Getting the Jeep CJ3B home!!!

Update on April 18th, 2009

Hey guys
I have been busy over the past week, that’s the reason that I haven’t been able to update this thread.

Alot has happened since I wrote last.

Petrol Tank issue I had no luck with the original fuel tank, so I purchased a local (desi) tank and put that in. In the meantime the spare part guy is on the lookout for a new petrol tank, and as soon as he finds one I will take it and put it as a spare.
The Hood and the Seats As I wrote last, I got the rear seats frame fabricated new from Mayapuri itself. I found and bought an original driver seat. The passenger seat is the same that came with the jeep. All the seats have been fabricated and covered with the army print seat covers
Electricals & Misc The re-wiring has been with all old fittings changed The front D hooks and rhino hook has been fixed.
Delivery Day
On Tuesday the 14th, I was in Mayapuri for the whole day and after a little this and a little that, finally I got the jeep at 8 in the night. I can tell you all that the small-small things take the most time. And the most difficult part is trying to get these guys work on your vehicle.
Anyways with everything ready, I took the jeep home. The ride though enjoyable, but I was very tired, Standing since 10 in the morning, and the Delhi traffic didn’t do anything to help.

The problems faced by me on the drive back were

• The vehicle was very hard to drive. I mean the wheels were not moving freely. When I was standing on an incline the vehicle even though in neutral was not moving backwards.
• The gear lever was very tight and I had to literally fight with it to engage the gears.
• The 2nd gear used to slip into neutral every now an then, while driving
• The small 4x4 lever, one used to set the high and low ratio was also slipping into neutral too often.
• The engine was loosing a lot of oil from the oil filter
• The jeep was heating a lot too. I mean that 10 kms from Mayapuri to my house, the temperature had risen to 120 degrees. I was shocked!!!

Now these were some of the problems that I faced, but as I had anticipated and know that it will be a while before most of the issues are sorted out.

So next day 15th April I left the jeep back at the mechanic, and told him to give me a call when it was ready. Received the call in the evening and then next evening on Thursday the 16th I went to pick it up.
Now it drove much better than what it was driving like earlier.

• The wheels were loosened and now it was driving like it should.
• The gear lever was changed. They call it something like a Tapa. So the gears were engaging properly.
• The 2nd gear was not slipping now.
• The 4x4 High-N-Low lever also didn’t slip into neutral
  
• The heating, Oil dripping issue, well I will have to drive it around to see whether they are resolved. The radiator cap was missing, so a new one was bought and put on the vehicle.

So I took the car from the mechanic and got new footwear for the CJ3B from Khan Market.
I bought four new MRF 6x16’s NDMS. Paid 2450 per tyre and tube.
While I was there, I got the Ignition coil also changed. The earlier one was not changed by the electrician and was heating alot. So I put in a new ignition coil, the same one that is put in an Amby with an Isuzu motor. 380 for the coil and 50 for the fitting.

The sad part was the heating problem still remained. For even a 10 KM ride the vehicle takes in almost 2 liters of water. Also there is no visible leak in the radiator. But the funny thing is that the temperature gauge was not rising at all. Was this because I was refilling the radiator with water every hour or so????? I do not know.

Secondly the oil leak issue also remains. This I discovered next day in the morning. On a cold start the oil used to come out like a jet from the oil filter. Also I discovered that oil was leaking from the gearbox too.

I thought that the heating issue is because of the chocked radiator and I better get it cleaned. So I took it Mayapuri yesterday evening to show the problem. You see when I start from my house I top up the radiator and reach mayapuri drive time 20 mins distance must be 12-14 kms and the vehicle take in 2 liters of water.
So the mechanic examined it. After examination he told me to send the vehicle next morning and he will get the radiator cleaned, and also he suspects that the head gasket has a slight leak, so he will change that too.
Secondly the oil filter was taken out and the problem for the oil leakage was an oversized rubber ring as a result of which the oil was leaking from the gap when under pressure.
Oil was also leaking from the gearbox chamber and the engine chamber, so this too he said that he will check today. But this was veryless compared to the oil spurting out from the oil filter.

My driver is there now getting these thing resolved. Hopefully it would be done today.

Another peculiar issue that I am facing is that, the vehicle refuses to start in the morning, unless I take off the air hose on the carburetor and put the palm of my hand on top. I am not able to understand this problem….

Starting Problem on the CJ3B Posted on April 20, 2009

Hey guys
I have having this peculiar problem with my 3B.
It refuses to start in the morning, even after prolonged periods of cranking the engine.

I am not able to understand the problem. But once it starts which is after i press the palm of my hand on the carburetor, after removing the air filter pipe, thereafter it starts with half a crank.

Moreover when I talk to my mechanic he says that its ok as it is an old vehicle. Further to show him the problem, I have to take the vehicle to his workshop and to do that I have to start it with the palm of my hand and take it to him.

Please advise as I know that even if an old vehicle, and that too a petrol it is bound to start easily and not manually.

Solution

What I have done today is added the electric fuel pump. Now I will check tomorrow morning and see if the same problem occurs tomorrow morning...

