New guy - Have a lot to learn

[CMT-1109]

Hi everyone! I recently inherited a 1946 cj2a from my grandfather that passed away. This Willy's had a lot of sentimental value to me and since owning it, I've really enjoyed learning about them. However - I come from the newer school of vehicles and I have limited mechanical knowledge to be honest so I have some pretty basic questions. I'll attach a picture so you can check it out as well!

1- When it sits for a week or so, it won't start unless I throw some starter fluid in the carb. Once it fires, it runs great! The next day I'll start it up and it starts just fine. Any ideas where I should start looking? It sat for a couple years and about a month ago when I got it running again, I had the same problem. I did put some fresh ethanol free gas in since then.

2- I had to replace the battery and I was surprised to see it was an 8v battery instead of a 6v. From what I can tell, it won't charge anymore than 8v when it's running. Wouldn't this be a problem for battery life?

3- Seats... I want to find some original seats to put back in so if anyone has anything, please let me know!

I want to get this to be a little more reliable so I can drive it a couple times a week especially since the weather is getting nicer here in central PA. I removed the top that was on it since I plan to use this as an occasional driver when it's nice out.

Thanks in advance for any info guys!

[gmwillys]

Welcome CMT-1109!

Your 2A is a good looking example. These Jeeps are fairly simple machines, but they do have a mind of their own. They can be crotchety old girls that work wonderful one day, and like crap the next. With your starting issue, it is most likely the fuel pump is losing its prime. The fuel pump is working, but when it is parked, the fuel finds its way back down into the tank/fuel line.
There is a fix for your charging issue. LarrBeard wrote an informative article on how to go about setting up your voltage regulator to charge the 8 volt battery. He should be on later today to apply his expertise, if not I'll hunt up his article and paste it in here.
If you are looking for original seats, you may check with the guys over at the East Coast Willys Association forum. There are a few guys there that have hoards of Willys parts, or know where they are hidden.

[CMT-1109]

Thanks a bunch gmwillys! I thought the same thing about the starting issue but wasn't sure what the best way to approach it would be. I'll check out the East coast forum soon as well as LarrBeard's article! Thanks for the heads up!

[LarrBeard]

Thanks a bunch gmwillys! I thought the same thing about the starting issue but wasn't sure what the best way to approach it would be. I'll check out the East coast forum soon as well as LarrBeard's article! Thanks for the heads up!

Yeah, GMWillys knew I'd have to check in on this.

That is really a nice Jeep, but the paint would have gone on more evenly if someone had swept the leaves off between coats … I’m kidding. That is a really neat pattern.

I’d check to see if someone had adjusted the standard 6-volt regulator to charge the 8-volt battery or maybe even put in an 8-volt regulator. The easiest way to do this is look at the voltage on the battery with the engine at a high idle speed. A standard 6-volt regulator will cut out at about 7.3 or 7.4 volts. An 8-volt regulator will be significantly higher.

To top off the 8-volt battery, charge would need to cut off at about 9.7 volts or so. At that voltage, you are getting close to having headlight, brake light and parking light issues – that’s really high. Cutting out at about 8.6 to 8.8 volts would probably be an all-round compromise; good battery charge to reduce sulphation, enough juice to spin the starter just a bit faster and not so high as to make the headlights turn into flashbulbs (do you kids remember flashbulbs?).

If you want to try to reset the regulator, it really isn’t hard. One word of caution before you take my advice – I’ve really not done this on any of my regulators, but I have stayed at a lot of Holiday Inn Expresses ….

Get the unit to where you can work on it, clean all the crud off the cover and take the cover off. It’s always good to start with clean contacts. Pull some really fine emery (>600 grit) through the points. Then, take a piece of paper, soak it in alcohol and pull it between all of the contact points in the regulator. That starts us out with clean contact points.

There is a photo at the bottom of this post, refer to it. You will find three relays in the regulator. You are going to work on the one that has the coil with no big wire on it, just a lot of turns of little wire. What happens is that when the generator/battery voltage gets high enough, enough current flows through all of that little wire to open the contact points. When they open up, the generator/battery voltage drops a bit, the points close … and the process goes on. They run more like a buzzer than a clunk-clunk relay.

