Annual Moab Canyonlands Trip. M715 and Blue Cherokee Take us to the Needles district! The preparation story.

Once again life, work, and other responsibilities got in the way of getting the diesel Wagoneer ready for Moab. But, the show must go on…. and so it did. Prepped the trusty old M715 and added a military style canvas bed cover not so much as to keep things dry as keep the red dust off all the camping gear on all the back roads we were going to travel. The happy blue ’88 Cherokee we have been driving for years got prepped for the trip and only needed fluid changes and a few adjustments. Its already pretty well set up for overland travel and has a number of awesome trips under its belt. It is locked front and rear, has 4.88 gears, a Rubicon sourced Dana 44 rear axle, Slip yoke eliminator, 33 inch super swamper radials, heavy-duty steering parts, reinforced steering mount area on the frame, onboard air, even a poo-bucket mount on the roof rack. Yeah, they make you have a potty in the back country…The M715 got a new tilt steering column donated from an XJ Cherokee….It’s hard to find a manual transmission FSJ tilt steering column. Turns out that a XJ one is pretty easy to swap in..  You carefully cut off the Cherokee firewall mount, use the FSJ firewall mount that clamps on same as stock once you cut the XJ one off.. use the FSJ column mount and it bolts right in. Even the wiring plugs right in and works right. I used the new columns high beam switch to turn on the KC Daylighters….super handy when some jerk wont turn off his highbeams… At some point I’ll add a delay wiper module and use the stalk mounted wiper switch too.. The only hard part is making the column connect to the steering shaft. The U joint is different at the column connection. I used the xj Ujoint and fabbed up a new shaft to connect it to the lower joint. I had gotten rid of the “rag” joint years ago. Finally wired the electric cooling fan to a thermoswitch…been meaning to do that since I built it years ago. Had just wired it “on” anytime the ignition was on. Mucho better now…it hardly ever comes on unless you are crawling along real slowly….I’m certain the alternator thanks me…good electric fans pull a lot of amps! Had to replace one of the front draglink ends that had gotten loose and sloppy…these gotta be the most expensive tierod/draglink ends ever…and not easy to find either! Napa wanted $75 ea. for them but didn’t actually have any…..anywhere….Found the part on Rockauto.com for less than $50! In case you care, the Moog part number is ES235R for the righthand thread one and ES235L for the leftie…. put that # into their part number search and it comes up. Ever tried getting parts for a truck that doesn’t exist as far as the parts companies are concerned?I don’t usually plug anybody’s company but I’m so super pleased to have somebody actually stock parts for a 45 year old army truck that I gotta say thanks! The trusty 6BT Cummins got the oil changed, new filters all around and the air filter cleaned. Checked and topped off the fluids in everything else on the truck and while it was on the lift  I undertook a task I have been meaning to do for years…..fix the fuel gauge. This at first seems like an easy enough task…You can buy a gauge and sender kit and just make it happen….or…since I wanted to have the gauge in the swapped on J truck cab dash work I had to do some sleuthing. A 70′s J truck or Wagoneer fuel gauge wants to see something between 68 and 12 ohms resistance from the sender. The  gauge would read empty all the time..till just before you ran out…when it went to full. ARGH. The commonly available universal senders have ohm ranges that are nowhere near the same…but…. a VDO one has a range of 10-180 ohms. the scale also reads backwards compared to what the gauge wants but the arm on the one I got can be installed backwards….making it “right” again. I then limited the up travel on it so it cannot get past about the 70 ohms spot. I used a much longer float arm to “recalibrate” the sender to my needs….I’m only using about half its range of movement now to do what I want. It works! The first half goes away faster than the last half because the sender is not being used as intended but I’m still much happier than before… actual use has shown that when it reads 1/2 it only takes 10 gallons to fill the 28 gallon tank back up. So I have some “reserve”. Finally made a skid plate for the tank…. had been meaning to do that for years! Hard to believe the factory never bothered with one.. I need to figure out something for front hubs. The only available (and expensive) locking hub for these old closed knuckle Dana 60 front axles is a Selectro brand one. These hubs are probably way awesome with the stock 125 hp Tornado 6 popper beating on them… with a Cummins putting ~400 hp and near 900 ft-lb into them they die. And quickly. I have been running the stock drive flanges till I come up with something better. With the swapped in 4.11 gears it isn’t bad to live with but you can feel the powr-lok diff cause a bit of feedback in the steering. Amazingly, the stock axle shafts have managed to live. Not sure why. Seems like they’d have busted by now…I got spare ones at least. When summer comes around I just swap the shelled out Selectros back on. Gonna have to swap in that modern Dana 60 one of these days. I’ll get disk brakes too. Next installment….the trip!

