Blinging Up The Chassis: Transmission and Brake Lines

Now that I have the correct transmission crossmember cleaned, painted and installed, I was able to to go ahead and mount the transmission/transfer case...and amazingly, it fit nice and tight and SQUARE!

The T84 and T18 have landed...on the crossmember.  May have well been the moon, though.

Just another view...

The trickiest part part (for me, anyhow) comes next.  I needed to get the universal joints (4 of 'em) installed into the front and rear drive shafts.  The drive shafts attach to the front and rear of the transfer case and connect to the front and rear axles...simply put, they spin around and make the wheels of the jeep spin round and round, round and round...according to the song that Nora sings.

The U-joints needed to be slightly disassembled, then placed in the 12-ton press and have their caps squeezed back in place.  A certain order had to be followed or else it wouldn't work.  The U-joints kind of look like a "+" sign with caps on each point.  Inside the caps are twenty or so little bearings that are only being held in place with grease.  Mistakenly drop one, and you've got a mess...

Step 1:  remove the north and south caps to finagle the bastard in place.

Step 2:  squeezing the northern cap in place while holding the U-joint steady so as not to let the bearings fall out of the cap.

Step 3:  flip it and do it again with the southern cap.

Step 4:  installing the retaining clips on both caps. 
There is a small channel that the clip with fit into once the caps are installed.

Front shaft completed.  The same will be done for the rear shaft.

Previously, I had already cleaned and painted all of the parts to fit the brake and clutch pedals as well as the other smaller bits and pieces that are needed for the pedal systems to operate.  In my head, I would spend a few days tinkering with these, but in the end it took less than an hour to install.

Pedals in place.  Also note the drive shafts installed, too.

Things were moving along somewhat quickly at this point.  It was now time to begin working on the brake lines.  Earlier in the week, I purchased a half of mile (just kidding, it was more like 20') of 3/16 steel tubing in varrious lengths.  Some of them would have to be cut to specific lengths and all of them would have to be bent to some extent or another.  The master cylinder was installed (not pictured, but it sits on the inside of the frame directly in front of the pedals) and the front and rear brake lines come out of it. 

The rear line travels through the inside of the frame and makes a 90 degree bend into the crossmember with the machine gun mount.  Here, it connects to a rubber hose that leads to a "T" junction mounted on the rear axle.  Two lines come out of the "T" going to each rear wheel.  The same process happens to the front axle, as well.  Everything went according to the manual except the long line leading to the rear rubber hose.  The manual indicates it needed to be a shade under 64" in length to reach the rubber hose.  Without buying 25" of steel tubing and then having to double flare EVERY end, the longest bit of tube available was 60".  Close, but craps.  This happened to me when I did the brakes on the good jeep.  In the end, I had to make up an additional line a few inches long to make the connection.

Some of the other lines had to be cut down in length.  When doing so, the end of the tube needs to be flared so the connection will be tight and seal the brake fluid inside.  The process is somewhat simple, but you do need tools specific to the job.

On the left is the original front axle line.  My new one is on the right. 
I first bent my line so it would be as identical as possible to the original. 

Once satisfied with its shape, I cut it to proper length and then slid on the protective sheaths.

Install the hardware and then flare the end. 

New brake line is just sitting in place...as is the old brake line for comparison.

This was done for both the front and rear axles.  In all, there are FOUR rubber hoses required to complete the lines.  Well, some idiot in the supply room (me) who shall not be named(again, ME), FORGOT to order the fourth hose...so I wasn't actually able to complete the job!  All in all, it isn't that big of a deal, but it is just another loose end that needs to be tidied up.  Sure, I could buy one hose locally, but it costs twice as much (seriously) as it does from my online parts supplier.  With shipping, it would still be cheaper!  Since I know of more parts that I need, I am going to wait...but not patiently.

Next up, the Steering Gear Assembly.

Body/Tub Revisited...

