81 BJ42 - I have to bring it home and pass inspection

[Chamba]

I love this thread and it's reassuring to see that a truly skilled professional like yourself still makes the odd silly stuff-up (because I certainly do).

Kevin doesn't stuff things up. He successfully discovers things which don't work.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

Thought I was wrong once. Turns out I was mistaken.

 

[crushers]

trick for fill and drain plugs.
take a 15/16" impact socket, thick walled socket works just as well
grind the outer 3/16" to 1/4" off so you have a flat surface instead of a tapered one
clean with sand paper.
make sure you ground level
now try, it works on even semi rounded bolts.
works on the old 17mm bolts too.

the problem with sockets is the first bit is tapered or round from the factory, take a close look at them and you will see what i mean. this allows the socket walls to get right down to where it is needed.

i was young, i was in a hurry, wheeling the next morning and heading out at 5:30AM with a bunch of Cruiserheads. went to check the oil in the t/case and the nut was rounded. stood there at midnight, frustrated. looked at the socket, looked at the nut wondering why the nut decided to strip on me. that is when i noticed the issue. stuck the socket in the vise, grabbed the grinder, two minutes later the filler plug was out. desperation = inspiration.

The fill plug on the transfer case was hands down the hardest part of the whole rebuild. I noticed during cleaning that the head was stripped from a wrench or two slipping off.

 

[Christian]

I've done the same to a wrench, now I have a dedicatied gear oil plug wrench...

It was either that, or my knuckles revolting...

 

[Chamba]

Kevin, meet HoffLarr, Hofflarr, meet Kevin

https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj45-owners-club/714121-hofflarrs-restoration-little-devil.html#post8403478

From the picture, you guys could even live in the same neighbourhood, not just the same Province.

Josh

 

[Gusb]

The fill plug on the transfer case was hands down the hardest part...

When I first got my 40 and wanted to change out all the fluids, just a little gear oil drained out of the transfer and then I looked at the fill plug and it was all rounded off . So I assumed nobody had been able to get it off in a good while. At one point I thought maybe it would never come off. The final solution for me was a nice, old, small (big pipe wrench wouldn't access) high quality Rigid brand pipe wrench, with a big cheater pipe slipped over the handle once it was in place. I couldn't believe it when that thing popped loose. That little pipe wrench now has a special place of honor in my toolbox.

Edit: and not to keep blabbing here, but...

On large thin nuts, not just the drains but nuts like the valve adjust locks, etc. those Snap-on "Flex" wrenches work much better than normal sockets.

 

[ForealBoreal]

convert them to allen.

 

[cody c]

convert them to allen.

X37


If it's rounded anyways. As long as you can get a socket in the allen head is much nicer, the fill plug on my 5 speed is an allen, but now I have to carry an allen socket set amongst the tools on the truck.

I think on my 3B I'm going to swap the manifold bolts to allen head as well

 

[Awl_TEQ]

First day on the job

Had to put the old bumper on until last night after getting it back from powder.

 

[Henry James the 47th]

That same drain plug was mashed and rust-frozen on my rear differential and as there is a metal boss around it on the housing there is no way to get a pipe wrench or vise grips, etc., on there. I found that a cold chisel, driving in a counter-clockwise direction, got it off there without fuss. Another last-ditch solution I have heard of is to weld a handle - a long lever - onto the frozen plug.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

That same drain plug was mashed and rust-frozen on my rear differential and as there is a metal boss around it on the housing there is no way to get a pipe wrench or vise grips, etc., on there. I found that a cold chisel, driving in a counter-clockwise direction, got it off there without fuss. Another last-ditch solution I have heard of is to weld a handle - a long lever - onto the frozen plug.

The 3B I bought for my 45 had a nut welded to the oil pan plug. Not just any nut mind you. Friggen thing musta been 1.5"

 

[Awl_TEQ]

Ha! Notice my "park brake" behing the front tire in the above pic


I installed the replacement bell crank bracket and boot Coastal Kevin generously donated last night. Worked like a charm and after a minor adjustment on the pull handle I have proper park brake action now.

In addition to that and the bumper install, I had planned to throw the winch in but when I got the bolts I had guessed at 1/2" dia but they are apparently 7/16" bolts. So I'll get those today.

