1976 CJ7 built/ build up

[AMSting]

Before you all start on the ?built, not bought? thing, let me say I was planning to build a CJ like this. Really. :wink:

I had researched for some time, and came up with a list of mods I wanted. This was to be a decent trail rig, but something I could drive to the trail. This was not a DD, but had to be road worthy. I also am just getting started with building a rig like this, so wanted ?tried and true? mods rather than cutting edge fabrication. I also wanted to keep costs down, so massive axles, etc. were out.

I started out looking for a stock or nearly stock CJ, but those are pretty expensive, or they are rust buckets. I didn?t need a pristine body, but I didn?t want it to fall off the frame either. The more I looked, the more I started leaning toward getting something that had a few mods. I did not expect to find one that had everything on my list, but I didn?t want to tear all the previous mods off either before I could even start on mine. I think I lucked out when I happened to see this CJ with about 80% of the mods on my list, so I went ahead and got it. I drove it back from Atlanta through a major rain storm with no problems (other than the water pouring down the back of the dash). Those all started after I got home .

So, here is what I am starting with: 1976 CJ7

(Bold are mods I had on my original list)
DRIVETRAIN
304, Edelbrock 600 cfm, Torker, TFI upgrade, HEI module, K&N, TF999, B&M shifter w/ reverse lockout, D300, Wagoneer D44s, 3.54, MM premium hubs, SOA, crossover steering, steering box brace, rear anti-wrap bar, CV joint for rear driveshaft, stainless extended brake lines, outboarded Wrangler YJ springs, Yokohama MT 35x12.5 (about 30%)

BODY/ INTERIOR
New wiring harness, new speedometer, Cobra CB radio, roll cage, YJ seats, 3 point harness, ProComp rear bumper w/ receiver, honkin? big front winch bumper, TJ flares, minor body rust, no frame rust, lined interior, soft and bikini tops, soft full and half doors

Some things I had on my mod list that were not on this Jeep include rear disc brakes, a built 360 or 401, headers, modified 727 trans, twin stick D300 with TerraLow 4:1 gears, and e-lockers front and rear.

The first thing I noticed on the drive home was I do not like manual brakes. I did a 1993 YJ power booster and master cylinder swap before my first trail run. This is really a direct bolt in swap. I spent the most time getting the bolts out and in because no one was home to hold the wrench on the other side of the firewall. :lol:

The next thing I tackled were the front springs. The YJ springs are reversed from the stock YJ location, with the 5 pack on the front and the 4 pack on the rear. The rear looks like a stock YJ front does, with slight arch. I?m sure the anti-wrap bar helps a lot.

The front, however, had a slight negative arch. The PO added longer shackles to even it out, but that made the arch even worse. I got another set of stock YJ springs with the CJ, so I researched and put together my own set. Most advice I found is to add a leaf from another YJ spring pack to the 5 pack set. When looking at what I had, I noticed the 4 pack had more arch to begin with, so I made that my starting point. I used all 4 leafs from the 4 pack, and interspersed 2 leafs from the 5 pack. So instead of a 6 leaf 5 pack, I have a 6 leaf 4 pack. I put this on and was able to go back to the stock shackle length. I now actually have some positive arch when sitting.

Of course, I now have a vibration I did not have before. I think the arched springs have caused a change in the pinion angle. Another thing to add to the list. :roll:

I also found out the alternator was not charging. The PO cut the exciter wire for the alternator, so it never got a signal to charge. That explains the dead battery. I rebuilt the alternator using a one wire voltage regulator, so now I get 14.3 volts when running.

Another thing on the ?to do? list is to add longer bump stops. I need to figure out how best to do that, and then get to it. I should probably do this pretty soon so I don?t mess up my new spring pack.

I was thinking I would need to change gears pretty soon, but I had no issues during No Business. I need to do several more runs before I decide to change anything. The CJ supposedly has a limited slip in the front and an open rear diff. If I change gears, I?ll look into upgrading the diffs as well.

Another thing I was thinking about was changing the intake. The Torker is more for high rpm power, and I won?t see them with the 3.54 gears. I also read that 600 cfm is too much for a 304, and that the Edelbrock is not the best off-road carb. I have a stock 2bbl intake and several 1.21 Motocraft carbs, so I might do that change. I also have an Offenhauser 4bbl intake that should be for low to mid-range rpms. I?ll need to think about this for awhile, and get a few runs in before I decide what to do.