The points are held closed by a spring. What we want to do is to add a little more force to the spring holding the contacts closed. That makes the coil need a higher voltage to open the contact points. You can do this by bending the tabs that hold the spring further apart. I’d suggest bending the bottom spring since that doesn’t fool with the moving armature of the relay. I can’t recommend how much to bend, I’d suggest a little at a time – and it make take several tries.

Adjust the tab, reinstall the regulator and start the Jeep. Watch the ammeter until the charge rate settles out, then check battery voltage. If it’s lower than you want, spread tabs a bit more. If it’s too high, go back the other way.

Let us know how this turns out ….

(Oh, by the way - down in the Tech Library there are a couple of papers with more than you really want to know about 3-relay regulatore)

[CMT-1109]

Wow! Thanks for the input LarrBeard.

The paint is part of the sentimental value because I helped pick out the leaves when I was younger and my grandfather sprayed them, imprinted them onto the Jeep and then filled it in. He did this one at a time throughout the whole Jeep. I will be keeping it that way as long as possible, that's for sure!

I checked the battery at idle and it was 8v, under throttle it went to 8.4 so I'm assuming the regulator is adjusted correctly. If I run into problems, I'll be sure to come back and try what you recommended since you stayed at a Holiday inn Express. Flashbulb? I don't think my smart phone ever came with one of those. Haha I very much appreciate your sense of humor.

I attached a picture of the gauges at idle. At times, my temp will creep to almost 200 and then work it's way back down to 180. Is this normal? I also ran into a problem of antifreeze blowing out of the radiator cap and overflow line but I'm thinking it may have been overfilled. Is there a general rule of thumb when filling it? My overflow tank seems to be missing... Ha I did replace the cap with a new 4lb cap. I haven't driven it anywhere but started it and all looked good.

Regarding the fuel pump losing prime, do I need to replace it or is there something else I need to look at? Could it just be a small leak or is this normal?

Thanks for all the helpful info so far gentlemen!

[gmwillys]

The old CJ radiators do not get filled all the way to the neck. You need at least an inch from the neck. This would give you an inch above the top of the core of the radiator. This will give you enough room for coolant expansion.

On my 2A, the fuel pump was replaced, but would sit for months at a time, being that I was out of town. It isn't a terrible thing that the fuel drains back. The pump pulls the fuel up, and fills the upper fuel lines and the fuel bowl. In short, replacing the fuel pump may not remedy the situation totally.

You may look into clear coating the custom camouflage that you and your Granddad had come up with. This would preserve the paint for years to come.

[CMT-1109]

Mine will not pull the fuel enough to start once it sits for a week or so unless I get it running with starter fluid. I'll try to get a video of it but not sure how to upload it because of the size.

My response to LarrBeard isn't showing up either. Am I on probation and being censored or something? Ha

[LarrBeard]

Mine will not pull the fuel enough to start once it sits for a week or so unless I get it running with starter fluid. I'll try to get a video of it but not sure how to upload it because of the size.

My response to LarrBeard isn't showing up either. Am I on probation and being censored or something? Ha

Naw, you're not on probation - if you were we'd have been there long ago. Sometimes computers can be as cranky as old Jeeps.

And you've done nothing to be censored ...

My question - would an in-line check valve hold fuel at the pump? I have that "issue" as well.

[LarrBeard]

You noted; " At times, my temp will creep to almost 200 and then work it's way back down to 180."

If you have a 180 degree 'stat, that's normal. The coolant at the back of the engine where the sensor is gets hotter than coolant at the front around the thermostat. When the front end gets to 180, the 'stat opens.

I have a 165 degree stat in the truck and it will crawl up to about 175, then open - and then go down just below 160 before everybody gets their act together.

[CMT-1109]

Naw, you're not on probation - if you were we'd have been there long ago. Sometimes computers can be as cranky as old Jeeps.

And you've done nothing to be censored ...

My question - would an in-line check valve hold fuel at the pump? I have that "issue" as well.

An inline check valve is a good idea but shouldn't the filter be doing that job as well? Sorry, I guess I should've mentioned mine does have a fuel filter. What do you end up doing LarrBeard to get yours started after sitting awhile?

[LarrBeard]

What do you end up doing LarrBeard to get yours started after sitting awhile?

In cold weather when I don't want to crank it a long time, I give it a shot of go-juice, crank it through at least four cylinders, then turn on the ignition. It will usually hit on the next cylinder or two.

