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1968? Cj5 Slow Revival

bigjohn

bigjohn

Active Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2010
Hey folks, been awhile since I posted on this section of the forum. So long story short I picked this little guy up in Soap Lake Wa from my navy buddies dad this past weekend. It’d been sitting under a tree for at least 15 years. I’m not sure why he picked it up or why I decided to go take a closer look, but over new years weekend while visiting, I cleared some branches and popped the hood and spied a little dauntless. A quick turn of the fan showed the engine turned. We made a deal and two months later I went back for it.
So Sunday when we got back I gave it a quick clean, knocking the big stuff off, and emptied the inside to leaf blow the leaves and debris out and hose it down. Found some nice solid I believe Meyers hard doors, the super janky aluminum doors that match the top, and some very tattered white soft doors. (On a side note, if anyone wants or needs those Meyer doors let me know). I’ll give a heck of a deal on them.
Anyway that 225 wanted to run. It barely took any effort to get it fired, but the oil pump needed a vasoline packing to prime the oil system. Of course the gasket was damaged so it leaks and the pressure was low but it did pump up. I ran it for a very short period, enough to pump up the lifters and check a few systems. The alternator charges, water pump pumps, no idea on the fuel pump due to no tank fuel and I’m using a clicker pump to a fuel jug, the carb has no accelerator pump but the needle and seat and idle circuit function without any attention. No brakes of course and I still haven’t checked if the clutch releases or not.
So I have a Melling oil pump and wear plate ordered.
The plan for this, considering the other projects going now, is very simple. Make it run better and with oil pressure. Then make it drive. Then stop. Then tinker with the little detail stuff; heater, lighting, cooling system, and get all of the oils changed and check general mechanical condition, and eventually address the floor and body rust. But for now I’m extremely happy that 225 is a runner.
Ps, the last tags were 1985.
IMG_6363.jpeg IMG_6364.jpeg IMG_6366.jpeg IMG_6365.jpeg
 
Sweet Jeep! I like that color with the aluminum top.

Now I may be wrong, but that looks to me like a T86 shifter cane, which would mean the trans is a transplant or the Jeep is a 1966 (?). Perhaps a more knowledgeable member can chime in and let me know if my theory is correct.
 
Looks like you got a pretty nice one John. When you described where it was sitting I was expecting something far worse. Enjoy
 
T. M. said:
Sweet Jeep! I like that color with the aluminum top.

Now I may be wrong, but that looks to me like a T86 shifter cane, which would mean the trans is a transplant or the Jeep is a 1966 (?). Perhaps a more knowledgeable member can chime in and let me know if my theory is correct.
Click to expand...

The T-86 was used through '68. The T-14 started in '69.
 
I ran her briefly again tonight to check the clutch and trans. The clutch was stubborn for a second but came free nicely and all gears work. I’ll need to lube the brake/clutch shaft to get the pedals moving more independently. Then worked on unlocking the front hubs to make rolling around easier and to answer a question. When rolling it into its spot it was pretty bound up and I believe in 4wd but I felt something else. Jacking up the rear axle answered a few more questions. Both tires spin the same direction. I’m not getting too excited though because I’ve experienced a number of long resting open diffs that think they’re limited slips until they get fresh fluid and miles on them. But the other questions was answered; she has 4.88 gears, predictably. A few other priority projects are getting ready to move into full swing but I’ll keep messing with this and ordering small parts here and there.
On a side note, is this an external brake booster? I haven’t chased the hard lines but the large soft line runs to the big vacuum port and the hard lines seem unusually large for brake lines.
And here’s a quick vid of her running
IMG_6369.jpeg
 
58 willys said:
Looks like you got a pretty nice one John. When you described where it was sitting I was expecting something far worse. Enjoy
Click to expand...
This is generally my experience as well. This one though came from the high desert climate. I was shocked after all these years the wiper switch and motor, ignition, And gauges still work. On the west side of the state this would have rusted to nothing after all these years.
 
bigjohn said:
I ran her briefly again tonight to check the clutch and trans. The clutch was stubborn for a second but came free nicely and all gears work. I’ll need to lube the brake/clutch shaft to get the pedals moving more independently. Then worked on unlocking the front hubs to make rolling around easier and to answer a question. When rolling it into its spot it was pretty bound up and I believe in 4wd but I felt something else. Jacking up the rear axle answered a few more questions. Both tires spin the same direction. I’m not getting too excited though because I’ve experienced a number of long resting open diffs that think they’re limited slips until they get fresh fluid and miles on them. But the other questions was answered; she has 4.88 gears, predictably. A few other priority projects are getting ready to move into full swing but I’ll keep messing with this and ordering small parts here and there.
On a side note, is this an external brake booster? I haven’t chased the hard lines but the large soft line runs to the big vacuum port and the hard lines seem unusually large for brake lines.
And here’s a quick vid of her running
View attachment 98760
Click to expand...

Yep external brake booster.

It's not unlikely to have a powrlok in the back.
 