Other future changes include new(er) tires, winch, modifications to the roll cage and harness system, straightening out some electrical issues, and stopping the cowl leak. I want to look into a trans temp gauge and new shocks. I also need to wire the horn and the windshield washer bottle.

I am not the fastest at working on this, but I plan to at least keep a steady pace. Comments and suggestions are welcome.

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[Want2Wheel]

No Pictures on Link

[Gordon]

Chris, great plan, and it seemed to do real well at No Business. It'll be on Bumpus before you know it. :wink:

[TiredIronGRB]

Before you all start on the ?built, not bought? thing, let me say I was planning to build a CJ like this. Really. :wink:
No shame at all in buying a rig already built, it's really the smartest way to do it since you always have more in a built rig than you can buy one for.

[Bluegill]

Another thing I was thinking about was changing the intake. The Torker is more for high rpm power, and I won?t see them with the 3.54 gears. I also read that 600 cfm is too much for a 304, and that the Edelbrock is not the best off-road carb. I have a stock 2bbl intake and several 1.21 Motocraft carbs, so I might do that change. I also have an Offenhauser 4bbl intake that should be for low to mid-range rpms. I?ll need to think about this for awhile, and get a few runs in before I decide what to do.


A 600cfm can run great on a 304 if you run smaller jets & tune it lean. If you want to run a 4bbl, I HIGHLY recommend the Holley truck avenger, they are well designed for off road. On the other hand, The MC2100 is a good 2bbl carb too. You might need to run a smaller jet in the 1.21 body, those are made for larger than 350 cubic inch engines. My '79 FSJ came with a MC2150, 1.21 venturi, #55 jets on it's 360. I just rebuilt it a few days ago :wink: Once I get it back on & tuned, I also have a 1.08 venturi older model 2100 if you're interested - that size came factory on 304's.

[AMSting]

bluegill, I might take you up on that. I'll talk to you at the M&G tonight.

[Jeep07]

Before you all start on the ?built, not bought? thing, let me say I was planning to build a CJ like this. Really. :wink:
No shame at all in buying a rig already built, it's really the smartest way to do it since you always have more in a built rig than you can buy one for.

Buying built can save you tons of money.

[AMSting]

I was able to take my CJ to George's Friday and run the trails there a little. I did go through the water with no ill affects, although I have not checked my differential fluid yet :roll: . I was easy, and everything seemed to work well. I did not have any trouble anywhere I went, although I may be taking over the "Mr. Conservative" lable from Gordon. Anyway, my kids really liked the trails, so I will probably always have company.

Unfortunately, I missed Bays due to an oil leak (OK, it was spraying like a major artery, which I guess is was). I had a mechanical oil pressure gauge with a nylon line to the gauge. I knew I needed to change the line, but just hadn't gotten that far yet :oops: . I checked all fluids Saturday morning, and all was well. The gusher started when I started the engine. I now have a copper line.

Although I was disappointed to miss the ride, I could not have picked a better place for the line to blow. It could have happened at George's, which would not have been too bad. It also could have happened on the way home that night. I did not have gauge lights, so I would not have known until I had destroyed the engine. I now have full gauge lights.

I guess the lesson here is even the little stuff can cause big problems. I changed the oil line in 15 minutes for less than $10. I hooked up the gauge lights in about 15 minutes as well, using parts I already had on hand. I hadn't taken care of these items simply because they were minor things I "could get to anytime". I almost had major problems, but feel very fortunate the way it turned out. Its not always the big stuff that should occupy your time. I guess that's true of life as well.

[Want2Wheel]

Don't worry about the small stuff, just fix them before they become big stuff. Don't step in the big stuff.

[TiredIronGRB]

It's good to ease into a new-different rig. I drove mine 200 miles on the road before I took it to Bays.

[Gordon]

It's good to ease into a new-different rig. I drove mine 200 miles on the road before I took it to Bays.

Same with mine, Chris. Even after the last lift increase, I used the highway a bit before I drove up to Harlan. Looked for differences in handling and such. Plus, you never know when something can just plain break. Why I always wheel with someone else.

