Tales From The Frog Farm

So back to brake issues, so after my short test drive, finding a soft bake pedal feel, and finding all these new brake parts, I better dig deeper into this. I noted that the combination/proportional valve has never been replaced. The PO installed long tube headers that run right next to this valve. Also, the crazy thing is that they installed a SS exhaust system without a flange anyplace. All one piece from the cylinder head to the tail pipe. Nobody was thinking about working on any of this stuff.



I have been doing some research trying to find this valve. A lot o universal valves but nothing specific for CJ



I don't know what to do here. I am thinking about just using one of these universal valves and mounting it up under or to the left side of the master cylinder.

 

I have a single line adjustable valve from Summit(on the rear) . Working well for the past year.

 

I don't think there is anything heat can really damage in the combination valve given the spacing to the header. For more info about what it all does, here's a good video:

 

Are you running disc/drum?

 

I am not too worried about the heat. I think there is enough room between the header and the valve.
The big issue, as I see it, is the valve has to be 45 years old. With the transmission and bell housing installed, it is next to or impossible to get to.
I tried to remove it with high quality 6-point tubing wrenches no way that was happening, so I just cut the lines off with a cutoff wheel. Nobody has had the switch out for brake bleeding for at least a couple of decades. So since I need to repair and or replace the cut brake lines, I think it best just to mount it up by the master cylinder.
Yes, I have watched this video before, informative
Here is a link to Wilwoods valve I am going to use.

• https://www.wilwood.com/PDF/DataSheets/ds793.pdf

I like it when a mfg. is willing to try at least to give you some decent information to work with, not just a bunch of sales BS
I have been burning up many brain cells educating myself on this subject. The disc/drum combination adds a bunch more complexity to the equation. I may swap it out to rear disks someday.
Also I believe, the original valve that AMC used was an ACDeloc which, by my research, is no longer mfg.

 

Yes
D30 front
11” rear drums

 

The weather has been crazy here, and I have been plugging away in the shop, making some progress on the jeep. I rode over the hill a couple of days ago to meet up with the guys for a beer. I am becoming a wimp as I age. I need to get my jeep going. This time of year, a soft top and heater would be nice.

 

Well, I have been making slow progress, but better than none at all. My initial attack was the drive shafts, transfer case, and yokes. That has turned into all that, plus pulling the transmission, bell housing, differential yokes, and covers, looking for all the sources of oil leaks. I am trying not to look at the engine for now, the valve cover gasket is leaking, and I wonder if there is an end to all this.

I want to get the brake lines taken care of that run along the inside of the frame while the transmission and bell housing are out. It gives me a lot more room to work. I scrounged around and found a chuck of aluminum, so I proceeded to mfg. a small manifold to tie the lines back together and make a secure mount where I eliminated the proportioning valve.

 

I finished up the transfer case. I had a bit of a delay waiting on a back-ordered output yoke. Looks like they are going to be really rare in the future.

 

The issue I ran into was the output yokes. The rear seal was leaking real bad before I tore it down however after disassembly and inspection the yoke seal surface looked satisfactory. During assembly it had me scratching my head a bit to get the stack-up correct to set the axial position of the seal in relation to the sealing surface of the yoke. I purchased a copy of the parts book for reference, however, I discovered there are a couple of errors and the shop manual shows a shim that the parts book does not show to set the front yoke axial position. Also, I originally set both seals flush to the casing as I found them on my disassembly. In all my searching I could not find any reference or documentation to say otherwise, but I discovered that they actually need to be set below the surface, or else the yoke slingers will be trying to run inside the seals and damage them. Anyway, I think I have it back together correctly and learned a little of the oddities along the way.

Parts book




Overhaul Manual


A few photos trying to show the stack up

 

I think I have found the oil leak into the bell housing.

The lip seal was rock hard, and I found the gasket had been installed and flipped over, blocking the drain port.


The gasket was covering this port, not allowing oil to drain back


After finding excessive crankshaft axial thrust clearance, I am still a bit nervous about the rear main seal.
Looking up at the rear of the engine block, I see this hole. It appears that it could be a drain for the rear seal cavity.

 

I believe that hole is blind, an artifact of manufacture. Crankshaft thrust would have to be Massive to affect the rear main seal function I would think, at which point one would have more major problems. How much endplay do you have?

 

I agree excessive thrust should not have any effect on seal leakage. I measured the axial trust clearance @ .030", which is a bit excessive and makes me concerned. Hard to say it could run with that much clearance for a long time. I want to get a summer out of it and rebuild the engine next winter. I am fighting many oil leaks and PO self-inflicted mechanical issues.

Ya, I thought that hole in the casting was interesting. I guess when I do the engine, I will figure it out. The passage appears to run towards the rear main seal.

 

I have been plugging away at my project. I got all the parts I needed for the T18 except for the rear spacer, which I found spun on the output shaft.



I found a piece of stock in the shop that would work to fabricate a new one.





And the finished product



This was my first T18 rebuild and hopefully my last.
I have everything put back in and just a little more TLC, and I will have a few more details figured out and should be ready to take it out for a test drive

 

Welcome from France and congratulations for your beautiful Jeep.
I enjoyed mine during many years, but too hard for me to drive now.
In your place it will me something fantastic !
I see that you work with your wedding ring, with a Jeep CJ it is optimistic, but it is hard and difficult to decide to take it off to work.
I also understand that the PO was not a good guy, maybe it would be easier for you to take the body off, and all parts to be checked.
And I understand that you are a pro, lot of nice work for you. take your time...The pleasure will come one day.

 

Well I'm impressed with your skill set. Not only do you have some neat tools but you know how to use them. I had a 1978 cj5. It had a 4spd dana 20tc. It was a pleasure to drive. I had the straight 6 and I did a multi port fuel injection to it. I had ARB lockers front and rear with the Tera low gear set in the tc. It was hard to beat. Keep up the good work. Nickmil is a great resource for you.

 

Hey, thanks for the compliment on my work. I enjoy it. I am far from a professional, just an old farm boy, heck it took me 10 years to get a 4th-grade education. I was lucky, though, and started work in a machine shop at 16. I spent the summer of 71' working in the shipyard. What an eye-opener for a 16-year-old. I could travel the world repairing ships with the skills I learned. I even did one in Marseille, France.

I could not get my wedding band off if I wanted to. After 60-plus years of beating my hands up, arthritis has set in. Painful, but I forget about it when working on something I enjoy.

 

I had a 69' Bronco I ruined when I was a kid turning it into a hotrod! I learned a lot but what a waste of a good rig. I just want my CJ to be a really good dependable driver. I am also interested in fuel injection. I hate to spend the money but I really like the simplicity of the Holley Sniper and ignition. But there is still a lot of outlaw hack left in me I may just do my own and learn something along the way.

 

Your first transfer case pic from the manual shows a Dana 300, not a 20. That’s why the discrepancy. Way overthinking the seal depth. Should be driven town to the step in the bore and be done.
2 styles of front output on the 20. Early style has a snap ring that holds things together and does not use the spacer you circled. Later and most common style does not use a snap ring and uses that spacer between the bearing and yoke.

 

You're doing a great job plugging away at your project; it'll be on the road before you know it! Thanks for letting us follow along.