Once at the nearest gas station, I gave it a real going over. The front driveshaft was in the bed, as were the front drive flanges and most of the oil-bath air-cleaner parts. The tranny wouldn't shift out of First gear and the T-case levers were frozen in 4WD Low range. The rear driveshaft was held on at the T-case with only two nuts, the passenger front axleshaft was fragged, and the body looked like . . . well, like Party Mama's face.
So that's my story. I paid way too much for a pile of 2A that needs everything, including a new tub (the old one is just too hammered). Follow along as I tap the 4WD Hardware catalog for enough parts and pieces to get the Jeep moveable on my property. Send an e-mail to me at christian.hazel@primedia.com and tell me what you think I should do with the Bindle Bucket. Wanna see a full resto? Want me to drop in a Buick 225 and Waggy 44s? Want me to stick a rag in the gas tank and light it? We'll see.
During the four weeks the...
During the four weeks the other repairs were being made, the head-stud nuts were soaking in JB-80 penetrating lube. There's nothing worse than snapping a head stud, so take your time. It really did take four full weeks of careful soaking and gentle implementation of an 111/416 wrench to get all 12 nuts off without breakage, but it's worth the time spent. I didn't snap a stud, but while leaning on the grille and torquing the wrench, I caved in the grille. Like the rest of the body, it's technically only bondo and rust with a shell-like covering of paint, so I'm not too broken up about it.
With that much water in the...
With that much water in the T-case, I suspected the same for the tranny, which would explain why it wouldn't shift out of First gear. Popping off the tranny tunnel and removing the shift tower, I was greeted with a seized, rusty collection of gears and broken synchros. The tranny and T-case weren't even worth rebuilding, so I gave them to 4-Wheel & Off-Road Editor/Junk Collector Rick Pw.
Homefree, right? Wrong. Apparently,...
Homefree, right? Wrong. Apparently, the engine was decked and bored, and the new ROL gasket was punched with the stud holes just slightly off. When the head was torqued down and the engine fired, I was greeted with the sound of a thousand tiny hammers smacking away at an anvil. The 0.060-inch larger pistons now come beyond the top of the block and hit the edges of the stock-bore-sized gasket. I ordered a vintage NOS head gasket from Peter DeBella Jeep Parts to fix the problem.