Wagoneer Diesel Is Coming Together!

I’ve been working on the Cummins Diesel Wagoneer project quite a bit lately… Got the motor mounts built and the motor installed in the chassis.  Installed a Hydroboost brake booster from a 77 Chevy K30 in place of the vacuum booster so there is room for the hydraulic clutch master cylinder. The clutch slave cylinder is from a 89 Ford F250. Its in front of the Ford ZF 5 speed so I’m using the matching master cylinder for it… There is room to mount it right next to the hydroboost unit in line with the clutch pedal.  Need to make a hole to mount it still… I’m using a factory pedal assembly from a J truck as it bolts right in. These vehicles used a mechanical clutch linkage originally…. I like a hydraulic clutch since it stays working as the frame twists and bends offroad. The same setup has been working reliably in the 715 for quite a while now….so I’m pretty much duplicating everything I did on that truck with this one… The fuel tank is in the way of the transfercase….so im currently thinkin of trying to install a Suburban 33 gallon tank in the back where the spare normally goes….I’m planning on mounting the spare on the back anyhow….so no prob there… Still need to build a trans crossmember  for it and get the t case installed…Im hoping to repurpose the original quadratrac lowrange shifter to operate the passenger side drop 208 t case. This is going to take a interesting little linkage to make it come together…I used a Dodge 205 ‘case shifter in the 715 but I don’t like how far I have to reach for it. The q-trac lever is right next to the driver seat and is easy to reach. Still have lots to get done…wiring…fuel system…shifter…driveshafts. And so much else..but hey…that’s stuff for another post…

It’s Moab Thrash Season Again! Back To The Wagoneer Diesel. Cummins!

Well, here it is that special time of year again…..every spring I go to Moab with a few good friends….. Last year we went to the Maze district of Canyonlands and had a blast. My little 88 XJ Cherokee got us there and back with just a few little snags that were easily remedied. It also averaged 15 mpg. This is not so bad for a lifted cherokee on 33 inch swampers but it was just not good enough for me. Also had to pour in my spare fuel just short of Hite marina. So….. I’m finally gonna do the Cummins diesel swap in a fullsize Jeep. I have a good 12 valve VE pump Cummins motor, a Ford to Cummins breadtruck adapter…a ZF 5 speed that fits the adapter, clutch parts and a ’79 fullsize Cherokee 4 door (basically a wagoneer minus the woodgrain trim). Still need to find a transfercase and a few bits n pieces….but I’m sure I can find what I need in time. The Jeep already has a 4″ lift and 33 inch tires…. I’m figuring on needing another leaf or two in the front….I’ll see how it looks after I drop that motor in… This is going to be a cross country expedition type rig like my XJ has been. Just with a bit more space inside and I’m hoping for around 25 mpg with the diesel engine. My 7000 pound M715 does 25 mpg at around 70mph. 20 mpg averaging around 85 mph. Anybody know if they make Z speed rating superswampers? Just kidding! Anyhow, I know it’ll do much better than the XJ in a number of ways so look soon for pix and more goodies on this…

The Kluge-V With Photos and Explanations Or how to Make 60 year old stuff ROCK

So I’ve had some people asking for pix of the mythical Dana 18 / Borg Warner low range that I built about 10 years ago….Please understand that I built this thing on ancient equipment. Made it with hand made stuff. It is flame-cut ugly throughout. Really built it as a prototype.  For what end I don’t even remember. Not like there is a huge market for people needing crazy rockcrawl gearing in an ancient transfercase..And it is all made of antique castoffs, freebies, borrowed equipment, mooched machine shop time, inestimable free time likely better spent doing more worthwhile things like drinking, boozing, whoring around and postage stamp collecting.  The true machinists among us will likely be aghast.  And there were some oiling issues early on….. but… I digress… Here is the thing in it’s glory….or lack thereof

Here it is all together before installation.

