1976 J20 Build

[JeepGuy66]

Picked up a 1976 J20...out of state and had it shipped.

Engine rebuilt about 10k mi ago; not sure about how much time that equivalates to but tags show it has not been registered since 2010. Considering how dirty everything was I believe it was a "lot" (dirt lot) vehicle for someone.

PO said block was dipped, magnafluxed, painted purple. Yes, i said purple. Bored 10 over. New crank (although I'm wondering if it was just reconditioned), rv cam/lifters, heads done, edelbrock performer intake (non egr), 1406 carb, accel coil, mallory ignition, new gas tank, brakes, and ujoints (driveshaft), flexplate, recent tranny work, frame good, little rust, just about no rot although I think the floor boards need a little love, crappy paint. 35" tires, 4" tuff country suspension (no blocks) in back, 6" tuff country suspension up front. These are chevy springs since tuff country does not make springs for Jeep. My understnding is that the chevy springs move the axle forward a couple inches but one would never know (IMO). Thought I got a good deal considering everything that was done.

Fast forward. Got it delivered. The starter is funky, the ignition (in the column) is funky), power steering pump is funky, and the big one...transmission fluid looks like a strawberry milkshake.

Plus it has huge front shackles; not sure what that does to the cantor.

Lets start with tranny.....

[JeepGuy66]

Used a wagon to catch all the drippings which worked quite well. Little to no mess on the ground.

[JeepGuy66]

Ummm, where's the element inside the filter casing?

[JeepGuy66]

New filter installed, pan replaced using the rubber gasket that came in the filter kit. Read a number of places on the net not to use the kit gaskets because they leak. Wasn't sure if the tranny would be opened again because of possible water damage to the friction surfaces so i went with the cheap gasket. Torqued to about 10-15lbs in a star pattern and filled it with 8-10 qts to start. I used an $8.00 hand pump from Walmart to pump the transmission fluid into the dipstick tube. Worked surprisingly well. Very efficient and clean.

BTW. I disconnected both the supply and feed from the radiator as I suspect the water got in from there. I read the radiator bottom could be rotted and thus comprimising the oil cooling compartment. So I flushed the oil cooler section of the radiator. I expected to see green but did not. I also expected to see a leak but I did not. Perhaps the water got in from a pinhole that leaks under pressure? Anyway I have a new radiator on deck but figured I would flush tranny first and see if I could get the milkshake out.

Below is the picture of the hand pump i used to refill the tranny.



BTW. No leaky gasket...yet.

[JeepGuy66]

So once I put fluid back in (8 to 10 quarts-ish) I hooked up some clear tubing to both the supply and the return lines. One to an empty bucket and one to a full gallon of new transmission fluid. I was hoping (assuming) once the engine was stared it would draw from the new bucket while dumping into the other. Unfortunately it was not drawing at all from the gallon of new fluid. I tried Park, Neutral, Drive, etc, but no luck. Does this mean my pump is DOA? I ended refilling by hand as the old flushed into the bucket. If the pump were bad would it still force the old fluid out like it did? Maybe it was just torque converter spinning that naturally forced it out? Is the pump only to bring fluid back into the transmission?

BTW. Fluid flushed out the most in PARK. I had read that the you need to put it gear in order flush but I found it didn't really make a difference. I've gone through close to 7 gallons of fluid but it is still not quite the right color. It started to rain....so, to be continued...

Comments are welcome...thanks!



Mid flush...

[HowardT64]

I will keep this in mind...looks like a good idea:)

[jaber]

Good looking truck.

[lobie]

I was hoping (assuming) once the engine was stared it would draw from the new bucket while dumping into the other. Unfortunately it was not drawing at all from the gallon of new fluid. I tried Park, Neutral, Drive, etc, but no luck. Does this mean my pump is DOA?

It won't suck the fluid only pump to the cooler. The only sucking the pump does is from the pan through the filter to the pump.

[JeepGuy66]

I was hoping (assuming) once the engine was stared it would draw from the new bucket while dumping into the other. Unfortunately it was not drawing at all from the gallon of new fluid. I tried Park, Neutral, Drive, etc, but no luck. Does this mean my pump is DOA?

It won't suck the fluid only pump to the cooler. The only sucking the pump does is from the pan through the filter to the pump.

Ok. Thanks. That's good info. I'll continue to "hand fill" while its pushing fluid out.

[JeepGuy66]

So, when was I flushing the fluid (engine running and pushing fluid out via the transmission line to radiator) I heard some weird noises; some "rattling" or "light clunking". I figured it was because the fluid got too low (couldn't fill it as fast as it was purging). So just to double check I decided to pull the pan again and just make sure there wasn't anything going on. Everything was fine but I mention this because this time I used the hand pump mentioned above to remove the fluid via the dipstick tube first. This worked GREAT. I pulled a little more than a gallon out and when I remove the transmission pan, I didn't spill a drop! Nothing oozed out like in the picture above. It was very clean other than a few residual drops from the transmission hardware itself but as far as pan spillage is concerned; nothing.