I have a few more loose ends that need to be tidied up on the tub.  The reasoning for the return to the tub is very logical and it has EVERYTHING to do with finishing up the transmission/transfer cases.  Here is why:  PAINT.  Purely and simply put I need to PAINT the crossmember that the transmission will be mounted to.  Before I mount it, I need to paint the crossmember OD.  The paint that I have is out of a gallon can, thus I need to dilute it and spray with an air gun.  A little bit of paint goes a long way, so if I am putting in the effort to paint, I might as well paint!  The last major thing I have to paint that truly justifies the paint gun is the tub, fenders, and hood.  So, I figured I'd go ahead and finish up the tub and paint.  Besides, I hate painting and it would be nice to get it over with.  I'll do the fenders, too, while I am at it.

Before painting the body, I needed to shore a few items up.  First spot to be addressed is to replace the area around the transmission hump that was once upon a time cut out to accomodate the post war transmission.  I went to my junkyard and cut a portion of the transmission hump from Jeep #3 and fit it into my current project. then  I fabricated a few small parts to fill in the gaps.

Transmission hump...BEFORE repairs.

Unfortunately you can easily follow the weld scar to see where I returned it back to its somewhat original configuration.  Where is my grinder for the cleanup lap?

Spot number two is a series of issues in one centralized location.  The gas sump tank is missing the rear end cap.  Jeep #3 only had a rear sump tank end cap.  Seriously, that was the only section left from the sump tank!  Jeep #3 was proud to donate it.  Also, seven quarter-sized holes had been cut out of the bottom of the sump tank to allow for better drainage.  I view it as an opportunity for water to sit beneath the gas tank and rust it out, so I am replacing those holes.

Lots of unneccesary holes.

Material to plug the gaps! 

The last area of honorable mention is a pair of frame hangers that are attached to the front gussets.  These are the parts that bolt the front of the tub to the frame.  One is gone and the second one is not attached.  Both are kind of necessary in my humble opinion.

I installed all of the pieces into the sump tank:  the 7 quarter-sized pieces and then end cap.  I cheezed out on filling in the plethora of smaller rust-through areas.  I can't believe I am admitting this next part (but hell, no one is actually reading this blog, so in theory I am just telling myself!).  Instead of welding in the rust-through areas, I laid a few sheets of fiberglass cloth on the inside of the tank and then used body filler to smooth the gaps.  This area will be covered completely by the gas tank so it will not be seen.  I'm satisfied with the end result.

Sump tank repaired and primed.

Underside of the tranmission hump repaired. 
I still have to drill and install a  captive nut in left corner of the upper pennisula section.

Interior view of the newly repaired and primed transmission hump.  My only complaint is that the bottom replacement section (right hand side in the picture) was pitted a bit more than the steel in the tub.  Oh, well.  At least it is all original.

Now that I had the repairs done, I mixed up some paint and sprayed the entire interior, the passenger side, and the rear panel before running out of paint.  That was a sufficient place to stop anyhow since I still need to install the gusset hangars in the front.  My overall objective was to get the transmission crossmember painted, thus the reasoning for mixing the paint in the first place!  Tomorrow, I can get cracking on the mounting the transmission and see where that take me.  I'm sure there will be other issues to fix along the way.

The view from the house door.  Lovely.

Interior is green...as in OD, not $.

Beautiful backside.  Once upon a time it was a tailgate...how quickly I have forgotten.

A bit dark, but...jeep tub (left), transmission (right) and chassis in the rear...all OD.

Nora helped me rearrange the garage in preparation to paint.  Afterwards, we did a bit of goofing off. 
Since I did not have a can of pink paint, she reluctantly agreed to the OD green.  Whew.

I took this picture 5 or so years ago when I finished the grill...long before the "good" jeep was running.
 This looks familiar...now where have I seen this type of picture before?

Transfer Case, Part Deux (2): FINALE!

When I last signed off, I had dismantled a large chunk of the nastiness that I call "Transfer Case Neglect."  I removed the major components (the main case, front output cap, rear output cap) and disassembled the internals of the main case.  After completing most of the cleaning, I halted.  This was mostly out of fear that I would eventually forget how to put it all back together since I had to wait for parts to arrive and then my family and I traveled to DC for a week.  (Shout out to the Lt. Col and the lawyer!)

Upon return, with parts in hand, it was time to get busy!

First step:  fit the new bearing onto the output shaft.  This is an extremely tight fit, so I had to place it in the 12 ton press.  I didn't want the new bearing to take the brunt of the pressure, so I used the the steel insert part of the old bearing.  It virtually disintegrated when I removed it from the case.  It has the exact same specs as the new one so it sat perfectly under it while the new one pressed on.  It seems very logical to use the old bearing for this job, but for some reason, it took my brain awhile to figure it out!  Bubba would have been shaking his head in disgust at some of my original ideas before this thought developed!