Yup, I guess I kinda blew the "Mr. Conservative" cover during Bays. :twisted: But, I'm still on the conservative side. :grin:

[SamuraiGuyTN]

Yup, I guess I kinda blew the "Mr. Conservative" cover during Bays. :twisted: But, I'm still on the conservative side. :grin:

I feel a new lift and bigger tires coming on :grin:

[AMSting]

Here is what I have done since my earlier posts. I installed a voltmeter in the water temp location of the stock CJ speedo cluster. I had no way of knowing whether the alternator was working otherwise, and I didn't want to take the chance. I have an aftermarket water temp gauge in the dash, so didn't need the stock one anyway. I got the idea of putting it in the speedo cluster from my full size Cherokee, where I replaced the stock ammeter with a voltmeter.

I also changed the seats for the pair that were in my Cherokee. They are from a YJ, but have Corbeau shoulder harness slots cut into the back. I now have my harness mounted to the lower horizontal roll bar, up over the top roll bar, then through the seat back slots. They feel much more secure, and can hold me in place.

Another big change is the new(er) tires. George turned me on to a set of 35x12.5-15 Swamper TSL radials. I was able to get 5 90%+ tread tires for a great price. :grin: I got them mounted at Larry's Tire in JC, who took a lot of time to make sure the beads were set well. I have always had good luck with them, and they know that off road needs are different than regular tires. Anyway, for not being balanced, they are no worse than the Yokohamas MTs I took off.

http://images23.fotki.com/v876/photos/4/43165/5042154/DSCN2964-vi.jpg?1181651245

http://images6.fotki.com/v880/photos/4/43165/5042154/DSCN2962-vi.jpg?1181651196

[AMSting]

OK, now for the report on the Bumpus run. Overall I was pleased with what my CJ was able to do. The multiple attempts necessary were the direct result of driver inexperience. I was able to make it through the "slick rock" area once I listened to Jarrett, and I completed the trail except for the trenches. I did not run the stairs or the mud hole. The Swampers performed great, even at about 24 psi.

I also learned a lot more about my rig. The Edelbrock simply would not idle off angle. I needed to keep the rpms at 1500 just to keep it running. Once I made it to a level spot, it returned to normal, at least at first. I may have also stirred up some trash in the tank, as now it won?t idle at all. I think the change over to the MC2100 needs to happen sooner rather than later.

I also had a temperature issue. I ran the majority of the trial about 200, but there were quite a few times where the temp got up to 220. Not terrible, but not desirable either. I am going to try a flush first, then go from there.

My brakes seemed to fade a couple times, especially the rear. I know at one point rolling downhill backwards the fronts were sliding and the rears still rolling.

The main problem came at the end of the trail. We were at the top, ready for our 2wd descent, and I could not get the transmission into drive. It wouldn't go into any gear. We couldn't even move the shift lever on the tranny.

Damage assessment continues, but here is what I have so far. The trans shifter cable runs between the driver's exhaust manifold and the engine. The cable cover is melted through, so I think I burned up the cable, or at least toasted the insides. I also noticed the trans cooler lines are cable tied to the shifter cable, so they are getting just as hot. Probably not good for the trans, although the fluid is still nice and red, clear, and not burnt smelling. I'll need to probably install a cooler as well as a trans temp gauge. In addition, the rear brake lines run along the frame next to the exhaust pipe, so that may be why the rear brakes were fading. I know the fluid was hot on the trail as it had expanded so some spilled out when I removed the master cylinder cover to check the level.

Somehow, I?ve got to get the lines away from the exhaust. Oh look, what?s that in the box? Fenderwell headers??!! So I guess I have another mod coming up.

Still, that doesn?t tell me what is wrong with the tranny. I still cannot move the stifter on the trans itself. I have never worked on a transmission before, so I?m going to open it up and see what is in there. I have a TSM, so I should be able to at least get the pan and filter off, then maybe the valve body. After that, I?m stopping because I can?t even understand what they are talking about in the TSM. If I can?t figure anything out, I may try removing the trans and taking it somewhere, or just towing it.

