The last time you saw our '68 pile of pickup we were outlining the drivetrain swap that we've started compiling parts and pieces for. Unfortunately, as often happens, delays put us a little behind schedule. We're still awaiting some induction components for the junkyard 4.0L XJ engine we obtained from Scotty's 4x4 in Fontana, California. The NP208 that M.I.T. in El Cajon rebuilt for us and the remanufactured NV3550 tranny and accoutrements we sourced from Advanced Adapters are raring to go. Hopefully we'll be able to pull the trigger on the drivetrain swap shortly after writing this and can bring you the photos and details.
Until then, we thought we'd bring you up to speed on a few of the little things that are required in any major vehicle buildup, but that are often overshadowed by bigger, flashier parts.
For starters, the original 275,000-mile 232 inline-six generated barely any oil pressure. We're talking like only 5-7 psi at 3,200 rpm and above. As a last-ditch effort, we drained out the 20W-50 motor oil and filled up the crankcase with straight 50W with two bottles of STP. The engine now builds 18-20 psi at 3,200 rpm. It'll probably run like that for another 200,000 miles if we cared to leave it alone.
Also, when we swapped in the Dodge Dana 44 front axle ("Project J2008, Part IV," July '08) we mentioned that the flat Dynatrac steering arm positioned the tie rod end right into the tire and allowed the drag link to contact the passenger-side leaf spring quite hard when turning left. It was so bad the truck really wasn't drivable. We called up Parts Mike for one of the company's new drop-forged, raised steering arms and it worked like a charm.
Another issue that arose from our Dodge front axle swap was that the disc brakes of the new axle dragged when used with the original master cylinder. Drum brakes require more initial line pressure than disc brakes to properly energize. Without a residual pressure valve holding some line pressure to the drum brake wheel cylinders in order to covercome the force of the brake shoe return springs, you would need to pump the brake pedal at least a couple times before the brakes grabbed. Since the disc brakes don't require this residual pressure to energize, they'll drag unless the pressure is released. We employed an old-school trick to save some coin on a new master cylinder.
Finally, the antique three-wire Motorcraft voltage regulator quit working, allowing alternator output to vary wildly from more than 15V to less than 10V. A replacement at our local Car Quest was over $70, so rather than take it in the shorts on a part we'll likely be yanking when the engine swap happens, we simply modified our stock alternator bracket so we could fit the GM large-case 100-amp one-wire alternator off our '68 M-715.
Now that we've got our J2000 drivable again, we've been using it to cruise to the office at a mind-numbing 53 mph and for hauling garbage to the dump. Hopefully next time you see our FSJ it will be sporting an upgraded engine and overdrive tranny to deal with the 33-inch tires and 4.56 axle gears.
The new Parts Mike high-clearance...
The new Parts Mike high-clearance steering arm is shown here laid on top of the flat Dynatrac arm we originally used. Note how the new part positions the drag link tie rod farther inboard to clear the tire with normally offset rims.
Parts Mike supplied us with...
Parts Mike supplied us with new longer steering arm studs, nuts, and conical washers. We greatly prefer the strength and peace of mind of studs over bolts. We double-nutted the studs and screwed them into the knuckle before dropping on the arm and cinching it down.
The forged steering arm is...
The forged steering arm is incredibly beefy and the raised tie rod mount not only decreases drag link angles but allows for a ton of leaf spring clearance when used with a spring-over. The arm came tapered for a large GM 1-ton tie rod end, which fit perfectly with the Parts Mike heavy-duty linkage we got from PSC Motorsports.
The resulting install places...
The resulting install places the drag link much closer to level for less bumpsteer and positions the drag link free and clear above the spring pack throughout the whole tuning radius.
After removing the line with...
After removing the line with a flare wrench, the brass fitting that's pressed into the bore can be seen. The residual pressure valve on older Jeeps is often found behind this brass fitting.
With the steering situated,...
With the steering situated, we turned our attention to ridding the stock master cylinder of its residual pressure valve so our front disc brakes wouldn't drag. Don't forget, on a dual-pot master cylinder, the port for the front brakes is often on the rear of the master cylinder.
With the brass fitting removed,...
With the brass fitting removed, you'll find either a little spring-loaded rubber plug (shown) or on older vehicles, a small metal ball bearing and spring. You can use a pair of needle-nose pliers to remove the rubber plug. A small magnet is best for fishing out the steel ball bearing on vehicles so equipped.
With the brass fitting removed,...
With the brass fitting removed, you'll find either a little spring-loaded rubber plug (shown) or on older vehicles, a small metal ball bearing and spring. You can use a pair of needle-nose pliers to remove the rubber plug. A small magnet is best for fishing out the steel ball bearing on vehicles so equipped.
Here's the culprit. We cleaned...
Here's the culprit. We cleaned and smoothed the brass fitting with a little emery cloth before gently tapping it back into the bore. Once the line was replaced, we bled the brakes. We're happy to report our converted original master cylinder stops the vehicle as well as any modern master cylinder.
We hate chasing wiring gremlins,...
We hate chasing wiring gremlins, but when the multimeter showed the three-wire Motorola voltage regulator to be bad, we knew we weren't going to pay $70 or more for a replacement. We had a modern GM one-wire alternator from another vehicle so we decided to modify the stock lower bracket to accept the GM alternator.
For starters, the original...
For starters, the original Motorcraft alternator uses a 1/2-inch bolt through the lower mount, while the GM alternator uses a smaller 3/8-inch bolt. It's super butch, but we simply welded a couple 3/8-inch Grade 8 washers to the lower bracket to decrease the hole size for use with the GM's 3/8-inch mounting bolt.
The second difference is that...
The second difference is that the GM's lower mounting ear is about 1-inch wider than the Motorcraft's. We cut off the rear mounting ear and welded it in place, using the GM alternator to determine its position.
Yeah, it's ugly and we barely...
Yeah, it's ugly and we barely paused to clean it before welding on it, but it gets the job done. In order to clear the larger GM alternator's case when clocked up into position, we had to grind a bit out of the stock bracket (arrow).
The stock upper alternator...
The stock upper alternator bracket fit like a charm. We were even able to reuse the Motorcraft's alternator belt.
There are four wires that...
There are four wires that come off the back of the Motorcraft alternator. The only two we were concerned with came off the charging post. We simply took them off the charging post of the Motorcraft and bolted them to the charging post of the GM. We taped off the other two unused wires. Technically we should have upped the wire size from the charging post since this alternator puts out 100 amps, but it'll do for now.
With the rig drivable, it's...
With the rig drivable, it's now sitting outside the luxurious Jp offices up in L.A. instead of in the RV parking alongside Hazel's place. Once the drivetrain swap happens we'll bring you the full skinny.