Build 1988 BJ74 “Number 1”

[FJBen]

Another thought.

Have a look at the coolant feed and return for the turbo that come off the upper t stat housing. I found a seep there, the old oem constant tension ones slowly gave up.

If you’re lower housing gasket surface is corroded a new one for 14b is available for something like $60.
Extra hole to plug and thicker flange so you’d need longer studs but other than that the same.

View attachment 4093322

My upgraded turbo doesn’t use water cooling and I recently plugged those ports.

I went through and tightened all the hose clamps again on the all the hoses. I really just need to test it out again. It’s low on the list because I’m being stubborn and annoyed

If it comes from the housing I will pull it off and try to have the machine shop resurface it and give it another try.

 

[FJBen]

So why are they here?

Hard to see but the National Guard and helicopters are here.

Well, the Morrill fire. Started a week ago under super heavy winds and zero moisture this summer. 634,000acres and pretty close to my place here in Nebraska. Thankfully today they are stating 90% contained. It spread extremely fast.

Well it’s that time…

I’ve driven it 5 times up to temp since the last leak. It hasn’t dripped or leaked anywhere. All I did was tighten up a few hose clamps. It’s possible that’s caused it as a few weren’t tight.
Going to drive it some more and see.

 

[Owyhee Jackass]

I'm contemplating pulling the top of 45 this weekend as well as it's 85 here today. Wife says it's going to cool down again, but I think summer is here.

 

[FJBen]

I'm contemplating pulling the top of 45 this weekend as well as it's 85 here today. Wife says it's going to cool down again, but I think summer is here.

Do it!

 

[LJRay]

… that’ll mean more exquisitely angled and sweetly filtered sunset shots of your ride…

 

[FJBen]

 

[bj70bc]

Yup....

View attachment 4109065

View attachment 4109066

mushrooms are kickin in

 

[bj70bc]

View attachment 4109065

View attachment 4109066

you need a cyclops bumper sticker

third eye 4x4 club? something....

 

[FJBen]

you need a cyclops bumper sticker
View attachment 4109100
third eye 4x4 club? something....

That’s on my low priority and decent lights are expensive.

I have so many little projects to do and spend money on, the lights are way down the list.

Suppose I could head to oreilleys and get some sweet 8 lumen LED bar to even it out.

 

[FJBen]

Yup....


mushrooms are kickin in

You don’t say?

 

[bj70bc]

That’s on my low priority and decent lights are expensive.

I have so many little projects to do and spend money on, the lights are way down the list.

Suppose I could head to oreilleys and get some sweet 8 lumen LED bar to even it out.

Nope just a bumper sticker, light is fine as is

 

[PabloCruise]

So why are they here?

View attachment 4106105

Hard to see but the National Guard and helicopters are here.

Well, the Morrill fire. Started a week ago under super heavy winds and zero moisture this summer. 634,000acres and pretty close to my place here in Nebraska. Thankfully today they are stating 90% contained. It spread extremely fast.

View attachment 4106104


Well it’s that time…

View attachment 4106103

I’ve driven it 5 times up to temp since the last leak. It hasn’t dripped or leaked anywhere. All I did was tighten up a few hose clamps. It’s possible that’s caused it as a few weren’t tight.
Going to drive it some more and see.


View attachment 4106117

IDK if it was the same fire, but about a week earlier a bunch of smoke blew in here. I heard it was from the fire in W Nebraska.
I can't wait to get the top off the 40!

 

[FJBen]

IDK if it was the same fire, but about a week earlier a bunch of smoke blew in here. I heard it was from the fire in W Nebraska.
I can't wait to get the top off the 40!

Yeah fiends in Colorado said they had some smoke from this. Thankfully it’s all out now but we’ve had a rash of other fires pop up all around here. There are now 5 national guard helicopters here.

Mini road trip in the cruisers! Let’s go!

 

[FJBen]

A full month with no update…

Major tech work on the cruiser.

Mine was beat.

Nothing like driving in the wind and BANG! The front part of the top comes off.

Maeve doesn’t mind but it sure scares the out of you when it happens. The front channel piece is just too flimsy and can bend up with big wind gusts when driving. I have ideas to either have it remade in thicker steel or build some braces so that it can’t bend up.


You can see, it’s not thick enough and imo it should have a channel for it to slide into.

Drove in to do errands and this thunderstorm was building on the way back. Pulled in just in time and we got drenched for 40 mins. Good timing as I don’t have the top fully on I would have gotten wet.

 

[PabloCruise]

That is such a cool ride...

 

[JDMnTopSoft]

A full month with no update…

Major tech work on the cruiser.

View attachment 4133907

Mine was beat.

View attachment 4133908


Nothing like driving in the wind and BANG! The front part of the top comes off.

View attachment 4133909

Maeve doesn’t mind but it sure scares the out of you when it happens. The front channel piece is just too flimsy and can bend up with big wind gusts when driving. I have ideas to either have it remade in thicker steel or build some braces so that it can’t bend up.


You can see, it’s not thick enough and imo it should have a channel for it to slide into.
View attachment 4133910


Drove in to do errands and this thunderstorm was building on the way back. Pulled in just in time and we got drenched for 40 mins. Good timing as I don’t have the top fully on I would have gotten wet.


View attachment 4133911

We can make a new channel piece, based on this feedback…
The issue is that we can only offer users to utilise the exiting slots to mount it. Not everyone would be keen to drill more…
How do you suggest this can be improved?

 

[FJBen]

We can make a new channel piece, based on this feedback…
The issue is that we can only offer users to utilise the exiting slots to mount it. Not everyone would be keen to drill more…
How do you suggest this can be improved?

Yeah I think utilizing the same slots are fine, and the general shape is OK, it’s just far to easy to bend back and allow it to pull out.

If it was made out of thicker steel or some brackets/plate to reinforce it that would enough.
I’ll try to draw something up.

 

[FJBen]

We can make a new channel piece, based on this feedback…
The issue is that we can only offer users to utilise the exiting slots to mount it. Not everyone would be keen to drill more…
How do you suggest this can be improved?

Excuse my wonderful drafting skills…


You can see how the front can lift up and then the front bead of the top can slip out. If it was thicker steel, I don’t think this would happen at all.

Other than that, you could possibly make a ramp/tube that transfers that load from the front to the back and stiffens the front edge.

All the way would be best and would help the top from any sharp transitions.


Just a thought. I’m also thinking instead of the tube, maybe an L bracket that could bolt on top of this one. It’s just stiffer to accomplish the same thing. Aluminum would be great for this header piece but harder to make.

 

[Owyhee Jackass]

Any reason you can't run a 'standard' soft top channel?

 

[FJBen]

Any reason you can't run a 'standard' soft top channel?

It’s possible if I mount it up front. I’d just have to match the length of the top to keep it fitting right. That curved window frame would make it interesting to find something to fit.