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Hazel's New (again) CJ-6: Hey Trombetta - Thanks!

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by Dummy, Jun 21, 2012.

  1. Jun 23, 2012
    Dummy

    Dummy I kick hippies

    Escondido, CA
    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2004
    Messages:
    646
    Code:
    
    
    Wife had a death in the family and is in Spain for the funeral. I'm on Daddy Day Care 'till she's back. No working on anything.


    I've got other stuff higher up on the time burglar lineup. I'll push this one to the side of the house for a couple weeks. I've got other stuff I need to do before that. Besides, I'm gonna dump about a gallon of bleach into the interior and let it sit for a while before I even go near that festering pile of Hantavirus.
     
  2. Jun 23, 2012
    SuckerPunch

    SuckerPunch I ated the purple berries

    TN
    Joined:
    May 18, 2012
    Messages:
    143
    Dang Hazel, now you got me freaked out about Hantavirus.... Guess I will go pick up some bleach and rinse my baby down real good. Better safe than sorry
     
  3. Jun 25, 2012
    Dummy

    Dummy I kick hippies

    Escondido, CA
    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2004
    Messages:
    646
    Stole an hour or so to check over the disease vector I have yet to name. I put on a respirator, fired up the leaf blower, and went to town to clear 6 years of rodent droppings. I'm not joking - this is the worst turd pile I've ever purchased. And those of you who know me will realize that's saying a lot.

    It's also in pretty bad shape. The radiator is empty, the brakes don't work (not sure if there's any fluid even but I haven't cleared the rat turds from inside to pop the floor inspection cover yet), the engine seems like it's got a lot of blowby, and the body and frame are just about wasted. Still, I'll run it if I can coax it back to life.

    [​IMG]
    I started by spraying everything with PB Blaster. I already ordered new wheels and tires. Going with 24-inch spinners to compliment the neon glow lights.

    [​IMG]
    The leaf blower coaxed this sucker out of the air cleaner. Easily the largest Black Widow I've come across. No camera foolery here - thing was as big as the battery cable lug.

    [​IMG]
    The wiring is brittle, cracked, exposed, and largely disconnected. I was hoping for otherwise, but it's looking like a complete rewire is in my future...again. Darn.

    [​IMG]
    The newly-deceased Black Widow's home. Check the oil on the air filter from the crankcase vent. Doesn't bode well.

    [​IMG]
    I don't run heaters in my early Jeeps, so I pulled this one so I can work on the wiring et. al more easily. There was an old rat nest inside and I don't know if the fan and heater core are good, but if anybody wants to come pick it up in the next week or so, lemme know. I hate to throw away parts somebody could use. That said, I can't store this thing forever, so hit me at christian.hazel@gmail.com if you want it.

    I pulled the plugs and the engine spins easily. Next time I get a moment I'll change the oil, yank the distributor and prelube the engine, put some water in the radiator, and try to fire it up.
     
  4. Jun 26, 2012
    bkd

    bkd Moderator Supreme Staff Member 2022 Sponsor

    K-Town Tenn.
    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2007
    Messages:
    3,294
    and the adventure begins..........
     
  5. Jun 29, 2012
    Dummy

    Dummy I kick hippies

    Escondido, CA
    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2004
    Messages:
    646
    Oh, wow. What a steaming pile this thing is. Wiring has had major meltdown. I stole the wiring harness out of my '63 CJ-6, so I'll most likely use most of that for this one. However...

    ...the engine is pretty sad. Definitely not rebuilt. While bypassing all the wiring and rigging it up so the engine could by fired w/out any of the melted factory harness hooked up I noticed one of the passenger-side core plugs completely gone. The driver-side one behind the motor mount (naturally) is rusted through. So that's why the radiator is empty. I figure I'll wait 'till I see if it'll catch and run before I mess with jacking up the engine and popping new plugs in.

    I got it all hotwired together, primed the oil pump with a drill, put the distributor back in, and nada. It'll crank over but there's no spark from the ignition. Naturally it's a Prestolite, not a Delco distributor so I'm either converting to HEI or buying new points components. Neither seems very appealing to me right now.

    I'm considering my options. I really don't want to dump a pile of money into this thing only to find out I've gotta rebuild the engine and every other component in it. I'd much rather put the money and effort into my new M-170.