This is the hollow shaft in position The adapter plate has the original q-trac bearing and thrust washer going on next. I don’t have a pic of it currently.

This is the side view of the hollow shaft that connects the q-trac to the 18 drive gear. It is the q-trac Chaindrive sprocket with enough gear turned off it to fit through the pto opening. It then has just the center of a 18 lowrange gear tig welded to it to engage the teeth on the 18 transfercase drive gear that is actually another driven 29 tooth gear (the one with smooth inside from the bottom end of the t case.)

This is the output shaft in the 18 case. Note the bearing. This sits on top of the main support bearing  in conjunction with a couple spacers to set depth for the drive gear.

This gear is held in place by the hollow shaft assembly and the thrust washer that is between it and the Q-trac adapter. When on the throttle it pulls the gear forward and the thrust load is taken by the bearing in front of the gear. Off the throttle load is taken by the thrust washer. Im probly going to make it a torrington thrust roller bearing someday. So far, the washer is doing fine. The jeep its in sees almost no road miles in a year so not a big deal.

This is the output shaft and T18 to Dana 18 adapter. This is the much easier to find large hole adapter that is commonly found in  newer  CJ’s and J trucks up thru 79. This case started life as a Dana 20 as they have a bit more strength. 18 guts go right in them.

Here it is in the jeep showing the shifter mechanism. I ground some metal off the backside of one of the shifters and used a piece of  1/8″X 1″ flatstrap to Make a third shifter pivot. There is round stock welded to it to make the actual shifter stick. Everyone thinks it’s a Warn overdrive shifter.

Another view installed. Note floor mods. Stock gas tank still fits.

This is the Jeep its all stuffed into. Currently has a Mercedes diesel, 9″ford rearend and a Dana 44 front. Its a strange combo of stuff, Certainly not everyones cup of tea….But its mine and I like it.

Survived the Annual Trip to Utah!

The annual trip to Utah was the best trip yet….We started the trip by changing the fuel pump in the Cherokee 50 miles from home when it started to lose pressure when it got hot…. Drove all the way to Green River Utah and got a hotel room….ask me some time for a place NOT to stay in Green River… Anyhow, we got up, had a wonderful breakfast and helped my buddy Charlie load his trailer attached to his rockcrawler CJ7. He has to have the trailer for two reasons… One, He is not a minimalist camper….and two, there is almost no room in the CJ for anything besides a couple bags. I was happy to have the trailer along as it had 10 extra gallons of gas for me….I would need it. We headed south from Green River Toward the Maze district of Canyonlands With Myself and Marge, Boston Bob and Sheryl, Hemi Bob, Vic, Jerry and Laurie and Charlie and Lynda .  As we neared the turnoff for the Maze district the Jeep quit running. Fuel pump. Dead. For the second time I take it apart….reinstall the pump I removed the day before…(glad i put it in a baggie) button it all back up and continue on our way….feeling a bit sketched out about not having a “C” plan.  Drove down the Flint trail and made it to the Dollhouse before dark! The next day was spent hiking around in the area. I don’t have nearly enough words to describe this area….go look it up on google. I’ll use one word. AWESOME! We broke camp the next morning and headed for Hite marina to buy gas and splash around in Lake Powell a bit. Had to pour one of the Jerry cans in the Cherokee about 5 miles short of the marina. Was surprised gas was only $4.25 a gallon. Not like ya gonna find any other place… Filled it full. Vic left to return to denver. Drove back up the road we had come from the Maze on but turned at the 4 way intersection onto Poison Springs road. Drove till sunset and camped at the Dirty Devil river. Waded in the river to cool off after a long hot day. Next day Up Poison Spring canyon we go…en route to Hanksville. Charlies CJ has a flat. Somehow manages to cut a 40 inch Super Swamper TSL. On river rock. Whatever. We change it out and continue to a well earned shower and a hotel bed!  Next up….A drive along Capitol Reef N.P. toward Bullfrog marina and Lake Powell again…tho in a completely different area…Took the Ferry across the lake to Halls Crossing and to the Hole in the Rock Trail. Camped a couple miles in… just before it gets tough. This is one long rough tough trail! We spent all day getting to the end and back to a good campsite only halfway back out. And the pioneers did it with wagons. Amazing. Even accounting that it took them months to do it… On the way out, my tailgunner Jerry  was not in sight…  A quick recon discovered him at the bottom of a steep climb with only  the front axle working…not good.. A little investigation revealed sheared ring gear bolts. Boston Bob and I teamed up and pulled him up the last difficult spot…We limp it to the Cal Black Memorial Airport near Halls Crossing. There, we remove the ring gear from the axle so it doesn’t bind up and lock the tires on the highway. That poor parking lot will never be the same I fear….They have gas here too! And cold drinks! You have to drive on the taxiway to get to the pumps….No planes took off or landed the entire time we spent there….For some reason the people that run the place seemed glad to have us there…Customs was run by a 8 year old kid! Gotta love rural Utah…. We said goodbyes and headed for home….