Remember I did the TRE's and center link... the steering was still a bit sloppy. I do still need an alignment to true it up. That would help with the sudden vector changes but there was a bit of slop too so I decided to tighten the steering box. Consulting the manual I went with a 1/4 turn of the screw and it has made a noticeable improvement. I will get an alignment and go from there. The only things left in the steering linkage I haven't already touched would be the rag joint and the column u-joints. Both seem good.

 

[cody c]

Ha! Notice my "park brake" behing the front tire in the above pic


I installed the replacement bell crank bracket and boot Coastal Kevin generously donated last night. Worked like a charm and after a minor adjustment on the pull handle I have proper park brake action now.

In addition to that and the bumper install, I had planned to throw the winch in but when I got the bolts I had guessed at 1/2" dia but they are apparently 7/16" bolts. So I'll get those today.

Remember I did the TRE's and center link... the steering was still a bit sloppy. I do still need an alignment to true it up. That would help with the sudden vector changes but there was a bit of slop too so I decided to tighten the steering box. Consulting the manual I went with a 1/4 turn of the screw and it has made a noticeable improvement. I will get an alignment and go from there. The only things left in the steering linkage I haven't already touched would be the rag joint and the column u-joints. Both seem good.

Tape measure from the lip of the rim on the back compared to the front with about 1/8" toe in is usually about as close as an alignment shop will get it, though if you prefer to take it to a shop then 1/8" will ballpark you pretty close before the drive over to the shop.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

It's not real bad right now. I kept all the lengths the same as best I could but its a tad "darty" at times. Lotsa bump steer. Some of it is me getting used to the truck and the short wheel base. I'll measure tonight and see if its way out.

 

[Chamba]

First day on the job

Had to put the old bumper on until last night after getting it back from powder.

And you want a factory bumper over yours? Kevin, Kevin, Kevin.

Is that park brake going to pass inspection?

 

[Awl_TEQ]

Just for Josh...

 

[Awl_TEQ]

Tape measure from the lip of the rim on the back compared to the front with about 1/8" toe in is usually about as close as an alignment shop will get it, though if you prefer to take it to a shop then 1/8" will ballpark you pretty close before the drive over to the shop.

Toe in/out is about the only thing one can change on this set up right? Caster and camber is all fixed unless you shim the springpack which I shouldn't need to do with OME 2.5" flat bottom springs.

In another life I worked in the shop at a local aggregate and heavy equipment hauler. Shop grunt/ tire man. The mechanic I worked with would vise-grip a prybar with a ball point pen taped to the end such that it drew a line on the tread. He would spin it and thus make a line all around the tread that we would then use to set toe in/out with a tape measure. Worked pretty good.

 

[Chamba]

Toe in/out is about the only thing one can change on this set up right? Caster and camber is all fixed unless you shim the springpack which I shouldn't need to do with OME 2.5" flat bottom springs.

In another life I worked in the shop at a local aggregate and heavy equipment hauler. Shop grunt/ tire man. The mechanic I worked with would vise-grip a prybar with a ball point pen taped to the end such that it drew a line on the tread. He would spin it and thus make a line all around the tread that we would then use to set toe in/out with a tape measure. Worked pretty good.

That's a great idea actually. I jack up the front and put it on jack stands, then put a set of identical rims without tyres (factory 40s rims) and measure front and rear as close to 180 degrees as I can manage. In thousands of miles my tyres have worn just fine using that technique.

I don't think springs will change camber. I'm pretty sure the only way to change camber on our axles is shimming the swivel bearings differently, which then may play havoc with your axle seal. Caster can be changed with spacer shims between the perch and spring or by longer shackles.

Thanks for the new pic. I also like that it's from the right side so we can't see the parking brake

 

[lostmarbles]

X37


If it's rounded anyways. As long as you can get a socket in the allen head is much nicer, the fill plug on my 5 speed is an allen, but now I have to carry an allen socket set amongst the tools on the truck.

I think on my 3B I'm going to swap the manifold bolts to allen head as well

I'm sure swapping to allen-head makes stripping far more likely.

Allen-head is basically inferior (and used mainly for cosmetic reasons or to restrict screw/plug head-size) because the key-head must apply the loosening torque using a very small distance-measurement. (Torque = force x distance). This means the forces applied to the female hexes by the allen key head (in the socket) have to be far greater (than if a traditional socket were being used on a hex-head) with much less metal-contact there to work with.

In applications where high loosening-torque needs to be applied, Allen-head only work satisfactorily if the metallurgy in the head and key are top notch.

My 2c...

 

[Awl_TEQ]

I find the key usually snaps in high stress/torque situations.