Now that it's warmer, I just crank it and jiggle the choke - it goes.

I don't like starting fluid in any large quantities - just a personal thing.

I don't think fuel filters do very well as check valves, but I've not thought it through. My mower is the world's worst because the filter is in-line and vertical. From our discussions here the last couple of weeks, we have wondered just how efficient fuel pumps are at the suction side. A check valve might be too big a restriction ...

We need a guinea pig to try it out for us!

[gmwillys]

Most electric fuel pumps are pushers, so they are mounted at or within the fuel tank. As you might have figured where this was going, the engine mounted fuel pumps are pullers. A check valve would have to be set at less than 2 psi, preferably 1 psi to 1.5 psi for the best results. The valve would have to be up stream from the mechanical pump to allow the pump to keep its prime. An electric pump, a check valve isn't really needed, because the pump works fast enough that it will not matter.

An inline fuel filter is most efficient when the fuel follows the arrow, but it will flow either way.

[bmorgil]

I am surprised at this issue. It seems to be common. I would think there was enough fuel in the carburetor bowl to give it a good stat and run long enough for the fuel pump to catch up. From what I am reading, this is not so! It must be an awfully small fuel bowl in the WO or, the bowl drains out somehow? It seems like after a week it shouldn't have evaporated the fuel. I guess these are some of the things I will learn about Vintage Jeep ownership! It's a Jeep thing.

[gmwillys]

One thing to keep in mind. These are not real efficient engines. The atomized fuel starts off in the down draft carb, but has to switch directions and go up hill after entering the block. If you don't have great compression, or the valves are not adjusted, it takes a lot to lite off the fuel mixture. On our 2A, you have to pull the choke out all the way, crank the engine about ten seconds, then pump the throttle 5 to 10 times depending on the ambient temperature. It's tired and pretty much worn out, but it does run well after it coughs and hacks a few minutes. The valves and compression are within specs, but it is just cold blooded. Like LarrBeard wrote about, if you have a floor starter, you can use a short burst of starting fluid, turn the engine over with the ignition off for four revolutions, then turn on the key. The engine should start just fine then. If you don't want to use starting fluid, you could pull the choke half way out and follow the same process.

[bmorgil]

I got it now! I guess that 6.25 to 1 compression is not helping. So it needs a LOT of fuel! I guess like a lot of old cars you have to walk the line of flooding it when its bone cold.

No problem with the starting fluid. Used sparingly, its good stuff. I watched a lot of NASCAR motors fire up for the first time in the morning with a shot of coffee for the Crew Chief and a shot of either in the cowl of the car! A whole lot better than a whole lot of cranking.

[gmwillys]

When I worked in the far north, we would buy ether by the case. We would have cheap charcoal grills with the legs cut off to slide up under the oil pans of the equipment to warm the oil back to a liquid. One old Freightliner had a old worn out small cam Cummins, and if it was around 50 above, you would have to reach around the windshield to spray half a can into the intake.

Dirt track cars on alcohol don't run well at all when it is below 80 above.

[bmorgil]

Ya gotta love Alcky! I agree on the ether in the cold on a diesel that's for sure! I love the sound of a stone cold diesel pounding out the ether.

CMT-1109 sounds like give it a quick shot o ether!

[CMT-1109]

Bmorgil - it's an option but I'd rather find a good fix for the issue instead!

I am going to try an inline check valve I think. Once I do, I'll post up the results! Thanks for all the info guys!

[LarrBeard]

You know, this is another one of those mysteries that we have all noticed, but we haven't solved.

GMWillys is right. On the L-134 engines it is a looooong way for fuel to make its way through that intake manifold, turn the corner, get past that cold valve and make fire.

But, I see the same lots of cranking characteristic on the F-134 and it is a straight shot down the carb throat into the intake manifold which is part of the head. I say to myself - self - maybe the bowl really is empty. It does sit on top of a warm engine. There is that big vent tube that would give a vapor path back to the atmosphere. I can't see fuel draining back past the needle valve out of the top of the bowl ... hmmm ... .

Then, there is the low compression engine. As slow as it cranks, it doesn't pull a lot of vacuum - that's why we close the choke - to get a vacuum to pull fuel past the orifices and jets. (By the way, since there isn't a lot of fuel going in there at cranking, restricting air flow makes the mixture richer too - like setting an airplane mixture to Full Rich for start).

