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Rebuild For "miles"

The fuel issue seems better with the precision application of one zip tie so I believe I have a theory of what was happening.

The damage report for this trip is a self-removed rear shock, another torn seam on the top, and exhaust crossover.

So this "maintenance season" begins:

1. Find top dead center and call him mark.
2. Re-attach shock to spring plate, pull all off check welds and paint.
3. Adjust and finish weld exhaust
4. Build braces for draw bar and incorporate rear recovery points.
5. Finish winch install and incorporate front recovery points.
6. Address worn out T-90 synchros
7. Re-install snow plow
8. Build a large 1- 2gal reserve fuel tank.
9. Cage
10. Tires
11. Corner guards, fender guards, and rocker guards
12. Rear fuel tank
13. Rear spring bushings and box spring hangers
14. Body mounts
15. Spare tire carrier


Misc, 3pt seat belts, glove box support, reflectors, remote vents, raised intake, sew top

The weather today was great. The :poo:house neighbors and there dogs finally got evicted a few weeks ago. The youngest boy and I got the driveway raked of leaves. I trimmed the worst of the branches over the garage. The boys all got to play out on the swingset and drive there powerwheels in the backyard. I got the oil changed in the generator. I got the caulking in the kitchen countertop replaced. And I even decided to carry the sm465 out of the garage and into the basement... boy I feel that last one.
 
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I've had this transmission since before i've had a jeep. It came as a spare with one of the farm trucks, a 1985 chevy k30 we bought back when i was in highschool so 2002 or 2003. I drove that truck to school as soon as I got my license. I'm very familiar with driving this and that is why i have not swapped the t90 out. These shift like molasses.


This one is in good shape but the tower needs work. It had a broken output adapter housing. Supposedly it was behind a 454. The plastic coating is gone from the shift forks and the cane will need work.
 
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A few pictures from 2018 when I mocked this up in the jeep while my T-90 was out getting some work. My t-90 has previously digested a set of synchro keys/ dogs, one reverse idler tooth, one oil slinger, and one oil scoop. The mainshaft is an omix-ada special which is 1mm longer than the original. Input shaft is a advanced adapters, the used reverse idler was given to me by Mark or Dale, the insidr of the countershaft has ridges... in the past few years I lost the 2-3 synchros again and It's just time to move on since this Sm465 is in much better condition and the spread of the gears is better... that's a long winded post but the t-90j 1st with 5.38 axles equals the sm465 in 2nd with 4.27 axles.
The t-90 in 3rd overdrive equals the Sm465 in 4th direct. Now I gain a highway gear that is more appropriate for the engine, and I gain the technical granny gear.

Gears at that time:




In cab position:





I should only gain 2" in length once the transfercase adapter is on.


It's right at 17" from the back of the 4.3 to the front of the D18 with the t90j


The sm465 is 18.25 plus .875 for the adapter plate.
 
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Here are the gears in the transmission in the current state. I think the red oil is some atf that I had laying around and decided it would be fine in this.








The green and red gear markings make me think this was recently rebuilt before breaking the rear housing at the crossmember mount. I will need to look at everything for rust and damage. It does not look like it has an improved 3rd gear and I'm not sure if it matters in a light weight CJ.

Another thing I am sorting not out is the old plow lift apparatus. I have these 3/8" tabs to replace the old 1/4" tabs in 2x2x 1/4" angle iron.


The new tabs will gusset the winch plate to the bumper like so:


Then I need to sort out the frame that holds the lift arm above the hydraulic cylinder. It needs to clear the winch, headlights, and ideally turn signals, without interfering with the Saginaw steering or tow bar... lots of stuff lives up there now.
 
The 3x 2.75x .375 Tabs are burnt in for the lift cylinder and the pin hole is started. Question though...
I have options and ideas here.
If I drill the hole as 5/8" I will have a 2" front receiver. In that receiver I can place a trailer ball, bike rack, etc. The lift cylinder would use a 5/8" to 7/8" bushing. I could use that bolted bushing as a recovery point.

