Hot mess, a 1967 CJ-5 restoration

[56willys]

Happy silver anniversary!! Hope you enjoy your vacation, I bet there's lots of cool things to see in Spain. The jeep will be where it is when you get back with a rested mind and a fresh start!

[davide]

We just got back from our Spain trip. Lots of fun, but not a single Jeep to be seen.

Before I left, I did get the t-case and drum yoke splines cleaned up. Hopefully I will get to spend some time on that and the fuel pump today...

[bmorgil]

Good to have you back David! It sounds like Spain is missing out on the "Jeep Thing" hahah!

[davide]

I couldn't be more excited right now!!
The exchange fuel pump came in yesterday and I was able to fire up the Hot Mess.

It wasn't without some stress though. When I got the pump in, I ran into the same "no gas coming out" problem. Without going into the dozen different tests I did (again), I'll cut to the chase. It seems that there is a "relationship" with the Dauntless pumps. They have a return line on them which feeds back to a small tube in the tank. This "return" tube has very small holes in it. I believe that the pump needs this return path to create a push/pull flow to get the pump primed in order for the diaphragm to create the vacuum needed for normal operation. When I cleaned the tank a few years back, I think that the sealer I put in it coated these return holes and thus prevented this return path. When I put my air compressor line to the return line, it is plugged and no air bubbles are heard in the tank. Time will tell if I'll need to take the sender out to gain access to the tube and find a way to remove the sealer.

And I hope everyone has a blessed Easter

[bmorgil]

Keep after it David! You have the Hot Mess running around and that's all the fun. I hope you have a great Easter also!

[davide]

A lot has been going on since Easter (not so much for the Hot Mess though). It looks like I will be a bit closer to some of you soon. We are in the middle of escrow on a place in Idaho, just North of CDA (Couer d'Alene). Kids are grown and gone, so we no longer need a big house. Bob, you always said I needed a shop, so I'm getting one!

Through all the home chaos, I did manage to apply some Permatex grey (high torque formula) on the e-brake drum splines. It sat for several days to cure and I filled the t-case up last night. I see no leaks now and I will be getting the rear drive shaft on.

While I can easily fire up the engine now, I see that there is slight buildup of corrosion on the carb linkage. It is enough to where the choke linkage does not move freely. I need to use my hands to get the choke to close. There is enough resistance to where the choke cable won't work. What kind of product is safe to use to lubricate the linkage and maybe remove some of the corrosion? Will a fine grit wet/dry sandpaper help to clean up the "cam followers" on the linkage/carb body?

[bmorgil]

I think the best stuff out there is Kroil. It costs a small fortune however. I use it to scrub cylinders prior to installing pistons. I also use PB Blaster, WD40 and Liquid Wrench. All the penetrating "rust prevention" type solutions seem to perform fairly similar, except for Kroil.

[davide]

I spent 13 years working in the parts dept at a Jeep dealership and don't ever recall seeing a stenciled part number on a drive shaft.
IMG_4342.jpg IMG_4343.jpg

[bmorgil]

I spent almost 30 years with Dana/Spicer, I never saw that either! Unless that happened after 2008, that is not an O.E. production specification. I would say someone did that for some type of inventory control. Maybe a parts recycler, parts store or warehouse. It could have even been a quality or production control initiative at the plant. You just never know sometimes.

[gmwillys]

To me, the stencil looks like an auto recycler or aftermarket stencil. Ponderous.