lockers. :-) Before we left this first section, we had to pass a rock guardian trying to barre the way. It was a *very* steep 6 or 7 foot tall ledge, and this particular obstacle gave my rig the most trouble. The ledge was so steep my engine stalled twice, when the floats shut off. The third time I powered up it fast enough to fool the carb. With all the rigs past this obstacle we continued on to the mud pits...... When we arrived, there were already Jeeps stuck in the bogs. Lovely soup it was, too. A couple of them had to get winched out, including the Bronco right in front of SuperKen and I. The driver of the Bronco declined to squeeze between some tight trees, and thought it would be easier to go around. That was not the case, and he proceeded to get highly stuck in the blackish mud. The Bronco's winch wasn't working, and was later found to have a bad electrical connection, so one of the little Jeeps lent him a hand and winched him out. SuperKen thought he could make it through the tight trees, and he did, followed by a perfect mud run that got him through nice and pretty. I followed his line through the trees, and with my locked-up axles and 36" Swampers, had no problem at all in the mud. In fact, after the initial mud run, the trail became quite a slalom course between the trees in fair-to-middlin' mud, and I repeatedly stopped in the deepest spots I could pick, and didn't so much as spin a tire crawling out of it. I know you guys out in Louisiana and Florida could show me *real* mud, but until then.... ;-) Both SuperKen and picked up matching caved-in rear passenger doors, having hugged a tree a little too closely. SuperKen showed me a very cool trick to get around tight trees and rocks. Drive past it with your front tires, then aim your rear tire at it, and pivot around that tire on the tree. It really allows you to take a sharper corner. Thanks, SuperKen! I used that trick all day on rocks and trees. With the lowland mud bogs behind us, we were poised at the bottom of a lengthy hill climb, one lane wide and paved with basketball sized rocks and bigger. One of the CJ's broke a front hub, and limped to a pull-off for repairs, as the rest of us made our way up the rocky trail. On closer inspection it was found that the CJ was hungry, and had spider gears for lunch. :-( The trail boss, Dennis, came to the rescue. his M38 has an on-board welder and air supply, and after fishing out chewed up spiders, welded the diff together and made a spool out of it. Ah well, you want to locked up on both ends around here anyway... ;-) We spent the next hour or so having an impromptu lunch as the repairs continued, and towards the end a group of three very nicely geared and setup CJ's made their way around us to continue the trail. Directly past where we were making field repairs there are two obstacles, a three-or-four step climb and then a single 4 foot vertical wall, which to me looked pretty imposing, with a bad approach angle and breakover angle at the top. Just as one Jeep was pulled over it, the first trick Jeep arrived, and promptly pretzeled his steering gear. This forced our now-on-the-trail-again Jeeps to take a bypass around the two step obstacles, but it was a pretty tight fit through some trees for SuperKen and I. There was a large tree on the right and a tall rock on the left, so as you're passing the rock your rig tips into the tree. SuperKen hit the tree, even though he valiantly put his hand out to stop the tree. ;-) I somehow managed to avoid it, I think because I took a few more turnabouts to line up my truck. My steering pump was squealing like a pig all day, which puzzled me since it's a new pump. It only happened when I was in 4WD, and after the trip was over I found out my front ARB air solenoid was stuck open, effectively I was running a spooled front end all day.Good thing I was on the Rubicon... ;-) With this long, rocky climb and it's tricky bypass section we found ourselves at the bottom of a huge granite slab section, climbing around to the east of Devil's Peak. After SuperKen got the fun a pulling off a high-centered CJ, we started the climb up the granite slabs. I was warned once more by SuperKen to take it easy, as a fully-locked rig on granite slabs coupled with a V8 and a 3-ton-plus truck is a great recipe for breakage. It was at that point that the day made a 180 change for the worse. It seems the great wheeling God, Lock-a-ja-Wee-a, was bored that day, and decided to start messing with us. At almost the exact moment, the lead vehicle ripped off a front spindle clean from the axle, and then I, at the back of the pack, suddenly backfired and died. Upon opening the hood, I saw that I had ripped out both motor mounts, and since I was climbing a steep slab when it happened, the entire power train fell backwards in the frame and twisted to the side. <Sound of grown man sobbing goes in here...