Oh, one other thing. The chassis mount for my rear anti-wrap bar weld broke. I thought it was the removed rear drive shaft bouncing up as I coasted down the trail. I?m not sure when it happened, but I only noticed it at the end. So I need some welding too.

[Bluegill]

Your CJ has alot of potential Chris, nice project man! ;-)

Someone once asked me why I wasn't going to use the Carter AFB I have on the FSJ....now you know why, because Edelbrocks are practically the same carbs. Great for the street, but their float & needle combo doesn't work well off camber. The carb presently powering my 360 is the MC2100 with 1.08 venturis, and it isn't tuned properly either. You may have noticed that my FSJ starts easy & idles good, part of the reason is the electric fuel pump. Once I take (more like "get") the time to install the MC2150 I rebuilt & tune it and the ignition properly, the 2100 will be available. The 2100/2150 makes plenty of power when properly setup :wink:

As for rear brakes, if both axles are from a pre-80 Waggy, I recommend installing new wheel cylinders, springs, and shoes. It will make a difference. I am (slowly :roll: ) prepping a J10 rear axle - 4" wider - to put under my Cherokee, so I'm saving the new brake hardware for it rather than the existing axle. My old tank has the same braking problem you described - fronts lock up, rears keep rolling. :? Thinking I'll change to a newer GW master cylinder too.

Hope your tranny problems work out, I didn't get to look at it closely after the ride, so I'm not much help there.

[AMSting]

I have been doing a little work on my CJ, so here is where it stands. I took the shifter cable off and found it had burned through the sheath, so the cable was moving but wasn't pulling the trans shifter lever. I ordered a new one from Summit and now everything works as it should. I even have it adjusted better than the original one, so the gear selection feels firmer. At least the tranny itself was OK.

I also installed the trans temp gauge. I drilled and tapped the pan. So far, no leaks and the gauge itself works fine. I will need to install the trans cooler as it got up to 200F just driving around.

I also rebuilt the Edelbrock. The idle issue was from mud in the bowl, probably from the PO. I got out about a pea-sized clump, and one of the passages streamed red clay when I blew it out. I guess I'm lucky it ran as well as it did. I also did some offroad modswith offroad needles and lowered floats. I tried to put in a vent tube like the Holly Truck Avenger, but I didn't feel comfortable with what I came up with. I also have a fuel pressure regulator to install.

I also got my anti-wrap bar welded and installed. I guess I'm ready to try it again.

[Gordon]

Man, glad to hear it was nothing big on the tranny. I like the way you do things so thorough. :smokin:

[TiredIronGRB]

I like the way you do things so thorough. :smokin:

Exactly, identify the problems and fix them right.

[Monstero]

Good deal. I was hoping it was something simple with the tranny since it worked so well right up until the top of the hill. sounds like its coming a long well.

[Bluegill]

Sounds good Chris! :thumbleft:

[AMSting]

I did a little more work on the CJ. The temperature was climbing a little during Bumpus. It was running 200-210, with one jump to 220. I know that is not really bad, but I wanted to make sure I eliminated any cooling issues before they got bad.

Anyway, I also needed to install my tranny cooler, so I had to remove the radiator. I also had an aftermarket flex fan that I wanted to replace with a stock thermo-clutch fan. I was going to swap the one from my J10. Of course, nothing is that easy. The J10 fan was about 1/2 inch larger diameter than the CJ fan shroud. No problem, I'll just swap the J10 fan shroud in too. Well, the radiator mounts are different, and the size of the radiator is different as well. Nothing would work, so I wound up keeping the CJ radiator and cutting an Eagle fan shroud to fit around the stock J10 fan.

I then drained the system, installed the tranny cooler, and decided I might as well put in a new thermostat. The old thermostat was in upside down! I have never heard of any reason to do that on purpose, so that one was a surprise. I picked up a radiator flush additive and followed the directions. I now have a clean cooling system, and the temperature has not risen above the 195 thermostat rating. My tranny eventually climbs to about 160 in town, so I'm fairly happy with that considering it was easily 180 on short trips before the cooler. I still need to drive more to see what happens over a long time period, but I'm cautiously optimistic.

[Gordon]

Sounds like great progress, Chris.

[BillM]

Sounds like it is coming along. Cool Deal.

