1985 J20 slow build/resto: The Enprissening

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  • Strode
    1st Chair, Cowbell
    • Nov 08, 2011
    • 2292

    #31


    Looking good, DM. Except the tie downs in the middle of the Jeep logo, but I won't bring it up no more.

    Curious about the LSD treatment of your license plate. Are you hiding your identity from people who would track you down and steal manure?
    Brad
    (*Allowed to post while failed 'I am not a Bot' test results are under appeal)

    My build thread: 1982 Cherokee Laredo

    Ristow's Bunker

    Member, FSJ Prissy Restoration Association

    Comment

    • DarkMonohue
      Shakes hands with danger
      • Jul 01, 2012
      • 1145

      #32
      Originally posted by Strode
      Looking good, DM. Except the tie downs in the middle of the Jeep logo, but I won't bring it up no more.
      Strode! Welcome back, hoss. It's been too long since you graced us with your presence. By gum, it's just like old home week, having you around. Lemme just roll out the old red carpet...




      Thanks for the kindness. The secret to patina is just to let 'er fester. Anything starts to look like a diamond in the rough if you don't warsh it but once every year or two. And the poor placement of the tie-down hooks is just one of the many custom features this machine has. I'm surprised the mirrors aren't held in with drywall screws. Oh, wait - I put those mirrors in. The other ones WERE installed with drywall screws. Grandpa's Garage strikes again.


      Originally posted by Strode
      Curious about the LSD treatment of your license plate. Are you hiding your identity from people who would track you down and steal manure?
      Well, you know, the LSD thing... I mean, they got that big Kesey mural downtown now, so it's kind of tradition, I guess.

      But yeah, I'm hiding. I'm hiding from people who would track me down and throw their manure over the fence at night. A fella can't hardly sleep with the window open for fear of a midnight manure-bombing.

      This used to be a decent town...
      Last edited by DarkMonohue; 04-13-2020, 10:38 PM.
      '85 J20 Old Man Truck, bought @ 65K miles - not great, but better than walking.
      Member, FSJ Prissy Restoration Association
      High quality junk here: intro thread and slow build thread

      Did you know? Willys is just Willis spelled differently, but pronounced the same. Neither Willy nor his apostrophe are involved.

      Comment

      • SOLSAKS
        304 AMC
        • Jul 25, 2016
        • 1781

        #33
        LSD ?
        KEN KEASEY Exhibit ?
        manure stealing ?

        damn funny

        and this year is the 50th anniversary of Woodstock !

        and in the 1969 film "woodstock"

        there is a scene of a green jeep j truck working on the site !

        thanx for the laugh this morning.
        dave in NC
        SOLSAKS - dave
        1976 J-10 HONCHO Fleetside
        1982 J-10 Fleetside
        1988 grand wagoneer
        2004 RUBICON jeep
        Benson, NC

        Comment

        • DarkMonohue
          Shakes hands with danger
          • Jul 01, 2012
          • 1145

          #34
          Well, this was my morning.

          Remember a few posts back where I said that the truck was starting like a champ? Right. Well, I intentionally let the thing sit for a couple of weeks to test that theory, and last night it wouldn't start. Same deal this morning. Normally, I'd deal with it later, but last night and this morning saw a foot and change of snow fall, and I didn't want to take my wife's AWD car and leave her without transportation, so this was my morning.

          Project #9: Replacing the fuel pump due to ongoing no-start condition:




          Working in the snow wouldn't be my first choice, but it sure beats working in the rain. And the ugly old beast now has a new fuel pump. Let's hope this is the last time this topic comes up.

          We lost a branch off a big cedar tree in the front yard, but there was no real damage. Lost power for a few hours, so we went out in the truck for coffee and firewood and watched people flounder. Best laughs were the dummies who refused to clean snow off the roof of their vehicle before driving. It was fun watching them learn their lesson at every stop sign.

          Two updates in the same month. I can't keep up this frantic pace!
          Last edited by DarkMonohue; 04-13-2020, 10:44 PM.
          '85 J20 Old Man Truck, bought @ 65K miles - not great, but better than walking.
          Member, FSJ Prissy Restoration Association
          High quality junk here: intro thread and slow build thread

          Did you know? Willys is just Willis spelled differently, but pronounced the same. Neither Willy nor his apostrophe are involved.

          Comment

          • DarkMonohue
            Shakes hands with danger
            • Jul 01, 2012
            • 1145

            #35
            Just went through this thread and the intro one (link in my signature) to replace the dead photo links with some that are less dead, so the photos should work again.

            Not much new to report. Drove it today just to keep things lubed up. Still drives like an old truck. There's a long list of things I'll do someday, but it still does most of what I need it to do, so most of the things on that list aren't getting a lot of attention.
            '85 J20 Old Man Truck, bought @ 65K miles - not great, but better than walking.
            Member, FSJ Prissy Restoration Association
            High quality junk here: intro thread and slow build thread

            Did you know? Willys is just Willis spelled differently, but pronounced the same. Neither Willy nor his apostrophe are involved.

