69 Jeepster “rebuild” By A Guy Who Now Knows A Tiny Little Bit!

[Fireball]

The other thing I found was a few crack in the back side of the steering wheel where the PO’s mechanic probably used a gear puller instead of a steering wheel puller. I don’t like that from a safety standpoint, but I don’t see a lot of options. Maybe Sam has one at Partsdude.

Cracks in old steering wheels are normal. The plastic shrinks over time and cracks. It's not a safety issues because there is a structural metal core inside. The plastic is just cosmetic. There are several posts on the forum about filling the cracks. JB weld, sanding, and paint works well. Eastwood also sells a repair kit: https://www.eastwood.com/master-steering-wheel-repair-kit-w-instruc.html

 

[Fresbone]

I currently just have a pair of rubber floor mats in my 70 J/C and I do not notice the floor excessively hot or noisy. I am interested in what carpet kit you will be installing, I would like to install carpet as well.

I'll post pics and information about the deadening product and the carpet after it is installed. Do you still have the factory firewall pad? Also, do you have sponge type material in the cowl area where the tail light bundle runs on the driver side and the heater drain runs on the passenger side? Mine is broken down and I'm not sure whether/what to replace it.

 

[Fresbone]

As I finished the interior wiring and connected the heater cables, I realized that the dampers didn’t move smoothly. I pulled the vent hoses and there was lots of debris on the dampers. I pulled the heater and it looks like part of the debris is broken down foam and part is dirt, so the heater is going to get a good cleaning. Then new foam and new sealant. I need to figure out what to use as sealant. I also still need to decide whether to replace the firewall pad. Probably not.

 

[OzFin]

I'll post pics and information about the deadening product and the carpet after it is installed. Do you still have the factory firewall pad? Also, do you have sponge type material in the cowl area where the tail light bundle runs on the driver side and the heater drain runs on the passenger side? Mine is broken down and I'm not sure whether/what to replace it.

Yes, I still have both and they are original. The firewall pad cardboard cover is getting brittle but is still intact, the foam/ sponge like material is aged too, but still there.
When I did the hydraulic clutch the firewall material easily broke away to make clearance for the master cylinder pushrod.
The surface of the pad seems to be a cardboard like material similar to the glovebox material but thinner. I don't know of any available pre-made replacement.

 

[Fresbone]

Yes, I still have both and they are original. The firewall pad cardboard cover is getting brittle but is still intact, the foam/ sponge like material is aged too, but still there.
When I did the hydraulic clutch the firewall material easily broke away to make clearance for the master cylinder pushrod.
The surface of the pad seems to be a cardboard like material similar to the glovebox material but thinner. I don't know of any available pre-made replacement.

Thanks. Thats what mine was like. Sam has replacement pad and clips at partsdude.

 

[OzFin]

Thanks. Thats what mine was like. Sam has replacement pad and clips at partsdude.

Sam @Partsdude for the win!

 

[Fresbone]

I have the heater apart and cleaned. Im going to blast two panels and paint with high gloss stove paint. I’m not sure what to do with the heater core. There is some rust and small particles, and water doesn’t flow through the system. I’m not sure if I can flush it out and check for leaks.

 

[timgr]

Water does not flow through the core?
I would try the oxalic acid treatment discussed in earlier threads.
http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php?threads/163476/#post-1900648
Nothing to lose ...
Heater cores are routinely replaced and not terribly expensive, but availability may be an issue.
I presume they could be repaired or recored in the same manner as radiators.

 

[Fresbone]

I got a lot of work done on the Jeepster over the past few months. First the heater.

I got water to flow through the heater core with some CLR. Not just through the inlet and outlet tubes, but through everything. The corrosion was holding things together, so I got a new core from - you guessed it - Sam at Partsdude! It took a little flexing to get it to fit through the back panel. I also cleaned the heater housing, put new adhesive foam insulation on the paddles, painted the heater, then resealed it with moretite.

 

[Fresbone]

I welded in all of the added holes in the firewall, primed, and painted with the “original color, which didn’t match the rest of the JEEP, but it was going to get covered up with sound barrier material.

 

[Fresbone]

I also welded in and painted some other added holes in the floor. Then applied the sound barrier. I used a product called Z-mat. You have to clean the surfaces well, then apply it with a roller like you use when putting an a laminate.

 

[Fresbone]

I redid all of the interior and engine compartment wiring, except the headlights because I am going to add relays in the near future. I rewired the rear license plate light and fixed the broken hinge on the license plate holder. It originally had slotted spring pins, but I replaced it with 1/4” stainless rod.

 

[Fresbone]

I fixed the horn. There was eccentric wear at the end of the copper pin and wear at the back surface of the copper ring on the steering wheel that contacts the pin. A little 220 grit on the steering wheel contact ring and filing the end of the horn pin did the trick. I was originally looking at more complicated solutions, but after I measured the space, I figured out there was still plenty of copper pin remaining. Gotta to pics are the copper ring on the steering wheel and the pin with the eccentric wear evident. Last pic is after I filed off like 1/32-11/16 to flatten it out.

 

[Fresbone]

Started working on a center console. It is painted the original color, which I really like. My son 3d printed the insert for the front pocket. I think the lid will be dark walnut stained ebony with two cup holders inset.

 

[Fresbone]

I replaced essentially all of the seals and cleaned and relubed the window crank mechanism. There is a gap between the back of the windows and the door seal. I have tried adjusting them, but this is harder than it looks in the FSM. Any tips would be appreciated.

 

[Fresbone]

I got a NOS cylinder with 2 unused Briggs and Stratton JEEP keys. I took the door and hatchback cylinders to a locksmith to have them rekeyed. You need a real old timer for this, because the pin kit isn’t easy to find. He had to modify some pins that were pretty close. Doh! I forgot to take in the glove compartment lock!! The hatchback lock was kind of a pain in the neck, because part of it is staked in. I had to file off the elevated material where it was staked and repair it with a spring pin.

 

[Fresbone]

While nosing around in the hood, I realized that the vent line to the automatic choke was broken. I tried to remove the end with broken screw remover tools, but I was worried about damaging the exhaust manifold, so I used a Dorman choke stove kit from FLAPS to fix it. The aluminum tube was kind of crappy, so I used some leftover nicop tube that was much more workable.

 

[Fresbone]

I am nearly done correcting the wiring diagram the I found on line. I am hoping to ultimately have a color PDF that matches my JC perfectly. I have a 24x36” diagram on the garage wall and made changes as I went through the wiring. I simplified some of the wiring, but kept it mostly stock with inline fuses.

 

[Fresbone]

I got a carpet kit from Automat out of New York and had a local carpet guy install it. It was pretty close, but there is an area at the vertical face in front of the back seat that isn’t covered well. I will get to that later. There is jute lining under the carpet. Between the sound barrier, jute, carpet, and new weather seals, it is so much quieter and nicer to drive! Check out the floor mats with logos. The last picture also shows the dome light I rewired to a switch under the dash by the drivers seat. I used a 35” weather tech round mat under the spare tire to protect the carpet.

 

[Fireball]

I got a carpet kit from Automat out of New York and had a local carpet guy install it. It was pretty close, but there is an area at the vertical face in front of the back seat that isn’t covered well. I will get to that later. There is jute lining under the carpet. Between the sound barrier, jute, carpet, and new weather seals, it is so much quieter and nicer to drive! Check out the floor mats with logos. The last picture also shows the dome light I rewired to a switch under the dash by the drivers seat. I used a 35” weather tech round mat under the spare tire to protect the carpet.

Looking good!