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Fino's 58 Wagon

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by FinoCJ, Aug 10, 2019.

  1. Jul 23, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2013
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    Welded in motor mounts...spray can paint...
    [​IMG]
     
    Muzikp, blalp!, Twin2 and 6 others like this.
  2. Jul 28, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2013
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    Mocking up the steering...As I am changing out the column for a variety of reasons, it also made sense to get it a bit longer - or should I say to have it so that bottom end extended a bit lower to make sure it would go under the engine mount. I may have gone a bit short on the new column - its a 33" column, which is basically the same as what came out, but the new column will get a new steering wheel with an inch more dish, plus an inch thick adapter to mount to the column, so that seemed to say it would essentially be close to 2" longer so I could push the column down through the firewall a bit more...
    [​IMG]

    The intermediate shaft will just go under the main motor mount (its maybe 1/2-3/4" clearance) but it rubs against the bottom rear corner of the frame bracket. I think I can just 'trim' a bit of that bottom corner off to create the needed clearance. How much clearance should the shaft have? Also, the angle on that single u-joint is about 30 degrees - basically, its maxed out. I could exchange that joint for a double u-joint that might help both the angle and drop the intermediate shaft down just a bit more and help with clearance as well. I guess if I really need to pull the column up a bit to position the upper/wheel end properly, I can add a short section shaft of between the column and current long intermediate shaft - and that would quite probably remove the need for the double ujoint as I would be adding in a second joint with the short upper shaft.
    [​IMG]

    Its really hard to determine exactly how things fit without the seat and steering wheel in place (wheel is on back order) so I might just have to hold tight here for a bit and work on the seating an electrical for a bit.
     
  3. Jul 28, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2013
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    As part of the new column, I went with one without the ignition key (the one that came out had the ignition in the column, and it was wonky and there were no 'detents' or stops at each position so it was easy to accidently leave it in ACC or on etc) and both needed/wanted to move the key to the dash in the OEM location.
    So this is the keyed ignition wiring harness on the old Jeep column...
    [​IMG]

    Had to identify the wiring pattern and then move it to this - a standard ACC/OFF/ON/Start 4-position switch. You can pretty much trace all the wires to the end point and figure it out, but it was comforting to find it matched the AMC era jeep wiring diagram down to the exact color of every wire that was taken with the column when the AMC era power steering swap was done...all the AMC jeep wires had been connected to the OEM willys wires, so I cut the jeep wire connections out and added in my own that matched the willys wiring.
    [​IMG]

    Walt reminded me of the ignition bypass - so I checked the switch and the IGN terminal is closed (hot) for both ON and Start positions, so that keeps one less wiring complication - no need for a coil wire from the starter solenoid (which are not common on modern mini starters).
    Final look (ignore the rest of the mess under there):
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jul 28, 2021
    melvinm, Twin2, Fireball and 2 others like this.
  4. Jul 29, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2013
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    Today's small progress forward....set-up 3 new gauges in the cluster. Obviously the cluster mount is not OEM, but I kinda like where it was, and the 'striped' chrome frame kind of gives off a good old school vibe - and way thicker and more substantial than the cheapie frame that came with the new 3 gauge set. I wanted to replace the ammeter with a volt-meter, and the old temp gauge sometimes seemed slow to get going sometimes (although that could have been related to how it was mounted and it took the thermostat to open and get flow going before it read properly). This new one will get mounted directly into the intake. Did all the hard part of getting the wiring etc done on the back of the gauges so I just have two connections to make at the engine...still have some clean-up and organization to do under the dash.....
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jul 29, 2021
  5. Jul 30, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2013
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    Testing out some high back bucket seats for the front...fabbing up some brackets which is always a bit of an adventure for me.
    [​IMG]

    Is it okay to sit there for awhile making vroom vroom noises and nodding your head to the make believe passerbys?
    [​IMG]
     
  6. Jul 31, 2021
    Twin2

    Twin2 not him 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Virginia Beach, VA
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    still nothing cooler than driving something with a split windshield (y)
    vroom vroom all you want :D
     
    FinoCJ likes this.
  7. Jul 31, 2021
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
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    Sep 20, 2002
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    Love the gauges! If that raw sheet metal edge above the cluster bothers you, what I've done in the past is take some small rubber hose (like w/s washer fluid size), slice it it lengthwise and slip it over the sheetmetal.
     