I cleaned the pan and gasket and used it again. Like many have suggested, I screwed the screws through the gasket a bit to keep everything in place and tightened the screws til they touched (just like lug nuts); constantly moving from one to other in a star pattern. Then I finished up with a torque wrench at 12-15lbs; again star pattern. We'll see if she holds.

BTW. there were no magnet(s) in the transmission pan when I removed it so I went to HD and got a couple. Wasn't exactly sure were to place them but they are in there now.

[JeepGuy66]

I mentioned above I had a radiator on deck. I had ordered it from the "zone" via the website for 20% off; delivered in like three days. So this weekend I removed the radiator (still showed no signs of oil compartment being compromised). Ready to put the new one in right? Wrong? I don;t know what radiator they sent me but it wasn't the right one. Not even close. The product number on the box matched the "exact fit" number in their system but it was WAY different. So I returned it and am awaiting another one (mid week). Thinking maybe I should get my old checked out; maybe the water did not get in from the radiator if it not showing signs of leakage. Anyone thoughts?

BTW, I cleaned up the fan clutch. It was totally gunked with grease. Hard to believe that the engine was rebuilt only 10k miles ago (if the fan clutch was new when put in). Also hard to believe someone would put back a grimy clutch in a new rebuild. They took the time to paint everything including the water pump, pulley and crank pulley but put back a filthy fan and clutch? Maybe I'm just OCD.

She looks sad....

[JeepGuy66]

If anyone is interested, here are the specifics for the tuff country 6 inch front spring pack...



I'll post the rear next chance I get.

[JeepGuy66]

Looks like bad news. Got new radiator and everything back together now, let her run, checked fluid level, everything good, tried putting it gear...nothing. Does not want to move at all in reverse, drive, 1 or 2. When it is in drive, there is a noise. Like something rattling around. Put it back into park and it grinds. I think the writing is on the wall but since I have zero knowledge of transmissions I welcome comments/opinions. BTW, if needs a rebuild I'm willing to to try it myself.

One thing to note, I did not replace the modulator. The vacuum hose that goes into the modulator is a bit wet and I read it should be replaced under this condition but to my knowledge this would not be responsible for it initially (not) going into gear and certainly would not be responsible for the noise I hear when in gear (which sounds like a piece of something rattling around).

Again, comments welcome. Thanks!

[jaber]

Check the t-case linkage. It sound like its in neutral.

[JeepGuy66]

Check the t-case linkage. It sound like its in neutral.

Oh man, I had "played" with the lever last week while I was working on tranny flush. I was checking things out since I had only had the truck a couple days. Later that night in researching the "pink" tranny color problem I remember reading a post that referenced someones truck not moving (due to TC being in neutral) and I said to myself "make sure you check the lever once everything is back together" and I totally forgot to check it again. Thank you. Not sure it will solve the grinding/rattling issue but I'll report back this afternoon. Sometimes the obvious is not so obvious. Thank you!

[JeepGuy66]

Preliminary tests look good. It now wants to move when in gear. Although the engine is running kinda crappy at idle and when I put it into gear it wants to die. I'm going to change out the cap and rotor hopefully this afternoon assuming I can the parts same day (mallory). The cap contacts look pretty dark and not very happy. I also have a set of plugs ready to go in. To be continued....

[lobie]

On another note, can some please explain the whole quadratrac thing? I'm not sure understand how this works. I believe I have Dana 20 transfer case, I have manual locking hubs, I have a transfer case lever down by the drivers seat and I have the vacuum switch in in glove box. So how is this full time 4wd/awd if I have so many ways of switching to 2wd?

Check this link out. May clear it up.......
http://jubileejeeps.org/quadratrac/index.htm

[rstep]

Very nice.

[JeepGuy66]

On another note, can some please explain the whole quadratrac thing? I'm not sure understand how this works. I believe I have Dana 20 transfer case, I have manual locking hubs, I have a transfer case lever down by the drivers seat and I have the vacuum switch in in glove box. So how is this full time 4wd/awd if I have so many ways of switching to 2wd?

Check this link out. May clear it up.......
http://jubileejeeps.org/quadratrac/index.htm

Actually I had read this exact article and then deleted my question on this thread but you must have seen it right before I deleted it. Sorry about that. I think the manual locking hubs are what threw me. From what I gather it is either a factory option or a fix. I was told by a local jeep expert that with quadratrac the vehicle wont move without a front a driveshaft. Does that still hold true with the manual hub option?

[jaber]

With QT, the case acts like a limited slip rear axle, In normal. When switched into e-drive, it is like a locker pushing the same power to both. I have run for over a year in a QT truck with the case in e-drive and no front drive shaft.