Hooligan
Xtreme wheeler of the web
I’d vote to get it done now to enjoy it. It’s not the “forever” vehicle as you stated.
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Last Call Guest on these Group Buy Deal Items from Baja Designs
YotaAtieToo
Thick skull
What wms will the 69 end up?
- Thread starter
- #213
~69”, and I’m pretty sure my 60/70u is 67”
YotaAtieToo
Thick skull
Just curious because I've heard full width axles work well in JKs. Some even say 72" is better, but I'd think as long as it's not down in 65" range you should be good?
Opiebennett
XJ_Ranger
Do 1/2 day of maintenance on the 44/9, and go wheeling. save other axles for after wheeling.
RunningProblem
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Want to make more linkage for an ecobox for an imaginary friend?
Edit: I'd be a third for 'fix up what you have and save the 609 for later' camp. At one point I had two 9" axles and thought of a 609. I went to one tons.
Edit: I'd be a third for 'fix up what you have and save the 609 for later' camp. At one point I had two 9" axles and thought of a 609. I went to one tons.
- Thread starter
- #217
I believe it, stock JLs are basically that wide haha. And the 72” Dynatracs are popular width for that crowd.
I might be leaning towards YJ/TJ unlimited for budget. We’ll see when that time comes.
I wish I was fast enough to make it 1/2 day
I’m at the point where what little time I do have I’d rather do a weekend trip wheeling instead.
Haha sure, it took me 3 revisions.
Like I said in hind sight I wish I had built solid linkage when the trans and tcase assembly were on the floor and it was easy to access, and then just thrown a lever on the ecobox with no linkage.
RunningProblem
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I just like how you made a solid linkage to the box. I used a cable with an eyelet and had to ghettofab some stuff. I'm disappointed they don't make some type of solid linkage kit or cable shift setup.
YotaAtieToo
Thick skull
Or even just a direct lever. I think klune v used to do that?
I'm not a fan of cables either.
RunningProblem
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A direct lever might be hard just given all the clocking positions possible for the ecobox.
YotaAtieToo
Thick skull
The few times I've mounted one, it's just ends up mounted up right. There is really no reason to clock it way out off wack.
RunningProblem
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Mine is on the top, and this guy's is about 30* passenger. It's just how it had to be for me to get the 231 flat.
YotaAtieToo
Thick skull
Fair enough
I do remember mounting a black box between an atlas and 435 with a multi pattern adapter and having a hard time getting the Atlas clocked how we wanted. I'm like we have like 80 combinations how is this hard?
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- #224
Definition of one bite at a time
Used the tiny bit of paint I had left to cover it about 80% and said f-it and threw it back in. I am going to flip the breather to run back and out with the cable shifters and up between the cab and bed.
Used the tiny bit of paint I had left to cover it about 80% and said f-it and threw it back in. I am going to flip the breather to run back and out with the cable shifters and up between the cab and bed.
YotaAtieToo
Thick skull
I don't know what your plans are with the holes in the floor, but my experience is they let a **** ton of hot air in. Way more than I would have thought. The there is the steam from puddles hitting exhaust, ect.
Just FYI if you were thinking it'd be fine, cause I made that mistake before
Just FYI if you were thinking it'd be fine, cause I made that mistake before
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- #226
Temporarily I just wrapped the Mexican blanket over everything, but yes I quickly realized that even on the first lap around the block.I don't know what your plans are with the holes in the floor, but my experience is they let a **** ton of hot air in. Way more than I would have thought. The there is the steam from puddles hitting exhaust, ect.
Just FYI if you were thinking it'd be fine, cause I made that mistake before
We talked about it a page back or so, GT1 guy had a good suggestion for a gromet around the cable shifters. I also have an idea from somebodies thread on here of how to seal up some of the other holes.
Plan is to seal them up, cheapest dynamat knock off from Amazon, and $150 carpet kit from **** auto
Edit: and recharge the AC and fix the vacuum lines so I have both heat and AC
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YotaAtieToo
Thick skull
Don't do dynamat, unless you're positive you'll never change anything. the PO did the whole floor on my 81, it's terrible to work with.
He also used to cover up some hack ****, and I'll admit, it cal make some really bad patch work look good
He also used to cover up some hack ****, and I'll admit, it cal make some really bad patch work look good
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- #228
Well, started my winter refresh to prep for next year by doing a cooling system update… what should have been a quick and easy job is now turning into pulling the head 
Spun the head off the bolt holding the thermostat housing, I tried multiple times to weld washers and nuts to it - all different sizes, but it kept just shearing at the bolt over and over. Then I tried drilling it out and broke a pilot bit 3/4 of the way through so now there’s a drill bit stuck in the center and all my other drill bits keep breaking when it catches the old bit.
What a disaster haha. Can’t believe I’m pulling the head over a damn thermostat housing.