Pushing the new bearing in place.

I started off by putting the components back on the output shaft and getting it back in the case.  To do this, the shifting fork (that puts the jeep in high/low gears) goes in first.  Then, I could fit the output shaft in place.  The hardest part was after the output shaft was in the case, I needed to install the snap ring to hold the gears in place.  During the disassembly phase, it was this snap ring that broke (due to incorrect tools...don't have to worry about that now...THANKS, Colonel!).  I needed a third hand for the install.   I had to keep wedging it up the shaft with the aid of a few screw drivers.  One to lift and push it while the other screw driver held the opposite side in place.  Truthfully, a trained octopus would have been the best option.

The shifting fork.

The output shaft in place.  New bearings and cups, as well as one new snap ring.

Here is a view of the new snap ring.  This is the one that I needed the octopus for.

Nothing of importance to see.  I just wanted to show the mass mess and chaos that I seem to make.

The next item to clean and restore on this hit parade is the front output cap. 

Front output bearing cap:  as a reminder, this is what I started with!

I was a bit intimidated with it, but once I got going, it really is very simple.  Basically, it holds the second shift fork that puts the jeep into four wheel drive.  Out comes the fork, then I tapped out the shaft, and removed the clutch gear. 

The first part that proved challenging was removing the over sized snap ring that keeps the bearing in place.  I ended up soaking the stuck snap ring in penetrating oil for the night.  The next day, I was honestly quite surprised to see it move!  There is a small notch cut into the case that a screw driver fits into and then will act like a wedge to push the snap ring together.  I used the aid of a smaller screwdriver to begin working it out of the channel...and then POP...goes the weasel.  The notch is barely visible in the above picture.  It is in the 3 o'clock position nearest the left shaft.  The clutch gear (the donut looking gear previously was sitting in front of it.

With the snap ring out, I tapped the shaft from the front side and it and the bearing fell out...on the workbench.  What I thought would be the easiest job...removing the three oil seals... proved to be the most difficult.  In the end, I needed a punch, a hammer, a flat headed screwdriver, a chisel and A LOT of patience!  The last thing I wanted, or needed, to do was to scratch the smooth surface that the seals slide into .  All is well that ends well.  In the end, I got 'em!

Front cap with seals removed, internals cleaned and tools used! 

The remains of the larger seal are at the bottom of the picture. 
The two smaller slide rail seals (small holes, left side) are about to meet their maker!

And the small rail seals...destroyed.
 Maybe because Easter is here, I thought the case resembled a scared bunny rabbit...or maybe a monkey?

Putting it back together is just the reverse...I did the seals (used a socket and tapped them in), then the bearing followed by the snap ring.  I seriously was dreading the snap ring, but it turned out to be a cinch.  I think I might specialize in rebuilding this component.  Too bad not everyone needs one.  The shift rail went in and then I slid the gear shaft in place.  The clutch gear and fork assembly all went in together.  I had to line a hole up in the slide rail to meet the screw in the fork.  Once screwed in, a safety wire then tied the screw in place to secure it.

The new and improved inside!  The old bearing is sitting in front.
 I can't even make it spin because it is so gummed up with gunk and rust.

A view from the front.

In my last entry (painting the frame), I mentioned that the missing link-single dust felt seal (the dollar part!)- was the minor part that is keeping me from progressing any further on the transfer case.  Well, Sunday turned out to be a roller coaster of jeep emotions.  Let me recap...

I went to the garage early, 0645, waaaay before any of my family peeps would be out of bed.  I wanted to get a leg up on installing my Speedi Sleeves.  While rummaging through the chaos of my work bench, I was inventorying (for the umpteenth time) my package of transfer case gaskets that I bought several jeeps ago.  (I use the gaskets as templates so I can make my own...yes, I can be that thrifty.)  Low and behold, laying silently in my clear plastic package was a felt dust seal!  Buggers!  I never noticed it before!  Jeep emotional roller coaster = riding high!  Now I can do the whole kitten-caboodle today.  Big plans.

