The beginning of my '53 CJ3B build/resto

Don, thanks for the response.
I finally found that last bolt hidden beneath another inch of dirt and grease build up. It was like stumbling on a lost treasure when I found it!


I love nice clean gears that have been hidden from the light of day for over 50 years!


A view through the PTO cover.


After... this is some of the accumulated dirt and grease that I had to chisel through to get at that last bolt.


How NOT to wire the transmission's mainshaft. I needed to string the wire behind the two gears that its in front of and behind that gap, the space in between the lip of the gap where the shifter fork sits. I slowly pulled the transfer out and the joyful tinkling of needle bearings falling into the tranny case greeted me. Live and learn. I'd feel bad if I weren't already rebuilding the T90. :twisted:




On the workbench at last!
:edit: Oh yeah, who can recommend a good degreaser?

 

steam cleaner pressure washer might work pretty good.

 

nothing but an old flat screwdriver and wire brush could clean mine. THEN use degreaser.

 

Any power washer with > 3000 psi will take it off, best used with detergent injection. Watch any wires though, it will take the insulation off the cloth clad old wires also, not to mention header wrap and a lot of other parts. I don't think my father ever cleaned any of his old tractors so every time I need to work on one, I face the same vitrified petro/dirt. Have to park them some place where all the gunk will not get tracked into the shop after cleaning. It can make quite a mess under them.

 

Spent the morning out playing in the barn and basically all I have to do is remove a couple more bolts from the bellhousing and guide that and the T90 off, lower the jack and the engine will be sitting on a pile of 4X8's. Already pulled the tie rods. Then its remove the front axle and guide the frame over the f-head.

 

So, I've been working on lots of things simultaneously these past few days all leading up to getting the engine off the frame and the frame stripped.


Got the skid plate off. Looks VERY rusty, but still think both it and the crossmember, trans support are salvageable. When I start cleaning them, I'll get a better idea.




Finally after a whole lotta sweating and cursing, I got the bellhousing and T90 down. Glad to have had the comealong, it wasn't too heavy, but it was pretty awkward all together as one piece. I had problems at first, I think due to some rust stubbornly holding on between the tip of the mainshaft and the flywheel. Also, once I adjusted the angles between the jackstand that I had the T90 set on and the engine itself, it worked right out easily.


This is how she sits now, f head sitting on scrap 2X6's and off the engine mounts. I plan on getting to the front axle now, remove the whole thing and then lift and walk the frame backwards and over the f head.


A mouse condo inside the bellhousing for who knows how many generations of mice.


The motor mounts go on the disabled/ to be replaced list...

 

This is how the Mistress sits tonite. Minus one spring and four more rusty U bolts & nuts to tackle tomorrow. Jeez, I'm dirty, but pretty happy

 

So as of yesterday this is what I'm left with:


Frame resting on wheels...


Dana 25...


...and F head resting on 2X6's.


Up...


up...


up...


...and over!



Now just to work on the rear axle and get the frame on sawhorses, strip it, paint it, check out the axles, rebuild what's necessary, change the brakes, figure out which f head I'm using and do the necessary repairs, buy a welder, teach myself to weld, weld in various sheet metal to the body, strip it, paint it, hook up the brakes, rebuild the steering box, etc, etc, etc... you get the idea. But I'm getting there...

 

As of today, left with a bare frame with the D44 out. Just now beginning to look like a project with parts all over the place.

 

Three months later...it it got up in the 50's today and I got outside for a short while, new respirator on and then I realized that I was out of the paint grinding discs for the die grinder, so... no paint scraped, but going to in the next couple of days! Oh AND the taxes are done, so as soon as I get my driver's license renewed Tuesday, I'll be in the free and clear as far as spare time goes!

 

I love the kids toys strewn throughout the garage. There have been times when my project was literally COVERED in the kids toys, and bikes, and .....stuff....

man, you have a hell of a project. like I said in the other thread, those of you who restore these rigs are a special breed....

 

Thanks! Its a small world, but I just started reading your thread today on the wagon! Yep, alot of what you had to say about finding time and working around your kids schedules and searching for tools really rang true for me too.
It's a project and not going to be truly "restored," but I'm envisioning more of a rat rod look. It will definitely need alot of work though!

 

As promised, I finished getting my license renewed... thought that I was going to be in that office for three hours waiting as I was five years ago when I first came to Maine. I was the first one at 9.30AM and it was done in 5 minutes!
So, I've got something done on the Mistress. Just more grinding and priming for the moment. I need to get a 3/8" coarse tap and re-tap a few holes that I had to drill the bolts out of yet. But I've been busy also getting a few more pounds of dirt and dried mud and acorn shells out from the boxed sections of the frame with compressed air.
I've also made up my mind to replace the front bumper with one that isn't bent up. So, I have to grind off the rivets yet too and hope that the frame is straight, but its SPRING!!! And a guy's mind goes back to the garage (before it gets too nice that all that I'll be doing is mowing the lawn and painting the house! )

 

brengun,

GO GET EM TIGER!

that is a seriously brutal amount of work you got goin there.

 

No pics, but work is being done. I'll snap a few pics by this Sunday, but I finished the last coat of primer on the frame today and began painting the seat frames a sort of light OD Green. Wasn't sure if I'd like it, but I do, now I need another can to finish the other side and the second coat. Started painting some other small parts like the pedals too. Its a start, small but I'm getting there.

 

Think of it this way, every piece you clean and paint now is one less later and each part gets you closer.

 

Lots done today, great 70 degree day and lots of time to do stuff. I finished the frame... well, almost. I still have to finish grinding off the rivets and pop them out (which is harder than I thought it'd be...) and get the old front bumper off. I plan on retrofitting (read drill new holes and torque Grade 8 bolts :mrgreen my old TJ bumper in place of it. Its been sitting around for a couple of years and hey, it's cheaper than buying a new one!


The first two small parts... gas and brake pedals.




I just love the look of the bedliner! It's a semi-gloss and just looks great. Hope that it'll last too!












Does anyone have a source for the rubber isolator on the left hand side of the transfer case crossmember? The xmember is in ok shape if I can replace it. It seems like it should pop out, but I can't seem to get it out yet.


The TJ front bumper getting painted today...


The seat frames. The green is actually a bit darker than the photo shows. Its like a light OD... just a Rustoleum rattlecan meant for outdoor furniture in a satin semi-gloss.

 

It does pop out. I used some pliers and ad screw driver to break the rubber out. Then you can get the metal part out. I contemplated using the torch to burn it out. :twisted:

I wish I could see the pics. School blocks photobucket, so I'll to wait till I get home.

 

The rubber isolater can be bought just about anywhere that sells jeep parts.

 

Hey Brendan! That bed liner looks great!