We've been spoiled by high speed starters on fuel injected engines. If our Jeep cranks a while, that lets oil circulate a bit - let's sell the long time to start as an "engine pre-lube" cycle and call it a feature.

[CMT-1109]

What if you just removed the gas cap and sprayed some air in there with an air compressor (while holding a rag over the opening of course) to push the fuel through? I guess I just feel like cranking and cranking is unnecessary so I keep thinking of other ways to make it easier on the ol starter. Ha

[gmwillys]

I often do that if I run out of gas.... Or at least I did before fixing the fuel gage.

[CMT-1109]

I'll give it a try next time it's having troubles starting after sitting. I got it out a little bit tonight and it started fairly easily. The starter is turning really slow to the point it stops and then it fires up.

Here's a couple more pictures of it if anyone's interested. Sorry for the one sideways picture.

As for seats - the seats in it have the sliding rails under them. If I got some regular low back seats for it would they bolt right onto the existing bases? Do you think they would still sit too high?

[gmwillys]

The body is really clean! We like pictures around here, so show off as you please.
The original seat frames are a fixed position, one size fits most design. From what I can see, you can expect around a three inch drop in your driving position. The seat frame bridges the fuel tank, and mounts to the floor up front, and on the floor behind the tank. The seat tracks you have currently would have to be removed. The passenger seat mounts with two pivot pints on the front edge of the tool compartment.
As far as the starter, I would check the battery voltage draw. The battery may be getting weak, or the voltage regulator may need a little tweaking.

[CMT-1109]

I've seen plenty of pictures of original seats but the frames are a little tough to come by and I'm not in the position to drop 6-800 on seats and cushions right now. When I drive it now, my head sticks out the top so I would definitely benefit from lower seats and seats that don't crowd the steering wheel so bad.

It's an 8 volt battery and I've checked it before and after starting it and it checks at 8v. The regulator pushes it to 8.4ish volts under throttle. Also, I keep it on a tender when it's not being driven. It might just require some cleaning up contacts and grounds. I'm not used to older vehicles but it seems to turn very slowly.

Thanks for the comments! My 5 year old step daughter absolutely loves it and asks to play in the Jeep and go for rides every day. She brings her random stuffed animals and waves to everyone we drive by. Haha

[gmwillys]

I was having a brain fade upon talking about the battery. You had already covered what voltage you had. A six or eight volt do turn the engine much slower than you would se on a 12 volt system. The 6 volt does supply a considerable more amount of torque.

When we purchased our 2A, it had bits of the original seat frames. I came across a set that were in tough shape. The legs were rusted out, so I found some pipe that matched. A little cutting and welding in and they are good to go. I found some boat cushions that looked and fit just right. We have been on the hunt for an original rear seat, so we can take the grand kids around. I ran across this add on ewillys this morning; http://www.ewillys.com/2019/04/17/front-and-rear-cj-3a-seats-lincoln-ca-200/

[LarrBeard]

"The starter is turning really slow to the point it stops and then it fires up."

If the battery is charging to 8.4 volts at cruise, that's probably a sign that the regulator has been reset. I'd look at the battery voltage while it's cranking. The stopping just before it fires up and slow cranking make me wonder if there's not an issue with the battery or starter - and I'd guess battery first.

The starter spec for the Autolite MZ-4113 says that the stall current is 420-amps at 3-volts. If the starter is stalling and the voltage is 4 or 4.5 volts, I'd guess a starter problem. Check brushes and bearings. If it drops below 3-volts, I'd guess battery. I am assuming you have good battery cables - auto store 12-volt cables are marginal on 6 volt systems.

A rare possibility is a timing issue, it could be firing early on the compression stroke and stalling the starter just as it starts - but since it cranks slowly all the time - probably not.

My step-grand-daughter thinks the '48 is neat - but she doesn't want to drive it. You know you've made a hit when the grand-daughter wants your truck as part of her senior picture portfolio. Her brother will drive it on occasion. My youngest daughter (42 years old) is a pest - she wants to take it out and drive every time she comes to visit.

[bmorgil]

The youngest is right on the money! Pester away!

An 8 volt system. Until this forum I never knew there was such a thing.