BTW I came back and parked the jeep around 2 PM and the driver tried to crank the jeep late in the evening, it would not start. So I went and switched on the electric pump for 3-4 secs and then while it was on cranked and it started with half a self. But I would be satisfied if this is helpful in the morning's too...

Result next morning...


Good news guys!!!
I tried starting my jeep today morning, first without using the electronic fuel pump. Again the same issue. It did not start

Then I used the electronic fuel pump for 5 or maybe 6 seconds and while it was still on, cranked the engine. And WOLLA it started without a hitch!!!!


I am so happy!!!

I had a little doubt in my mind yesterday whether this contraption will work or not... Thank god it did...

Overhauling the CJ3B

After much thought and waiting I decided that I will send my CJ3B to Mayapuri and get the basic and necessary work done on it, to get the vehicle road worthy. SO towards the end of Maych, 09 after talking to the mechanic at Mayapuri (Hukum Singh), I arranged for a towing service to transfer the vehicle for Friday 27th March 2009.

So the vehicle was transported to Mayapuri and the work started on Friday.

I am fast forwarding to the day I got the delivery. For details of the work done, I have updated it on my thread on Team BHP pages 5 & 6.

I have copied the text from the above pages

Post on TeamBHP on 27th March, 2009
The mechanic was busy today and will start the work on the 3B tomorrow. He will then give me the estimate on the work to be done, cost etc. I will head to Mayapuri tomorrow afternoon after the OTR is over and then workout the rest of the details like hood, seats, etc. As I will be at the OTR it would be a nice opportunity to see the CJ3B;s there, take pictures and get ideas for my CJ3B. But I have decided not to to get it painted now and drive it just as it is.

Post on TeampBHP on 29th March, 2009

I went to Mayapuri yesterday, after the OTR.

• The CJ3B was started!!!
• The sound was, well... not what I would like to have on my CJ3B but was still not that bad too. I have decided to keep it as it. Not getting anything done on the engine, except for oil change, spark plug and wires etc.
• There is no clutch system on the jeep. The mechanic said that it has been removed. So will be added new.
• The brake system, will be overhauled.
• The mechanic estimates that parts worth about 12-15 k will be required. This should everything. Lets see.
• Labor charges 5k. The labor sound more, but he(mechanic) said that whether I get the engine overhaul done or not, the labor charge will be the same. The only difference the engine overhaul will make is the time and cost of parts. This if required, I will get done later and should cost be about 15-20k including labor. But now I am not touching the engine.
• I am not touching the 3B for either the paint or the denting. I know if I try to get even the smallest thing done, it will slowly and gradually go keep on expanding.
• The seats and hood should cost about 4K and 2k respectively.
• The battery another 4k
• Then comes the electrics, maybe 2k. Including backlights, bulbs, labor etc.
• The tyres 6x16 NDMS maybe 10k
• Misc 8k

I dont that that I have missed anything major. So this should come to about 50k. Then maybe later this year I will get on with the denting, painting which should be in the range of 15k-20k and another 20k for the engine overhaul, if required.

Update on the CJ3B on 6th April 2009
Quite a lot of work has been completed. I could not update as was not feeling quite well. The pictures that I have uploaded in this post are quite a number of days old.

• The gearbox has been overhauled.
• The petrol tank will be put in new
• I have bought new tyres. (Still have to collect them from the shop though)
• Bought rhino hooks and front clamps
• Bought the front driver seat (original off an Army disposal vehicle)
• Have ordered a new seat for the back
• Getting all the seats remade with padding and all
• New soft top
• Bought an original rear tail gate complete with original clamps annd tyre mount

This is a gist of the work done or will be done. I have no idea that I have paid more or less for the original stuff that I have bought. Its just that all the stuff that I have bought is original and I am happy at that. Even if I end up spending 5-10k more on the original stuff, I am still happy about it In the attached pictures you will see that the engine is not mounted on the chassis. But at present it back on the chassis with the gearbox and transfer case etc Today I have found a new shop in Mayapuri who has all the original stuff and that too for quite a decent price.






Update on 8th April 2009
I went to Mayapuri today evening. The jobs/status so far is

• Mechanically the vehicle is complete
• the petrol tank has still not arrived. Is expected tomorrow
• I have finalised with the electrician and he will start and finish the job tomorrow. The complete wiring harness will be put new
• The rear seat has been made and delivered to the fabricator
• New meter and gauge will be bought as the speedo is not original
• The denter should finish the job tomorrow (he has to fix the steel bars for the hood, front rhino hook and D hooks) and some other small small jobs
• The suspension job will be done day after. I will just get the leaf's recalibrated for now. But if the shocks are an issue wiill change all of them too.
• I will be buying a refurbished alternator as the one in the 3B is not in a good condition.

This is basically the gist of the progress. Will keep updating as and when the work progresses.
So basically if the fuel tank arrives on time I shouuld have the 3B in a couple of days. max by monday as I am not in delhi on friday and saturday, and sundays Mayapuri is closed. So monday it is.