What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Levi's Build

Didn’t the TCase work before? You have a ton of work to do to get that Jeep to a reliable driver. If it works clean it and get it back together. Before upgrading it a rebuilt kit would make more sense to me.

 

The tapered bearings can be done without dropping the transfercase so that would be something to get it going now then do that later down the road.

With that said you should measure the amount of wear on the inside of the intermediate gear. If there is a significant shelf then it makes more sense to do the tapered bearings now because the needles can't compensate for any wear on the gear.

 

the tcase did work, but it made an awful grinding noise at lower speeds, which improved when you accelerated.

this is something that i thought of as well, which seems to be a big reason for me to upgrade, as the condition of the gear doesn't matter with the upgrade.

something i saw over on the oldwillys(?) forum was that the best way to preserve the intermediate shaft is to slow it down. this, of course, prompted me to a long complicated idea to do this. swap in an SM420 (7.05:1 first gear) and 3.73 gears in the axles (with a dana 30 to accomodate for higher gearing). this could also set the stage for a saginaw swap, a rear locker, and a FF rear while i'm at it. i might want to then upgrade to a "super 18", since that'd be the last weak link. a good part about the sm420 is that it bolts up to a chevy engine, so i could swap a 4.3 in at the same time.

 

Yeah but you want to drive it in the next couple years right?
If you had $3-5000 of disposal income all that would be easy.

 

mine has spent many many years waiting on parts.
I wouldn't get too wrapped up in the "perfect build" just clean it up and see what you have.

All of the upgrades have hidden costs. Radiators, drive shafts, brackets. It adds up.

 

i can't seem to get youtube to cooperate, but the Jeep officially runs! after a new cap, rotor, and coil (the old one had a hole, likely from dropping onto solenoid), and some timing adjustments (without a timing light), we got it to go.

 

now that i've heard the F head rumble again, i'm not so sure i should hate on it, it's such a beautiful sounding engine, and has always done what it was asked (when it was running).

 

Awesome!!

 

it's been a while...
parts are beginning to come in! got the gaskets from novak a few days ago, the T90 rebuild kit should be coming later this week. small parts and the tapered bearing setup from AA i don't know about.

i've struggled with cleaning up the cases, the best i could do was scotch brite, which worked a little. hopefully i can use the sandblaster at school, that'd get 'em nice and clean.

 

Did you try oven cleaner? Spray it on thick, wait ten minutes, scrub it around a bit, then just hose it off. Works wonders.

 

no, i haven't. where can you get that stuff?

 

Start at the Dollar Store.

 

Sounds like a 134.

 

got the tapered bearing kit today, need to send the gear to mcruff to get machined.

 

I like your thread title.

 

the answer to it would be everything.

thanks

 

yesterday and today, i've gone in to school early and sandblasted. i've got mostly done with the transfer case (need to look it over well and make sure nothing needs done) and got the tranny case close to done as well. progress!

 

the transmission is assembled and painted, waiting on parts for the D18.