> At this point we were about a mile shy of Spider Lake and the Little Sluice, and we had some serious repairs to do. Simultaneous with that thought the thunderheads above us roared, laughed right in our faces, and dumped large quantities of water followed by hail upon our at-this-point sad little party. While the lead group was effecting trail repairs on the snapped spindle bolts, my hero SuperKen proceeded to figure out a plan to help my mortally wounded FSJ. I had new motor mounts with me, having bought them recently and not put them in yet, so the problem became how to lift up the powertrain and drag it forward to install the new mounts. Oh yeah, and the rear tranny mounts were threatening to go snapple at this point, too. SuperKen solved the problem by facing his Jeep at mine, and he used my come-a-long to pull the powertrain forward as he simultaneously lifted it with bottle jacks. By this time he was sitting in the creek that formed under my Jeep, but even at this high point of frustration he managed to do the job. I can't tell you how much I appreciate his help, I just hope I can help him out someday. Anyway, three hours later both my Jeep and the CJ with the welded spindle were moving again, but the magnitude of our breakdowns ( half of us had experienced major breakdowns ) and the serious weather conditions led the group to decide to turn tail and drive back out the way we came. None were more disappointed the SuperKen, as his Jeep was performing beautifully all day, and I'm sure he would have made it through the rest of the way. We had been on the trail for 10 hours by then, and believe it or not, were back down to pavement in a little over an hour. We exited Wentworth Springs instead of the more rocky and muddy way we'd come in by way of Loon Lake. The trail out had some VERY deep water crossings on it, with long sections of it having your Jeep pushing water high enough to cover my 36's and pull the cover off of one of my KC lights. SuperKen and I had the tallest rigs, and the water wasn't a problem, but I did have fun in it! :-) When I arrived at camp later I found that my QuadraTrac and both differentials were full of a lovely mix of water, mud, and oil, and proceeded to drain and replace all the fluids. My tranny fluid and engine oil were okay, even though I had battled a nasty transmission fluid leak all day. The other chronic problem I had was my new Edelbrock #1400 carb, which seemed to flood out all the time, but I'm pretty sure that's my fault, since SuperKen tweaked it for me and it ran way, WAY better for the drive out. It stalled at least 15-20 times going in, but only once going out. We were coming down those gnarly steps we bypassed earlier, and I almost rolled my Jeep onto it's side coming off od the second to last step. I should have turned my front wheels coming off of the step. The rest of the way out Wentworth Springs was uneventful, and upon reaching pavement I bummed some air from SuperKen, we aired up, talked a little, and said our goodbyes. This trip was extremely eye-opening, and it was far worse that I expected. With SuperKen's help and tips, I did manage to get in and out with being stuck or hung-up even once, and if you've seen the trail you know that ain't easy. I have a long list of things to fix/strengthen on my FSJ, but I WILL BE BACK. My goal is to successfully run the Rubicon by Summer's end. I sincerely hope SuperKen will go with me, and a million thanks to him. If he was a drinkin' man I'd owe him beers for life.... Thanks, SuperKen! As an aside, I love my TSX's and my ARB's. Traction was *not* a problem. Thanks for reading this report, and I look forward to tackling the trail later this summer. Have a good one, all! :-) -Blue RubiKen ( as opposed to Red RubiKen.....) had joined up with the Hill Hoppers around 7 AM. Our total convoy[Back to Top]
Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 15:53:33 -0700
From: SuperKen <kenns-at-concentric.net>
Subject: Trip Report...No Survivors :(
yup, thats what i call last weekends trip of myself, 36ken, and my club,
'The Hillhoppers,
to the Rubicon. there were 7 vehicles in r party. NOT ONE escaped a
system failure before,
during or after the trail! I shall begin.
For those of u that r not aware, i drive a 1967 Super Wagoneer with a GM
sb 350ci, th400/d20, detroit locker/pwr loc, 427rp's, SOA, 33 1250 15 on
8" rims.
the trip up was no prob until placerville. i sutained 3k rpm indicated,
and
56-59mph indicated. at placerville i stopped at a 76 station to refuel
and make
a call to my parents. i made the call first, so i parked near the row of
phones.
i completed the call, but the Super would not start, would not even turn
over.
yall might no the sound..early in the morning in late december, the
battery has
only enuff juice to turn the crank 1 rev!!! so i break out the
diagnostic tools, check
all of the fuses, relays, solenoids..nothing. no drop in voltage, no
damaged
terminals, no loose connections. call AAA. he cant jump it..starter wont
turn over
at all. its 2130, iv been here 2.0 hours. in last desparation i remove
the bat conns and re clean, reinstall, and presto!!! it starts! :0. I
go to find 36ken.
he wasent at the campsite we talked about, but i new he was in the area,
so i pulled
into the parking lot and slept in the Super.
