Car repair – Page 50 – The Jeep Guru

February 17, 2011February 21, 2011

1979 Jeep Wagoneer

I am working on a Jeep Wagoneer. It was delivered to the shop Saturday. It arrived minus the front drive shaft which looks like it broke and damaged the transmission pan on the way out.

The Jeep has the Borg Warner Quadratrac transmission so it won’t move unless both axles have traction. There is an emergency override that is supposed to lock the center differential but switching the switch in the glove box has had no effect on the transfer case. I suspect vacuum lines are loose or broken.

I got the missing parts and reassembled the drive shaft last night. I was hoping to be able to drive it into the shop. Well after a lot of effort to get the drive shaft in place with the truck on the ground in front of my shop, I found that the truck still won’t move. It looks like the damage to the transmission pan has caused it to loose all the fluid.

I guess I will have to drag it in to the shop and remove the pan to repair the leak. The engine runs rough when it revs. Maybe bad gas or maybe a clogged filter.

UPDATE: I put the Jeep on the lift last night to look at the transmission leak. There was no fluid it he transmission so even with the front drive shaft installed and the engine running, the Jeep would not move. I used my XJ to tow it in front of the barn door and then let it roll into the stall.

It took me a while to find all the cross member bolts and get ti out of the way to see the damage. It looked like on corner of the pan was simply bent down. However when I dropped the pan, I noticed that part of the sealing flange of the transmission is missing. The drive shaft did quite a bit of damage on its way out. I was able to straighten the pan, but I am still considering options on how to make it seal.

UPDATE: The Wagoneer was running well and the transmission repair was holding so I took it back home. The owners seemed happy to be able to drive it for the first time since they bought it.

February 8, 2011February 9, 2011

Replacing a Clutch in a Datsun 620 pickup

Scott’s little Datsun pickup has had a long and happy life. The speedometer quit working a long time ago so all we know is that it has well over 300,000 miles. Recently the clutch started slipping so he brought it home for a clutch change. There was also a noise when he depressed the clutch so we thought it might have a bad input bearing on the transmission as well. We were prepared to reinstall the old four speed that was pulled years ago to make room for a five speed.

We began by securing a clutch kit. The kit came with a new disk, pressure plate, throw out bearing, pilot bushing and an alignment tool. We were somewhat surprised that the local parts store had the kit in stock for this old truck.

We put the truck on the lift and removed the drive shaft. The drive shaft is in two parts so I separated it in the muddle and left the rear part attached to the rear differential and just removed the front section.

Next, we supported the transmission on a stand and removed the cross member and mounting pad.. Then we had access to pull the speedometer cable. There were two sensors on the side of the transmission so we disconnected the wires and labeled them. Then we disconnected the shift lever from the transmission. We should have done this from the top before lifting the truck, as you will see later. We also removed the clutch slave cylinder.

Next we pulled the starter. Again this would have been easier before lifting the truck. Scott used a ladder while I assisted from below. We measured the position of the torsion bars and then loosened them to get the ends of the bolts out of the way. They block moving the transmission backwards.

Next we removed the bolts that secured the transmission flywheel cover. Ten we used long extensions and a flex joint to remove the four bolts that hold the transmission to the engine. With these out, we were able to slide the transmission back from the engine. We were not however able to remove the transmission from the truck. There is simply not enough room to get the transmission over the center part of the frame and past the flywheel with the pressure plate in place.

At this point we checked the input shaft to see if we were really going to have to change the transmission. It seemed fine; in fact it felt tighter than our spare, so we elected to leave it. Since we could not get the transmission out of the truck it seems a good choice. We still could not remember how we had swapped the transmissions years ago.

We then removed the pressure plate and inspected the flywheel and disk. The disk showed very little wear and the flywheel still had the machine marks from the last time it was resurfaced. We were not sure why it was slipping or where the noise was coming from.

After careful inspection we saw where the pressure plate was contacting the clutch disk when released. That was likely the source of the noise he occasionally heard. Also, the throw out bearing felt a little rough. We elected to change all the parts in the clutch kit since we had them just to be safe.