The other option would be to drill the tabs to 7/8" and use a spacer and bolt instead of 5/8". I would need to drill a 2nd hole in the tabs for receiver hitch accessories.

-Edited wording to a safer approach-





 
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Jumping around as resources allow. I finished the winch wiring and got the lower plow brackets on the axle and frame. Skipped the hydraulics in favor of winching the plow up and down.

Some lessons learnt: the winch controls on the left is super awkward with the clutch left of the brake. I need to pull the brake quickly before the motor finishes coasting.
The drum is stiff. The wire rope is a pain.
The 200lb plow did not have enough weight to even freespool down.

Good news is the winch does sit perfectly above the blade allowing the winch to be used with the blade just off of the ground.
I need to look into a 12v hydraulic pump. The engine driven pump is too slow at idle when changing directions but too fast when on the highway.

Used the expedition to run the winch cable out. Half the drum yielded 60' which seems right.

 
This week has been a good test of the jeep. I don't normally drive the jeep because with 4 young kids in 4 different schools, I typically need to be able to get any one of them from school within an hour.

The motor was running well, however yesterday it wasn't right again. when cold it would backfire if I gave it too much throttle.

Tail light wiring that is not rerouted inside the tub needs repaired. Under dash and at the bumper is all brittle and the rear lights are out.
I need to get the exhaust sealed up and routed to the rear on the Jeep. Also seal up the floor and replace body mounts

Now problems:
Rear lights
Free up winch to disconnect plow.
Run exhaust to driverside rear corner, remove all leaks (crossover under clutch is leaking)
Reset tbi (set engine to tdc, cap vac ports, test and recalibrate everything)
Rear drawbar supports and recovery points
Glove box support
Roll bar sandwich plates with rubber or foam liners.
Fix Body mounts and replace pucks.
Seal Cab corners and visor.
Rear Corner guards.
Seal firewall and fresh air inlet leaks.

Later things:
Rear bow sockets
Corner guard reflectors
Rear seat latch
Air cleaner
Rear frame box
YJ fuel tank
Electric wipers
Fuel surge tank rework
Replace 3rd gear synchro
Install York and Monroe pumps.

No picture today, just thinking.
 
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I did get the snowplow off the jeep yesterday. I even hosed it off with the garden hose. but I didn't drag the plow out of the way to it's corner of the driveway, my back is mad from trying. The plow is in front of the garage door and the jeep is inside. Winching the plow to the jeep worked a lot easier than winching it away.

The Tail light saga continues. I'm using a 7pin RV connection as a junction box at the bumper. I'm needing to add a dedicated junction box, probably including relays to seperate the tail light, trailer, and cab lights. (one time I had a 6" fog light on the roof as a backup light)

I also want to move the 7pin up to where a m38a1 trailer plug would be. ( I need help with that location).

The kick panel will get a junction box for the flat tow cable to come into the jeep. Everything will pass through from tow vehicle to jeep to the jeep trailer receptical. I will also have the input of the flat tow be usable for marker lights on the snow plow.

I guess I need to find two weatherproof electrical boxes big enough for all these wires... (Insert mischievous smiley here)
 
Spent way too long getting the rear lights working, found a burnt section of wire and I guess the stop/turn and running lights were mixed up. I swapped the 9 post horseshoe for an 11 post horseshoe so i can have 7 for the trailer harness, plus a few for the cab and maybe a tire carrier.



Put a matching cover plate on the passenger side... because there was a hole.
I need to find some shallow or surface mount back-up lights and paint the screw heads.


Next is finding TDC and verify the harmonic balancer has not shifted.
 
I swapped the 9 post horseshoe for an 11 post horseshoe so i can have 7 for the trailer harness, plus a few for the cab and maybe a tire carrier.
Can you explain what you mean by this? I recently finiwiring up the taillight section of my Jeep, but I didn't even think about wiring in a trailer plug.
 
Can you explain what you mean by this? I recently finiwiring up the taillight section of my Jeep, but I didn't even think about wiring in a trailer plug.

Forgive me, I'm not a good storyteller or writer and some of it was posted on another thread.

