Build The Escape Wagon Restoration

[EscapeWagon62]

Yes, thank you.
That gives me a better idea where the bracket goes.
cheers

 

[EscapeWagon62]

Mostly boring update, other than I finally read through what it takes to un-hitch the transfer case. My available time on a lift is short for the H55F swap since I’m “borrowing” space at a. Dealership over xmas holiday. Based on that and some advice from @CenTXFJ60 I’ll do the transfer case in advance.
I’m assuming I can pull it in my garage but if anyone has counter arguments to that, let me know.

Today was repainting the floor cover for the shifter, nobody will ever see it but I’ll know it’s the right color.
Also cleaned up the correct MY cross member and transfer case shifter

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

If I can pull a trans/tcase myself w/ a manual gear driven jack and a plastic HF dolly on a lumpy paved driveway... you can. It was very easy. I had a great coach. Not once did it wobble. I left the crossmember attached.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

Hilariously I didn’t even recall I had a larger cover of my trans hump. Friend said it to me on the ph last night ‘it will be easier (I installed my clutch disc the wrong way, derrrr) if you remove that panel cover..’ me, ‘whaaaa?!’ Girl walks out to truck, stuffs hand under carpet, ‘huh?! There are bolts under there!’ @POTATO LAUNCHER, hahaha!

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Hilariously I didn’t even recall I had a larger cover of my trans hump. Friend said it to me on the ph last night ‘it will be easier (I installed my clutch disc the wrong way, derrrr) if you remove that panel cover..’ me, ‘whaaaa?!’ Girl walks out to truck, stuffs hand under carpet, ‘huh?! There are bolts under there!’ @POTATO LAUNCHER, hahaha!

Durp must be the blonde hair

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

Durp must be the blonde hair

Correction, simply born blond. Now it’s salt and pepper.

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Correction, simply born blond. Now it’s salt and pepper.

Me too

 

[EscapeWagon62]

If I can pull a trans/tcase myself w/ a manual gear driven jack and a plastic HF dolly on a lumpy paved driveway... you can. It was very easy. I had a great coach. Not once did it wobble. I left the crossmember attached.

Well, guess Im doing it.
Thanks for the confidence boost.
While Im at it, and since it wont be driven afterwards, I‘ll pull the carpet, seats etc etc etc
The weather is too nice to give up driving the rig now, I‘ll probably do the xfer case over thanksgiving

 

[EscapeWagon62]

If I can pull a trans/tcase myself w/ a manual gear driven jack and a plastic HF dolly on a lumpy paved driveway... you can. It was very easy. I had a great coach. Not once did it wobble. I left the crossmember attached.

Felicity,

If I can pull a trans/tcase myself w/ a manual gear driven jack and a plastic HF dolly on a lumpy paved driveway... you can. It was very easy. I had a great coach. Not once did it wobble. I left the crossmember attached.

Felicity,
My truck sits stock height with stock tires.
In your opinion, if I jack it up and put it on jack stands, do you think I‘ll have enough room to drop the A440F in my garage? After reading the transfer case steps in the FSM, I think I’ll have to drop them as a unit vs just pulling the transfer case.
Ben

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

Felicity,

Felicity,
My truck sits stock height with stock tires.
In your opinion, if I jack it up and put it on jack stands, do you think I‘ll have enough room to drop the A440F in my garage? After reading the transfer case steps in the FSM, I think I’ll have to drop them as a unit vs just pulling the transfer case.
Ben

My truck isnt much higher than stock height and is only on 30” wheels. Maybe these pixs will help.

I didn’t take a pix of how high I had to jack up the side... it was precariously high but went fine. Make sure you have a good amount of space on the side your pulling it from.

 

[EscapeWagon62]

My truck isnt much higher than stock height and is only on 30” wheels. Maybe these pixs will help.

View attachment 2490224

View attachment 2490225

View attachment 2490226

View attachment 2490227

I didn’t take a pix of how high I had to jack up the side... it was precariously high but went fine. Make sure you have a good amount of space on the side your pulling it from.

Damn....now that some engineering!
Ok - looks like a low lift transmission jack is in my future.
Oddly, I’m somewhat happy. I’ve done all of the other work (except paint/body) in my garage. It’ll keep my project “genuine”.
If I get stuck I’ll pay you food and beer to make the 45 min trek up here to help
Thanks for the photos!

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

East drive. Np. Happy to help if I’m not at work.

 

[EscapeWagon62]

Collecting all of the parts for my swap is making this part of my build thread longer than a Shakespearian death scene.
I’ve ordered a transfer rebuild kit from Valley Hybrids/Cruiser. Brothers. My current case was rebuilt by a Houston Land Cruiser shop (Javiers) about 50,000 miles back (before I owned it) but while its out I many as well do it again for t$250

I did get the final pieces needed from SOR including:
Transmission mounting bolts
Transmission isolator nuts
The all important clutch fork clips
Clutch pedal return spring
Clutch pedal bolt/clip for where the clutch master attaches to the pedal
Soft clutch line with the c clip and other attachments to secure it in the bracket I‘ll install on the firewall

 

[EscapeWagon62]

Question on my clutch throwout bearing. I just had the one that came in my clutch kit installed onto the clutch hub.
The bearing looks quite different from the one that was installed (and rusted solid) on the used clutch hub I sourced.
Since the bearing came with my Aisin kit I assume its the correct bearing but would love to get a second opinion.
In another step forward I got my drive shafts back from being balanced.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

Question on my clutch throwout bearing. I just had the one that came in my clutch kit onto the clutch hub.
The bearing looks quite different from the one that was installed (and rusted solid) on the used clutch hub I sourced.
Since the bearing came with my Aisin kit I assume its the correct bearing but would love to get a second opinion.
In another step forward I got my drive shafts back from being balanced.

View attachment 2494203

View attachment 2494204

Round one is correct. Not sure what’s up w/ that other. Way aftermarket I guess.

 

[EscapeWagon62]

Thank you!
Ill sleep easier now.
just waiting for my fabricated brackets from the shop for my cross member....and my son to come home for xmas to be my helper. I wanted to start earlier but my wife gave me the death stare since it is, in fact, a great dad/son project.
I’ll just find something else to work on for a while.

 

[EscapeWagon62]

Shout out to @orangefj45 and the gang at Valley Hybrids/Cruiser Brothers.
Two days and my transfer rebuild kit already arrived.

 

[EscapeWagon62]

Ok
I’m bored.
Wife wont let me start on the transmission til my son comes home so.....
Time to clean out the air intake manifold and then I might as well do the exhaust manifold gasket.

 

[EscapeWagon62]

Fun find today. Way back when I first started reading mud, I read that cleaning the cold start injector could help if you were having to crank several times to get started, I pulled it, cleaned the injector snd it improved so that I only had to crank twice to start.
Fast forward to today when I was cleaning up everything associated with the air chamber, turns out the cold start injector has TWO INJECTORS! It was so covered in crud snd I did such a crap job cleaning it up last time I hadn‘t noticed. Bet it helps.

Got the throttle body, air chamber, smog pipe thingy and the cold start injector cleaned up.

 

[EscapeWagon62]

And more photos