    FinoCJ likes this.
  8. Jul 31, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2013
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    made the driver side seat bracket out of an old bed frame I found along side the road a few years ago...this came out pretty well from my POV given some of my adventures with fabbing stuff. The front cross-bar is 1" higher than the rear, which makes the entire seat tilt back just about right...maybe could use a bit more, but that is as much as I could do without bigger modification and more creative design etc. I still need to make a template for the 4 seat mount screws and drill them into the top plates, but this really should work and I think the seat is well centered behind the column (although its hard to find parallel and perpendicular reference lines/surfaces in the front of these old wagons).
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2021
    jzeber likes this.
  9. Aug 8, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2013
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    Getting closer to finalizing the steering and driver seat....this arrived while wheeling last week:
    [​IMG]

    15" wood grain with aluminum rivets and chrome spokes....I knew it was going to be a bit light in color, so may work on oil or staining it a bit darker - although maybe it will naturally over time from usage and hand oils.
     
    melvinm and Fireball like this.
  10. Aug 9, 2021
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
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    I sure like the look of the chrome spoke wheels but wow does the one in my '71 want to blind you when the sun hits it right. I think I'll end up replacing with with a black spoke wheel some day just for that reason.
     
    FinoCJ likes this.
  11. Aug 13, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
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    some sacrifices have to be made in order to have it look good....
     
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  12. Aug 13, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
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    With the new steering column, I had to come up with a way to mount it. I used the existing behind dash re-enforced bracket - some POs home fab job, but seems pretty functional - and bolted a 2" diameter, no-drop, non-adjustable column clamp for that. Then the floor needed some work...I think the original pedal floor panel access was a 2-piece deal such that you could remove the 2 pieces without removing the pedals and arms. In theory this is nice, but practically, I felt the split floor panel wasn't rigid enough for the column floor mount, and there was also 2 different column holes in it (one from the ross box, and one from the FSJ column)....so i welded it all up and cut a new hole appropriate for the ididit style column and used this borgeson floor mount.
    Yes, the single piece floorpan is a bit more hassle, but the real issue is with the steering column mount as you can't remove the pedals until the entire floor panel is removed, and you can' do that until the steering column is removed - so it didn't really hurt going to the 1-piece floor panel - its going to be a bit of a PITA whether 1 or 2 piece. And yes...it does really bother me that the column isn't centered between the pedals, but that is the result of cutting and rewelding the brake pedal pad....

    I already disassembled the seat and painted the bracket set-up, otherwise I'd have a complete pic, but seems like its going to work and be a comfortable driving position (tilt wheel). I still don't love the pedal arrangement (and yes, the lack of symmetry with the column and bracket is bothersome to my eye), but going to give it a try as is. The column is raw steel, so will need painted...All of these various column clamps etc have very tight fit - I had to lightly sand the inside of the borgeson floor mount just to get the column to slide through - and painting is just going to make stuff more difficult to work with. Thinking of painting with the clamps on, and just reinstalling as a complete unit.
    [​IMG]
     
  13. Aug 13, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
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    Well, one step forward, and then another wall...doing some detailed cleaning of the intake I wanted to use - its a sbc350 intake from 1970 that was on the sbc283 when I got it. It was going to be a good match for the 487 iron heads I am putting on it, and had the thermal coil choke mount that goes with my q-jet as well as had no EGR aspects....but cleaning found a crack going down between the secondary inlets:

    I spent quite a bit of time with the machine shop trying to decide how to build the engine....partially because of this intake, I decided to keep the old school aspect, and go all iron heads and intake, and the shop owner found me the 487 heads as an improvement over the 882 smog heads that came on the 1978 sbc350. I do have the 1978 intake, and I guess that will be option number two...it has EGR ports I will have to block off as well as no mount for the choke coil - so not sure if my q-jet will work with it. And of course, back to considering an aftermarket intake as well....I wish I would have seen this first, as I might have gone all out with new aftermarket aluminum heads and intake from the beginning.
     
  14. Aug 13, 2021
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    :shrug: Is that crack really that much of a game changer? I’d run it.
     
  15. Aug 13, 2021
    Jw60

    Jw60 Sitting up n buckled down. 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sedalia MO.
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    Might be able to drill the tip off the crack and call it good. There isn't water or exhaust there.
    Remember: Not a race car and no different than an open intake spacer if you want to mill out that area.
     
  16. Aug 13, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
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    I don't know...guess thats really what I am trying to figure out....

    goes too deep down into the intake to access with my limited tools...My version of milling it would at best be trying to get angle grinder with a thin grinding or cut-off disk down along the crack, but not sure i could reach the bottom of it.
     
  17. Aug 13, 2021
    Jw60

    Jw60 Sitting up n buckled down. 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sedalia MO.
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    Just take your time and if you don't save it at least you tried.

    Maybe it's an omen for TBI :whistle:
     
  18. Aug 13, 2021
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
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    It seems harmless and not likely to propagate through the whole manifold. I'd run it as is.
     
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  19. Aug 14, 2021
    duffer

    duffer Rodent Power

    Bozeman, MT
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    Yep. The probability of a piece of that actually breaking off is someplace close to zero and I extremely doubt the crack would go farther than the bottom of the plenum. The amount of air transfer is totally insignificant. Use it.
     
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  20. Aug 14, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
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    Ok I'll give it a go as is...getting some paint
    [​IMG]
     
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