LIVE BLOG: Guess What Time David Finishes This Huge List Of Tasks On His eBay Jeep Project, And You’ll Win A Prize

My timeline for completing my eBay WWII Jeep project means I have no choice but to get the entire drivetrain and braking system done now; this means I’m wrenching through the night tonight in an all-out offensive attack on rusty bolts, greasy bearings, and stubborn press fits. To ensure that I complete this ambitious list of tasks, I’m risking embarrassment by telling all of you everything I plan to get done before the night is done, and to make it fun: I’m going to give a prize to whoever guesses what time tonight I complete all this work.

We’re trying something new today: a LIVE wrenching-blog. This is partly to make it more fun for you, dear reader, and also to really help motivate me beyond my normal level of motivation. I have a ton of work to do, and if I have to check in hourly to give an update, I’m a lot less likely to dilly-dally. I’ve got to get stuff done.

Speaking of things I have to get done, my goal is to get the drivetrain and the brakes done today. This way, all I have to do is get the engine running and, theoretically, I can try to drive this thing. Here’s the list of tasks I plan to complete before I go to sleep — it’s an ambitious one, and I give myself a 50% chance of pulling it off before midnight

1. Rebuild all drum brakes
2. Remove and replace all 8 outer wheel bearings
3. Remove and replace all 4 inner axle seals
4. Remove and replace rear pinion seal
5. Install all new brake lines
6. Install all new brake hoses
7. Remove and replace all kingpin bearings (check drag with pull-scale and shim appropriately)
8. Remove and replace all kingpin seals as well as any wheel bearing seals
9. Install rear driveshaft [UPDATE: okay, the front one.]

With this done, I should be able to stop, I should be able to steer (ish; I still have more to rebuild before I’m done, but I can use old parts in the interim), and I should be able to go if my engine runs and my transmission/transfer case rebuild turns out to have been done properly.

I know this live-blog skips a bit ahead of our latest wrenching update — which mentioned how Laurence and I had ended up in a bit of a bind when I cracked a piston. This was just after we’d rebuild the transfer case and bolted it to the rebuilt transmission. As you’ll see in these live blogs, things are a bit farther along, and I’ll come back and discuss where things stand in a future update. But I wanted to do this live-blog and issue a challenge:

Whoever can guess, within 10 minutes, when I complete the above list of tasks, will receive a prize. I don’t know exactly what the prize is, but maybe I’ll ask you about what cars you like, and maybe I’ll choose a price to best suit your tastes.

[Editor’s Note: Actually, we do know the prize! Whoever guesses the closest gets 50% off a membership or an upgrade if they’re an existing member, and what the hey, I’ll do a drawing of a car, just for you! How’s that sound? – JT]

I’ll be doing this mostly alone, with a tiny bit of help from our Video Manager, Griffin Riley (I’m going to have him pack all my bearings). I don’t plan to take any breaks aside from meals, which I’ll eat on the premises. I have all the parts I need, but there’s a chance I’ll realize halfway through that I’m missing something. I’ll do my best to wrangle something together.

Otherwise, I’m just tearing apart some old axles and rebuilding their outer bits, along with their seals. Plus I’m installing brake lines and hoses and a rear driveshaft. Sounds doable, right? [wipes brow]. I’ll take any encouragement in the comments!

UPDATE 1

Doing rear pinion seal.

UPDATE 2:

David has informed me he installed the front driveshaft, not the rear. That still counts. And he’s wisely getting a shop to put the U-joints on the rear driveshaft! – JT

Top graphic image: David Tracy