Pulling the pilot bushing became the next challenge. One tool I have never added to my collection is a pilot bearing puller. Scott went to town to get one from the Advance Auto loan a tool program.

While he was gone, I looked at how to get the transmission out. It was in the way of extracting the pilot bushing. I finally realized that it was hitting the floor of the cab and that there was a panel around the shifter that could be removed to get more clearance. I lowered the truck and removed the center console and the plate around the shifter. It would have been much easier to remove the shifter from this side. With the panel removed, the transmission could be tipped up and there was just enough room to remove it from the truck.

With the transmission out of the way we focused on pulling the old pilot bushing. We set the tool in place and followed the instructions carefully several times. Each time the tool would pull out and the bushing stayed in place. We finally compared the puller to the new bushing and quickly saw that there was no way it could catch the end of the bearing. The fingers looked bent or simply miss shaped. I put the fingers in the vice and reshaped them to fit. I also ground off a little of the face to get a better grip on the bushing.

The next time we tried it, the bushing pulled out easily. We tapped the new bushing into the crank and moved on to he next step.

We set the clutch disk in place makes sure to turn it the correct way round. There is a story that floats around all our family reunions on how my Uncle and Cousin installed a clutch disk backwards so we made sure that we did it right.

With the disk sitting on the alignment tool, we set the pressure plate in place and carefully brought down the bolts evenly and torqued them to specs. Next we pressed the old throw out bearing off the sleeve and pressed on the new bearing. We installed it on the fork and snapped the fork in place in the transmission.

Then we lifted the transmission into place. At least we tried to. There was simply no room to get the transmission past the center part of the frame with the pressure plate installed. We looked at every option and finally decided to remove the pressure plate and se the transmission up before installing it.

There is plenty of room to work inside the bell housing of the transmission. But the pressure plate needs to be slipped over ht input shaft before the disk is set on the alignment tool to have enough room to get it in. We retorqued the pressure plate bolts and then prepared to slip the transmission in place. We used the supplied lube on the input shaft before installing it.

The transmission easily slid into the clutch disk and we reinstalled the mounting bolts. Every thing went back together easily with the exception of the slave cylinder. I had to loosen the bleeder screw to get the piston to retract. Once I did it fit easily.

As we were putting up the drive shaft, we noticed that one of the U joints was rough. I pulled it out and replaced the joint while Scott finished up the center console replacement.

We reset the torsion bars to the measurement that we made before and put the transmission mount and cross member back in place. Reconnecting the speedometer cable was simply a matter of aligning the key and slipping it in.

With it all back together, the slippage and the noise was completely gone. In the process of removing and reinstalling the transmission we also swapped the old fluid for synthetic. Scott says the shifting is greatly improved in the old transmission.

[phpbay]Datsun 620 clutch, 10[/phpbay]

February 7, 2011February 22, 2011

Jeep Parts, Supplies and Tools – Recommended sources

One of my favorite suppliers of Jeep parts is Crown Automotive. They carry most of the parts you would normally go to the Jeep dealer to get. The parts seem to be excellent in quality and I can get then quickly form the Georgia Warehouse. You can only get Crown parts from a Crown Distributor like me. Most of the stuff that Quadratec sells, I can get from Crown. Hit the contact button to the left and let me know what you need.

For parts that I need right away or are so cheap that shipping eats up any savings, I buy from my local Advance Auto Parts store. I use the web site to get exactly what I am looking for. I can buy online and pick up the parts at the store to take advantage of internet only specials.

I also shop Ebay for Jeep parts both new and used. Recently I got the exhaust system I was looking for at a substantial discount over the catalog cost. I even ended up purchasing from the same vendor just from their Ebay store instead of their website.

One of the old time standbys for parts and tools is JC Whitney. I have been buying from them for many years. They used to have paper catalogs where you could find all kinds of parts and tools not available anywhere else. Now with the internet, you can find the stuff other places, but JCW.com continues to be a great resource.