[CMT-1109]

Well... It happened. I drive the Jeep to the local watering hole and when I go to leave, it will NOT start. It barely cranked at all. I was finally lucky enough to get it started after hours of letting it sit. I sprayed some extra go juice in the carb and luckily for me it cranked just enough to fire once and that's all it took. I took it right home and started pulling cables off the battery and checking connections again. I replaced the battery cables with new cables and ends with 1g wire. I still need to replace the wire from the solenoid to the starter yet though.

My question for all of you knowledgeable folks - I checked the battery when my step son hit the starter switch and sure enough it dropped to about 4.5 volts. Is this a sure sign the starter is bad? Or could this just be a bad ground?

[CMT-1109]

LarrBeard - I checked the volts on the battery when I hit the switch and it dropped to 4.5v. I checked the volts at the starter where the cable from the solenoid attaches and it obviously says 0 until you hit the switch and then it sits at 2v and stalls the starter. I removed the starter and the cable and I'm taking it to get tested and freshened up with a new cable also. How often does a solenoid go bad? I guess I could replace that as well to be on the safe side.

I see people talking about a ground strap. Am I supposed to have one? If so, where should it be? I can't find one anywhere which isn't helping my problem.

[gmwillys]

Originally the ground strap is a flat braided, exposed strap that goes between the front passenger side engine mount to the frame.the best battery cables can be made to size by your local heavy line truck shop, or you can custom make your own by buying a length of cable, then the ends you need and make them yourself. The larger the diameter or Gage if The wire, the better. The ends can be crimped on by using a blunt cold chisel and a healthy hammer. Either way you choose, add some shrink tubing at the ends between the cable sheathing and the terminal.
Depending on the style of solenoid you have. An original manual contact floor pedal actuated switch is pretty much bulletproof. The contacts may get a bit green, but they shine up easy enough. A Ford external style solenoid tend to last a good while,as long as you don't jab screw driver to start the vehicle without walking around to hit the key.
You'll probably find out that your voltage drop stems from your cables, and your starter will check out to be good.

[LarrBeard]

I see people talking about a ground strap. Am I supposed to have one? If so, where should it be? I can't find one anywhere which isn't helping my problem.

I have a feeling about your problem, but there may be a couple of things happening. Pulling that battery down to 4.5-volts says there is a LOT of current being drawn from it.

I am going to assume the 4.5 volts is across the battery posts, not the clamps. Just a little corrosion under the clamps can add a lot of drop during cranking. Just for kicks, measure the drop from the center of the post to the battery clamp. That should be no more than a tenth of a volt during cranking.

I am also assuming a good ground connection to the engine block or starter mounting bolts.

Voltage drop across the positive cable to the solenoid should only be a couple of tenths of a volt too. I am interested where the 2.5 volts (4.5 – 2.0) goes when you crank. The voltage drop across the solenoid should be only another couple of tenths. If you are seeing a couple of volts – you definitely have a bad solenoid.

Once you get a good solenoid in the Jeep, it’s back to looking at the starter. Pulling the battery down to 4.5 volts says there is a LOT of draw by that starter. You might have a short in the armature. If the starter does not stop on that set of shorted commutator bars, it will crank past the shorted bars. But, if the starter stops on a shorted set of commutator bars, the starter draws a bunch of current and won’t turn. If the starter does have an issue, it may have burned the contacts in the solenoid and it may be the root cause of the defective solenoid.

Taking the starter to a good auto electrical shop and having it checked would answer the question for you. Auto Zone and the like can’t test a starter like this one – it takes a specialized shop with an old guy to do it right.

You asked about a ground strap. Ground straps generally are used to make a good connection between the frame and the engine block where the battery negative terminal is connected. They are often just jumpered across an engine vibration isolator. Ground straps make lights and such work better, but they are not a part of this cranking problem.

Finding that lost 2.5 volts from the positive battery terminal to the starter post is going to go a long way toward fixing the problem.

[CMT-1109]

Thanks for the replies gentlemen!

GMWillys - I got brand new cables made to length with ends from an old guy electrician that's very reputable in my area. They were excellently made in my opinion. I have 1g cables as well. It's a Ford style solenoid that's mounted on the firewall, not the starter.

LarrBeard - I measured the voltage on the battery posts, not the clamps. I can check the difference between the posts and clamps once everything is back together. I am taking the starter to the old electrical guy tomorrow to have tested and freshened up. I guess I should just replace the solenoid so I know that's not the problem. Is that something I can get from Napa maybe? You said you have a feeling what's wrong, would that be the starter?