I 3d printed terminal blocks in a horseshoe shape. They fit inside the common flange mounted metal tail light housing.
There are 11 flanged 10-24 nuts recessed into the "horseshoe" the prototype in the following pictures has 9 recessed nuts but the final item has 11 nuts. This allows for 7 of the typical RV connection plus a chmsl (3rd brake light on tire rack) and interior dome lights, and two extras.

The wires are coming into the terminal block from the drivers kick panel and the housing feeds all the rear lighting and i'm using a 7pin rv plug for my M416 and sometimes I use the jeep to move the camper. Anyhow, way more than the original 3 wires since i do plan on having 30 amp 12v acc and 20amp trailer brakes with a 3rd brake light on a tire carrier and a few side markers.








For now I have 3 screws holding a gasketed cover, but eventually the reverse lights will be part of the cover. I can quickly access all the connections with a screwdriver.



There will be another terminal block by the driver kick panel that will have the original wires from the dash, the wires to the rear, and a 7 blade rv pigtail to the front for flat towing.
I have diodes so the dash and tow vehicle will not interfere with each other... I just don't want to use a big ugly plastic terminal block when I can use the metal tail light housing.

I'll get the rear 7blade rv plug back on in a bit, the old one needs replaced and the license plate needs a home with lights.
 
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Forgive me, I'm not a good storyteller or writer and some of it was posted on another thread.

I 3d printed terminal blocks in a horseshoe shape. They fit inside the common flange mounted metal tail light housing.
There are 11 flanged 10-24 nuts recessed into the "horseshoe" the prototype in the following pictures has 9 recessed nuts but the final item has 11 nuts. This allows for 7 of the typical RV connection plus a chmsl (3rd brake light on tire rack) and interior dome lights, and two extras.

The wires are coming into the terminal block from the drivers kick panel and the housing feeds all the rear lighting and i'm using a 7pin rv plug for my M416 and sometimes I use the jeep to move the camper. Anyhow, way more than the original 3 wires since i do plan on having 30 amp 12v acc and 20amp trailer brakes with a 3rd brake light on a tire carrier and a few side markers.








For now I have 3 screws holding a gasketed cover, but eventually the reverse lights will be part of the cover. I can quickly access all the connections with a screwdriver.



There will be another terminal block by the driver kick panel that will have the original wires from the dash, the wires to the rear, and a 7 blade rv pigtail to the front for flat towing.
I have diodes so the dash and tow vehicle will not interfere with each other... I just don't want to use a big ugly plastic terminal block when I can use the metal tail light housing.

I'll get the rear 7blade rv plug back on in a bit, the old one needs replaced and the license plate needs a home with lights.
That rear junction block is a good idea! I am beginning a build drawing/ blueprint for the replacement of my entire wiring harness and am having a problem with all the needed weather proof connections at the rear of the jeep.
 
That rear junction block is a good idea! I am beginning a build drawing/ blueprint for the replacement of my entire wiring harness and am having a problem with all the needed weather proof connections at the rear of the jeep.

Send me a message if you want a plastic horse shoe to try. I won't have a metal cover or housing to spare but I can print a plastic template for the cover that would be similar in strength to the lense.

I *think* this will work with a flush mount reverse light assembly if you replace the 1156 bulb with an LED. (I think the incandescent bulb will be too hot)

I used a tail light because I had it left over when I needed to replace the red lense and retainer. I pulled the bulbholder out and drilled the extra smaller holes.
 
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Let me know if these videos are better or worse than youtube videos, i've been disappointed in the image quality... you will need to click the link for the video to play

Otherwise, the jeep ran great today and it was loaded. Full f134 and a ford 8.8 in the trailer. Head, exhaust manifold, starter, 5gal bucket of bolts, and tools/ supplies in the bed with the hard top. It rode like a caddy and didn't even hit the bump stops.
20260405_193017 by Joe the adapter guy, on Flickr

20260405_193155 by Joe the adapter guy, on Flickr
 
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Yes I agree the flickr version is better quality, maybe it is a data transfer rate thing. Flickr has a sharper picture.
 
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