Spun the head off the bolt holding the thermostat housing, I tried multiple times to weld washers and nuts to it - all different sizes, but it kept just shearing at the bolt over and over. Then I tried drilling it out and broke a pilot bit 3/4 of the way through so now there’s a drill bit stuck in the center and all my other drill bits keep breaking when it catches the old bit.
What a disaster haha. Can’t believe I’m pulling the head over a damn thermostat housing.
gt1guy
Apparently a racist
Damn, that certainly sucks.
Though it looks like you have lots of room to work in front of that broken bolt. What are you going to be able to do different with the heard off that you can't do with it on?
Though it looks like you have lots of room to work in front of that broken bolt. What are you going to be able to do different with the heard off that you can't do with it on?
- Thread starter
- #230
I’m out of tricks in my wheelhouse, I was thinking I’d take it to the machine shop in town to see if they could drill it out and helicoil it or just do a JY head which is a bummer.
Gumbybronco
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Small die grinder on the broken drill bit. Slow and steady
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- #232
That’s one thing I haven’t tried.
I can give it a go and see if I can hog the drill bit and bolt out enough to then oversize the hole in the head and helicoil it, but the chances I keep it nice and straight and round might be slim.
Gumbybronco
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Worst case, you can up a bolt size there.
When you finally get a hole. Use a lot of heat before you try the easy out
When you finally get a hole. Use a lot of heat before you try the easy out
- Thread starter
- #234
I’m going to go take a look here shortly, been out all morning. But I’m thinking if I do go this route it’s going to wind up with nothing left of the threaded part. Basically just ready to oversize drill it if it works.
Kind of a last resort, if I jack the hole up too bad where it can’t even be oversized I’m looking at a JY head. Which might be the case anyways by the time I pay a shop to **** around and get it out.
Gumbybronco
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It’s just a thermostat housing bolt…
-You can use a larger bolt
-Weld a stud
-Etc.
You could also try one of the induction bolt heaters and then penetrating oil in cycles.
I really don’t think you need a new head.
- Thread starter
- #236
I thought about welding a stud but I’ve never welded cast before and not sure how I’d do it properly being what it is. The hole could pretty easily be opened up perfectly to flip a bolt backwards and weld it in recessed.
Like you said, it’s just a damn thermostat housing, do you think welding the cast improperly is good enough to just hold the housing on? I don’t have any special wire / mig only.
YotaAtieToo
Thick skull
One thing I learned with extracting bolts after having basically no luck
Drill damn near the size of the root of the threads. I used to drill say a 1/2" bolt with a 1/4" drill, and break the drill or easy out. You really need ~3/8
Also, reverse drills are sweet as they sometimes hook and go on thier own.
Like ^he said, even if you **** the threads, just tap a bigger size and drill the thermostat.
Drill damn near the size of the root of the threads. I used to drill say a 1/2" bolt with a 1/4" drill, and break the drill or easy out. You really need ~3/8
Also, reverse drills are sweet as they sometimes hook and go on thier own.
Like ^he said, even if you **** the threads, just tap a bigger size and drill the thermostat.
Opiebennett
XJ_Ranger
Generally successful cast welding procedures add controlled pre heat. Get a $15 IR thermometer, and hang out with a torch you like to get 250 * (soaked, so you have time to weld before that section cools fast) (not more than 250 * because gaskets), weld it as you would normally, then toss a blanket on it and have lunch.
A good bevel should be made for access.
Same procedure if you decide to weld fill the hole, grind flush, and drill fresh.
Head off gives opportunities to fixture things better, and allows higher pre-heat.
A good bevel should be made for access.
Same procedure if you decide to weld fill the hole, grind flush, and drill fresh.
Head off gives opportunities to fixture things better, and allows higher pre-heat.
- Thread starter
- #239
ideally that could have worked better. With the uneven surface left of the bolt I figured I could get a pilot centered easier than a larger bit walking on me.
I don’t own any reverse bits but might need to add them to the collection one day.
Is 250 all? It’s got no cooling system on it, I could just start it up and run it for 5 minutes to evenly heat the whole thing to 250 considering it’s a Jeep 4.0
I guess I didn’t think about it not being that much different of a temp than operating. If I can keep from melting the valve cover gasket right there with a torch that doesn’t seem that bad.
Do I need the nickel mig wire though?
gt1guy
Apparently a racist
ideally that could have worked better. With the uneven surface left of the bolt I figured I could get a pilot centered easier than a larger bit walking on me.
I don’t own any reverse bits but might need to add them to the collection one day.
Is 250 all? It’s got no cooling system on it, I could just start it up and run it for 5 minutes to evenly heat the whole thing to 250 considering it’s a Jeep 4.0
I guess I didn’t think about it not being that much different of a temp than operating. If I can keep from melting the valve cover gasket right there with a torch that doesn’t seem that bad.
Do I need the nickel mig wire though?
It would help, but for what your doing it's certainly not the end of the world.
