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A Full Restoration Of My 1969 Cj5 With The Dauntless

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by John Gedde, Jan 15, 2020.

  1. Jan 15, 2020
    John Gedde

    John Gedde Been around the block once or twice...

    Middle Island, NY
    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2019
    Messages:
    125
    I'm a new member and am currently doing a full restoration of my 1969 CJ5 with the Dauntless. I got my engine back from the machine shop last Friday and have been assembling it since then. I've read through this entire thread multiple times when I referred back to it many times.

    Here's the main stuff in my 225 build:
    -Block 0.020 overbored, decked 0.020 to account for the slight difference in thickness of the Fel-Pro gaskets vs the stock ones and to account for a slight difference in the compression height of the pistons I'm using)
    -TA performance RV10 cam (205/214 duration at 0.050") custom ground by Crower*
    -TA performance valve springs
    -Mildly ported heads (basically cleaning up all the junk). (Heads only needed a valve lapping since the guides were still good and the valve seats were nearly perfect. The Jeep and motor only have 60,000 miles on them, although my cam, lifters and fuel pump eccentric were all worn badly. The rest of the motor was pretty good including the crankshaft which was good as is.)
    -Egge 0.020" oversize pistons (despite all the bad things I've heard, Egge did a really nice job on my set. No issues with weight matching during balancing and the compression height/dish volume are close to stock so I don't lose compression ratio unlike with Sealed Power and KB)
    -Bearings all Clevite/Mahle.
    -Viton front and rear main seals.
    -Rebuilt original Prestolite Distributor (I had to make several new parts for the mechanical advance - I'm an amateur machinist)
    -Rebuilt original Rochester 2-Jet carb.
    -Hampstead Green paint with a clear engine enamel overcoat.

    *Here's what TA Performance says about my cam grind: "Excellent stock type replacement cam which gives an average power gain of 10 HP over stock. Strong low rpm torque, ideal for heavy cars, tow vehicles, V6 & V8 Jeeps. No other special parts required. Smooth idle. 8.0:1 to 9.5:1 CR"

    If anyone is interested in my Jeep restore, I can start a new thread. My plan is to have the Jeep mostly all original. Obviously I took some liberties with the motor but it won't go much beyond that apart from things to make the old girl more reliable and safer.

    John
     
    Alan28 and timsresort like this.
  2. Jan 15, 2020
    Admiral Cray

    Admiral Cray I want to do this again.. Staff Member

    Bainbridge...
    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2009
    Messages:
    204,347
    Welcome John from Bainbridge Island, WA 98110... :wel:

    You should start a post in Introduction Forum...

    You should also start a build thread with picture on you engine rebuild (the best engine for a Jeep)... :D
     
    Tom_Hartz likes this.
  3. Jan 15, 2020
    Walt Couch

    Walt Couch sidehill Cordele, Ga. 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    cordele, Ga.
    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2007
    Messages:
    5,916
    Welcome John and we love pictures. We always like to follow along on a build thread. (y)
     
    Tom_Hartz likes this.
  4. Jan 15, 2020
    tarry99

    tarry99 Member

    Northern California
    Joined:
    Oct 29, 2012
    Messages:
    3,784
    Sounds like a nice build............But I find it hard to believe that after 60,000 miles and your cam and lifters were worn badly, the valve seats and valves would have survived?.........best to check them under vacuum or pressure or try bluing the seats and valves with a little lapping compound but with the low cost of a valve job when it's apart I would just do it.........now's the time before you put it all back together.
     
    rejeep and Focker like this.
  5. Jan 16, 2020
    John Gedde

    John Gedde Been around the block once or twice...

    Middle Island, NY
    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2019
    Messages:
    125
    Hi Terry!

    The crankshaft looks like new and measures spot on within ten thousandths, the heads are OK, the cylinder bores were worn only about 2-3 thou, the valve seats give me an excellent seat pattern (used Dykem High-Spot blue - messy stuff), but the cam, lifters, fuel pump eccentric, timing chain, timing chain dampers and front cam bearing were all shot. The latter brings me to an issue I discovered an issue last night trying to install the new cam.

    There's some sort of badness with the new front cam bearing or its bore in the block... The new cam won't go in all the way. There's a 0.0015" interference fit at the back end bottom of the front bearing! The front half of the bearing is fine and the cam journal measures 1.7555" which is smack dab in the middle of it's allowable tolerance. The back end of the bearing bore is at 1.7540! So, the cam goes in nicely all the way in except for the last 1/4" when the journal first makes contact with the bad area.

    So, I believe there's a block issue since the original cam bearing was also trashed in the same area. Tonight I will pull the front cam bearing and get in there with a dial bore gauge and see what's up. If the front cam bearing is too tight, then I believe it could explain the fuel pump eccentric, timing chain and timing chain damper issues since the oil that would normally come through the cam keyway passage would be insufficient. Of course that doesn't explain the cam and lifter wear. But given the amount of crud inside the engine, I suspect the cam wore out from the extremely dirty oil in it and that certainly didn't do a tight bearing or the eccentric any good either. Lastly the was a huge amount of casting flash in the front hole in the lifter valley that would have acted like a dam preventing oil from the lifter valley from draining through it into the front cover and providing more lubrication in there.

