The beginning of my '53 CJ3B build/resto

Man, just got finished wrestling with the bumper. I have all the rivets ground down and loosened, but I need a punch to get them the rest of the way out. Then to paint the frame ends and get the TJ bumper on. Got the rubber isolator out too... Gotta wait for the rain to end and then its paint time again!

 

:iagree:

Yep, good way to do it is drill a 1/8" hole in rivet, part of the way through, drill deep as the frame is thick, then use a pin punch in the hole to drive the rivet out.

A few light hammer taps are better than one big one.

A center punch will swell the rivet, making it harder to remove.

 

Thanks guys, excellent advice on drilling those holes before using the pin punch. I think that I'll try that.

 

Almost forgot---------give the rivets a shot of penetrating oil before you start driving them out.

Best I have ever seen is Kroil.

http://www.kanolabs.com/google/

 

FINALLY! The front bumper is off and the frame ends are primed. I managed to get three of the eight rivets punched out with a 5/16" pin punch and a three pound sledge easily enough... then the remaining five either had to be drilled out and/or ground down flush with the frame and then they popped out pretty easily. Think that all my blacksmith hammer blows must have ironically mushroomed the heads slightly. (Which is EXACTLY what Mike S. had said...) But now its off and I'm going to grind and cut a TJ bumper slightly to fit!

 

I've hardly gotten any work done on the Mistress with being away for a couple of weeks and the weather getting better for work around the house, but I cut a couple of tabs in the TJ bumper today for a quick test fit. It was about 1/2" on top and about 2" on the bottom. Its fits ok, but I'll have to measure carefully and drill some holes for the bolts and use a few washers to get it to fit. Not pretty, but how many Mistresses are?

 

What I did on those rivets was to use a grinder and grind the heads nearly flush with the frame and then an air hammer with a pointed bit and with one or two blows they fell right out.

 

What I have done now for front bumpers is to go to a metal shop that can brake metal and have them bend me a bumper out of 1/4 steel plate that fits over the ends of the frame ears. This way you have a real strong bumper that looks stock, in fact the last time I had one made I don't think I paid over $40.00 for it, prices may have gone up in the last couple of years.

 

Vhunter, that's a pretty good idea that I may use yet, but for the moment the TJ was just sitting around and is free.

The frame is, for the moment, finished!



The crossmember does go UNDER the frame, right? That's the way that I remember it and have seen pictures of it that I've taken, but it seems like it would make more sense being mounted on top of the frame rail... :?


The bumper isn't pretty, but it works, so good enough for now!

 

yes you have you tranny cross member in correctly.

 

Thanks, Bill. Its strange how you think that you'd remember something that should be obvious like this. I had taken photos and was 99% certain that it was right, but thanks for the 2nd opinion!

 

So, a few little things to report on. Painted the front tow hooks to put on and they're hanging, waiting to dry. With it as humid as it is, it probably won't be until Sunday. Also painted one of the two old bottle jacks that I got with the Mistress in a box of parts. Don't know if its original or not. The second one looks older, but at the least I'll have another jack.
Went to Lowes and picked up some hi-temp paint for the radiator. I figured that I'd start painting it at least. I picked it up and headed to the deck to hose it down and fill it with water to see if I had any leaks. I started to take off the fan shroud and one of the mounting brackets just fell off... It seems that the PO had just screwed in a couple of small screws into it THROUGH the fins to hold it on. Why can't anything be simple? So now I have to take the radiator to a shop to re-braze the bracket. Or can I do this myself? Seems like it could be simple. I also discovered God knows how many years of mouse nests and acorn shells inside that I now have to pick out...
Actually did a quick google search and I guess that I can solder it?

 

It's finally spring time again and if we can get some weather over 40 degrees for more than a day or two at a time, I'll be back at it. I've been doing some planning...