            Comment

            • 78 WIDETRAC
              350 Buick
              • Aug 19, 2003
              • 844

              #36
              Thanks for getting those pics fixed, That is one sharp J truck. How did you make the offset block to push your axle forward?
              Last edited by 78 WIDETRAC; 04-14-2020, 09:32 PM.

              Comment

              • SOLSAKS
                304 AMC
                • Jul 25, 2016
                • 1781

                #37
                just looked at this thread
                for first time in a while
                pics are great

                now that is what I call a snow cap
                on the roof of the j truck !!!

                dave in NC

                awesome muscle grille !!!
                SOLSAKS - dave
                1976 J-10 HONCHO Fleetside
                1982 J-10 Fleetside
                1988 grand wagoneer
                2004 RUBICON jeep
                Benson, NC

                Comment

                • DarkMonohue
                  Shakes hands with danger
                  • Jul 01, 2012
                  • 1145

                  #38
                  Originally posted by 78 WIDETRAC
                  Thanks for getting those pics fixed, That is one sharp J truck. How did you make the offset block to push your axle back?
                  You're very welcome, and that's kind of you to say. It's pretty scruffy but it makes me happy. Those blocks actually pulled the axle forward; the leaf springs placed it too far to the rear, so the blocks corrected that by bringing the axle forward.

                  The blocks are really simple. They are made of 2-1/2" x 3/4" thick bar stock from the local steel yard. The width matches the width of the rear springs, and the 3/4" thickness got me the height I wanted, and is thicker than the protruding length of the leaf spring pin. For the locating pin, I used a bolt with the same diameter as the spring pin.

                  Cut the bar stock into lengths approximately 3/4" longer than the spring mounting pad on the rear axle, then drill two holes the same diameter as the spring pin, centered widthwise and located 3/8" either side of the lengthwise centerpoint (so that they are 3/4" apart, center to center) in each block. One of those holes is left empty for the pin that sticks out the bottom of the leaf spring. The other hole gets a new locating pin. Also, grind or file a nice radius to soften the corner at each end of the block where the leaf spring will flex around it. I used a belt grinder to form this radius. Here's what it looked like as I was dry-fitting things. You can see the radius at each end of the blocks.




                  To make the new locating pin, measure the length that the spring pin protrudes from the leaf spring pack and add that value to the thickness of the bar stock. This will be the length of your new locating pins. You can cut that length from the unthreaded shank of spare bolts or you can purchase round stock from the steel yard. Whatever you use, cut two pieces of the correct length (determined above) for the new pins.

                  Take the pins you just cut and use a file, grinder, etc to taper one end of each pin. Push the tapered end into one hole in each block so that the tapered end is flush with the surface of the block as shown below.




                  The reason for the taper on the pin is to create a gap that you can fill with weld. These are thick chunks of steel, so crank your MIG welder about as far up as it will go, and then lay a nice bead around the tapered end of the pin to secure it to the bar stock.




                  This stuff is now hot. Put it somewhere safe and let it cool while you refill your iced tea or grab a beer. After it is safe to handle, grind off the high spots on the weld to create a nice flat surface for the spring to sit on. Again, I used the belt grinder here.




                  That's all there is to it. The rest is just cosmetics - clean it up, throw some primer and paint on, and it's ready to bolt together.


                  Originally posted by SOLSAKS
                  just looked at this thread
                  for first time in a while
                  pics are great

                  now that is what I call a snow cap
                  on the roof of the j truck !!!

                  dave in NC

                  awesome muscle grille !!!
                  Thanks, Dave! That snow was something else. We don't normally get much down here in the valley, and when a big storm like this comes through, it kind of turns the whole place on its ear.
                  Last edited by DarkMonohue; 04-14-2020, 10:12 PM.
                  '85 J20 Old Man Truck, bought @ 65K miles - not great, but better than walking.
                  Member, FSJ Prissy Restoration Association
                  High quality junk here: intro thread and slow build thread

                  Did you know? Willys is just Willis spelled differently, but pronounced the same. Neither Willy nor his apostrophe are involved.

                  Comment

                  • 78 WIDETRAC
                    350 Buick
                    • Aug 19, 2003
                    • 844

                    #39
                    Thanks for posting the details on this. It was the block pin I couldn't quite wrap my head around.

                    Comment

                    • SOLSAKS
                      304 AMC
                      • Jul 25, 2016
                      • 1781

                      #40
                      where I live in central NC
                      if they say we are going to get 1 inch of snow
                      the stores get wiped out

                      a friend once said that our local news weatherman
                      has sold more groceries than anyone on the planet.

                      dave in NC
                      SOLSAKS - dave
                      1976 J-10 HONCHO Fleetside
                      1982 J-10 Fleetside
                      1988 grand wagoneer
                      2004 RUBICON jeep
                      Benson, NC

                      Comment

                      • bagusjeep
                        232 I6
                        • Aug 04, 2018
                        • 45

                        #41
                        Looks great, got to love a red J20!!!!!!!

