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D18 Disassembly Question

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by FinoCJ, Apr 19, 2021.

  1. Apr 20, 2021
    Mr Vaughan

    Mr Vaughan

    oh, yeah, this was james's thread. :oops:
     
  2. Apr 20, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2013
    Messages:
    5,593
    its all good....fully disassembled now...lots of cleaning to do...
    [​IMG]

    and the beast sm465 is waiting...it still needs all the gaskets finalized and paint, but waiting until I know it mates to the D18 correctly. I'll feel like some progress is made when the sm465/D18 combo is fully together...then the sbc350 can go to the shop for machine work...I need to clean and organize the workbench....honestly, I don't want to lift the 175lbs sm465 to the floor and mess up my back with our big river trip coming up. I need to be able to oar the rig through solid whitewater, and the last time I really carried that thing around, I think I tweaked my back so, it stays on the bench taking up space until we get back.
    [​IMG]

    Levi - do your jeep how you like (or how your Dad and you like and agree upon)...the concern many of us on here have is related to watching a lot of projects grow too big in scope (project creep), and then between time, motivation and money, projects never really get finished. For some this isn't an issue - they like wrenching and tinkering with the project a lot. But for many, getting an old jeep on the road, in any form of restoration, restomod or barely running junk, is potentially a much more rewarding way to go. I didn't know enough at the time to do the AA tapered bearing mod to the D18 in my cj5, and yet here it is 5-6 years later, having driven and wheeled a lot, and its still just fine. Plus, its not really that hard to pull the unit if I ever decide to go ahead and do it....If the 58 wagon really turns out to be a good driver (and less of a wheeler than the cj5), then in theory, it will get a lot of road miles and the tapered bearing mod would be appropriate. And I am choosing NOT to do it for now...its a combination of budget choices, additional time and unknown factors and complications on top of a bunch of new to me projects (engine swap, sbc350, sm465, floorpan and shifter mods)...And the reality, I recognize I might not even keep it long term after its built...If it turns out awesome and I love it, I will have plenty of opportunity and energy to improve it later on (regear, OD, tapered bearing or D20 etc)...and if I choose to move it on/sell it, 90% of buyers won't care whether the D18 is modded or not. I don't know, just seems to me, keeping it simple (which I've already eff-ed up on this wagon project) and getting it driveable heavily outweighs all other options....I kind of convinced myself that I wanted a 'bigger' project than the cj5, and I can also justify having a non-driving project a bit more as I already have a driveable jeep....and its still questionable if I should have gone this big with the project....

    In short, we hope in 3 years that the project isn't still languishing, or that its been built at great expense of time, energy and money, and you all have lost interest in it. People really do loose interest in projects (or re-evaluate priority for time and money) and cars etc that they never thought would happen...I think we have some members who did father-son type jeep projects and yes, some have worked out great, and others maybe haven't worked out so well....its definitely worth doing, but keeping the project scope smaller and drivability factor sooner and higher seems like a good way to improve the odds...
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2021
  3. Apr 20, 2021
    Mr Vaughan

    Mr Vaughan

    i have an obsession with this jeep (meaning i work on it as much as humanly possible), so i don't think willingness to work is an issue, and for me, the tapered bearings made sense because instead of replacing shaft and bearings, all i need is a few bearings. also, this is meant to be a rig that can go back to new york or out to california, and do some crawling when there.


    also, your D18 looks a lot better than mine when i took it apart.
    [​IMG]20210401_151933 by Levi Vaughan, on Flickr
    that's the best picture i got
     
  4. Apr 20, 2021
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2003
    Messages:
    23,596
    Huh. I though you had to send your intermediate gear out for machining to install the tapered bearings. Mike (McRuff), a professional machinist, has done it for a few people here, but it's not - as far as I know - a bench top procedure.

    Later - yep. https://storage.googleapis.com/advanceadapters-com/downloads/7160052.pdf?1618955886=1

    It's not simple, because the gear is hardened and your random machinist may not be able or willing to do the work.
     
  5. Apr 20, 2021
    dozerjim

    dozerjim Member

    western New York
    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2010
    Messages:
    966
    x2
     
  6. Apr 21, 2021
    jeepdaddy2000

    jeepdaddy2000 Active Member

    Eagle Point oregon
    Joined:
    Jun 24, 2004
    Messages:
    1,132
    This statement sums up just about everything.

    Off topic, yet not....
    I worked in a 4X4 shop for many years. One of the most consistent things I saw was kids coming in with some cobbled together ratty wheeler wanting more lift, bigger tires, more shocks, all the while bragging about their stereo. Trying to get them to understand that five inches of steering play was an issue was simply dismissed. My point is it's easy to get wrapped around the axle on sparkle minutia, while missing the "gotta do's".

    One thing that I found helps is to:
    REALISTICALLY Assess what you want to do with the Jeep.
    Assemble a build sheet that addresses those goals.
    Put together an OML list (order of merit) to address the most critical issues first.
    Stick with the list. It will keep you on track.
     
  7. Apr 21, 2021
    Mr Vaughan

    Mr Vaughan

    i know, i need to get that done. bu mike, of course.
     
  8. Apr 21, 2021
    colojeepguy

    colojeepguy Colorado Springs

    At the foot of...
    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2010
    Messages:
    7,110
    I used to use that method...but this stuff works soooo much better!
    41AURD-c-gL._AC_SY1000_.jpg
     
    Steamboat Willys likes this.
  9. Apr 24, 2021
    jeep peep69

    jeep peep69 Member

    redding ca.
    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2007
    Messages:
    619
    It’s the best also it’s oil soluble so it dissolves and won’t plug the oil galleys
     
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