Mission Impossible 1956 Cj5 Basket Case.

Nice work. It's looking real good.

 

Thanks for the complement. I got a start on the Final assembly today. I drilled a 1/2" hole in the firewall and square filed it to fit the YJ throttle cable and throttle.

I then mounted the brake and clutch hanging pedal assy I built back in Feb???

It has bronze bushings and grease fittings on both pivots with a brake light switch built in.

I then mounted the 7" power brake booster and master cylinder along with the clutch master cylinder.

I had an old battery tray that was in good condition, so I sand blasted it and painted it. I didn't like just the bottom strut with one bolt supporting it, so I made up two triangle side supports with a flange for the tray to bolt to and also a flange to bolt to the firewall. All in all it[s held on to the firewall with 11 grade 5 1/4" bolts. The 6 on the inside where the battery will sit are counter sunk philyps head with star washers.

The 25 ft roll of brake line and 16 fittings I ordered on the 16th showed up today. ONLY 13 days from So Cal. to Nor Cal. GO FED EX.

 

The brake line kit showed up today 13 days from So Cal to Nor Cal. Fed Ex is right on top of things it spent 5 days in Sacramento.

I had picked up a pair of Wilwood 2 psi residual pressure vales for disc brakes on Facebook Marketplace for $5.00

So I made up short lines and mounted them under the master cylinder and clamped them together with 2 single bolt clamps.

Then ran the lines from the rear rubber flex hose along the frame up to where the master cylinder will be and left extra line just in case I can't read a tape measure. I used more single bolt clamps along the way,

I then made up the lines from the front rubber flex hoses to the junction block and then under the steering shaft missing all the P/S hoses and fuel lines.

I'm still waiting for a roll over check valve to go in the gas tank vent line and then I can mount the tub.

 

I dug the headlight buckets out of a parts bin today. I don't think they have been touched by human hands for 65 years. Once I pulled the sealed beam retainers off and removed the adjustment cans, I found a world of mouse nest inside.

It's amazing how much better some things look after comeing in contact with High Velocity/High Pressure sand and a little VHT aluminum paint.

I buffed out the stainless retainers . Then went after the Chrome rings with steel wool and chrome polish. The grille assembly went well, most of the screws were original stainless and now that it's together I like the LED Turn Signal/Running lights better than at first.

I might even add one of these light bars up front on the diamond plate valance behind the front bumper.

 

I got the wiring done on the dash today. My dash was so full of holes from the PO, that I skinned a new piece of sheet metal over it. And then mounted a GPS 3 3/8" speedometer, 6 gang rocker switch panel, four gauges an ignition switch, a momentary dual pole dual throw toggle for the turn signals and a power outlet.

From the back side you can see how bad the original dash was.

5" by 9" speaker hole, odd radio cutout and a dozen toggle switch holes..
The new switch panel is wired from this mass of multi colored noodle going through the driver side of the firewall to the new 100 Amp Buss ATC fuse panel

On the passenger side there is just as much of a maze of wires that will got to another junction block to tie into the rear wire loom and the engine, ignition, starting solenoid , temp sender and alternator output.

The speedometer uses a GPS reciever that will mount on the top of the windshield frame and the wire will run up between the two pieces of glass.

I figure I'll have to set up the wire so it can slip in and out of the dash through a slightly large rubber grommet for when the windshield get laid down. I wired all six positions on the rocker switches to the fuse panel and also to the terminal block.

Right now only the Headlights, tail lights, dash lights, spot,fog lights and backup lights are wired, but I have three additional switches wired and three empty terminals for Heater, wiper, and ?????

 

My computer developed a Covid type Virus and had to be put down. I had a bit of a learning curve trying to get the pictures small enough to up load, But I think I finally got it sorted out.
Long story short, the body is on the frame and bolted down, all electrical is finished lights all work except for the Turn Signal flasher I bought just for LED's wont work. The brakes bleed out nice and quick with a good firm pedal.
The Clutch hydraulics gave me some fits till I discovered I had a bad AN4 stainless hose that was leaking and sucking air. I made sure to order one Made in the USA. I used semi load straps for fender and grille welting, and seat belt material folded around a 12 gauge insulated wire for the grille to hood pad. I bought 3/8" solid bar stock and turned one end down and threaded it 5/16" to fit a pair of Heim joints I had and threaded the other end 3/8"

[GALLERY=media, [GALLERY=media, 8527]20211102_135859 by Rodney posted Nov 4, 2021 at 8:39 PM[/GALLERY]

8527]20211102_135859 by Rodney posted Nov 4, 2021 at 8:39 PM[/GALLERY]

I got the new 3 row copper/brass radiator installed also.