                        Comment

                        • rang-a-stang
                          Administrator
                          • Oct 31, 2016
                          • 5466

                          #42
                          I love this truck. The white rims against your red paint? mmmmm....
                          Chuck McTruck 71 J4000
                          (Chuck McTruck Build Thread)
                          79 Cherokee Chief (SOLD, goodbye old buddy)
                          (Cherokee Build Thread)
                          11 Nissan Pathfinder Silver Edition 4x4
                          09 Mazdaspeed3 Grand Touring
                          00 Baby Cherokee

                          Comment

                          • DarkMonohue
                            Shakes hands with danger
                            • Jul 01, 2012
                            • 1145

                            #43
                            Originally posted by rang-a-stang
                            I love this truck. The white rims against your red paint? mmmmm....
                            Thanks. I really don't love red, but I've had nothing but red vehicles for the past ... twenty years, almost. They just find me. Or maybe I like red more than I realize.

                            There's a little more red going on the truck pretty soon, weather and time permitting. Should be a fun addition.
                            '85 J20 Old Man Truck, bought @ 65K miles - not great, but better than walking.
                            Member, FSJ Prissy Restoration Association
                            High quality junk here: intro thread and slow build thread

                            Did you know? Willys is just Willis spelled differently, but pronounced the same. Neither Willy nor his apostrophe are involved.

                            Comment

                            • DarkMonohue
                              Shakes hands with danger
                              • Jul 01, 2012
                              • 1145

                              #44
                              Little tiny update here. Hardly worth mentioning.

                              Somehow, somewhere, the battery clamp went missing. Not sure where it went, considering the bolt was still in its hole. I probably left it parked on the inner fender one day and it decided that wasn't a good place to spend the rest of its life. Rang-a-stang was kind enough to send a replacement, but it was a little rusty:




                              ...so it got wire wheel treatment (too aggressive, as shown by the stripes in the surface) and a hasty coat of Krylon semi-flat black. At some point I will refinish it as well as the battery tray. This will serve for the time being.1




                              The truck has been running great, but not putting out a whole lot of BTU at the heater and defroster. The temperature gauge has also been reading low, the coolant level has been dropping slowly but steadily, and the coolant itself has taken on a distinctly brown color. A better man than me would have performed a little diagnosis, but that better man is not the one who gets to work on this thing. It seemed simpler just to replace the nearly 36-year-old original thermostat on principle and flush the cooling system.

                              The original thermostat, AMC part number and all, next to the new-old-stock Robertshaw replacement (scored two of them on the auction site), both in the factory 195 degree rating:






                              And the NOS stat in its new home:




                              While I was at it, I removed and superficially cleaned the overflow bottle and repositioned the hose clamps at the flushing tee to try to eliminate a persistent little leak there. I was starting to lose daylight and didn't stop to take any pics of either.

                              I also replaced one of the two alternator/AC compressor drive belts. Although I bought them both from the same store at the same time, one was considerably older than the other:




                              The two really aren't the same length, so it developed an occasional squeal. I replaced the older one with a new one that matched the part number of the newer of the two belts already on the truck.

                              After it all went back together I filled the rad with plain water, ran it for a moment, drained it again, filled with water, stuck the garden hose on the flushing tee, fired it up, and let 'er puke. It took a solid five or six minutes for the water coming out of the radiator neck to get almost clear. Almost clear is good enough for now. It's a whole lot better than the disgusting red-brown mess that came out of it on the first drain cycle. So it got another drain, a gallon and a half of green concentrate, and a roughly equal amount of water to top it off.

                              Took it for a little test drive and picked up some burgers and fries. The temp gauge now registers something, which is better than the near-zero it was reading, and there's enough heat available to actually warm the cab up.
                              And it still squeals with a heavy load on the alternator. I'll revisit belt tension tomorrow.

                              Also, I finally took an hour or two this morning and washed the truck. It's been a while, and the moss was getting aggressive. It's still ugly, but slightly less so now. Might try to snap some glamor shots if I get anywhere scenic tomorrow.

                              I also hoped to install the other red parts I mentioned previously. Unfortunately that may not happen right away. Time is in short supply.
                              Last edited by DarkMonohue; 01-02-2021, 09:25 PM.
                              '85 J20 Old Man Truck, bought @ 65K miles - not great, but better than walking.
                              Member, FSJ Prissy Restoration Association
                              High quality junk here: intro thread and slow build thread

                              Did you know? Willys is just Willis spelled differently, but pronounced the same. Neither Willy nor his apostrophe are involved.

                              Comment

                              • SOLSAKS
                                304 AMC
                                • Jul 25, 2016
                                • 1781

                                #45
                                love the old robertshaw box

                                glad you and the j truck are doing well

                                take care man
                                dave in NC
                                SOLSAKS - dave
                                1976 J-10 HONCHO Fleetside
                                1982 J-10 Fleetside
                                1988 grand wagoneer
                                2004 RUBICON jeep
                                Benson, NC

                                Comment

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