Rango.....1942 Willys MB

[Metcalf]

Thanks!

Willys style? Too cold, too hot, scared your going to break down at any minute, or roll over backwards....or forwards?

I too am looking forward to a bit lower gearing. The 4.30s are fine for getting some miles on it. I really think in the long term some 5.38s would probably be the way to go. It's not like I want to go 75 down the interstate. 5.38s would put me at about a 90:1 crawl ratio which should work out pretty well for 35s if I can get the Buick to chug along at 300rpm with its 50+lb flywheel.

[bishopdunn]

Not sure how to PM. My email is bishopdunn@aol.com. Email me and I will send my address. Thanks for the help.

[Metcalf]

I will try and get something out to you this week.

[lstzephyr]

50,000+ views....speak up people! If not I will resort to asking my own questions and answering them myself....

I think that would certainly be interesting. The inner dialogue of Metcalf...

I've been reading the whole time. My question is did you decide on a trip and where are you going to be going with it? Did you find anything about the TAT?

[Metcalf]

I think that would certainly be interesting. The inner dialogue of Metcalf...

I've been reading the whole time. My question is did you decide on a trip and where are you going to be going with it? Did you find anything about the TAT?

My inner dialogue would probably scare most people...

I haven't decided on a good trip yet. I just trying to get some more miles on it now, tuning stuff, and finishing off some of the small projects that I bypassed when I built it.

All in all I am pretty happy with it. There is still a lot left to do. It will probably never be done, but at least I can drive it around now!

As far as a grand flat fender trip. If I could get the time off work I would like to try and do an all dirt border to border trip from Mexico to Canada in the summer. I think that would make for a pretty dang good adventure in a 70+ year old vehicle. I don't know if I can say that now that I rebuilt it though.

[jeepdreamer]

http://vimeo.com/35664626

[Sean VHA #60013]

50,000+ views....speak up people! If not I will resort to asking my own questions and answering them myself....

OK, as an extreme fan of this build, I have a few burning questions:

1. When will we see guages in the dash, and what will they consist of?

2. Are you going to add any communications gear, CB, HAM, etc?

3. Are you contemplating any sort of a custom hard top to fit over the cage for future cold weather trips?

4. How's the radiator holding up for keeping it cool while crawling etc?

5. What sort of lockers are you going to use when you re-gear?

[Metcalf]

OK, as an extreme fan of this build, I have a few burning questions:

1. When will we see guages in the dash, and what will they consist of?

2. Are you going to add any communications gear, CB, HAM, etc?

3. Are you contemplating any sort of a custom hard top to fit over the cage for future cold weather trips?

4. How's the radiator holding up for keeping it cool while crawling etc?

5. What sort of lockers are you going to use when you re-gear?

1- gauge preview! I am putting together a how I installed them thing with more pictures, but since you asked....



I went with Autometer Z-series since they a a good quality affordable gauge with LOTS of options. I ended up going with an in dash tach to replace the speedometer. That is just personal preference really. I think the tach is more useful in engine diagnostics and setup. I can just memorize a few gear/speed tables to know how fast I am going. It's not like this thing goes THAT fast The auxiliary gauges are an electric water temperature and oil pressure gauge, a mechanical vacuum gauge, and a volt meter. If you know how to use it, the vacuum meter is VERY handy for diagnosing a LOT of engine issues and/or tuning the carburetor.

2- Communications gear. I have my tech license and always have my Yeasu vx-7rb ridding shotgun. I don't really plan on complicating things up with another radio at this point. I wouldn't mind having a REALLY small CB at some point for organized trail runs.

3- Hard top. I will not be installing an enclosed hard top. I will be making an aluminum bikini top for the cage to keep the sun off my head, but that is about it. A hard top would lead to the need for a heater, defroster, doors, etc. That is WAY too much complication for me. I just think of it as a motorcycle with 4 tires......you dress for the weather.

4-Radiator. So far it seems to be doing pretty well. Now that I have the temp gauge in I will be able to watch the temp a little bit more. Crawling around has never really been an issue, it has been trying to maintain temps on long hills. I will have to see how it does now that I have a hole in the hood for the carb plenum. I think that will help get some of the hot air out from under the hood. The fenders are also lifted now with a gap at the bottom, that should also help get a little more air out of the engine compartment. The electric fan is now installed on the radiator with a much better mount. I elected to run the fan full time without any temp control. If the engine is running the fan is running. The thermostat regulates engine temp. I have never had a 'too cool' problem running things this way.

In the long term I will be replacing the existing radiator with something better. These flat fender jeeps have such short grills that finding short radiators is always a challenge.

5-Lockers. I keep going back and forth. I am probably going to try an auto-locker in front with the existing Powr-lok in the rear. Depending on how that works I will most likely add a selectable locker in the rear. I would really like to find a used Jeep JK Rubicon FRONT locker to install in the rear D44 eventually ( JK rubicon FRONT locker is 30 spline ). This thing has always done really well with just the Powr-lok in the rear. I think the front locker will add a large amount of off road performance without breaking the bank. Cost is a big factor on this project. I have a hard time spending $2000+ dollars on a set of ARB's when I only paid $1300 for the entire vehicle originally.

I hope that answered you questions. Thanks for asking.

[Metcalf]

Well how big isn't it?



It's not as big as a 2wd gm 1/2 ton truck.....

I brought the willys into work today. I got the exhaust leak fixed,
that made a big difference in the exhaust sound. It also doesn't pop
as much now when getting off the throttle. Overall it seems to be
running pretty dang decent. I need to pull a plug or two and see how
they look. I kinda wonder how the jetting is in the carb?

It's driving pretty decent too. With the big clown tires, and being
stupid low to the ground, it actually corners pretty decent. Steering
is a one hand affair and it doesn't seem to wander much.I would have
thought with the front shackles still in front of the spring it would
have been more of a handfull. I do have metal bushings in the spring
and only a single poly bushing in the frame side of the shackle....and
the shackles are only like 3" center to center.

I do get a kinda weird' on power, off power, wiggle out of the rear
end? I don't know what that can be? I think the tires are still low. I
need to get them all up to 20psi and if that helps things.

Concrete expansion joints are not my friend with an 85-86" wheelbase.
It's pretty bouncy. I don't like that, but I don't think there is much
I can do without getting into custom springs and shocks.

The engine temp seems to be doing pretty well. It's better than I
remember at least. It was in the 40s this morning. The temp just
seemed to sit at the 160F mark or so. That is what the thermostat is I
think. Going home uphill when its 80F, or so, should give it a bit of
a workout. It will be interesting to see what it does. I still need to
make an overflow bottle of some kind. I had a glass Corona bottle for
years, it won't fit anymore.

2000rpm/4th gear is about 48mph according to my gps on the phone. It
just loafs right along at those speeds. It is going to be interesting
to see how 5.38 gearing works? I did a little playing around last
night on some dirt hills trying to dial in the idle and stuff. The
idle is about 600rpm now and it seems to be doing pretty well in low
range. I can see the need for it to be lower for sure, but on the
other hand its pretty hard to stall. I am half thinking about trying
to make a remote idle screw and/or manual throttle thing. Once the
engine is warmed up it will idle at like 300-400rpm....though it
sounds like two harley engines trying to die.

My transfer case adapter is still leaking....stupid thing.

I need to get a better handle on my HEI, how the vacuum advance works,
and if I should hook it up? I should probably get a reman distributor
to replace my $20 pick and pull unit. I think it has a few miles on
it!

[bishopdunn]

You mentioned when you returned from Moab that the clutch internal slave cylinder wasn't working properly and you were trying to come up with a way to mount an external unit. What did you end up doing?