Another skid plate question

Howdy all,

Brand new here. I've been tasked to rebuild the motor and re-seal the trans/transfer case of '71 CJ5 with the V6. All has gone well. I've searched and seen some pictures. (I even had some other questions that were answered searching.) Anyway the trans xmember on this Jeep has been hit and is actually bent back a good inch. It's now at a bit of an angle making the skid plate either point up or down depending. Also the skid plate, when attached, does not extend past the xmember in both directions as I've seen searching. This one has the spacers BTW. No pictures but can provide, I'll take some today.

So, given all of the above does the plate mount forward or to the rear? I have access to a press so I bend the plate so it's "level" I just need to know the correct direction. Also I could add to the plate if that's required. One simple pic of a truly "correct" plate would work.

One other Q. The 4 1/2" flex hose for the heater. Where do I get that?

BTW this has been quite the project and learning experience having never worked on a Jeep or one of these V6's. If you have any questions I'll do my best to answer.

Thanks all.

 

Are you referring to the defrost duct. I used a flex hose that fit inside the defrost duct and used metal clips to hold it in.

 

could be talking about fresh air hose from the grille.

 

Is this what you are asking about?

http://walcks4wd.com/skid-plate-transmission-1948-7.html

Front is away from us in this view. The semicircle cut out of the front edge is to clear the front drive shaft. The middle of the skid sits level, and bolts to the cross member with 4 bumper bolts, which go through the square holes.

 

a bit pricey is this what your looking for http://www.dansclassic.com/product.cfm?p=39297&r=524428&cs=kys=&mk=&md=923&c=131&yr=&pg=2&dnum=24

 

OK thanks. The plate picture and description is exactly what I wanted. Apparently mine is broken at the bolt line like I said. I'll look at mine and maybe make an extension. Either way mine will have to be bent so it's somewhere close to flat because of the bent xmember. Almost as if they were rock climbing or something. It's not a little bend and it's the full width of the xmember. Anyway thanks for the pic!

It is the hose from the grille to the heater that I'm looking for. And FWIW the defroster ducts that attach under the windshield are not even there. Not sure the owner wants to bother replacing.

Also in searching here I think I found the one thing that was driving me nuts. The correct lower rad hose part #. Bought the hose and will see if it fits today. So thanks for that. Just that made signing up worthwhile. Hopefully the hose is correct. If so I'll be able to drive the thing today. Yippee!

Thanks again everybody.

 

Probably something here that will work for the duct hose and available by the foot.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#duct-hose/=nl930j

I think the easiest route on the skid plate would be just to find another used one. I believe all the ones for 3A, 3B, CJ 5/6 will fit. The 2A cross members are different so I don't know about those.

 

Walck's shows your fresh air hose ... a bit pricy, but guaranteed to be correct.

The vinyl hose linked to above may melt under the hood.

Climbing rocks is something Jeeps do quite well, BTW. Body damage is cool.

 

This one has the spacers BTW If there is a spacer or a set of 6 spacers between the skid plate and the frame rails, this is usually done to reduce the difference between the transmission output shaft and the input to the rear diff on jeeps which have been lifted, either by springs with increased arch, or extended shackles. Placing the spacers between the skid plate and the rail lowers the transmission closer to the ground, and reduces the drive shaft universal angles.

 

Hmmm, spacers between the skid plate and cross member or between the cross member and frame? I assumed the former and the only reasons that I can think of why one would do that are 1) it is /was lifted to the point where the front drive shaft hit the plate (no longer apparently a problem since that portion of the plate is missing), or 2) the plate was bent and would no longer clear the transfer case. In either case, it's a bad solution that only costs you ground clearence.

If the spacers were used to space the cross member for driveshaft alignment, it still costs you ground clearence and a double cardan joint is a better fix, assuming you have enough driveshaft length to fit one (I don't on my 3B).

 

I wonder if he means spacers between the skid plate and the cross member, or spacers between the frame and the cross member. I took him to mean the former.

Heh - this is what happens when you start a reply and let it sit idle while doing other things. What John wrote...

