1967 CJ-6: First Build

Well, it looks like a good idea but I think there is one thing you haven't duplicated from the factory and that is the material of the wire. It looks like you used bare copper to try and rewirnd the resistance coil and I think the factory would have used a high resistance wire, like a NiChrome alloy of some type. Using copper you won't have enough resistance from one end to the other to make any difference.

I had the same problem and ended up buying a new sender unit made by Crown

Don

 

that was a little science experiment. with the copper wire, i noticed that the resistance varied from 2-8 ohms...whereas the specs for the factory sending unit varies from 10-73 ohms.

 

i installed the new sending unit and the gas gauge is now working great.

warmed up the motor to see if the electric fan would kick in and it did. turned on for about 30 seconds. I wanted to let the motor continue to run to see the fan turn on a second time but decided to not to until i get the temp gauge working.

it looks like it's time to get back to the rusted windshield frame that i've been avoiding. i was halfway into removing the glass until i grabbed the glass the wrong way and it broke in half. damn! i was doing great removing the seals too.

looking at the windshield frame i've considered just buying a replacement. the cowl side is gone. unless i can get one for extremely inexpensive, i think i will just repair. I took some measurements of the sheet metal, drew it, and made a mock up of one corner portion of it. we'll see how it goes with the actual metal.







i don't know how i will make the vents yet or if i should replace all sheet metal on the entire frame or just the rusted bottom portion/cowl side.

 

i did some more measuring of the windshield and now have a more accurate template. the glass cut out i have drawn slightly off...i left extra material so it can be trimmed/ground to fit. I made another, larger model of the windshield out of cardboard, based on the template. i will test fit the model tomorrow on the tub to see if it fits the cowl properly.

 

Got a new metal shear from Harbor Freight and used it immediately. Definitely worth the sale price of $30

Cardboard windshield...


Bottom left portion mocked up. I wonder how much to get the template laser cut/cnc punched...?/



I also got my temp gauge to work...(to move at least). The initial problem was that the chevy temp sending unit was mismatched with the gauge...so I bought a jeep sending unit and a reducer fitting. My new problem is that the temp gauge maxes out and will need a resistor.

Aside from the HF metal shears, I bought a set of line wrenches, tubing cutter, and double flaring tool. I have the stainless steel braided lines that have been sitting since arrival. Next on the shopping list are the steel lines and fittings.

 

Very Nice!

This is the point where I start to get very frustrated . . .

Good to see you hangin' in there and Gettin' 'er done!

Lets ger 'er done!

 

oh man, that video is some kind of hypnosis funny

this hurdle called the windshield is going slow. i'm still unsure of how all this will turn out. i've been using the "ghetto brake" in this thread by Ghetto Fab to bend. it's angle iron and hammer. today i separated the sheet metal from the square tube frame and test fitted the new sheet metal to the frame. i still have the sheet metal at the top of the windshield to cut.

the old sheet metal


outside



inside


things to git 'er done:
-fab the tool to make the flange around windshield cut out
-fab the tool to make the vents
-fab the brackets for the latch
-etc

 

sides and portion of the top


full sheet metal


handled without care.

 

R) I have one just like that,........ same crack and everything

Kidding aside, Looks fantastic, I admit this site pushes me further into fabrication than I would normally go. But I don't know if I could tackle a windshield

Jay

 

thanks guys...

was kinda ****ed off after i broke the glass. i didn't realize how brittle those things are if they aren't mounted on the frame.

one of my reasons for the build was to learn how to fabricate so i'm pretty experimental with this jeep and would try anything. my neighbor who builds cars inspires me to fabricate also. one thing that i keep in mind is that if my fab job comes out crappy then, as a last resort...i could always buy.

jay, if you ever want to try the windshield just think that if your fab job doesn't come out nicely then you could always just buy the part in the end. it takes a little of the pressure off. making replicas out of cardboard have been the most important tool so far. do you have a bending brake?

i would've loved to have bought a new windshield frame delivered to my door ready to install but i'm being a cheapskate lately...notice i'm using scrap sheet metal too. so far the most difficult part of the windshield fab have been the bending...or at least getting clean bends. i don't have a sheet metal brake so i'm just hammering the bends against an angle iron until it looks like the correct angle. i still need to figure out how to replicate the vents. i have some ideas but need to test them. someone in the internet knows for sure.

i tried to re-create the flanges around the windshield hole this evening and didn't work too well. i 've seen those flanging tools that is basically made out of a vice grip (so i said " what?, spend money, why not just make one")...


here were some tests...works well on small and narrow pieces which fit within the tool.


doesn't work on the actual thing because the sheet metal, that are on both sides of the tool, that aren't getting pressed, are resisting the "sandwiching effect" of the flange tool. plus i need to make the offset slightly larger.


i left some extra metal around the glass cut out that had to be trimmed after i overlayed a template of the glass.

 

So pressing the flange didn't work. I almost caved in and bought a bead roller. Been thinking about one the whole week and was about to pick one up today but stopped myself and thought i'd try one more thing. Today I tried hammering the flange and it worked. Not the most perfect looking flanges but close enough. I modified my homemade flange maker to have a larger offset, 1/4", and welded a flat bar on one of the pieces that the hammer can strike.



with the flat bar




the results




test fitting the gasket


The first segment I hammered was a little inconsistent. It took several tries to get a rhythm and technique down. next step will be to make a radiused version of the tool.

 

Dude, nice sheet metal!

 

thanks...

wish i had the proper sheet metal tools though.

modified the homemade tool and did the rounded corners this evening. the glass cutout will need further trimming. also, still needs some hammering to clean up some of the edges that are a little wavy.

 

YOU ARE AN ARTIST

 

looks damn good. i didnt have to go quite that far with my frame but almost. Sucks about the windsheild busting. I tried to put mine back in myself but gave up before i broke it. had some dude come and 60$ later we got it in. not without butt pain though. he thought it was gonna be easy For the vents you should look up louvers like on hot rods and see what kinda tools they use for those

 

I put my windshield in. It was a bear. Get a new seal and a lot of dish soap. Nice sheet metal, I took the easy way out and bought a new one.

 

we used liquid wrench and plastic pry bars. The guy had a crazy tool for putting the center strip in . how did you manage?

 

Great work.

 

that or i'm just a cheapskate.

broke the glass during removal. I don't know if it was original but it was a clean piece of glass which made the breaking even more heartbreaking. I'll use the cracked windshield to practice installing just to see how difficult it is. there's so many glass shops around my neighborhood that i'll for sure just get a pro to install one...

thanks for the louver hint.

i checked the price of a new one from olympic4x4 and it's not bad so if i need to bail out of this repair then a new one it is.

thanks mike, when's the next update?