The first thought that ran through my head upon discovery of the felt donut like dust seal was the infamous words of Colonel Klink to Sgt. Schultz, "Schultz, you DUMMKOPF!"
 Despite my stupidity, I am bursting with happy happy joy joy on the inside.

 I got excited with my Speedi Sleeve and didn't take any "before" or "during" pics.  Basically, it is a thin, tight fitting bushing that fits over a worn out surface.  It comes with a cap that is placed over the sleeve and you pound it into place.  Before fitting the sleeve, I filled in the worn groove with an epoxy and coated the inside of the sleeve with a light brushing of non-hardening sealer (like what I use on my gaskets).  Then, once in place, the flange breaks off for an unobstructed surface...to stick my darn felt dust seal.

This is the Speedi Sleeve (silver part) already in place on the front output yoke. 
I still have to break off the flange from the bottom.

Speedi Sleeve (in my hand) coated with the sealer, rear output yoke on the bench.  The yoke sits inside of the parking brake.

Sleeve installed and the flange is being removed.

Front output cap gasket in place.  The rail protruding is the Hi-Low shifter. 
The case is actually laying upside down.

The Front Output Cap is installed and now the poppet balls and springs need to be inserted.  The smaller interlock is already in the case between the two shift rails.  The balls an and springs apply extra pressure to the shift rails to keep them in gear.  There is a hole in the bottom left of this picture. 
One set goes in there and on the opposite side of the case is the second hole for the second set.

The Rear Output Cap shims (resting on the cap) and the speedometer gear (also on the shaft) in place.

The felt dust seal is in position at the base of the yoke and ready to be slid into place on the rear output cap.

The tricky part was reaching the bolts that are tucked inside of the parking brake.  Also pictured is the safety wire that meanders through all of the output cap bolts to help keep them from spinning loose.

Bottom cover gasket in place.

 With the transfer case now fully assembled, I could mate it with the transmission.  The interlock plunger fits between the two cases and must be done prior to bolting them together.  The plunger helps keep the transmission shift rails in gear.  I coated it with a glob of grease to help keep it in place during the final assembly.

Finished transfer case!  The 4-wheel drive and Hi-Low shift sticks will get installed AFTER the tub is mounted on the frame because the hole in the tub will not accommodate the angle that the shift sticks sit.  (Say those last three words really fast!)

The second to last piece of the puzzle is the interlock plunger that fits in he channel between the two nickle-sized holes.  The final piece of the puzzle is installing the large gear, washer and castellated nut that sits on end of the transmission main shaft inside the left side of the transfer case...that same nut that gave me a run trying to remove it!

Shhhh...mating transmission and transfer cases!

With it completed, I was very excited to get the cases mounted on the frame cross member.  Jeep roller coaster meter is running sky high.  Then, I realized that I did not have the right sized bolts to attach it to the mounting plate.  Roller coaster enters a valley.  I run to Lowe's and get the hardware.  Roller coaster climbing.  I get the case perched on the cross member, but I cannot get it to sit level.  I eventually discover another "dummkopf" move.  I've got a darn CJ2A (postwar jeep) transmission cross member installed.  Where the hell were you on that one, David??

I immediately plummet into another valley.  I go to the jeep junkyard (my side yard) and inspect the candidates over there.  A-HA...I've got one...actually, I've got two over there.  The downside is that they are both installed in a jeep WITH the transmission and transfer cases.  Ouch.  Another big, dirty job.

I go inside, take a shower and fall asleep while plotting my course of action.  Upon awaking, I go to the junkyard in my yard and proceed to remove the cross member on jeep #3 (the nastiest one).  I get it down, remove the T90 tranny/transfer combo and get my new cross member. 

CJ2A clean and pretty, but not what I need.  Subtle differences.

Side view is a bit more obvious.  CJ2A on the left, WWII on the right.

Ironically, the main reason I painted the frame was so the cross member would be ready for the trans/transfer cases.  Ha..it showed me.  Due to the annoyance of mixing the paint, I might end up waiting to paint the correct cross member when I paint the tub.  That might give me the incentive I need to fix the last area on the tub.  And ironically, that last area is where Bubba cut out the transmission hump area to accommodate the T90 transmission!  My roller coaster is climbing.