Picked Up A 71 For A Buddy Of Mine......

If it were me I would probably put it back together the fastest/easiest/ least expensive way, or the way it was when your friend last drove it.
Best memory to have of your friend.
And keep all the extra parts for another build some day.

 

Run this one
Sm420+D18+ D27 lockrite /44 powerloc floater setup with 4.27 gears= 74:1 crawl ratio

 

A DJ and a CJ with a seat in between.

 

You really are at a crossroads. I like the idea of going full on wheeler with this. The '69 is pretty much where you want it. Do something like Tim @timsresort.

 

Your comment that the jeep looks so sad, reminds me of resurrecting my dad's jeep, the tux. I came to the conclusion that he would want it out wheeling, having fun. That is the way his memory lives on, and that's the best thing I could do, and you could do. I also think of the saying that we are just temporary custodians, these things live on without us, and I would hope so. Anyway, best thing you could do is get it out there, and tell as many Steve stories as possible.

 

This is the combo that I am leaning towards. The D27 already has a 2 hole knuckle on the rt side as well as tie rod flip.
It will get the jeep back on the road as soon as possible and be plenty capable for a Rubicon run.
The powerloc in the rear axle is pretty fresh as well. It was tight enough that it would chirp tires on tight turns.
The lower HP of the even fire 231 will be happier with a lil' more gear too!

 

When you get things figured out and ready to put it together give me a ring we will have a little work party and get it back together.

 

With my dad's M38 I've tried to stay as close as possible to how he would have built it, but also tailor it a bit to me and what I'm doing with it. I've found lists and notes over the years of his plans for it. Some of it he already accomplished before he passed, some of it I have made happen, and some of it likely will never happen now. But the darn thing works and I know he's happy that I'm using it....most of the time. lol

 

I have lists all over the place. Probably some doubles and there is one I made that i can't find. Others with numbers that I don't know.

 

Steve would be a little disappointed that the D30 with ARB and RCV axles, D44 with ARB geared at 3.73...... didn't make it into his jeep, but I think he would appreciate it more if he knew that I was out there thrashing it in the same manner than he would have.
In that case......
I'll have to roll his jeep at least one time on this years Rubicon trip.
In honor of Steve's tradition!

It really makes the most sense to go with the Sm420+D18+ D27 lockrite /44 powerloc floater setup with 4.27 gears= 74:1 crawl ratio
It will only take an evening or so to swap the axles and brakes over, current drive shafts will fit too. This will allocate more time to front shock relocation, ram assist install, and possibly get fuel injection on before the Rubicon trip. There are a few things on the jeep that need tidied up and brought up to my standards.......

 

X2

 

I'm tired of walking........

 

It'ld also be a lot easier for the guy with 4 kids a wife 3 dogs and two coolers to only need to drag one jeep halfway across the country with a truckly minivan.

 

Here we go!!!
I rolled Steve's jeep out of the and unloaded a bunch of stuff out of it...... That ice chest was still to wretched to work with..... I'm definitely not throwing it away, its a Snap On version of a Yeti! Perhaps a little super clean and the hot pressure washer will be in order for that mess. After that some good old fashioned UV radiation should kill all the funk.
Steve's jeep was stashed in a shipping container out in our boneyard behind the mill next door, roughly 1/4 mile away from my work bay......
How do you move a dead jeep with no transmission or transfer case all by yourself?????

Forklift......




I proceeded to strip out the rest of the junk from the jeep...... Even emptied out the tool box.














I must have pressure washed on this thing for an hour straight...... and it still feels dirty.....
The last time Steve drove the jeep he took it to the coast camping with his family. The drove the jeep on the beach.... In the surf...... and never washed it afterwards......
Did I mention Steve paid $900 for this jeep....... He certainly treated it like a $900 jeep.
After pressure washing was complete I delivered the jeep to my work bay with the forklift.
That is a wrap for Saturday morning's progress.

 

Sunday I ventured out to work on the jeep.
First order of business was to remove the old clutch and flywheel for surfacing, and clutch replacement.
Way back during the T18 transmission/clutch install days..... I had purchased a couple clutch kits and used the disc from one and the pressure plate from another..... Steve and I had been talking at the time that the leftover clutch disc was the correct spline for his jeep and that the pressure plate would work as well.......
So I went about removing the clutch pressure plate only to find...... this even fire 231 engine has a raised flywheel.....
The pressure plate that I had planned to use is for a flat flywheel. Disgusted with my now destroyed plans I headed in to grab a beer and look up flat surface 231 flywheels......
A little googling lead me to this site..... and to my build thread!!!!
Back in 2014 I accidentally purchased a Chevy Monza clutch kit for a raised flywheel. I attempted to use it on my jeep but it would not work......
Beer in hand I went back to my work bay, climbed up the rolling staircase and crawled around the pallet racking until I found the raised flywheel pressure plate!
Feels great to correct a nearly 10 year old mistake!







I zapped the clutch assembly in place and mocked up an old saginaw 4 speed to verify that the clutch would release properly with the throwout bearing from the clutch kit.
Success!
Pushing on the clutch pedal allowed me to rotate the transmission by hand.
The flywheel will be off to get surfaced on Monday!




With that hurdle overcome it was time to address the SM420.
This transmission came in Steve's jeep. I had it looked at by a well known forum member who determined it was in excellent condition and did not need rebuilt.





I removed the PTO cover, transfer case adapter and snout. After all the mating surfaces were cleaned up I resealed and assembled the transmission.
A fresh coat of paint after wire wheeling off all the rust from Steve's beach driving.





With the project on hold waiting for flywheel surfacing and paint to dry I worked on a couple projects that weren't really necessary....... but would make the jeep look less junky and make me feel better..... A little instant gratification!
The engine bay looked like crap.




When we installed the swinging pedals this plate was fabricated and welded to the firewall for reinforcement. Steve never got around painting it and it became a rusty victim of his beach driving adventures. I removed the master cylinders and wire wheeled up the panel. It will be painted Spring Green to match the rest of the body color.





The rocker covers had been poorly painted by the PO, Steve's beach adventures didn't help...... They needed new gaskets anyway!
Just a little wire wheeling on one of them made em look better.......





I had a can of Honda Hempstead green which is pretty close to Buick engine green.
One down, one to go, one less can of paint in the cabinet.

 

TRUTH!

I think Steve took pride in his jeep looking a little Rubicon rashed up..... kinda like a rolling tetanus infection.
At this point I'm going to dress his jeep up just to piss him off!
Every time I make something look nicer I think.... "How do you like that a*^hole."