For Jeep tires, I buy from Tire Rack. I have tried buying from other suppliers but I always need up back at Tire rack. Their price, shipping and speed of delivery make them my number one choice. They have low cost street tires and high dollar performance and off road tires. For any type tire, I now shop Tire Rack first and last.

For other hand and specialty tools, I have been surprised at what I can find at Amazon. I generally think of them as a book seller, but they also carry a lot of specialty tools at good prices. I have included Amazon links to many of the tools I reference in my articles so you can see what I am talking about.

For performance parts, wheels and exhaust, I like to use Summit Racing. They have lots of stuff that no one else has plus they have great prices. They have fast shipping and a great return policy.

For Diablo 2011 Wheel Styles
Rage | Reflextion X | Chrome Rims w/ paintable inserts
URL: http://www.customwheelzntires.com

February 1, 2011February 1, 2011

BF Goodrich AT tires review

BF Goodrich AT tires review

I just installed my forth set of BF Goodrich All Terrain radials on my Jeep Cherokee. I have tried a few other tires over the years but I keep going back to the BGF AT tire.

The tread life has been excellent. The traction in rain, mud and gravel has been excellent. Puncture resistance has been excellent as well. I have only lost one tire due to a sidewall puncture and that one took a lot of abuse before it leaked.

I like the smooth quiet ride. Of the four I just mounted, only one need a small amount of lead to balance it. The other three were fine. That shows me the quality of the rubber casting is top notch.

In the past I have been disappointed with the traction on snow and ice although I never got stranded. They just did not perform as well as real snow tires in the same situations. I have read that the latest version that I just mounted has better snow and ice traction so I look forward to trying them out.

The BFGs have a very aggressive side lug for an AT. That really helps them in mud and gravel. In fact the edges remind me of Rally Racing tires. The square edges give excellent traction in dirt and gravel.

These tires also respond well to being aired down off road. Will lower pressure, they wrap around rocks and get traction like a true off road tire. The carcass has strong sidewalls that handle a lot of abuse. I have only had one sidewall failure and that was when I was forcing one into a sharp rock trying to overcome a driveline failure.

When aired up to street pressure, these tires handle like sports car tires. I have been amazed at how well they grip on off ramps and other cornering situations. The tread is very stable and does not squirm as much as Mud Terrain tires or other All Terrain tires. I find the lack of tread squirm comparable to most all weather street tires.

The BGF AT tires give a nice aggressive look to my daily driver Jeep. They look great wrapped around my Grizzly wheels. The traction gives me the confidence to hit a trail or muddy back road at any time. I can air them down and tackle some of the tougher climbs if need be. I save the really rough stuff for my dedicated off road Jeep, but I really like having the added traction that the all terrain tires give me for the occasional off road use this Jeep sees. But my light off roading might be considered extreme by some people who haven’t seen where my off road Jeep goes.

Overall, I really like the BFG AT tire and will continue using it on my street driven Jeep. They work well in every situation I am likely to encounter.

BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO Tire

January 27, 2011January 27, 2011

Hot Work Safety

Working safely while welding cutting burning or grinding.

I read in the news lately where an apartment building had gone up in flames due to a fire started by contractors using a torch in the basement. Many people were put out of a place to live due to an error by a contractor using a torch to cut out part of a floor. Based on the story there was no fire watch and not even a fire extinguisher on hand during the hot work.

Like most safety procedures the ways of being safe with hot work are simple. First you realize that cutting, welding or burning metal is going to produce hot bits of metal going places that you may not intend for them to go. These hot bits of metal can catch stuff on fire.

So begin by removing everything that can burn from the area. Most permit systems recommend a 30 foot clear space.

Next, make sure that you have a working fire extinguisher and some one to operate it. Don’t depend on the one doing the cutting, burning or welding to be able to watch for a fire while concentrating on the work.

The both the hot worker and the fire watch need to be aware that hot bits of metal can fly, roll or bounce a long way from the work site. They need to pay particular attention to any cracks or gaps near the work site. Apparently that is what happened in the story referenced above; sparks got into the wall and ignited the insulation.

