'65 Rubicon Rig

Sunday morning comes quick, and we're ready to drive out after not moving since Wednesday night. Grab a breakfast burrito and some camp coffee in main camp and head for Cadillac Hill.

Observation Point, the obligatory group photo, and the lunch stop, even though it's only 9 AM. And the 72nd Jeepers Jamboree is successfully behind us.

On the last 70 degree day of fall, I got the top on, so we can use the tux over the winter.

We were having problems with the power steering puking out the vent on the stock GM pump. This didn't hurt anything, it just makes a mess. It only happens on a hot day of rock crawling, and it was hot for both trips through the Rubicon, it did not happen on the Deer Valley Poker Run, because it was cooler, and the trail is not as hard on the steering. I'm looking at a remote reservoir. This will give some more volume, and get the reservoir up where it can stay cooler. I'm thinking right about here.

 

Worked on mounting the remote reservoir after work. I think a simple welded angle iron bracket will be fine.

This will pick up the 2 radiator mount bolts through the grill.

The Speedway reservoir is inexpensive, and will ride here fine.

Pulled the stock GM pump off the V6. This thing probably came out of the wrecking yard 15 years ago, has no problems, so I am going to keep it and change the can to a remote reservoir style. First step is to pull the 2 studs out of the back, and the high pressure port.

 

Nice. I like that Speedway remote reservoir. Might consider a cooler on the return line also. Doesn’t have to be elaborate, just something air can circulate around. Even coiled tube works. GM and Ford trucks (old ones) had extra hard line that ran under the radiator behind, and sometimes inside the crossmember.

 

What's that white crap all over the ground?

 

I have a cooler on the 3B, works fine, with no puking problems. Thought I would try the reservoir first, then I can do a cooler in the grille if needed. @nickmil , if you have used this before, I have a question-how does it vent?

 

I know, summer goes fast.

 

They vent through the cap.
While they look like they seal… they don’t….

 

The old reservoir comes off with a little prying.

The new reservoir comes with new O-rings for the pressure port, mounting bolts and outer can.


With the O-rings installed, the new can goes on. I got this PSC unit from Summit, it has a -12 (3/4") fitting on top. The hose and fittings are arriving tomorrow.

 

The pump goes back in, it's not as close to the steering shaft as the photo looks. This is the 231 bracket you used to be able to find in wrecking yards.

The reservoir is in, I think I will raise it and spin it some. I'm hoping the return 3/8" line will face forward.

I got the fittings from Summit, but the -12 line isn't coming for a few more days. This is the (really nice) -6 elbow for the return line. Maybe my first AN fitting on this jeep.

The -12 fittings are really large, aand I'm worried about getting that short line in there. It may have to have a loop.

 

Wrapping up the remote reservoir job. Finally got all the AN fittings and hose, so I made up a -12 pump intake hose, and decided to give it a U-turn, for flexibility. I used 2-90 degree fitting to make this work.

The outlet of the reservoir 90's forward out the bottom, then loops back to the pump.

I had to lengthen the return line, so i replaced it with some 3/8" oil cooler line and routed it from the box. It comes in up top to the AN -6 elbow. I filled it with 4 pints of Royal Purple, then jacked up the front end and cycled the steering about 10 times to get the air out. Fired it up, topped it off, went for a test drive.

No leaks yet. I think Sierra is ready for KOH, and I can now move on to Woodstock projects.