Project "Tortoise" NP435 + 249 + D20

[minydigger]

The new mount (PN 620-1091) was it for a dodge dokota if so I used the same one when I switched out to a XJ high clerance crossmember.

[EMTimZJ]

Not sure what the stock application is on the mount, I just went to Napa and looked in the book until I found one I liked.

Cross member is 90% finished, just need to drill some holes and make the support for the intermediate housing:







Half way through my $9.00 Harbor Freight wheelie chair started to break!



Welded, and just because I had it, a shot of obnoxious green paint!



Capped and sanded the holes:

[H3RESQ]

WOW! Cool stuff. I like your unique choices. Might be the only grand to ever have a toy rear.(first i've seen anyway)
Great read. Can't wait to see it finished.

[spykosshow]

How come the piece you welded on to the crossmember isn't perpendicular to the crossmember?

[ELLLLLIOTTTTT]

maybe because the mount on the NP435 isn't perpendicular to ZJ frame rails... wow, who'da thunk it.

[spykosshow]

maybe because the mount on the NP435 isn't perpendicular to ZJ frame rails... wow, who'da thunk it.

So why not offset it and make it perpendicular?

[EMTimZJ]

Well you both are sort of half right.

The 435 mount is centered, but the other end where it mounts to the D20 intermediate housing is not centered, so that is why it is angled the way it is.

[spykosshow]

You're not done yet????

[EMTimZJ]

No, are you? Get back to work, I bet mine rolls before yours does

[BlaineWasHere]

Tim you said it would be rolling tonight!!! is it?

[EMTimZJ]

No, I couldn't find the bolts for the int. housing to the D20, I'll pick them up in the morning. I took that thing apart about 7 months ago, I guess it was a good thing those are the only parts missing!

Anyway, I did get some work finished. Waggy box is in, just need some longer bolts for the steering brace I made before I can bolt that in and put the front sway bar back in.

Cut some more floor to make room for the 249 box:



Pulled just about the entire exhaust (minus the manifolds)



Put the 13 needle bearings back in for the D20 input shaft:



They ride on the end of this:



Hopefully it will be rolling on these tomorrow!

[spykosshow]

No, are you? Get back to work, I bet mine rolls before yours does

But will it run under it's own power?

[8WR_ZJ]

nice work on the rig. we talked earlier about the doubler set up. we are doing the same thing except i am doing away with the intermediate housing of the dana 20. keep it up its looking great!

[spykosshow]

You are going to beat me. I have to go find an AW4 dust shield cause I'm stupid and didn't realize the 42re dustshield and the aw4 dustshield are different. DOH!

[EMTimZJ]

Charlie, you will probably beat me in getting it running, but I got ya in the rolling race!

8WR, if you can get rid of the intermediate housing then that will be great, especially if you are NOT running a short transmission. There were two reasons I used it, #1 it made for a really easy way to adapt/mate the two, #2 I could get away with the length since the 435 is so short.

More progress:


I had to make a little room for the D20, BFH fit the bill:





Plenty of room now:





Not truly “flat” but it is tucked up there enough, at least more than the old transfer case was:



Note that the whole drive train will be lifted about 1” higher than what is pictured above.

Good news is that the cross member is in and fits…



Bad news is that the mount I had running lengthwise between the 435 bracket and the D20 intermediate housing was too tall, back to the drawing board to make a shorter trans mount.

[EMTimZJ]

Another small hurdle; I realized that the lower link tabs on the toy 8” were only ½” and the control arm bolts were 9/16” ( well technically 15mm ) . Well easy fix, just drill them out real quick, right? Theoretically yes if I had a right angle drill, maybe someday I’ll add that to the arsenal. There was not enough room to get the drill in because of the third member, and the sway bar tabs were blocking the way from the other side. I had to strip the whole axle down to drill out the dumb tabs. Looking on the bright side, I am really good at this now and it only takes 10 minutes down and 10 minutes up for the toy 8”.


With that finished, the axles went in, the tires on, and she actually moved!!!





BAM! 32” divided by 8 months gives about 4 inches a month, or about an inch a week!

How she sits now:

[SuicideTireZJ]

How do you figure? 4"/ month is barely more than 1/2" a week by my calculations, or roughly 1/14" a day....

Just givinv you shit cause I'm drunk. Yoiur jeep is neat.

[BlaineWasHere]

FUCK YES! Happy to see her supporting her own weight... You have to retire those jack stands now... they are too tired from holding your Jeep up for soooo Long...

[spykosshow]

Looking really good!! Glad to see she's rolling under her own weight. I'm getting close. I have just a few bolts I need to pick up and then mine is up and running again. Mine never stopped rolling though...

[EMTimZJ]

Suicide, I was just using the approx 4 weeks per month when I did that

Blaine, it was a little weird pulling the jackstands out, I kept double checking that the axles were really there, attached ok, and the springs were supporting the weight LOL

Charlie, you will certainly get me on the running race, many more things still have to be finished. Brake lines/cutting brake wiring, clutch line, D20 shifter linkage, exhaust, and driveshafts just to get it running. I can't forget steering links either. Then tweaking the bends in the 4 shifters that will be there and making a center console to hide that hole.

[AgitatedPancake]

How do you figure? 4"/ month is barely more than 1/2" a week by my calculations, or roughly 1/14" a day....

Just givinv you shit cause I'm drunk. Yoiur jeep is neat.

Lol...since when are there 8 weeks in a month?

[BlaineWasHere]

Lol...since when are there 8 weeks in a month?

If there was 8 weeks in a month Tim might actaully have the Jeep running!!!

[ArloGuthroJeep]

Looks great Tim, you actually may make it to GSW this year:-O

[spykosshow]

Yea, whats the progress on this bad boy?

[Airmanwoody]

Get it to roll under it's own power yet?