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New proud member, will need your help with my 72 commando

Discussion in 'Jeepster Commando and Commando Tech' started by KeyserSoSay, Sep 3, 2017.

  1. Oct 25, 2017
    KeyserSoSay

    KeyserSoSay Collector of Hobbies and Vestigial Skills

    Edgewood New Mexico
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    OH wow thanks! The power of proper semantics at work! (Exactly the type of intel I signed up for and got active here on ecj5.)

    I will study harder on the choke stove. The oriface plate seems a pretty simple thing to fabricate with tighter oriface holes if I had the proper gasket, although I'm not sure a gasket even matters given there is no actual vacuum seal as it is.

    Thanks again.
     
  2. Oct 25, 2017
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    There is a little vacuum, which draws the hot air through the stove and into the choke cover. There is a tiny passage internal to the carb.

    Only the tube from the air horn to the stove looks out of place. If it seats down in further, it will be fine.

    Orifice plate? The plate on the manifold? Don't mess with that. Just unmangle the tube and push the tapered part further into the hole.

    The TSM has an article for each carburetor circuit that describes how it works. A little background about function will help you.
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2017
  3. Oct 29, 2017
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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  4. Oct 31, 2017
    KeyserSoSay

    KeyserSoSay Collector of Hobbies and Vestigial Skills

    Edgewood New Mexico
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    Thanks. It does make more sense knowing that it's a closed heat exchange tube down inside the intake manifold. Also, I've not found the TSM readily available on the internet. It's my understanding that the TSM is not be confused with a Chilton manual which seems more than a little broad to be of much help (1957-1986 jeep commando/Comanche/truck manual).
     
  5. Oct 31, 2017
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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  6. Jan 16, 2018
    KeyserSoSay

    KeyserSoSay Collector of Hobbies and Vestigial Skills

    Edgewood New Mexico
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    Finally got the carburetor rebuilt and back on the jeep. It runs like a striped *** ape now, but I still need to adjust the idle and the jets a bit. I’ll take it to my mechanic buddy for help with this as he has a vacuum gauge and a lot more experience in the art of the engine than I.

    Probably seems ridiculous to many here that such a small project took so long to complete, but we had a laundry list if good reasons mixed in with lots of regular life happenings. What I figured out is that the Jeep does not have the stock AMC Motorcraft 2100 carburetor, but instead an Autolite 2100 that came off of a Ford I think. Point being that the kit I had bought was not the right one and it took me a while to figure it all out and get the right rebuild parts. All told it turned out to be a great project and as much as my son learned, I think I learned more. For the first time since we brought the jeep home (3 and 1/2 months) we can now go out and turn the key and expect her to roar to life.

    Next up will be a power steering fix and building an exhaust (it rattles windows for 2 square blocks right now) before it’s in driving shape.

    I’ve also been squirreling away some parts- new body mounts and bushing kit, a weld-in Hagan flush mount fuel door assembly, side mirrors, new window rubbers and door seals, etc. The back hatch has a sizable dent and I’ll have to remove the glass to repair it, and the tail gate has some rust and I’m going to have to completely rebuild it, so these are projects we can do indoors over the winter. I’m also going to bring the doors in and rebuild them from the inside out this winter with the idea that any steel we can remove from the body will be overhauled and waiting with new rubber and seals for a springtime frame-off treatment.

    The radiator has a broken mount which could probably be fixed, but I’m concidering just buying an aftermarket aluminum radiator 3 row, does anyone have thoughts on these (for or against)?

    3 ROW ALUMINUM RADIATOR FOR JEEP CHEROKEE WAGONEER J-SERIES 1972-1979 & FANS | eBay
     
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  7. Feb 12, 2018
    KeyserSoSay

    KeyserSoSay Collector of Hobbies and Vestigial Skills

    Edgewood New Mexico
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    This thread has been a real hodgepodge, and I recognize my work so far has not followed any conventional tact of restoration.

    I live on the cold side of a mountain, it usually snows in October and doesn’t melt until April. (Actually, there is a ski resort about 8 miles from me as a crow flies). I don’t have a garage space capable of fitting the jeep indoors, so wintertime is pretty much down time relative to this type of work here. Meanwhile, We’re still collecting parts and squirreling them away for when the sun comes out.

    This weekend we pulled the rear hatch and tailgate off the jeep and sealed the jeep up with cardboard and plastic. Both the hatch and tailgate had some serious damage (looks like it was backed into a tree). The tailgate also had some rust cancer in the bottom along the hing-line (more on that later).