 

All very nice work.
Sorry to hear about the computer.

 

I thought I was done with body work, sanding and paint. Then I found this thing leaning against the outside wall of the shop in the rain.

I brought it in a couple days ago to dry out. I stripped all the removable parts off of it to bead blast them.Today I got it sanded out taped and primered with Red Oxide.

I think I'll go with a Satin Black till spring. If I don't like it, then I'll re-paint it with the Gun Metal Grey.
It's not a 1956 CJ5 windshield. Maybe M38A1. Anyone out there know for sure??

 

Fired up the wood stove in the shop this morning and got 3 coats of Black Engine Enamel rattle canned on the windshield frame. My son said he'd come by tomorrow and help my set the windshield and hood.

 

My son was able to help today. We pulled the paper and tape off the windshield.

Added a thin film of grease to the hinges and taped the cowl and fenders to protect the paint.

The windshield went on easy with help and I bungied it to the roll cage. I don't need any accidental whoops at this point in the build. The hood set down and I did a final adjustment on the grille and hood.

, I still need to come up with or make a prop rod for the hood.

Next is priming the oil pump, installing the distributor and carb, and then radiator hoses. It's getting close and starting to look less and less like a Basket Case.

 

Just small stuff today, Wire loom to the front for the LED Light Bar. I laid on my back in the floor and wired in a loom for the heater that I don't have yet. I then Bead Blasted a few last minute small parts and painted them

The biggest task was taking apart the Holley 600 4 barrel. I don't know why I did. It looks like new inside but has set for 2 years. I mounted the carb with a new phenolic block, and spent way too much time on the cable bracket. I used a Wrangler floor pedal and cable that was about 3 ft long. it goes all the way around the front of the engine and pulls forward. I could have cut it up and used a really short run, but it would have had a couple of tight bends. The way it is, it pulls nice and smooth and gets full throttle.

 

A couple months back I pulled the rear side facing folding Jump Seats out of the Rover Donor car. I tried fitting them in the CJ5. There was so much junk involved in the convoluted way they folded, that I threw them back in the Rover and went on to other things. Yesterday I pulled them back out and stripped everything off of them . I decided to try a simple dual angle aluminum brackets that allow the back rest to still fold down. I had a 6"x8" 1/4" wall aluminum square tube that I picked up salvage while doing the floors. I cut a paper pattern and transferred it to the aluminum in four places.

I used a 4 1/2" cutoff wheel and made four copies. After checking the fit[GALLERY=media, [GALLERY=media, 8572]20211115_121222 by Rodney posted Nov 15, 2021 at 6:30 PM[/GALLERY]I drilled the holes and bolted the seats together and then bolted the aluminum bracket to the diamond plate back wall, welded in

(tail gate)

I mounted the Rover seat belts while I was at it and it's good to go.

I still don't see any good way to mount shoulder straps in the back so lap belts will have to do.

I did call O-Reillys today and order a can of VHT Vinyl Dye in Charcoal to match the VW Pissant front leather bucket seats I picked up at Pick N Pull half off sale. $34.00 out the door for both.

 

I haven't posted much lately. Been busy with family matters, Thanksgiving, Birthdays and Christmas. But today was a Milestone. IT RUNS. I finally got the correct starter, and it fired right up. No funny noises, no overheating, good oil pressure. The clutch works smooth and the tranny shifts well. At least in first and reverse. and the brakes work in the shop.

This 5.0 roller Mustang engine raps pretty good, it might even be a keeper.

 

Woohoo!!! Congrats, that's a big milestone! I'm right behind you, on my way to advance auto to get some rubber line to connect my hard fuel lines

 

I used VHT Vinyl Dye on the back Jump Seats out of the Land Rover. The Dark Charcoal came out pretty close to the VW Pissant seats.