A week from Moab….and I’m gonna make it….I think

So, here it is… a week out from the annual Moab trip….and today’s activity? Most people would be doing a inventory of camping supplies, packing stuff, or maybe cleaning the Jeep out…. Nope! Not me! I gutted the transfercase from our trusty crusty ol ’88 Cherokee. Why you ask? Well, for one, the ‘case needed a slip yoke eliminator to correct a driveline vibe that used to start at about 75 mph when I had 4.10 gears…. Now with the  4.88′s vibes at an irritatingly low 60 or so…. I’m gonna drive this thing 400 miles just to get to where I’m  going to START wheeling. Thus the need for this to be dealt with… My buddy Boston Bob sold me a used Advance Adapters 32 spline SYE kit. I also installed a 2WD low range kit from the Tera-low people that had been collecting dust ( Driving on Moab slickrock is a lot like driving figure 8′s in a dry parking lot in 4WD) to make things easier on the poor little Cherokee. Everything fit together like its supposed to and a stock front Cherokee CV driveshaft works as the rear one…wow. Had one in the parts pile/ thermal mass zone around the woodstove. Also installed a heavy duty tierod for the front steering….the puny stock ones bend real easy…..I know… Now I think I have gotten the last weak spot sorted from this little Jeep… Couple more details and I’m ready to go! Does anyone else reading this think of Quadratrac t cases when ya hear the term figure 8′s and parking lots? If not…you either had the right oil in it or you never owned one…Keep them ol Jeeps runnin!

Well, Its Moab thrash season AGAIN!

Every spring, I go to Moab with a whole bunch of friends and family…..This has been going on since the early ’80s when some friends and family explored Salt Creek in the Canyonlands Needles district….been hooked ever since. That first trip to Peekaboo Spring and a few subsequent trips to Needles Over Elephant Hill and into the backcountry over the years have always proved to be among the most stunning places on earth…. But, one part of Canyonlands National Park has always eluded me…. The Maze. Its remoteness from anything makes it more challenging to get to and to survive going across….I have looked longingly from vantage points in the Needles to the territory just across the river…..so close…. I sit there on the rocks with much jealousy of the crows that glide effortlessly along on the thermals….for they could be in the maze in 5 minutes…. Anyhow, I’m now pretty determined to cross the Maze District….in a Jeep….Shouldn’t be too difficult after all… there is a Jeep road that traverses the area. Now fuel mileage is gonna be a concern so a diesel is going to be involved… Yep… the Diesel Wagoneer has got to come together… I have all the parts to pull this off, just been lacking the time to pull this off…there are always so many other things going on. Work keeps me busy and for this I am truly blessed. Many unemployed people would love to be in my shoes I’m sure… Nonetheless, I shall make this happen anyhow….details should soon follow I’ll try to get Marge to upload photos of the process…. Something I’m still at her mercy for…She has a crazy workload too….so photos for my blog don’t top her list of fires to put out… more soon…