next morning at the prescribed time i took up station at the disscussed
rendezvous
intersection. over the agreed opon cb ch, i heard his group call out for
my club;
i answered. over the next hour the rest of the other 5 vehicles met at
the rendezvous
point. in total we had: 2 wagoneers, 1 bronco, 1 M38, and 3 cj's, and 2
dirt bikes.
we headed for the trail start, loon lake entrance. its 0700 or 0800
one mi into the trail, Ray Skillen discovers that the front diff on his
64 cj5 is NOT
providing traction. diagnostics show broken front spiders gears. out
comes the welder
on the m38 and we weld the spders together to make a poor mans spool.
its 1130
half a mi later on asscending flat granite, Dennis Skillen's 52 m38
loses the
bolts that hold his RF spindle to the knuckle. we stop. 100yrds behind
me,
36ken is having carb probs. i respond. BOTH of his motor mounts have
broke, tilting
the motor to the pass side and back against the firewall. we break out
the tools.
some time later, it begins to hail HARD!. the dry granite slabs turn
into great
flowing fissures of water. the depression i am sitting in to give me
more
headroom to work under 36kens wag fills to the depth of 7-9". i get my
rain gear.
we rig up a tarp between the open hoods of 36ken's wag and my Super. we
cant move 36ken's
wag so i have to sit in the puddle of water, my rain gear keeps me dry.
i lost track
of time. it begins to rain and thunder and lighting. the m38 is
repaired. my club
decides to abandon the trail and regroup at a condo near S lake! i
tighten the last bolts on
36kens NEW motor mounts that he had in is 'oh shit kit'. we reverse
course and head out.
9 min later, Dave Lewands 78 cj7 punctures the RR tire. we stop for its
replacment.
36kens front air locker wont DISENGAGE, his PS pump SCREAMS at each turn
of the wheel.
mike in his 79 cj7 has an oil leak near the filter and HIS ps system is
not responding.
we get to the paved road where i fill the tires of both the Wagoneers.
my club tells via
cb that they r on the road headed to the condo. 36ken and i complete the
aire up, and 36ken
returns to his campsite with his group, i head to S lake. 1 mi later, i
over take
my club that has pulled off to the left hand shoulder. hoods r up! i
stop.
the white bronco has broken the coil spring mount on the LF diff. out
comes the welder. but we
manage to park near the only forrest service mosquito breeding ground in
all of the Eldorado
NF. my club arrives at the condo in S lake, its 2330. we pig out on ALL
the food that we had hoped
to eat at Buck ils lake. next morning we do the same with all the
breakfast food.
we all leave at 0900, i arrive at concord at 1330 and call it a day.
--
Sincerely
kenneth e. wetherall If a Wagoneer can go where a
kenns-at-concentric.net CJ can go, then it's a
Super Wagoneer.
[Back to Top]Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 15:12:38 -0700 From: swhitney-at-presto.GIS.Pima.GOV. (Steve Whitney) Subject: Re: brake adjusters? My former '72 Wag had self-adjusting brakes front and rear. Basically all this consists of is a plate held in place across the star adjusters by a spring and operated by a cable so that they would tighten the brakes when applying them while backing up. When replacing brake shoes, I would initially adjust the brakes manually, then while backing up apply the brakes 10-15 times. This "supposedly" further adjusted them properly, and every time you backed up and applied the brakes, this would would "supposedly" keep them properly adjusted. That's where they "supposedly" got the term self-adjusting from. In my experience, this never really worked to my satisfaction, so I would occasionally manually adjust them to my liking as they wore down. With drum brakes all around, I kept them pretty tight. If the shop said your rear brakes had to be adjusted manually, maybe they're just missing the self-adjusting plate/spring/cable. My '78 Wag has self-adjusting rear brakes just like my '72 had. Hope this helps. c-ya, Whit. Steve Whitney, '78 Wag 401, 4bbl, TH400 w/ B&M Transpak, QT w/ MM part-time kit, 2" AALs, 31" BFG ATs Tucson, AZ swhitney-at-gis.pima.gov > > Can someone look in their manual for a '72 truck? > To check if it originally had front and rear brake adjusters. I got my truck > from Pep boys and they said that the front brakes were self adjusting and that > the rear brakes had to be adjusted manually. > My '73 Sevice manual says that the front and rear brakes were self > adjusting..... > Were the rears self adjusting, or did Pep Boys loose a part and told me that I > have to adjust them myself? >[Back to Top]
Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 16:59:48 -0400 (EDT) From: Moake Brian <iw67-at-jove.acs.unt.edu> Subject: Re: RE: [No Subject] On Mon, 19 May 1997 16:43:22 -0500 Jeff Herbst <JeffHerbst-at-electrosys.com> wrote: > Brian, > Clockwise to advance, counter-clockwise to... well you know. My '82 > say's to set to 10deg BTD, if I time 'by ear' then check it with a light > setting is the best! I am ususlly really good at "timing by ear" but my Jeep idles so quietly it is difficult to hear. > I am usually -at- 12-15deg BTD. In other words I am not sure if the factory[Back to Top]
Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 17:07:30 -0400 (EDT) From: Moake Brian <iw67-at-jove.acs.unt.edu> Subject: FSJ's in Hollywood My wife saw a full size Wagon in Disclosure last night. Michael Douglas' character's wife drives it.[Back to Top]
Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 17:02:09 -0700 From: billy dunn <dunns-at-csra.net> Subject: Re: AC (and Freon Soapbox, nonFSJ) >> >>Well uh....You dont BLOW the oil out with compressed air...There is no way >>possible you can get nearly all the oil out like that.There is still oil in >>the condensor and in the evaporator.To do a retrofit you will have a service >>done called a FLUSH...It is a solvent that you pressurize into the system.By >>unhooking the lines to the condensor and evaporator you run the flush >>through these to units and it will get all of the oil out.Then you would >>regulary clean the lines out and change the accumulator.Reconnect everything >>and recharge after installing new R-134a fittings and install retrofit >>sticker.I charge 100.00 to do the actual retrofit...thats 25.00 flush,25.00 >>for all fittings,caps and stickers,and 50.00 labor.The actual accumulator >>varies per application and labor to.The R134a is about 6.00 a pound and you >>are all set.Actual temp.are not that noticable.Most of the ones I do are >>late models and the temp difference between the 2 freons are well within >>limits.(5 degrees or so)Dont expect ANY freon to freeze you out if the temp >>is very hot like above 90degrees.Remember that older models with the a-6 >>compressor like the ones on older GMs are not compatible. >>Remember this is my .02 worth and other people will have their opions and I >>cannot help that.I make sure that my jobs are done correctly and I will not >>see that vehicle again for the same problem.I do not get paid to fix >>comebacks...... >>Billy >>79J10 > >Thanks for the info Billy. I was repeating what the guy at "Smith >Enterprises" (a local shop) told me. I am glad that I haven't had it done >yet as I will enquire about the flush method when I do! It sounds like a >much better method for cleaning the system. Also I, and others, have heard >that the new oil will damage components or cause them to wear prematurely. >Is this true in your opinion? I'd like to get as much info as possible so >I only have to do this once. You also mention that some compressors are >incompatible with the new stuff. How do FSJ compressors fit into this? >I'm guessing "just fine" since you didn't say anything. > >As for opinions, I do know a good deal about freon and it's properties as >well as the arguments about their supposed effect on the atmosphere. >However I am not an AC technician so any information I may offer on that >subject is simply stuff I am passing along. I will always make a concerted >effort to filter clearly erroneous information but that filter is not >100%. > >This is what makes this list great. There are experts from nearly every >profession who are willing to offer advice and correct faulty information >given by us arm-chair types! > >John Brewer > > >"Any man who would trade liberty for security deserves neither." > Benjamin Franklin > Well John being that the retrofits really hasnt taking off as well as the industry would like there hasnt been alot to compare with.I average about 8or10 a week.Like I said most are with later models and I personally havent done one with a york style compressor.I have had other techs tell me different things about them.Some say no problem and others say that it will not hold the pressures that the R134a produces.So without me trying one I wont comment cause I dont know first hand knowledge. About the oil damage...I have been doing them for about 3 yrs now and I havent had any oil related failures of components.I know that most compressors are built by a couple of manufacturers and the quality has gone down dramatically in the last few years or so. Whether you use R12 or 134.I think they are trying to produce as many compressors as possible and they are not being done correctly.There is no reason why you should take a reman compressor and it will not even work when you install it.I feel that a new compressor is the way to go now adays.I know it costs more but a reamn has a (lifetime) warranty but it doesnt help when a seal blows and your 40.00 a pd R12 goes blowing in the wind and they will not refund your money on it.Lifetime warranties are a gimmick to me.... Well I hope it helps....If you want it done I can do it...Hell I'll even throw the labor in for free...just buy the parts. Billy[Back to Top]
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