I hope the problem is fixed after all this. If not, at least I know I have some new parts on the ol Jeep. I plan on putting a 6 volt battery back in it also. Not that I think that's causing any problems, but my charger only has a 6v or 12v setting.

[gmwillys]

Sounds good on the cables. You might have a break down in the copper windings within the starter, causing your excessive draw, but then again, the armature might just need to be turned to clean up for better continuity. LarrBeard is right on the money about the starter shops. Napa will have the Ford style solenoid sitting on the shelf.

Good luck!

[LarrBeard]

You said you have a feeling what's wrong, would that be the starter?

It's hard to make guesses when I can't get dirty with you, but I'll bet a beverage you have a bad starter that may have burned the solenoid contacts.

I'm not an expert (or anything close) on the little jeeps, but I just caught a word we have been using in this discussion..

You say "solenoid" in your posts. The original CJ-2A did not have a solenoid, it has a foot operated push-button stater switch a lot like the old fashioned dimmer switches.

From the looks of the stub of cable on the starter, I think we are using the term solenoid when we are talking about a starter switch.

Oh, by the way, when you go back to 6-volts, don't forget to change or reset the regulator. A regulator set to 8.4 volts will boil a 6-volt battery.

Let us know what you find ...

[gmwillys]

I corrected my earlier statement about the floor actuated switch. LarrBeard is correct, it isn't a solenoid. With yours being mounted on the firewall, it will be a Ford style solenoid.

[CMT-1109]

I don't have the foot push-button starter, just a push button starter on the dash so I know it was converted at some point. I'll replace the solenoid too just to make sure I'm covering all my bases.

What about the bushing in the bell housing? Do you ever really have to replace them? I'll attach a pic of the solenoid.

I dropped off the starter today to be checked and rebuilt if necessary so I'll definitely keep you all updated to what it might be.

Thanks for all the info!

[LarrBeard]

I don't have the foot push-button starter, just a push button starter on the dash so I know it was converted at some point.

OK, now I understand what we're talking about. I slept through that part of class - sorry Coach.

I'm still betting a beverage on a starter problem that may have damaged the solenoid.

[gmwillys]

The bushing can last a lifetime as long as the bearings in the starter are good. The bushing is there to support the end of the Bendix as the engine rolls over. As long as there wasn't any excessive grinding while the engine is being started. If you were to install a new clutch, then I would go ahead and put a new bushing in as a good measure.

The solenoid is a single pole, older version then a typical Ford two pole solenoid. No big deal, but Napa will ask.

[CMT-1109]

I replaced the solenoid tonight and I'm waiting to hear about the starter. I actually got the solenoid from AutoZone (luckily I ended up with an older guy that knew immediately what I needed). It matched perfectly! Thanks for that heads up though gmwilly.

LarrBeard - what's your beverage of choice? I might have to send you one after all the help you've provided me thus far! I'm also pretty sure the starter is in need of a rebuild. I'll definitely let you know once I hear from the guys that have it.

[LarrBeard]

" ...what's your beverage of choice?... "

I'm no connysewer of beverages - just whatever's free and closest. I hope we find the starter issue.

[CMT-1109]

I don't have the starter back yet but apparently there's nothing wrong with the starter. Since I replaced the solenoid I'll throw the starter back on and try again. If that doesn't work, I'll have to add a ground somewhere and try again.

Side note - I found a 47 cj2a about 45 minutes away from me for sale. Definitely a project, nothing complete. Fresh motor (a bunch of new parts and motor needs put back together), rebuilt starter, new body panels, etc for $1200. It was a project that just got started and the guy lost interest. Do you think it's worth it to have a parts Jeep at the ready? It has all parts to completely rebuild minus the glass in the windshield and wiring.

[LarrBeard]

I don't have the starter back yet but apparently there's nothing wrong with the starter. Since I replaced the solenoid I'll throw the starter back on and try again. If that doesn't work, I'll have to add a ground somewhere and try again.

Side note - I found a 47 cj2a about 45 minutes away from me for sale. Definitely a project, nothing complete. Fresh motor (a bunch of new parts and motor needs put back together), rebuilt starter, new body panels, etc for $1200. It was a project that just got started and the guy lost interest. Do you think it's worth it to have a parts Jeep at the ready? It has all parts to completely rebuild minus the glass in the windshield and wiring.