    I'm really hoping that the bearing issue is local to that particular cam bore and that bore is coaxial with the other three. If everything is coaxial, and the issue is only with that bore, I can likely correct it by hand scraping that bore where it's needed.

    So all in all, my engine needs a rebuild due to several lubrication issues and lubrication has no effect on the valve seats. I agree about the valves, but they were evidently getting lubricated and the guides inherently have sufficient clearance to handle a bit of crud in the hydrodynamic oil film.

    John
     
    Tom_Hartz likes this.
  6. Jan 16, 2020
    Uncle Vin

    Uncle Vin Member 2022 Sponsor

    Long Island, New...
    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2008
    Messages:
    348
    You should start a build thread. I'm on Long Island, so I biased in favor of it.:)
     
  7. Jan 16, 2020
    53A1

    53A1 Member

    Kern Co. Ca.
    Joined:
    Jun 17, 2008
    Messages:
    447
    I did some research before replacing my 225 cam. I included a good article I found and my findings.

    Melling Sbc8 Cam
     
  8. Jan 17, 2020
    John Gedde

    John Gedde Been around the block once or twice...

    Middle Island, NY
    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2019
    Messages:
    125
    I found the issue with my front cam bearing. It looks like the machine shop started to install it cocked and it mushroomed the back side of the bearing. While it was instaleld straight when I got the engine, the mushroomed section was still that way. I pulled the bearing, put it in an expanding collet to straighten it and reinstalled it. All is well now.

    Thanks to the moderator/admins for starting a new build thread for me. I have so much to tell about the three months I've been working this...

    John
     
  9. Jan 24, 2020
    John Gedde

    John Gedde Been around the block once or twice...

    Middle Island, NY
    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2019
    Messages:
    125
    It's about time I started adding some pics.... First is a new heat riser valve I fabricated in my home machine shop. My heat riser's casting was bowed and cracked in two places. Salvaging the bimetallic spring and the counterweight, I made a new one from a chunk of mystery steel since a replacement was not to be found...

    [​IMG]

    Now some before and after pictures of the motor which is now assembled:
    Before:
    [​IMG]

    After:
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Cheers!
    John
     
  10. Jan 24, 2020
    Dne007

    Dne007 Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor

    Cypress, Tx
    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2019
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    1,549
    That is gorgeous!!! Fantastic work! or Play;)
     
  11. Jan 24, 2020
    OzFin

    OzFin Vintage Jeep Guy

    Michigan
    Joined:
    Jul 16, 2007
    Messages:
    936
    Looking good.
     
    Dne007 likes this.
  12. Jan 24, 2020
    BadGoat

    BadGoat How High Can You Climb?

    Northern Virginia
    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2017
    Messages:
    326
    I really like the green on that motor.

    Mike
     
  13. Jan 26, 2020
    53A1

    53A1 Member

    Kern Co. Ca.
    Joined:
    Jun 17, 2008
    Messages:
    447
    Very nice. Did you plate the fasteners at home? I'd like to experiment with that.
     
  14. Jan 26, 2020
    tomasinator

    tomasinator Member

    Redmond, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2015
    Messages:
    415
  15. Jan 26, 2020
    Focker

    Focker That's a terrible idea...What time? Staff Member

    WA
    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2014
    Messages:
    7,540
    It's for the PCV valve.
     
  16. Jan 26, 2020
    Twin2

    Twin2 not him 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Virginia Beach, VA
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    Apr 28, 2011
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    you guys are killing me . with these pretty engines :D
     
    Focker likes this.
  17. Jan 26, 2020
    tomasinator

    tomasinator Member

    Redmond, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2015
    Messages:
    415
    Then what goes in the grommet in the passenger side? Mine has a hose (with what I thought was the PVC valve) to the back of the base of the carb.
     
    Focker likes this.
  18. Jan 26, 2020
    OzFin

    OzFin Vintage Jeep Guy

    Michigan
    Joined:
    Jul 16, 2007
    Messages:
    936
    PCV valve / hose to base of carb on right side and vacuum hose from air cleaner on left side.
    Right & left referenced as sitting in the driver's seat.

    [​IMG]
     
  19. Jan 26, 2020
    Focker

    Focker That's a terrible idea...What time? Staff Member

    WA
    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2014
    Messages:
    7,540
    My fault, I read your post incorrectly, sorry for the confusion.

    OzFin answered it perfectly.
     
    tomasinator likes this.
  20. Jan 27, 2020
    John Gedde

    John Gedde Been around the block once or twice...

    Middle Island, NY
    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2019
    Messages:
    125
    Yes and no. Some fasteners and objects I replated, other fasteners are new. For example, the fuel pump heat shield I plated in just zinc but no chromate. The distributor hold down clamp is zinc and chromate.

    Search for DIY plating of zinc and you'll find the recipe I used. Epsom salt, Zinc Sulfate (for fruit trees), water, vinegar, Karo syrup. Roofing zinc (mold/moss prevention strips) as an anode. Caswell yellow chromate concentrate for finishing.

    John
     
    53A1 likes this.
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