Summer Job!

[Baskinator]

A good egg for my top commenter  The skid plate isn't currently on the car, but I'll check that out today when I get to it. One engine mount is new, but I have yet to replace the more difficult one to get too lol.

I was also wondering if the slip yoke in the t-case needs to be greased, or if it's already lubricated by trans fluid in the NP129? If I get to it today, I think I can fix most of the little things I have left to do, which will just leave rust.

[captspillane]

Slip yoke in the transfer case? The NP129 is solid yoke. The slip yoke is integral to the driveshafts with a grease fitting near the forward U joint.

[Baskinator]

Yeah, didn't have my manual handy and couldn't remember if the yoke could be removed and greased in addition to the slip yoke in the drive shafts. I greased them and most of the clunk disappeared, so it's all good. The rest is probably just due to a worn driveline and trans mount, considering it's 30 years old.

Over the past 2 days, I finished almost every little thing left to fix before the welding work is to be done.

I installed the new tie rods and got the wheels as straight as possible without measuring. Also installed the new sway bar bushings.



Believe it or not, my gas gauge works! After adding ~10 gallons, it registers half full.


Finally tapped a new hole to install my exhaust hanger at the tailpipe, and so my exhaust is fully connected and complete! Sounds GREAT with the Magnaflow glasspack too.

I took the old hatch carpet and cleaned it up as much as possible to test fit. It looks way better than before. I'm in the process of cleaning up the floor to prep the inside of the frame for a couple coats of my remaining Rust Bullet paint. I would also like to strip the seat frames and paint them today if I get the chance.

I attempted to wire the t-case into 4wd, but didn't have a clamp for the steel cable I used. I should hopefully do that today.

The car is still having intermittent stalling and starting issues. Here it is stalled out in the yard after I accelerated and let off the gas.


The Carter carb leaks like crazy, despite the recent rebuild and new gaskets. I was also thinking some of it might be attributed to the valve in the fuel return hose, which I have yet to reinstall. Some could also be dirt in the gas tank, but the fuel has stabilizer in it. Filter is new.

I sort of fixed the kickdown linkage thanks to captspillane's donor wagon. It showed me how everything went, more than anything, and I got a new spring for it. I'm still not positive how it's supposed to move when the throttle is pressed, so I don't know if it's adjusted correctly. Of the 4 different shop manuals I have, 3 are the same as the Eaglepedia, and the odd one that was most helpful still didn't explain it that well.

Otherwise, the car is a blast to drive and it's so exciting to see everything coming together. I wish I new how to weld, because I could get a lot of that done this week too.

[Baskinator]

The Eagle gave me a lot of trouble yesterday. I didn't get to do a lot of what I wanted because I spent all day trying to get the car started to drive out of the field. Pulled off the carburetor, replaced fuel lines, installed the check valve in the return line, checked the filter, replaced the terminal to the choke wire, checked the spark plugs... all to no avail. I'm sure the engine was just ultra flooded after a little while because I did soak up a lot of gas in the intake, but I still don't know why it was being so difficult in the first place. Had to cover it up and let it sit in the rain last night.

I did start painting the seat frames though, and also did this:


Pair of tin snips, broken sledge hammer, and a cast iron vice got me there. It's a little short, but I don't think it's too bad. What do you think?

[Baskinator]

Nope. Wasted 2 days troubleshooting while the car sat in the field and rain, and even replaced the spark plugs today. After doing everything I mentioned and more, I thought to search the Nest for answers. Lo and behold, my brand new ignition coil is shot. Replaced it with the rusty old one, which I'd almost thrown away, and it fired right up.

The carb is ok after rebuilding, even though it could still probably be fine tuned, and I did find another base gasket that I overlooked replacing before. Can't afford GRONK's 2150 at the moment, but by the time I can I'll be upgrading to a fuel injected 4.0.

[doc65]

Baskinator,

Just a note as I'm working towards a couple swaps myself, I bought a beater XJ with a supposedly rebuilt engine(turns out that based on the compressions & how clean the valves are by looking in the ports that was accurate & not a sales ploy) for $500 as the owner as frustrated by a harmonic balancer that had seperated and he couldn't get it off.  I sold the wheels & tires, sold the t-case, used the radiator in another XJ I was fixing up to sell, scrapped the body, and I figure I got my engine/trans(4.0/AX15) for FREE and made like $250 for my trouble in pulling it.  Might be something to look at...

PS while it's out I will replace the pan gasket & seals & check the bearing since that only costs me a pan gasket which I would replace anytime I have an engine out...

Doc

[Baskinator]

Nice! I might have to scour the classifieds over summer and try something like that. My 4.0 cost almost that much alone, but it came with all brand new gaskets and almost everything I need to convert my Eagle to MPI.

Now that I put my old coil in, the car starts up every time on the first try. It seems to be running pretty rough after installing the new plugs though. Anyone have suggestions for the gap size of platinum plugs? I would have preferred to use OEM copper again, but the platinum were actually cheapest at the parts store.

[Whuntmore]

I did start painting the seat frames though, and also did this:


Pair of tin snips, broken sledge hammer, and a cast iron vice got me there. It's a little short, but I don't think it's too bad. What do you think?

I would spend the time, and get that rot outta there, and find someone who can weld in a solid floor for ya.  If you're gonna do this much work to an eagle, keeping it rust free is just as important.

[Baskinator]

That's just a piece of the floor I "fabricated" to be welded in. Either my brother will weld the floor for me, or I will learn how to weld it myself. I still have plenty of other sections to fabricate, that's just what I got to with the time, tools, and material I had on hand. I have more progress and photos to post on the rust repair. It is being very thoroughly done, and I'm replacing as much of the rusty metal as I can.

[Whuntmore]

That's just a piece of the floor I "fabricated" to be welded in. Either my brother will weld the floor for me, or I will learn how to weld it myself. I still have plenty of other sections to fabricate, that's just what I got to with the time, tools, and material I had on hand. I have more progress and photos to post on the rust repair. It is being very thoroughly done, and I'm replacing as much of the rusty metal as I can.

That's awesome.  Keep up the great project.

[Baskinator]

Just a few more weeks and I can get to finishing up the repairs for inspection. I haven't posted in a while because I've been busy at school, but I have a few updates and photos.

First of all, here are some things I did at the end of Spring break:

Seat mount before:


Seat mount after:


Seat mount/floor/frame before:


Painted driver frame and cut out rust:


Painted passenger frame:


Passenger seat frame before paint:


After paint(mostly):


The Eagle is starting up very easily now, and it seems to shift great. There is still a squeal coming from the engine bay, but I believe the alternator pulley has some play in it. Otherwise, it sounds and runs decent.

I did a little rock climbing in the yard


Also, I was able to take a few very short drives on the straight back roads (Shhh ), and I had her up to about 55 or 60. She roared down the road, because of needing alignment, floors, interior, etc., but it was a real blast and shifted very well.

On another note, here is the next project (my Dad's):

[Prafeston]

Looks like those floors are coming right along. Way to do it right. Can't wait to see the finished work. Also glad to hear it's driving pretty well. You should have it done and ready to drive by the summer.

Dad's new project looks like a fun one too!

[Baskinator]

Not really a new project, he parked it in near perfect condition in 1980 and it's now time to bring it back to life. 1964 Triumph TR4, I4 manual.

Thanks Rafe!

[Prafeston]

Has he had it out in the elements with no top that whole time? That's no good!

[Baskinator]

It's moved from an enclosed shed, to an old barn/garage, to a car cover. The convertible soft top was in excellent condition until a tree fell on it last summer .