Steering column is back in, and Power Steering is working. Just a few more details left to do.

 

I've gotten a lot done since my last post. I actually fired it up and took it for a drive for the first time in over 30 years under it's own power.. Everything seem to work like it should, even the GPS speedometer and all the gauges. All the lights are working and last weekend I found a Warn/Bellview 8,000lbs upright winch on Facebook Market place. I gave the guy a $100.00 for it untested.

I got it home and drained the gear oil, pulled the end cap on the motor and everything looked good. I cleaned it up and touched up the paint. And gave it a test run. Smooth and powerful. I don't think it's been used but a couple of times. There was no water contamination any where.

So I cut a section out of the front bumper to make room for it.

Then made up a diamond plate mount for it and got it all welded up.

I had a roll of Made in USA 5/16" 7 by 19 10,500lbs test aircraft cable that I had been cutting up for Zip lines and dog runners and I was able to get four+ solid wraps on the winch drum.

After getting the winch all together, I added a Pair of Rubber tractor lights with 4416 spot light sealed beams. Never can have too much light. It's starting to look more and more like a Real Jeep

 

Congrats on the first drive, and great score on the winch!

 

Thanks!

 

I finished up the winch install today. The continuous duty solenoid showed up. I had bought cable and crimp connectors from Home Depot. My old crimping tool I've had for at least 100 years still worked fine.

I mounted the solenoid on the inner fender and ran the cables to it. I used a 2 pin plug that I had salvaged from a Battery maintainer that had failed.

An inline fuse and the solenoid wiring is complete with a lot of single bolt clamps.

I then used an Equus Remote starter I bought from Napa with an additional 12' of wire from the Battery Maintainer that had failed.

Everything seems to work as it should.

 

I got it all together and the Ford close ratio Top Loader Mustang tranny is not growing on me. 2.3-1 low gear is a clutch slipper. I picked up an NP435 Ford granny with the 6.69-1 low gear. It's one of the shortest granny's you can buy. With the Ford engine and bell housing, it bolts up. The problem is the adapters are almost $600.00 and add 4 1/2" in length. And you are still stuck with a weak and noisy Dana 18.

I had just finished dismantling a Land Rover for the axles for this Jeep and I had the Rover LT230 transfer case sitting in the shop. They are 3.21-1 low range Passenger side drop and all fine tooth quiet gear drive.

I started by taking the Ford slip yoke off and cutting the u-joint ears off and turning it in the lathe till I had just a smooth internally splined sleeve.

I then removed the input shaft and gear from the LT230 and machined the inside to fit the Ford splined sleeve.

I ended up with a pretty good run out. After rosette/plug welding in 4 places and then welding each end.

I then used a failed harmonic balancer that had separated and turned a sleeve to fit into the oil seal bore of the T/C

I then drilled and tapped the case to bolt the alignment sleeve in place.

The next step was to make a bearing retainer plate for the NP435 with a center bore that would center over the sleeve bolted to the T/C

If anyone has priced 6061 T6 aluminum 1 1/4" thick by a 12" circle it now might as well be unobtanium. I bought a Toyota V6 3.4 Tacoma Flywheel on E-Bay for $32.00 with free shipping. It was the correct diameter and thickness that I needed for the final piece of the puzzle.

After removing the ring gear, I turned it down to the thickness I needed, and bored out the center to fit the shoulder over the front side on the new NP435 bearing retainer I had made

I made a paper pattern and cut the flywheel to fit the face of the T/C and with it shouldered over the sleeve attached to the T/C I drilled and tapped all the bolt holes. 4 are tapped into the flywheel and 2 go through the flywheel and screw into the T/C

With everything mocked up, it all just slides together from one bore and shoulder to the next. In the following pictures it is not bolted together so the gaps are not even

The two piece adapter/bearing retaining plate came in just over 2"

I have an overall length of just under 25" from bell housing/tranny face to the rear output flange. Both output flanges on the Rover T/C are the same bolt pattern and bores as the Willys. I left the original curve of the flywheel on the driver side to drill and tap for a Rover Style side mount. The Passenger side of the T/C has the mount on it. Rover used a dual side mount on the T/C instead of a center Tranny mount and a side T/C donut support. Tomorrow I will clean everything up and paint it and reassemble to entire works.