 

Ok, skip the skid plate for now. (Different issue but since this will prob be the only Jeep I'll ever work on I thought I'd keep everything together. LMK if you want it separated or just move it.) I set the front clip on the Jeep and all seemed well. Cowl bolts lined up reasonably well. Set the radiator in place using the bolt holes that hold the rad in the "upper" position. Fiddled with the lower hose some and noticed that the rad was higher than the where the hood would be if closed. (See pic of hood sitting on rad.) If I lower the rad the outlet points right at the filter but worse the bottom of the rad is sitting on the mount for the Steering Bellcrank. Not good.

One additional thing. The front clip is sitting on its front mount below the center of the grill WITHOUT any rubber. If I add any of the rubber biskits it raised the clip to where it pulls away from the lower portion of the cowl. (Make sense?) See last pic.

If nothing else can someone measure the height of their V6 radiator please. I wonder if the rad shop screwed up and gave me to tall of core? Grasping at straws but something is haywire.

Hood not closed with rad in upper holes.




Radiator in the upper holes where it hits the hood.



Rad in the upper position where it clears the bellcrank. If I lower it to clear the hood it's sitting right on the bellcrank rivets.

 

The way your fenders are gapped more at the bottom makes me think there is a problem with the body mounts cousing your body to sit too low on the frame and throwing everything else out of wack.

 

Good point and I thought of that. If someone wants to post a pick of the front body mounts that would help. I did pry up on the front of the body and it only came up a little bit. Not enough to make much of a difference. I can loosen the mounts and put a jack under the body and play with that alignment BUT it doesn't fix my rad alignment issue. Although they could (are?) be related.

Does anyone have a measurement from the frame rail to the underside of the grill at the front? that would help.

Also the height of the radiator as I mentioned just to check.

Thanks. Please feel free to throw every thought at me. I need to get this thing done and outa here.

 

There are two sets of spacers. 2 each each side of the xmember, total of about 1/2 to maybe 3/4 inch per side and the circular spacers between the plate and the xmxmber. I would say that the frame to xmember spacers are to achieve the correct angle or pitch to the engine/trans/xfercase. The ones between the xmember and the plate? Don't know the reason for them. This Jeep has not been lifted.

If anyone can help with my body/front clip issue above I'd be grateful. I have frame measurements to check if the frame is bent and will check but I doubt it. If anyone knows of a knowledgeable CJ5 person in or near Santa Rosa, Ca I'd appreciate a way to get in touch. Like I said I need to finish this thing and get it back to its owner.

All input appreciated.

Thanks.

 

When I put my body on an earlier frame it took 3 or 4 hours with straps pulling and pushing in all directions to get the hood to close correctly.
Tighten all the bolts, remove the straps, study the changes, move the straps, loosen the bolts and tighten the straps, loosen the straps, tighten others............
I do not remember well, but it seems I had the same issue until the hood fit correctly.
have fun.

 

When I put my body on, I have more spacers up in the seating area than at the rear. I replaced all my floors and might not have put everything back to the original spec. I would add spacers in the seating area and see what happens. Get some door shims from Lowes and use them to raise the body up and see what happens. When you get it right, replace with the right spacers

 

OK, here's the latest. Doing what Steve suggested I removed the front 3 body hold downs. 2 on pas side, 1 on drivers. There IS a slight bend in the frame. Pic below. I have a bushing kit and will be spacing the body and the front clip along with it "up" from stock. I believe this will do the trick.

Jeep is almost ready to back to its owner. I've driven it up and down the block and seems to run really well. The body, skid plate, add some seat belts to the rear seat and I think I'm done. Save for double and triple checking my work.

Here is a pic of the bend. You'll see a very slight rise in the upper flange of the frame in the middle of the pic. Don't know how much difference this makes. It's very small.



On the lower radiator hose issue. NAPA 7196 works. I had to cut about an inch off each end but the fit is excellent. HTH

 

As I finish up this project here's another "solution."

Driving the Jeep around a bit I see an oil leak at the back of the t-case. Dang, I almost never have a new seal leak and no desire to have to fix this one. Turns out it's the spedo cable. The fix, actually 2 fixes, was to remove the gear and put a little RTV where it screws into the t-case. JIK. Next, and I think the real solution, was make a little gasket that fits inside the cable nut and up against the cable flange where it attaches. Tighten things up and it's fixed.

I'll start searching but does anyone have a part # for the correct temp sensor? This Jeep has a V6 but does it matter?

Thanks