'58 CJ5 'Willie' project

mickeykelley

Well Oiled
Sep 9, 2015
4,130
Republic of Texas
First Name
Mickey
Willys Model
  1. Wagon
  2. CJ
Willys Year:
  1. 1955
  2. 1958
After several people here and at home suggested, I decided to take their advice and chronical my adventure. We decided last summer that we needed a permenant vehicle left at our cabin in the mountains of southern NM. It had to be 4 wheeled since we are there all times of the year and they do get snow, etc. I didn't want another car payment for 5 years nor the high cost of a newish 4 wheeled nor an old used POS that had unknowns and value always going down. Thus we started looking for a good Willys. At first we ruled out a CJ as could not secure items, top off and on, up or down, limited seating, etc. Finally ruled out truck for 2 person only, securing items and shoveling snow out of the bed. We found a great 55 wagon surprisingly a few hours away in Amarillo. It had been for sale for several months and price dropped once already. It ran and appeared mostly original, which we wanted, and all there. After a visit and test drive, negotiating a lower price, we agreed on it and put it in a storage unit until I could get back up in a month to trailer home. That is Wilbur and he has his own progress report under the Wagon built area.

After getting Wilbur, the wife and I took a trip to Durango and rented a jeep just to get to a mountain top area. That was the nail in the coffin. Now I decided I needed a CJ too. A week later we found a 58 running, low mileage just a hour from our home in Texas. It too was original, kept under cover on cement and spent its entire life on this ranch in Fredricksburg. It was in good shape so negotiated a price and trailered it home. Originally we were going to do minimal safety things, tune, tires and take it up to the cabin to be the immediate solution while I did the wagon. But after getting 'Willie' home and doing some driving, I decided to just do it right to start with. Get it dependable, safe and usable.

So I'll be adding a built thread on Willie here. Here it is last September:
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It was actually one of the 58 that got titled as a 59. So to me, it's a 58. Not sure if I can get the titled corrected, but that's a later thing, if ever. First thing I did was remove the homemade wood and metal rattle top and ordered the Bestop softtop. I've ordered various parts I need to get it back to original and functioning. Gauges don't work so I've started working on them. Replaced speedo cable that was messed up but the gauge is stuck so have to pull it to check. Tank float had a plastic one with a hole it it so fixed that and made sure it ohmed out correctly. Replaced badly sticking choke and throttle cables, badly warn light switch knob, missing battery hold down (which was held by bailing wire), new plugs, points, cap, wires, coil, etc. He didn't come with a heater so I acquired one of those. Then research, questions, research and circle after circle.

Here is the old unrepairable heater core and a replacement from O'Reilys. I'll have to do just a little case mod since the 2 nipples are just a tad too close to each other. But it was new and only $35. And here is the case after torn apart. By the way, that squirrel cage was solid rust before vinegar bath.
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Our CJ only came with driver and passenger seats. It didn't take long to realize we wanted a back seat for passengers, which lead me down this road. As I now know and most of you already knew, trying to make it original is problematic. Not many rear seats made originally, 60 years of time, etc., so it's either the new stuff that totally does not look vintage, or going with one of the reproduction military style or CJ3/4 with the spring tension plungers style, etc. They don't flip/fold out of way plus making the brackets to slip under, cutting to install the spring plungers (which I've been told don't work so good).


While working on Wilbur the 55 wagon, I measured it's back seat and decided it was just not wide enough. Then I thought I could just add 5 inches to each side, figure out how to widen the springs, etc. And if I wanted to ever remove it temporarily, I'd would still be left with the L shaped brackets in the floor which would be in the way and haderzous and require undoing the bolts. What a pain!


Then it hit me!!!! A perfect solution..........


So I measured the front drivers seat and it's perfect. It sits flat but easy enough to to weld on 2 legs. So I ordered a front wagon seat from Montana Overland and found 2 of the CJ passenger seat pivot brackets. As soon as I get the seat recovered, I can determine what height to make the legs. Then I'll make up pivot pins just like the front passenger seat, mount the brackets to the floor and be set. I'll be able to flip and fold the seat if I need space in the back and actually easily remove the whole thing if needed, just like the passenger seat. No unbolting and the only thing left on the floor will be the brackets which are pretty low profile.