    Holding pattern now while I figure my next step. Still hoping to make it a runner, but at the very least, I can rebuild the Warn 6000, steal the 30-spline rear axle, and nab the 10-inch front drums for the M-170. The Overdrive doesn't do me much good unless I wanna go swapping gears, but it's still a nice part to put on the shelf.
     
  6. Jun 29, 2012
    '72CJ5

    '72CJ5 Member

    Modesto,...
    Joined:
    May 12, 2010
    Messages:
    980
    Sorry to hear bout your troubles. But as you said, worse case is you have a bunch of parts for your other projects. Hope it all works out for the best for you.
     
  7. Jul 9, 2012
    Dummy

    Dummy I kick hippies

    Escondido, CA
    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2004
    Messages:
    646
    Well, wrenching time has been sparse lately. And what little time I has been divvied up between my other fleet of projects. Still, this is my only non-runner and it's parked on my trailer 'till I can get it mobile, so last week and today I devoted a little time to it.

    Last week I completely bypassed the stock wiring. It had a major meltdown and the wires under the dash had most of the insulation burned off 'em and were fused together. I got it hotwired with a Ford-style solenoid, but couldn't get any spark out of the Prestolite ignition. So I called it a day and started looking into Prestolite replacement parts and looking for a good used Delco or maybe a junkyard or Performance Distrubitors DUI.

    Anyway, fast-forward to today and I pulled out the 'ol test light and multi-meter. It was getting power in and out of the coil and the bulb was blinking as the points opened and closed, so I delved a little further. I sanded the cap terminals and rotor with some emory cloth and a flathead screwdriver, cleaned up all the electrial connections and my ground and was able to get a really weak spark to the plug.

    A little two-stroke gas and it fires up. Runs like crap and there's a lot of blowby out of the valve cover breather hose, but it should be good enough to move under its own power soon. I'll need to clean out the stock fuel tank and probably replace the fuel pump, but at least I can hotwire it now and get it off my trailer and move it around my driveway as needed. Well, that is as soon as I get some tires that'll hold air for more than 3 minutes under it.

    Here's the vid on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150948747516705
     
  8. Jul 9, 2012
    brannon502

    brannon502 New Member

    Franklin, Ky
    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2010
    Messages:
    9
    I've got a good working points distributor I just removed.
    Ill send it to you so you can fire it and not waste any money.
    It came out of my 68 cj6
     
  9. Jul 10, 2012
    coby61

    coby61 Stupidiotic Member

    Prunedale CA
    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2004
    Messages:
    388
    Good to see you with a couple of 6's again.
     
  10. Jul 10, 2012
    EricM

    EricM Active Member

    Southern California
    Joined:
    Dec 19, 2007
    Messages:
    1,019
  11. Oct 24, 2012
    Dummy

    Dummy I kick hippies

    Escondido, CA
    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2004
    Messages:
    646
    Trying like heck to get this thing running under its own power so I can get it off my trailer by the end of the month.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    Somewhere in the inspection process I noticed the core plugs had popped. Actually, one had popped and two had completely corroded. Last week I pulled the fenders and exhaust so I could get to 'em. Jacked up the engine, pulled the mounts, and put in new core plugs so I can fill the radiator with water and see if I can get it to idle.

    [​IMG]
    I primed the fuel pump, dumped some gas down the carb (I prelubed the engine about two months ago - good enough for this thing) and rigged up the ignition to run off a spare battery. The wiring is all rotten and wasted, so the only thing hooked up was the distributor and starter solenoid off a hand-held momentary switch. Fired right up and settled into a high idle. Kinda sounds like an old WWII radial engine with no exhaust manifolds.
    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151125360776705

    Now I gotta rig up a fuel system and get enough rudimentary wiring hooked up so I can start it by itself from the driver seat. I'll worry about lights later. That's about all this thing will have: ignition and lights.
     
  12. Oct 24, 2012
    bkd

    bkd Moderator Supreme Staff Member 2022 Sponsor

    K-Town Tenn.
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    Apr 29, 2007
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    sweet!!!! love that 6
     
  13. Oct 24, 2012
    wuze

    wuze lost in austria

    austria-europe
    Joined:
    Nov 14, 2009
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    600
    cool, i like the patina

    gerald
     
  14. Oct 25, 2012
    silverbullet72tnt

    silverbullet72tnt Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2011
    Messages:
    59
    Awesome starting point. Looks remarkably similar to Hatari!
     
