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The Volvo-powered Willys CJ3a

Did I mention how much I hate prep and paint? :zzz:

Decisions were made on a frame color. I decided to go med/dark gray (Rustoleum Massey Ferguson implement gray with hardener) on the frame, frame brackets and steering box. I?ll go with a lighter gray for the cage.

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Looks great. I've used hardener with implement paint before, still took days to for the paint to harden up. Maybe that's just the nature of alkyd paint.
 
Yup, a day later, it’s still gummy. I have fall house projects I need to catch up on, so I’ve got time to let it sit.

I flipped it over this morning and did the other side, plus the gas tank, trans adapter and other small parts I missed.

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Reassembly...

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Compromises...

In order to get away with ~18? belly clearance with only 32? tires and minimal lift, the t-case is tucked up much higher than stock. I?m running a double cardan joint in the rear, and will need to run a limiting strap at the differential to limit the downward travel, as not to destroy the joint. Articulation shouldn?t be affected, just droop during airborne situations.

I?m using a seat belt and hardware from the Isuzu Rodeo that I sourced the axle from.

I pre- and post-heated the casting around the weld. I did, and have been running, a similar setup on my CJ3b for two decades without issue.
(Also removed the speed sensor from the housing and fabbed a cover plate.)

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The mounting hardware that Isuzu used was massive, and I wanted to use basic 3/8? bolts. I needed to cut the shoulder and flange off of the original bolt and drill it out to 3/8? and use it as a shoulder washer/spacer to allow the tabs to maintain mobility when the bolts are tightened.

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Nice Job !!!!

Hey I have a sewing machine that i got for free and I redid my rear seats in the wagon part factory upholstery and part Mazda 3 rear seat center pads to match the front Mazda seats i got for her.
Supreme skills bro!!! Take care
DZ
 
Looks great! Must be nice to have reached the phase of the build where things start to look nice and finished and you don't have to take it apart anymore.
 
Thanks guys! Sander, I love your build.
Yes, it?s a wonderful feeling. The checklist is getting small.

I cleaned up the engine. Look at that Redblock shine!

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The M45 got all new seals and gaskets.

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Engine is back in, accessories are hooked up, now I?m waiting for the seal kit for the transfer case. I?m back to where I was 2 months ago, but with clean, painted and sealed parts.

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Looks really good! Great feeling to have everything put back in with new seals and gaskets I’m sure! Big hurdle!
 
Are they notorious leakers? The two I had never leaked.

Anything is better than what came in these things. The seals were literally made out of rope and leather.
 
The oil separator box will be the first to vent some oil vapors on the freshly painted block, but I was joking. It is not a notoriously leaky motor.
I just refurbished one for a friend, and used RTV to seal off the oil separator seals, those do kinda make a dark spot.
 
I had a great trip to pull-n-save yesterday. Total price: $4 plus tax. The guy just charged me for miscellanies yard parts. :e-shrug: :zeeall:

My main goal was to find some metric brake hoses after playing vehicle-roulette for two hours on Rockauto with no success. I needed ~19? hoses with an inverted flare on one end and a 10mm banjo on the other. I found what I needed on an ?01 Infinity QX4. I made some little tabs that I drilled, tapped and bolted to the frame.

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I needed some flare fittings for the steering box lines. I found them on a ?75 Chevy C10 pickup. I used them to make a Volvo-pump-to-Chevy-box pressure hose.

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I routed the lines around the steering shaft and under the front of the oil pan.

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I also picked up four bump stops, a Toyota solid hub flange (to carry as a spare in case a locking hub explodes), and six hub studs and tapered cones/washers/nuts (online stores want $10 per single set).

Today I cut the mount for the Volvo power steering reservoir in half and built a bracket for it that mounts from the pass side spring tower.

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It tucks into the original battery recess in the fender.

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I’ve been hard at work on this thing with my head down, just tackling one thing at a time without the endgame even on my mind. This morning, I stepped back and said to myself, “Holy crap. This thing is almost ready to test drive.” It was a total surprise.

Brakes are done, power steering is done, radiator hose templates are pieced together to take to the FLAPS to find something similar, the t-case seal kit should be here today so I can final-assemble that and double check the driveshafts before I weld them.

After this week, it’ll be down to a gas pedal, bumpstops, the steering wheel, wiring, gauges, bodywork and paint.

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