I'll post pics as I go as I think it will be a great solution, at least for me.

Here is the seat frame after I removed the springs.

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And here are the floor brackets, which are standard passenger seat items for the older CJ's.
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I've torn down the seat and boy is it nasty after 55 years of yuck. The seat had been into once before because some coil springs had been added, but more of the S springs have broken. First job is rust removal. Here are the springs before:
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And here they are soaking in my home made vinegar bath:
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And here after day and half soaking, then power washing. Ready to add some more coils then to painting.
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The vinegar works well doesn't it. I started out with that too before switching to citric acid which I find better.
 
Less expensive, faster, or what? Always open to new ideas. That's how I got to the vinegar bath.

Seeing I was filling a whole bath tub, it was much cheaper, faster and smelled better using the citric acid. :) Only cost me about $10usd to do the whole bath full once diluted with water. Can see the results in my thread on GrandWillys.
 
Finished blasting the various heater parts, ready to send off the powder coater.
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Next step is to take the controls apart and coat the bracket, clean knobs, and restore the existing cables or see about somehow replacing.
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Got seat frames back from upholstery guy to get them cleaned and painted. Not much rust so that was good. However the PO had created a sheet metal pan for the broken main rods to rest on. I tried getting some rods and to resupport the existing ones. It looked promising until I sat on them to test the results only to have them bend with weight. Obviously the original spring support rods are not just regular steel. I'm guessing whomever did the pan mod knew more than me. The seats felt ok before we started this process, but I'm thinking I'm putting enough to money into Willie that I just need to cough up the money and get the Walcks kits and do it right from the beginning. But at $170 per seat for just the bottoms it's expensive. The back springs are all good and since those supports rods are welded to the frame, that's a good thing. My gut says they seldom fail. The later seats the factory doubled the support rods so they obviously knew there were problems back in the day. The Walcks kit also has the double rods.
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So many small projects along with the big major jobs, it becomes overwhelming at times. So many things to keep up with and remember how they go together. Thank goodness for modern iPhone camera and zip lock bags for keeping separate.

Also working on the turn Spartan turn signal.
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Nice progress. Here are a few considerations:

1. Frozen cables with an outer sheath - make a funnel out of tape, tape off the other end, and pour some motorcycle chain oil. Let sit a few days. Gently try to move the cables back and forth in the sleeve.

2. Saggy seat springs - search OWF for the seat spring foam pool noodle fix.

3. Sparton turn signal repair - Mathman's Jeep Truck site has an awesome step-by-step repair guide complete with pictures.
 
Unfortunately my seats aren't an issue with saggy springs, but broken support rods. I did see the Spartan write up which is great. Right now I'm trying to get the lense out without breaking it so I can hopefully powder coat the case. If not, I guess I'll just rattle can it.
 
Frozen cables with outer sheath: try this...Find a 12" section of fuel line hose that will just
fit over one end... Clamp it with hose clamp.. Put a brass fitting in the other end of the hose
and clamp it.. Then pour your favorite frozen bolt mixture into the hose end.. Screw in a
shrader valve and use air pressure to push the liquid into the cable...

I used this method for years on concrete and rubbish truck cables...It ALWAYS worked... In
those days we used brake fluid as the liquid.. Try it, you'll like it. Always wear safety
glasses.....
 
Tonight I took on the heater controls. Willie didn't come with a heater from the factory so I had to acquire one. They guy said it didn't leak, but did not work. Well, he was wrong. The core did leak and you could even see it inside the case. The motor didn't work until I took it apart and cleaned everything. As for the cable controls, the switch was not electrically working and the cables really just need cleaning. That starts tomorrow morning. As for getting it apart, with the help of a couple guys from over at earlycj5, I got the knobs off. There is a small hole on the bottom of each knob. A small screw driver and a slight move back towards the bracket will release the spring pressure so you can slide to knob off. You have to keep the pressure on the spring and wiggle the knobs to get whatever 50+ years of gunk is holding it on to release. Then the chrome bezel will unscrew and release the cable. There are 4 indentions that give you something to grip on. I used a pair of small hobby very long needle nose to catch the indents and then twist. The fan switch is not working so I took it apart. Basically all it really needed was cleaning. However, it is spring loaded and only goes together one way. Here are pics, for others to see what it's like.
 