That's not a bad price.

[gmwillys]

Parts Heeps are worth a lot to have around. Even a pile of rust can yeild the asking price in parts. $1,200 is a reasonable amount these days. There are deals around, but they are rarely advertised beyond word of mouth.

The last major project that I had grown to two parts Jeeps, and one that was too good to part out. At $1,200, you could also finish it and sell it. Flat fenders are entering the realm of stupid money for descent examples. International Scouts and Ford Broncos have already reached that status.

[LarrBeard]

An engine ready to go together is the biggest part of $1,200. The more I've thought about it, the better deal it
sounds.

[CMT-1109]

Bad news on both fronts...

I called the guy a couple hours later to purchase it and he sold it a half hour before that. Oh well...

My starting issue still isn't resolved. I'm getting pretty frustrated with it now. The starter is freshened up and a couple things were replaced, replaced all battery cables including the cable from the solenoid to the starter. I replaced the solenoid with a brand new one. Added a ground strap on top of cleaning all connections and it still just cranks very slowly a couple times and then stops. The only difference is now it clicks. I checked the voltage on the battery while trying to start it and now it dropped to 2v so I'm going to have the battery tested AGAIN!

I'll try to keep you posted if I figure out what the hell is going on.

[LarrBeard]

A. Big Bummer on the $1200 CJ!

B. When the battery voltage drops far enough, the solenoid will click and chatter because there isn't enough battery voltage to pull it in. Looks like I owe You a beverage ...

C. If the battery checks OK, where else do we look? Could it be coming up on compression on a closed valve? Arrghhh again.

[CMT-1109]

It's sort of a bummer, but at the same time my garage isn't big enough for multiple projects unfortunately. I can use the money for my Grandpa's Jeep now instead.

I finally got it running tonight! Turns out, it was the battery after all. I got a new 6v battery and that thing is cranking just fine! It took quite some time to get it running though because of the fuel issue. The fuel issue this time was I am a dumbass and assumed the fuel gauge was correct. It's not... I was out of gas. Dumped some fuel in the tank and it fired up and ran for 15 minutes without an issue. The most frustrating part about this is I had the battery tested twice before today and it checked out "okay" according to the battery man. I went out on a limb and just bought another battery (6v) and kept the 8v there because they wanted to charge it overnight to make sure it really was a "bad battery". I look forward to getting my refund from them tomorrow.

I know I've said it a bunch of times, but thanks so much for continuing to give me ideas!

[gmwillys]

Good deal. To bring back a questionable battery to life, an old farmer's trick is to drop a baby aspirin into each cell. Top off the cells with distilled water, and place the battery on a slow charge. The aspirin will clean any corrosion on the plates in the cells.

[LarrBeard]

Turns out, it was the battery after all.

If you leave the 6-volt battery in the system, remember that the regulator may have been jacked up - it won't be good for a 6-volt battery.

Now you know that your starting system is ready to go.

Fuel gauges and tank sensors are easy to find ... KWAS catalog page 209.

[bmorgil]

Good deal. To bring back a questionable battery to life, an old farmer's trick is to drop a baby aspirin into each cell. Top off the cells with distilled water, and place the battery on a slow charge. The aspirin will clean any corrosion on the plates in the cells.

gmwillys... does this really work? I have tried the "turn them upside down rinse them out and shake out as much sulfate as you can", Refill and charge. I have had marginal success with that. Aspirin seems a lot easier!

[LarrBeard]

[QUOTE=bmorgil;7938]gmwillys... does this really work? /QUOTE]

There are a lot of little tricks that give you just a couple of more weeks out of a battery that has come to the end of its road. Aspirins, fresh acid, several commercial "never buy a battery again" additives - but the fact is that if you want a reliable battery with the capacity you expect/need, a trip to the store is the best solution.

I'm still debating a bit, but I think I am going to get a "battery minder" to put on the 6-volt battery in the truck. I really try to start it every week or so - but it sits a lot and I don't believe sitting that much is best on a battery.

I'll decide about that come next winter hibernation.

[gmwillys]

For all the Sheriff's seasonal equipment, we used battery tenders. They work great, as long as you remember to disconnect the harness before leaving in a rush. They make them with a solar panel as well, if the piece of equipment sits out doors.