Got a little time today to work on the cj. The new fuel pump came in so I figured it’d be a good time to pull the tank and see how it faired. The seat and tank came out easily enough. After a dozen or so rounds of pressure wash, slosh vigorously, dump, repeat, the water is coming out clean but we have a problem. Rust holes in the bottom of the tank. Ok, they’re small and I can work with that. Issue two; all of the fuel lines are packed solid with hardened varnished fuel. Including the fuel outlet and return ports. A few of the lines poured syrup like substance, but most the fuel has become a solid. So I’m using welding wire, carb clean and air to try to free up the passages. I’m fine with building some hard fuel lines but I need the in tank lines to flow fuel. Anyway they’re doing some soaking. I’ll keep working them.
i did get the new fuel pump bolted up. Still need to get some rubber hose and a fuel filter. The new oil pump is coming in Tuesday but with upcoming rain over the next week I doubt I’ll get to it before next weekend.
IMG_6389.jpeg
 
bigjohn said:
Got a little time today to work on the cj. The new fuel pump came in so I figured it’d be a good time to pull the tank and see how it faired. The seat and tank came out easily enough. After a dozen or so rounds of pressure wash, slosh vigorously, dump, repeat, the water is coming out clean but we have a problem. Rust holes in the bottom of the tank. Ok, they’re small and I can work with that. Issue two; all of the fuel lines are packed solid with hardened varnished fuel. Including the fuel outlet and return ports. A few of the lines poured syrup like substance, but most the fuel has become a solid. So I’m using welding wire, carb clean and air to try to free up the passages. I’m fine with building some hard fuel lines but I need the in tank lines to flow fuel. Anyway they’re doing some soaking. I’ll keep working them.
i did get the new fuel pump bolted up. Still need to get some rubber hose and a fuel filter. The new oil pump is coming in Tuesday but with upcoming rain over the next week I doubt I’ll get to it before next weekend.
View attachment 98817
Click to expand...
IMHO you would be money ahead to bite the bullet and put in a new fuel tank. Ditto for the lines. The lines are available pre-bent from Quadratec, or bend and flare your own.
 
fr8dog61 said:
IMHO you would be money ahead to bite the bullet and put in a new fuel tank. Ditto for the lines. The lines are available pre-bent from Quadratec, or bend and flare your own.
Click to expand...
I’ll build my own lines for sure. And I know you’re right about the tank. But I’m trying to keep this phase as absolute cheap as possible. If I can make this tank work for awhile, just to be able to start it and run around the property, that would be ideal.
 
Buy a roll of NiCopp and fittings and make your own. Then when you are done use the leftovers for your other projects. wish you had reached out to me before you ordered a new oil pump. I have a good used Melling high volume with gaskets you could have.
 
nickmil said:
Buy a roll of NiCopp and fittings and make your own. Then when you are done use the leftovers for your other projects. wish you had reached out to me before you ordered a new oil pump. I have a good used Melling high volume with gaskets you could have.
Click to expand...
Ya I love the nicopp nick. I have a 1/4” for the return line in stock. Need to order another roll of 5/16” for the feed line. And dang it, I have a melling pump and plate in the mail already. Thank you though!
 
Heyyyy she’s a driver now!!! No brakes, off course, but she drives!
Over the last week I’ve continued to soak and work that intake tube in the fuel tank and finally broke though. It may not flow enough fuel to run the interstate but it’s plenty to run the property in 4l. Today I got the oil pump gears replaced and did the 40lb spring, which I’m happy with. The vasoline prime worked great as usual. I was indecisive about the fuel return because the old system had a blocked off return port from the pump and a hard line to return off the fuel filler. With not much space I opted to do the return of the fuel pump and run a random clear filter I had. This setup will likely get changed later but it’s functional now!!
Next I bypassed the dual heaters to close up the cooling system. It worked. The original radiator and old hoses held up nicely. It holds constant and stays reasonably cool running around the property. No big surprise, it’s 43 degrees up here.
Did i mention it’s driving? After getting the fuel system hoses done, and epoxy over the fuel tank holes, I reverse primed the pump with a gas filled sauce bottle And fired it right up. We have about 30 minutes of run time in, frequently popping the hood to temp check with a gun because the temp and fuel gauges are both dead. She’ll likely be further on the back burner now with other bigger projects taking off. But it moves around in its own, which for me is a motivator to make it a driver.
IMG_6399.jpeg IMG_6398.jpeg IMG_6400.jpeg
 
bigjohn said:
I ran her briefly again tonight to check the clutch and trans. The clutch was stubborn for a second but came free nicely and all gears work. I’ll need to lube the brake/clutch shaft to get the pedals moving more independently. Then worked on unlocking the front hubs to make rolling around easier and to answer a question. When rolling it into its spot it was pretty bound up and I believe in 4wd but I felt something else. Jacking up the rear axle answered a few more questions. Both tires spin the same direction. I’m not getting too excited though because I’ve experienced a number of long resting open diffs that think they’re limited slips until they get fresh fluid and miles on them. But the other questions was answered; she has 4.88 gears, predictably. A few other priority projects are getting ready to move into full swing but I’ll keep messing with this and ordering small parts here and there.
On a side note, is this an external brake booster? I haven’t chased the hard lines but the large soft line runs to the big vacuum port and the hard lines seem unusually large for brake lines.
And here’s a quick vid of her running
View attachment 98760
Click to expand...


Yup, B120 has an identical booster.
 
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