Just bought a new project - some questions

Hi Folks -

After a long break from owning Jeeps, I just bought a 1966 CJ-5. The wife went on vacation with the kids for a week, and there it was - her fault for leaving me alone without proper adult supervision. Surprisingly little fallout from the whole deal.

Anyways, it has a full fiberglass tub, fenders, hood and grill - it was supposedly running when parked two years ago. All this for a measly $800 Canadian dollars (about $710 US). This week I gathered all of the tune-up parts I could think of from NAPA, and today I installed new points, condensor, wires, plugs, cap, rotor and fuel filter. I gapped the points, and jumped started it after a quick oil change and pouring a bit of gas down the carb. It started, and it now runs - not bad, but not great. It sounds as if the timing is off, so I loosened the hold down clamp for the distributor but... the distributor wont budge! Any suggestions - I have not completely removed the clamp, but it is very loose - I have tapped lightly around the distributor - no success.

BTW - it is a Prestolite distributor - the Jeep must have had an engine swap at some point - likely from a 70 or 71 CJ5, as it still has the oil-bathed air cleaner.

Thanks in advance for any help.

James

 

Welcome from NC. Congrats on the purchase!

Are you getting good oil pressure?

 

Welcome from central Va

 

Hippo -

Probably would have been very smart to check that when it was running - unfortunately, I have never been known as being very smart (a menace with a wrench, I have been told...) ! I will check the oil pressure next time I start the thing (assuming that the oil pressure guage actually works!)

James

 

funniest thing I've read all night.
who's got that sig.... potato, potato, potato...



James, you didn't fill out your profile... I'm in Abbotsford B.C. where are you?

 

Thanks for the input, guys. I will check the timing as the Jeep sits as soon as I get a chance. Unfortunately, that last day of working on the beast has taken its toll on my back - I herniated a disk a few years ago, and although things are better, apparently its not a hundred percent. I am actually concerned enough that I may consider selling this project (unfortunately) - I have been through the excruciating pain before, and it is not something I wish to repeat. I will have to see how things go...

I have never heard an odd-fire V6 run before, so maybe all is normal. I understand that with the Prestolite distributor (and the vacuum line plugged), timing should be 0 degrees BTDC. Hopefully, by next weekend I will once again be able to withstand bending over the engine for a few hours.

BTW - I'm loctaed near Toronto, Ontario for anyone who may be interested.

James

 

I wasn't trying to suggest anything at all.
Just once you've heard a 225 run, you understand why something like that has to be said

 

I'm in the same boat as you with the back. 3 years ago I popped S1 and S2, it'll never be the same again. I have pain almost every day. You just learn what positions will aggravate your back more and stay away from that. For me it's standing so thankfully I can lie under my Jeep all day without a problem. Most people seem to find lieing the major problem... maybe a custom creeper with all the right padding