    Anyway, I was able to get the back hatch repaired over the weekend, and I’m pretty stoked with how well it turned out concidering the damage. A lifetime ago I worked as a paint prep/ body man in a fab shop, and I was pleased to dust off some old skills and see that I still have the touch.

    First I pulled the glass, cleaned it up and stored it out of harms way. The glass is pretty clear, with a few deep scratches that aren’t going anywhere. We’ll give it a good polish before reinstalling. I have a new window mount rubber, and all new seals for the hatch and the tailgate.

    I had to cut a window in the inner panel of the hatch in order to reshap the damaged outer panel, and then weld in 18 gauge patch on the inner. It’s not show quality perfect now, but it gives me a smile when I look at it sitting in primer.


    [​IMG]

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  8. Feb 12, 2018
    KeyserSoSay

    KeyserSoSay Collector of Hobbies and Vestigial Skills

    Edgewood New Mexico
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    I also recently picked up a rear seat which I was lacking. This one is out of a 2006 TJ, and is the forward folding seat. It’s in effectively-new shape. I was thrilled to find that the TJ seat fits perfectly in the fenderwells of the Commando as if it was custom made to.

    The jeep has reproduction low-back seats in it now that are in fantastic (like new) shape - , but I decided day one that I would not have my kid driving around with low-back seats without a headrest and a 3-point harness.

    I found these front bucket seats on my local Craigslist for $40, and bought them this weekend too. These are from a 2002 Chevy Cavalier. I’d found several threads where others had used Cavalier seats in CJ5’s and after a quick study they seem to be an almost (if not completely) bolt-in solution without too much modification.

    I’ll probably spring for a good set of fitted seat covers- leaning towards the Coverking fitted covers which will cost me around $300 front and back. Anyone here have any experience with these covers?

    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2018
  9. Feb 12, 2018
    Nekaf&Jeepsterdude

    Nekaf&Jeepsterdude 1968 Jeepster Commando, 1951 M38a1C

    The Netherlands
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    Wow, thats really neat work!
     
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  10. Feb 12, 2018
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    Hatch looks good!

    Rust-out along the bottom edge of the tail gate is common. CJs get that too, but you can buy repop CJ tailgates.
     
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  11. Feb 12, 2018
    KeyserSoSay

    KeyserSoSay Collector of Hobbies and Vestigial Skills

    Edgewood New Mexico
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    I've started into the tail gate some... The bottom "hinge tube" as I call it (the part that seems to rust out), is the most critical part of the gate./ I had planned on replacing it all down there, and maybe changing it up a bit until I realized that there are not a lot of options since the gate actually opens up below the bed and that little gap down there is a critical clearance.

    I was pretty pleasantly surprised to find the cancer limited to a few strips, and that the ends of the tubes are in great shape. There are inserted tubes on the ends. These areas did not rust AT ALL, which is counter intuitive.

    In my case, I'm able to just cut out the cancer and replace it with some 18G sheeting. The rest of the tubes are in great shape, but I'm going to insert a full length tube (for the tail light wire to run through) and then fill the cavity with POR15. I may just drill some small holes in the bottom of the tube to allow some air to circulate in there, it seems this should have been SOP.

    I think I'm going to remove the rear hump- I have a plan to mount a spare tire back there (on the bumper), and I want to be able to tilt the tire forward on the same plane as the rear of the truck (and not hanging out into space, vertical, behind the bumper). I had given some thought to welding a skin sheet on the exterior of the tailgate (as indicated in the picture attached). I wont do that without removing the raised "JEEP" emblem so that I can put it in the jeep somewhere else.

    There is just enough room to place the raised JEEP embossment in front of the driver's door, (like on a CJ). I think this would be pretty cool, and my kid loves the idea, but I wanted to run the idea by you guys- thumbs up or thumbs down? Does this strike you as a neat custom move, or a travesty? Obviously, this is not going to be a true restoration, so that in and of itself may not sit well with traditionalists here, but I am interested in what people think of this idea, even if it's negative.

    [​IMG]

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    Last edited: Feb 12, 2018
  12. Feb 12, 2018
    KeyserSoSay

    KeyserSoSay Collector of Hobbies and Vestigial Skills

    Edgewood New Mexico
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    Got one side done, I hit it with the DA sander, helps show hidden pits and gaps in the weld.

