Scott's '66 Continuous Modifications.

That part I showed was supposed to be under the output gear. Confirmed by Novak. It is a spacer that keeps the output shaft from moving forward into the case (and jamming up the whole works). I’m heading up to Alabama for the weekend so it will have to wait until next week before I can get it back together.

Big PITA but let’s call it “Good learning”

 

At least there is an obvious solution. That's half the problem solved right there.

 

Waiting to get the transmission back and into the Jeep.
I could not activate the parking brake with the stock cane with the linkage I had.


So I added the YJ parking brake pedal to the CJ.


I kind of wish I had mounted it further to the left. But When mocking it up I didn't know if I would be able to depress it if the pedal was behind the roll bar tube. It would have been OK but I think this will be fine as well.


.

 

Here we go again.
Got the transmission back and here is the spacer that I neglected to place behind the output gear.



Made a new gasket and gooped it all up with Black RTV and bolted it all together.



This is how I plan to hoist the whole thing from above and pop it into the Jeep.



Wish me luck.

.

 

It’s in. Took us about an hour. I still have to put all the rest of the stuff together and I found my PS pump is leaking pretty bad. But good news is that the transmission is in.

 

Problem!!!
Jeep died and puked 1/2 gallon of coolant out of the right side exhaust. I guess 95% chance it’s the Head Gasket.



So the parts come off and the gasket is replaced. Took me a couple hours to even find a gasket kit. Finally a call to Walck’s ( it’s not on their site) and I have one coming.

 

Ordered cam and lifters tonight as well. The cam showed obvious wear.



The oil was Tan and the right side valve cover had a creamy light colored film.



I got all the way to the head but stopped for the night. I have plenty of time until all the parts arrive to tear down the rest.

 

What cam did you go for?
252ish duration seems to be nice around here.

 

Yes, that’s the one.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/cca-63-234-4

 

My current situation.


Lots of parts.

 

How's the timing chain doing?

 

Only about 5000 miles on this one.

I’m about done for the next week + here. I have a bike race this weekend then traveling next week then a big Birthday party for my Mom’s 80th next weekend. I’ll have all the parts by then and as long as the heads are able to go back on....

 

Drop me a line when you're ready....

 

Good job Scott.

 

I've posted pretty much everything on the "What did you do to your Jeep today?" thread so if you follow that this is all repeated. I otherwise want to keep all my mods/work on this thread for future reference.

Putting new Head Gaskets on a Dauntless is lots of work! I pretty much had to take everything out of the engine compartment except the engine block.



Here's most of it.


I put in a new 252 duration Cam from Summit while I was in there.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/CCA-63-234-4

While I was waiting for parts I cleaned and painted most of the stuff I had off .





Putting it all back together was easy enough, It just took a few evenings after work.



While breaking in the new cam I found a major oil leak behind the timing cover so most of it had to come back apart. Another week or so to clean things up, reseal and reassemble. Finish the break in and get it running again.

 

Next issue I've been dealing with for the past 2 years since I got this Jeep on the road. The distributor cap never did fit well. After posting here I discovered the distributor in my '66 is for a 1967!



I let the jeep sit for a week while I got the correct cap in the mail. Putting it together and getting the timing correct is much easier now.

Been driving it the past couple days and with the new cam/lifters and the correct cap I think I have more power than ever, even with going from 31" tires to 33s it seems more powerful. Winning!!

 

Been a while since I updated here and lots has happened this past summer – 2021.

My last post in May with the Head Gasket replacement, I had already put in the D18 4speed and YJ hanging pedals, power brakes and clutch.

It all worked perfectly most of the rest of the spring and summer. We drove with the Jeep in our toyhauler all the way from Florida to Northern California.




Spent a few days getting stocked up and touring around Lake Tahoe and then joined the ECJ Rubicon Run!



Camped and wheeled The Rubicon for several days with 7 other Early CJs (and a YJ).






All great fun and everyone drove out under their own power.




Left California headed for Colorado a few days later. You know Moab is only 30 miles off the Hwy when you’re going between Rubicon and Leadville CO? So off we went to ride a couple trails.