1) Paint and prime the drawbar and get it ready for the frame. (Actually started that a few days ago... )
2) Fill in the cracks in the steering wheel with a JB Weld-like putty and paint it.
3) Repair the radiator bracket with JB Weld again... Nate brought it up awhile ago. It's held a pinch leak in a radiator for me before so why not the bracket? Paint and prep too...
4) Degrease, prime and paint and assess axles.
5) Finish assembling and painting the leaf springs.
6) Begin tearing apart accessories from the donor engine and paint the block and head. I'm going to try and just pull the plugs and oil pan and figure out what if anything is going on with it.
7) Degrease, prime and paint everything else that I can.
If I can afford it buy rebuild kits for and put the D18 and T90 back together. Essentially I'd like a rolling frame by summer's end with maybe even a steering column and box thrown in. Can you say frame driving test?!?

As far as #5 goes, taking a more critical look (ungunking all of the 50 some odd years of grease on them...) at the springs I found that both of the shackles had worn through the bushings in the front springs and yep, the eye end of the main leaf just broke off in my hand and the second one is close to falling apart too. Decided to take them to a spring place to see what they could do and was told $50 apiece if they could find new main leaves or $100 apiece if the blacksmith had to forge new ones. I left them and got a call back a couple of hours later. He started taking one of them apart and discovered that some of the inner leaves were so rusted that they were beginning to crack... junk.
Luckily, Nate came through big time and is donating a pair of front springs! I'll be heading through Mass next month and will be picking them up on my way. Again, a huge hand to Nate/ Garage Gnome!!!
While I was picking up the old springs I figured that I'd ask about re-arching... $135... apiece! Throw another 40 bucks or so into that you can buy some new ones...
Plus, I picked up a cheap pair of no-name hubs on Ebay for $20! Photos to come when I take them!

 

Well I found a couple of hours to start a few things out in the barn. Managed to drive out the last of the bushings from the rear springs...now I just have to wait for warmer weather to paint!
Also started to clean up the rear axle with the grinder and a wire cup brush... found the 43/8= 5.38 gear ratio tag too and a few things that I cannot figure out.


Anyone know what the screw is threaded into the axletube on the far left? Just curious about the band too that is on the far right near the joining of the tube and the diff housing.






So, here I am clearing away clods of 50 year old grease and dirt and these bubbles appear. One is on the top right and the other is on the bottom left of the diff housing. They look like a bubble in a weld that the grinding uncovered. I don't think that they go through the housing. At least I don't think that I could have done it with over zealous grinding.
Lots more cleaning to go before I paint. My 5 year old was fascinated with watching the gears turn when I removed the cover. He thought that they were really "cool!"

 

Little bit done today. I gotta start taking some photos soon! Tested out some JB Weld that I picked but it wasn't thick enough to work well with filling the cracks ion the steering wheel. It had more of a pasted consistency and I need to find something that's a putty. But I did use use it to try to plug up what may develop into leaks from where the PO had screwed in three sheet metal screws into the fins trying to hold on the side bracket. Got the bracket and radiator sandpapered and cleaned up while I try to figure out if I can putty it on or try soldering it.
Painted the rear springs and put them back together, did a little more degreasing and wire wheeling on the rear axle, painted the cover for laughs... like I said not alot but it was something. Not alot more can be done until I order parts.

 

PS. Have to find a hub puller, but it hurts to drop 90-100 bucks on one when my budget is so limited. I can't even find one from Harbor Freight. Anyone have a lead on a reasonably priced ($50-60) one?

 

It's from JC Whitney, but it's still good.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/3-arm-hub-puller/p2007845.jcwx?filterid=j1

http://www.jcwhitney.com/professional-3-arm-hub-puller/p2007847.jcwx?filterid=j1

I used one of these, but I can't remember which one.

 

the clip is for the brake line. also clean out and check the axle tube where the spring perches are. mine rusted clear through where the crud held moisture against it

 

theres some on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Univ...Z220767033610QQptZMotorsQ5fAutomotiveQ5fTools