    I’ll spare you sharing more of this job, but I have a little OCD and had to finish my last post left half complete.

    Still interested what you guys may think of my idea to use the tailgate “JEEP” embossment welded in front of the driver door (like a CJ) is this tacky or a potentially cool custom detail?

    Was thinking maybe making a glove box door out of it too.. ??

    [​IMG]
     
  13. Feb 13, 2018
    sterlclan

    sterlclan Member 2022 Sponsor

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    i vote glove box door. fwiw i would use fluid film inside the gate and hatch,ive seen por paint trap moisture and accelerate rust.
     
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  14. Feb 14, 2018
    KeyserSoSay

    KeyserSoSay Collector of Hobbies and Vestigial Skills

    Edgewood New Mexico
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    Yeah thanks, the Fluid film is actual what I had in mind, something a little more liquidy. Would plug the ends with foil tape, Pour in the fluid film or something similar and then swish at all around to get everything coated, but my worry is making sure I can still get the tail light wires through after.

    The rest of the steel is actually in really good shape in there, so I’m alternatively concidering just drilling a series of 1/4” holes at the bottom of it which would allow water to drain out and let enough air to circulate to keep it from happening again.

    Probably end up doing both, as long as a can still pull wire through there. :confused:


    I like the idea of using the Jeep embossment as a custom made glove box door, I think it may be too big for the stock box though. Which might mean major mods to the dash- I’ve got plenty of projects on this jeep without inventing myself more....:banghead:

    I’m still not certain on what I’ll do with the tailgate though, so I may just leave it where it is. If I do change the gate around, I’m definitely going to take the time and effort to salvage that Jeep logo and do something fun with it.:bananatool:

    I do not like the OEM gate latches on this tailgate anyway- or the flat-bar hangers (already pinched a chunk of my palm off with one) I’m thinking on how to build a better trunk latching system, and also probably going to try and build some cable hangers. Again, inventing myself more projects then I have dollars and hours for.:banghead:


    Exhaust system coming up soon anyway, so knowing me I’ll probably get the gate repaired and straight and in primer and switch gears a while to think on it.
     
  15. Feb 14, 2018
    jackdog

    jackdog Member

    Finger Lakes NY
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    I put coverking seat covers in my wifes van two years ago and they looked great. Now not so great, stitching coming out and have lost their shape. Not worth the $350.
     
  16. Feb 14, 2018
    KeyserSoSay

    KeyserSoSay Collector of Hobbies and Vestigial Skills

    Edgewood New Mexico
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    Thanks for this !!!...... Did you go with their cheapest version- the "spacer mesh"? I have found these on sale right now and they would cost me $120 (front Cavalier) and $120 (back TJ) shipped... I think I'm going to buy these (against your recommendations:crazy:) and we can at least have a "first day" set of seats that will match in aesthetics with the new paint job and shiny wheels that are already in the works...

    I have an industrial sewing maching and my wife is an absolute maestro with sewing. We've taken on some pretty ambitious sewing projects, and I think these Coverking fitted covers would at least provide a perfect (but admittedly expensive) template to build some longer lasting Cordura seat covers at some point.

    Unless there are other seat covers to be had that ARE more worth what they cost you??? Is there a better alternative?
     
  17. Feb 14, 2018
    sterlclan

    sterlclan Member 2022 Sponsor

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    take whats on the seats now,take the stitching out label everything and use them as a template for your new covers. i redid my seats this way.
     
  18. Feb 14, 2018
    KeyserSoSay

    KeyserSoSay Collector of Hobbies and Vestigial Skills

    Edgewood New Mexico
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    You know, you're right. Skip the middle man and save some bucks..

    In negotiations with my wife as I type... she seems pretty open to it, says it would be easy to do.. awesome!!! :beer:, :clap:
     
  19. Feb 14, 2018
    sterlclan

    sterlclan Member 2022 Sponsor

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    i added seat heaters at the same time
     
  20. Feb 14, 2018
    KeyserSoSay

    KeyserSoSay Collector of Hobbies and Vestigial Skills

    Edgewood New Mexico
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    My wife gave me the thumbs up! I’m looking for fabric now, what kind of fabric did you use? I’m thinking marine canvas or Cordura or something like that. I suspect this is subject to sun-fading, but should otherwise last well.

    What should I be looking at instead?

    I’ll skip the seat heaters, that’s above my station.
     
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