July in Moab is HOT BTW. The first trail we hit was “fins and things”. On the way back to camp the Dauntless starts making an awful noise – crashing, clunking, grinding and sputtering. I shut it down and let it cool off a few minutes (it wasn’t overheated but hot for sure). It restarted with a little less clunking and we drove back to camp for the evening. Next day (with still less clunking) I drove out and ran “Poison Spider” trail early before it got hot. The Jeep was down on power and I had an idea there was big trouble in there somewhere.

Loaded up and off to Colorado to meet more ECJ folks in a couple weeks to ride a bunch more trails.

It didn’t take long to find the problem with the Dauntless. I pulled the right side valve cover and there is a broken spring and an exhaust valve missing! There is only one place for a valve to go if its not in the head – down into the cylinder. Here’s the discussion about that whole ordeal…

My Dauntless Ate A Valve.




So, I sit on it for a few days trying to decide what to do. Half the guys on the forum say “put the Jeep away and have the engine rebuilt when you get home” the other half say “Send IT!” I could either drive and tow the Jeep 4 hours to Boston Bobs house and swap a motor that was 90% sure would run or try to replace the valve and piston.






I decide that since the engine did still run to take a shot at changing the piston. We moved from our spot on the side of the mountain over to the campground for a few days. Member JackDog sent me the needed parts (for Free, I paid the shipping). I rented the piston ring compressor and the valve spring compressor at the FLAPS. I had the head off, the piston and valve changed and back together in a day – in a campground!



It ran pretty well. It was a bit loud as the exhaust valve seat was all dinged up. The valve didn’t seal well at all and the compression stroke just all blew by valve so we now call it a 5 cyl Dauntless.

The Colorado run was a blast and the CJ preformed very well .






We’ve been home for several weeks and I had one last wheeling trip planned before the rebuilding started. Choccolocco ORV park in NE Alabama is a big hill with lots of rocks and rock ledges. I love it because there is very little mud!

I met up with some GA guys in flat fenders for the weekend and had a great time. The Dauntless ran OK until we got on steep angles and then there was lots of smoke and sputtering.



https://youtu.be/cnP8Lv8fIUc

https://youtu.be/3PBsYQG5R58


That’s a long post and brings us almost up to date. Next I show you the damage from the summer and talk about what I’m doing to fix it.

 

From the Junk I started with, to the garage paint job, to the Trail rig that ran the Rubicon without taking a winch, I'm really proud of this Jeep. I've learned so much from everyone here and I'm very grateful for that.
Now I am taking on a few more big modifications that should make this CJ even more capable.

Biggest thing is the 231 engine swap and addition of the Holley Sniper EFI. I know me and If I did that first I 'd start driving it and wouldn't want to do the rest of the repairs/mods I have planned. So it is going to sit on the engine stand as long as I can stand it.


First thing is body work. I dinged up all four corners and the cowl on both sides on the Rubicon this summer.


I Bought new rear corners from Classic and copied a tube fender design from Folker's build thread. Both fenders are built and nearly ready for paint. I plan on using the same body color that I used originally. If the old paint in the can Is no good I'll just but a new quart.



Fixing the front shock mounts funky angle while I have the fenders off and the front of the jeep at the "shop" end of the garage.



I may tear into the front axle while I'm up here. I have never changed the axle u-joints and I have no idea how old they are. New grease and seals are always a good thing.
I also need to rework the brake lines off the YJ power brakes. The lines just drop down the easiest way I could make them when I put this together this past spring. it's hard to get at the spark plugs or anything else on that side of the engine.
The rest of my list:
Track down the Looseness in my steering - New Pitman arm and TREs
New rear crossmember, Bumper and New swing out tire carrier.
Onboard Air
Replace clutch TO bearing - I'm not convinced the Novak adjustable bearing is the best choice
Extend rear Bumpstops 2.5". They don't quite bump yet.
Better fire extinguisher mount


One big job I'm thinking about is to swap a Jeep T18 D20 TC (I have in the corner) to replace of the old ford T18 D18 TC combo I put in earlier this year. This would allow me to use a ('74) Centered D44 rear axle (I have). It seems the centered are stronger and have selectable lockers available. That would also give me the option with the d18 to have an Overdrive on the 3B that I will build someday. I'd have to rebuild the whole axle and buy/install the $1000 locker to make it worthwhile.

 

Installing a D20 will increase the rear driveline angle....