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Controls before beginning. Pretty dirty and 50+ years of built up gunk.

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Knobs off and cleaned but still need polishing. Red lettering almost gone so I'll have to think on that one. Note the spring release hole under knob.
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Gently pry back the 3 tabs. Don't break or your SOL. Couple things to notice. Two of the connectors are close to each other (high and low fan speed) and the power is by it self (lower left in the first pic). Notice it has the hole going through the board and the speed connectors don't. Not sure why but it gives you a reference point when putting back together. Also notice the scalloped part of the outer case. It MUST go back in the same relative position which is not next to the power. The tip of my thumb is on the power connector at the bottom.
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Here are all the innards after taken apart and cleaned. I'll show how they go back together. But it is important to get them back in the right position. Ask me how I know. When you take it apart initially, the spring makes it hard to tell the exact rotation position it has to be in to work and fit together.
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If you look closely on the board, you can see the contact points. The raised bump is power. The brass ring rides on this raised part which powers the ring all the time. The bumps on the brass ring determine speed as they make the connection on the flat board where the connectors are. As you can see, they have left a travel pattern across the contact points and the board. I cleaned it up and for now have decided not to add any electrical contact grease, but may come back later. My concern is the grease attracting dust and dirt as this switch is not sealed at all. I believe the dirt and yuck I found in there to start with was the reason why the switch was not working in the first place.

In the pic below, notice the brass ring has tabs that fit on the plastic gear but they have to go in specific slots. It goes in the slot closest to the + sign. The plastic gear has a + sign on it so you know it goes to the power. The side of the board with the + faces the brass ring. It has a flat edge so it will only mount on the cable shaft one way.
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When you put it on the cable shaft, you need to rotate it to the point the the fan speed connectors are close to where they each would make contact. Only one of them at a time will actually make contact.
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Next goes the spring. The large end goes to the plastic gear.
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Now goes the shinny gear that will move the plastic gear as you select off/low/high. When you put the final case back on, this metal gear will compress the spring to keep tension on the connections and it will engage in the other slots. This is where you have to have the brass tabs in the correct slots so the shinny metal tabs will be in their correct slots.
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Here is a pic showing the brass down, then plastic gear then the metal gear being held so you can see how the tabs would line up.
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Now comes the tricky part, putting the cover back on with spring tension and lining it all up. Notice in the pic below that the metal gear has part of the circumference recessed down. And if you look in the cover, you will see a tab that points inwards (at about the 1 o'clock position). This tab is what goes in the recessed area and as you rotate the knob, limits the travel so it won't go 360 degrees.
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So when you put the metal gear on, the tabs go towards the black plastic gear and the recess goes up where you can see what you are doing.
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Now slide the cover on and position it so the scalloped parts aligns with the fan speed connection which I showed you in the very beginning. If you have it aligned up correctly, as you compress the cover down on the spring, it will seat perfectly. If not, the cable will not rotate properly and the cover does not seat totally. It took me a few tries to get it right as the first brass ring would shift or the case tab would not be just right in that recessed metal gear area. You can also see the circle scratch where I had it off and the knob would not rotate correctly. But when it's all aligned correctly, it fits together perfectly and you will feel it. Note my thumb is placed by the connector where the scalloped part belongs.
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Once I got it all together, I used some spring clamps to hold it all together for testing the circuits before I bent the tabs back down. I don't think you will get too many bends before they break off, so I wanted to be sure every thing worked right. I used a knob and verified the 3 positions which were off, low and high.
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Now as soon as I get the heater core and blower motor case back from the powder coater, I can put it all together.
 

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