[AMSting]

Good news from Bumpus! I can say without a doubt that the off-road mods to the Edelbrock made a HUGE difference. It never stalled, although one time (in the trenches) it was loading up. I was able to give it more gas and get through. It still does not like off camber, but at least it is more manageable. I would not buy an Edelbrock for off-roading, but I have at least something manageable until I swap on the MC2100.

I also can report that the engine cooling system and tranny cooler worked great. I never exceeded 195F (thermostat), and the tranny temp never went over 165. As hot as it was Saturday, I think I have these things worked out.

Of course, I nearly lost my fan at one point. For some reason the bolts were backing out causing the fan to wobble and hit the shroud. Luckily I caught it before it did any damage. I have had no trouble since, so am not really sure what happended. Anyway, I plan on going electric soon, so this can't happen again.

Oh, and the storage tray Pitch made worked great. I mounted both tool boxes, and nothing moved the entire time. It is very solid, and worked exactly the way I had hoped. I'll get pics of this soon so you all can see what I 'm talking about.

[AMSting]

I think it is high time to update what has been going on with my CJ7. I know I had more information, but lost it with the board crash. I just never got around to replacing it, so I decided to go back through and see if I could remember all that has happened since the last post. I'll break it up into pieces because there is quite a bit to add.
FUEL
My issues with fuel supply have finally been solved. At least most of them. I finally installed a stock 2bbl intake and MC2150 carb. Talk about a difference! When adjusted properly, these carbs will run lying on their side (ask me how I know)! All I did was rebuild the carb and lower the float a little. I also went to smaller jets (55 to 49), but I haven’t really noticed any big effects from that. I was able to remove the fuel pressure regulator and go to a normal filter with a return line. I got a deal on a 14” diameter K&N air filter to replace the 9” one I was using. Hopefully this will let more air in to minimize the rich condition I had.
I thought my fuel pump went out, so I blew out the lines while everything was apart. I also cleaned the tank and found a piece of duct tape blocking the pickup. I went ahead and painted the tank, but found out after adding gas that I had created a pinhole while wire brushing the outside. Luckily I had already purchased a 20 gallon tank so just installed that instead. The new tank also came with a sending unit, so for the first time I know how much gas I have. My only issue with the new tank is it hangs down a couple inches lower than the stock one.
I do need to adjust the fuel pickup a little higher in the tank. I twice have had the filter at the tank completely clogged with debris. I had washed the tank, but apparently did not get everything out. I also am thinking about a different tank. I don’t like that it hangs down lower than my rear leaf springs. It also is pretty close to the rear differential cover. I looked at some aftermarket ones, but can’t justify that much money. For now, all seems good, so I’m not in a big hurry to figure out what to do.

[AMSting]

Another update.

BRAKES
I had replaced the manual brakes with a YJ booster/ master cylinder. That made a huge difference in feel, but didn’t really make it stop a great deal better. One issue was the lines along the frame were less than 2 inches from the exhaust. I think I had a big temperature build up, especially on the trail with little air flow. A big improvement came from the addition of a metal heat shield between the lines and exhaust. This also cooled the tranny lines and may limit vapor lock. I also wrapped the tranny lines in a metal reflective tape, and that really seemed to help with temperature control.

The biggest improvement was swapping the CJ brake pedal for the YJ pedal. The pivot points are different, and the CJ pedal was not pressing the YJ booster as far as it should have. I am now able to lock the 35” TSL rears on pavement. I have a line on a dual diaphragm booster, so expect even greater braking power from that. Of course, then I need to look at rear disc brakes, then maybe an adjustable proportioning valve, etc.

ROCK LIGHTS
OK, this is probably more for show than use. I was inspired by a write up Bluegill did awhile back. I got a set of LED lights from eBay. Installation was a snap. I spent more time figuring out where to mount them than actually wiring them up.

One thing that is pretty cool though, is I wired up an interior light. I used Velcro to attach an LED to the roll bar. I left enough wiring so I can move it around a little if I need to work in the back too.

[AMSting]

And another update.

