On the road, finally

Well, the snow has finally left Michigan, and after going thru every seal and serviceable system on my 65 Tux, here is where I am at.

I'd forgotten what it's like to drive a fifty year old vehicle! Steering and stopping certainly require planning. The fresh 10" brakes are a step up from the 9" on my 3A, but not by much.

The little 134 runs out of steam on the littlest hills in high gear, especially in OD. About 40 seems like the happiest cruise speed.

Starts great cold, but when hot it takes some cranks. Wondering if the new Standard condenser doesn't like heat. May put the old one back in for comparison.

The 31x10.50 tires look good, but with the hubs left in and a front Powerlok, steering is tough. As soon as I find rims that will accept my hub caps, narrow tires will be going on.

I replaced the water pump, heater core and had the radiator serviced as part of my preventative maintenance plan, in addition to replacing the temp sender. Gauge ran almost 3/4 of the way up for a while, and now seems to hang at about 5/8. I did drill a hole in the new thermostat, but it was a slightly different design from original. Possibly burped out an air pocket or maybe the new temperature sender isn't completely compatible with the gauge. Doesn't seem to overheat, so I don't think I'll get to worried.

All in all, I'm happy. The limitations are part of the charm. I do think that 4.88s would be preferable to the stock 4.27s I have, but oh well. Looking forward to a summer of cruising with my family, and I'm happy to have something to drive while I continue with my 3a build.

John

 

awesome john.

 

Congrats on getting it running! A couple thoughts...
I have manual steering and a front powerlock also, I leave the hubs unlocked until absolutely needed. It definitely wants to go straight when the hubs are locked! I have my transfer case modified for 2 low operation also.
The hard starting when hot is probably heat soak...basically fuel boiling in the carb while it sits. Hold the gas pedal to the floor when you crank it and it'll start faster. Sometimes the fix for this is as simple as going to a different gas station...some brands seem more susceptible to this than others. Also make sure your float level isn;t too high, that'll make it worse.

 

I hope to be in you shoes someday soon. My CJ-5 is still on jackstands and will be for a little while more. It will be interesting to see if I have the same experiences you had. When you finally get it off-road, let us know how it performs. I too, have the 4:27 ratio and 31" tires. I wonder how the 134 will perform with this setup. I may be looking for a V-6 fairly quickly. I was joking about putting a blower on it, but Tmgr told me it has actually been done, and I see a couple of posts in here where guys have actually put a turbo on their 134's. Novel!!! Enjoy your ride!!!

 

Where can I find a pic of your Tux?

 

someone has to do it
:uwop:

 

http://s1379.photobucket.com/user/YooperJohn/library/

Hoping this works.

 

Went for a little off-roading yesterday. Low range is your friend. First gear seems too high for my tastes. Sand is tough. Had a Scout that was the same way. Slow speeds are the key. I think smaller tires and sacraficing top speed, which the engine doesn't have oomph for anyhow, will be the solution.

 

From what I am hearing, I think I will arrive at the same conclusion as you have. I bought this as a project vehicle and that it is. JEEP stands for Just Empty Every Pocket. Good thing I make good money. Couldn't afford this otherwise. I will let you know what my experiences are once I get mine on the road and off. Since you are slightly ahead of where I am, I will be following your progress and learning from it.

Later...

 

What you say : "I'd forgotten what it's like to drive a fifty year old vehicle! Steering and stopping certainly require planning." is 100% true!

Maybe some Jeep are made for speed, I don't know, but a standard one is good with narrow tires and calm cruising.

I use it only when nice weather, I take small roads et drive slowly.

My Hurricane could go faster, but it makes noise at high R) speed, and wind, because it is nice with no roof (except winter).

And I am not sure of the result in case of problem on the road, I don't want to test the rollbar or the strenght of the bumpers.

Concerning water heat and oil pressure, I have the military gauges, not electric. Direct measurement. It is safer.