Another cause of fires that is easily overlooked is material on the other side of the wall from where the work is being preformed. I read about one case where combustible material stacked outside a tank was set on fire by welding inside the tank. Heat can also be transmitted by infrared radiation as well as conduction. So workers need to be aware of all their surroundings when conducting hot work.

There are some locations where hot work cannot be performed at all. For example, in areas near where flammable liquids are present and vapors may be present, hot work should be avoided. Often the fabricators will have to be creative to perform the work without the usual cutting, welding or burning. Parts may have to be bolted or clamped in place rather than traditional mounting methods.

Flammable and explosive dust is a hazard in some operations. Combustible dust can be very hazardous if ignited in a confined area. I remember the demonstration that is done at the Factory Mutual training center. They atomize a cup of flour in an enclosed cave and set it off with a spark. The impact of the explosion can be felt across the street several yards away. Paper and wood dust can easily collect on structures and be difficult to extinguish if ignited by hot work.

Again, most safe work practices are simple to put in place. But often workers may feel prompted to take short cuts in order to expedite a job. Supervisors need to pay particular attention to jobs that begin close to the end of a work shift or done my contractors working on a bid price. There may be incentive to rush the job. The part that is most easily overlooked at the end of a job is the waiting period after a fire watch.

Sparks may take a long time to incubate into a fire. A spark that has fallen into a crack or crevice may smolder for a long time before becoming large enough to visibly see. The fire watch needs to stay with the job continuously for at least 30 minutes after work has been completed. The job site should be periodically checked for the next four hours to make sure that no fires have been created.

I have found it is difficult to get contractors working on a bid price to comply with the four hour fire watch. It is best to assign this duty to a security guard or other trusted employee who is paid by the hour to be there.

Contractor safety often begins in the bidding process. Begin by choosing contractors with a good safety record and who understand the unique hazards of your facility. Make sure contractors understand the hazards that they will be working in before they bid. You do not want to be in a situation where their ability to make a profit depends on taking unsafe shortcuts.

When doing cost estimates for a job involving hot work, be sure that the budget includes man hours for a fire watch during and after the hot work. These may seem like unproductive costs to a contractor not familiar with safe work practices but are required for good work practice. Having a fire watch effectively doubles the man hours required for a job.

When using a torch, care must also be made with the compressed gas cylinders. Compressed gas cylinders have their own unique hazards. Cylinders must be moved carefully using appropriate procedures. If cylinders are to be lifted, they must be properly rigged to reduce the change of dropping and damaging a cylinder. Cylinders must be properly secured both while in storage and during use in hot work. An appropriate cylinder cart will suffice in most cases to properly support the cylinders and safely transport them to the job site.

Electric welders and grinders have hazards normally associated with electricity. Make sure that the machines are of compatible voltage and the wiring is in good repair and well insulated. Hot work can easily damage the insulation of welding and grinding equipment so it needs to be inspected frequently and properly protected during the hot work process.

When welding, grinding or burning on vehicles, there are special hazards that apply. Most vehicles will be powered by a flammable fuel. Make sure the fuel is completely contained and hot work is preformed away from fuel tanks and fuel lines. Welding fuel tanks is a specialty best left to those brave souls who specialize in such work.

When performing hot work on a vehicle it is not practical or even possible to remove all the combustible material such as wiring harnesses, carpets, undercoating and upholstery. Extreme care needs to be taken to make sure heat does not transfer through the car body to combustibles on the other side of where the work is being done. I have read stories of whole cars being lost to fires under the dash or burning carpets due to a simple welding repair igniting material on the other side of the work.

Note that wiring can be damaged due to hot work even if it does not catch fire. The heat from welding in a roll cage or patch panel can easily cause an electrical short by heating up the insulation of wires hidden inside the body panels.

Cutting welding and burning are a part of any fabrication process. Just follow a few basic safety steps to make sure that the work does not cause more damage than good.

Please share your hot work safety suggestions or stories below.