  15. Nov 6, 2012
    Dummy

    Dummy I kick hippies

    Escondido, CA
    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2004
    Messages:
    646
    Got it so I can start it at will and move it around my property. Gonna wire up the ignition switch so I can shuffle it around my property until I put the new axles in it later this month.

    Here's a video walk-around and engine startup for ya.

    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=487302251314500
     
  16. Nov 6, 2012
    Dummy

    Dummy I kick hippies

    Escondido, CA
    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2004
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    646
    I'm not a very good videographer. Link disabled. Sorry.
     
    Last edited: Sep 5, 2013
  17. Nov 7, 2012
    mpc

    mpc Member

    Vista, CA 92083...
    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2005
    Messages:
    779
    Ha, when I looked at that Jeep a few years ago, that hard top was the thing that really attracted me to it. I'm glad you got it running.

    Is that winch operational? I have the old steel cable off my sidewinder from when I switched to synthetic if you need something better than what's on there. I was going to use it for a zip line in the backyard, but who am I kidding?
    Will trade for other Jeep junk I don't really need.
     
  18. Nov 7, 2012
    Dummy

    Dummy I kick hippies

    Escondido, CA
    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2004
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    646
    Thanks Mike, but I have a new steel cable in my shed that I took off a new Warn when I swapped synthetic a couple years ago. And no - it's not operational...yet.
     
  19. Nov 22, 2012
    Dummy

    Dummy I kick hippies

    Escondido, CA
    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2004
    Messages:
    646
    Progress moving forward. Probably not what a lot of you guys on this site wanna see me do with this sucker, but it needs a new frame and a new body and new everything else. In short, it's kind of a parts vehicle...so rather than just strip it and send the carcass off to the unknown I'm gonna save all the rare/vintage/valuable stuff and have some fun with the hashed body/frame/suspension.

    The rear axle, Sears hubs and brakes from the bent Dana 27, winch, and probably some other stuff like the super-tight steering box may find its way into my '54 M-170. I'm gonna leave the hard top on it for now, but I won't let it get damaged. If I take it off I'll offer it up here first. It needs a little work at the windshield mounting areas but otherwise the Meyers top is solid and the doors/rear window work and are in good condition. Otherwise, the tattered body is literally coming apart at the seams and the frame is a bent mass of welded up cracks and stick-welded repairs upon stick-welded repairs. It's ugly.

    Anyway, I'm outta room here at my house to work on this thing, so my buddies up at the 4 Wheel Parts in Temecula are letting me mooch a workbay for a month or so to get it rolling on the new axles. I dropped the Jeep and axles off last week.


    [​IMG]
    Earlier this week I went up and removed the bent Dana 27 front and flanged Dana 44 rear. I mocked the front Rockwell up under the Jeep atop the bent and broken factory leaf springs. I'm debating whether to run the stock springs, put in my BDS lift springs, do a custom link suspension, or weld the axles straight to the frame (no, seriously).

    [​IMG]
    The rear rockwell wanted to be where the stock gas tank was. I got a face full of rat nest and filth when removing it. The filler vent tube was broken off and needs to be soldered back on, but I may be giving this tank away in the near future to somebody who can use it. I don't really think I have a use for it since I doubt it'll fit in my flattie with the custom suspension/larger rear axle.

    [​IMG]
    It's too tall for my tastes as-is. I may try inverting the springs just for the heck of it and see how it sits. Or maybe I'll pull some more leafs out of the packs. The holidays are gonna slow me down, but I'll be fabbing up some spring perches, U-bolt mounts, running the steering, and building a temporary rear shaft so I can move it around. I'm also probably gonna have to install a M35A2 master to juice the big drum brakes. I doubt the stock '71 dual-pot will work.

    The stock 225 with lots of blowby will stay, but I'm gonna run the MC2150 from my Cherokee Chief on it. I have to build my own zoomies so if I have time I'll slap a junkyard turbo on it for giggles. I wish I could leave the T-14 in it, but there's not enough gear to run the 54-inch tires that'll go under it, so I'm looking for a decent SM420 and I'll probably pirate the twin-stick, 32-spline Dana 300 from my '53 flattie.
     
  20. Nov 22, 2012
    mb82

    mb82 I feel great!

    Charlottesville Va
    Joined:
    Mar 17, 2003
    Messages:
    2,706
    When I saw the pics on FB this week I thought this was a joke. Yesterday I realized you were for reals( see how street I am R) ). Hey it is your Jeep and well 54s while not my thing in the slightest still will be cool.
     
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