SUSPENSION
I have tried very hard not to stress about my springs, but I have not been completely successful. I am using a mixed pack of YJ springs, but they are usually flat when I start. After a couple rides, they start moving to a negative arch, especially the front. I guess they are not really in any more danger of breaking, but I just don’t like the way they look.
So, I got a pair of Rubicon Express SOA springs for the rear. These are supposed to ride very well and have a reverse wrap to help maintain arch when used in an SOA application. I still have not installed these, so can’t comment on their ride or durability, but I am less stressed.
For the front, I decided to make a new pack using Wagoneer leafs, at least for the main and second. I put together a combination of FSJ and YJ leafs based on what I think I need. The FSJ main is 2 inches longer than the YJ main, but offset 2” so I can keep the axle in the same place if I want. I could also reverse the main and use the longer end to move the axle forward 2”. I don’t know exactly what I want to do yet, but again, the stress level is reduced.
Finally, I need to get bump stops installed. I know this is probably the biggest reason I am losing arch in my springs, so I want to get this done before installing my new set. I plan to work through all this when I swap axles.

TRANSFER CASE
I started with a stock D300. I bought a set of Currie twin sticks, but didn’t install them until I needed to rebuild the case due to a bearing going out. The rebuild itself wasn’t bad. I made modifications to the shift rail so I could have high/ low range control of each axle, but still retain the interlock to prevent one axle in high and the other in low.
I would not recommend the Currie twin sticks. They seem flimsy, and one of the levers broke at the weld. They are now operating fine, but I think there are others available that would be better.
I also need to replace the detent springs with the stronger set available from JB Conversions. My front axle slips out of low range on desents. No issues at all elsewhere. I plan to do that when I install the clocking ring since I will need to adjust the shifter angles anyway.

[AMSting]

This should bring this build thread up to date.

WINCH
I picked up a Warn 12k winch awhile back. I opened it up and re-greased everything. It now runs smooth. I installed synthetic rope and have in-cab controls. Other than making sure the electrical connections are tight and clean, I hope to not need this.

AXLES
A seemingly never ending change-of-plans cluster. I have Wagoneer D44s, 3.54 gears, tracklock (factory limited slip) front and open rear right now. I originally planned to upgrade the axles with lockers and gears, so I got a set (D44 front, AMC20 rear with Detroit) from another Wagoneer. I also bought another front D44 already built. Since I am really slow in doing things, I then thought about upgrading my yet-to-be-installed upgraded axles. I picked up a D60 front and 14 bolt rear. These required some upgrade parts of their own, so I started collecting parts for them. Meanwhile, I still had the same axles under my Jeep that I started with.
I finally came to the realization that upgrading to the D60/14b combination would require a lot of other changes as well, plus several more expensive parts just to get them installed and usable. So, I decided to revert back to my original upgrade plans of an AMC20 rear with Detroit, and a D44 front with a Lockrite. Fun soon ensued.
My built front D44 had a lockrite, 4.56 gears, and alloy shafts when I bought it. What I did not know until I disassembled it for cleaning and installation prep was that the splines on both shafts were twisted. So, I ordered a set of alloy shafts. I will also swap my existing knuckles to the new axle since they are already set up for crossover steering. Other than the spring perch welding, etc. I should now be good to go with this for installation.
The rear was significantly more disappointing. I was told it had a Detroit locker, but found out it only has the EZ locker. That is one of the pitfalls of being slow, since I have had this axle for some time. I did know I needed to re-gear. So, now I need to get a Detroit as well as the new gears. After thinking far longer than it should have taken, I decided to keep my current rear D44 under the Jeep and install a Detroit and gears in that. It already has the spring perches where they should be, as well as the anti-wrap bar, so the only thing I need to do is the locker and gear install. All these delays are typical, but I do actually see the light at the end of the tunnel. I know I have a path forward, and am actually staying focused. I might even get this done this year.

[BillM]

Keep at it Chris. You will get there. Mine has been on jacks for over a year.

[AMSting]

Time for another update. I have finally gotten my axles upgraded. My front has 4.56 gears, Lockrite locker, and Nitro alloy shafts. The rear has 4.56 gears and a Detroit locker.

I have only driven on the street and the yard, except for the big snow several weeks ago, but it went great. The rear locker is only noticeable with acceleratrion while turning, but it has not caused me any issues. I have drive flanges on the front, but don't notice any difficulty turning. I hope to get out this weekend and see how it does on a trail, but so far I am happy.