Mudbug Adventures

Every Mile Is An Adventure

Jeep Wrangler Clutch Failure

by Filed Under: DIY Projects, Repairs Leave a Comment

A few weeks back we wanted to take the Mudbug on a back road adventure. I came up with a route to Hico, TX that would take us on unpaved roads. We got up early to prep the Jeep for the adventure. We took the doors off, removed the soft top, and were excited to get started. I hopped in the drivers seat, put the key in the ignition, pushed in the clutch, and it slammed to the floor without resistance. The clutch was gone.

Huge Disappointment

It was a huge disappointment for us. I looked over at Margaret and said “The clutch is gone”. At first she smiled thinking I was just playing around. Then after I pumped it a few times I saw the truth of it wash over her face. At this point there was no telling what could be wrong. I began to worry that we would have to tow it to a transmission shop for repairs. That’s not what anyone would want to hear. We closed the gate, put everything back on the Jeep and went in the house to figure out our next step.

Another Repair

We have put a lot of repairs into this Jeep since we got it. I’ve worked on vehicles since the 80’s and know my way around a vehicle. I also knew purchasing an older vehicle would have issues, especially a Jeep. You just don’t know how hard previous owners drove it. Admittedly a good portion of repairs were actually upgrades that we wanted to install for performance. Most of the other repairs have been pretty simple like the radiator replacement, exhaust headers, valve cover gaskets, etc. A transmission failure is on a completely different level of repairs though.

Diagnosing The Issue

Before taking it to a transmission shop I wanted to troubleshoot a bit first. We had just driven it the week before without issue so I knew it wasn’t the clutch plates or anything major. I crawled underneath and noticed a bit of leaking around the area where the clutch slave cylinder attaches to the bell housing. I removed the clutch slave cylinder and found a seal had gone out in it which allowed fluid to escape. When I disconnected the clutch line I had Margaret push the clutch pedal. Nothing came out of the clutch line so the clutch master cylinder wasn’t pushing fluid through to the slave cylinder. Looked to me like the clutch hydraulic system had failed.

Replacing The Clutch Hydraulic System

When systems like this fail it’s usually beneficial to replace all of it. This is a closed system that only relies on three components to function. A clutch master cylinder, a clutch line, and a clutch slave cylinder. We ordered all three parts on Amazon for just under $150. I had a few days before the parts would arrive so my son came over to help me with uninstalling the clutch master cylinder. That is a two man job and quite difficult to get out. We also noticed a sticky film on the side walls inside the brake cylinder. On the Jeep, the brake cylinder is also the fluid reservoir for the clutch line. The reservoir would need to be cleaned too.

More Issues

So many times during repairs one problem will often cascade into more problems. It’s common because so many systems rely on other systems to function. Upon removal of the brake reservoir we were unable to get it clean. The gunk was stuck to the walls. Even scrubbing didn’t work because of different compartments that prevented us from getting a brush inside. I also became concerned with that gunk getting into the brake and clutch lines. The right decision was to replace the part so we could start with clean DOT 3 brake fluid that would not get contaminated from the gunk inside the old reservoir. I couldn’t find just the reservoir but Autozone had a replacement brake master cylinder with a reservoir. Another upgrade…

Installing The Parts

The brake cylinder and reservoir went on without issue as did the clutch master cylinder. That was a bit unexpected since the clutch master cylinder was quite difficult to remove. The clutch slave cylinder however was difficult. There isn’t much working room in the area where it is installed. Removing the drive shaft would have helped a lot. Once we installed the clutch parts we had to bleed both the brake lines and the clutch line. I watched a couple videos about purging air from the clutch system, none of them followed the instruction manual from the manufacturer. I decided to follow the provided instructions first and even though accessing the bleeder valve on the clutch slave cylinder was difficult, the process worked perfectly. We also completely purged the brake lines of the old fluid which was very dark until fresh clean DOT 3 fluid came out of each line.

Complete Success

The next day we drove the Jeep a couple hundred miles to test the clutch and brakes. Everything worked perfectly and we had a great day. I’ve been testing the clutch every couple days to make sure it is holding pressure, which it is. I am also grateful that the issue arose while the Jeep was sitting at the house instead of on the road, or even worse, on a trail.

Replacing The Tail Lights On Our Jeep Wrangler

by Filed Under: DIY Projects, Jeep Accessories, Jeep Maintenance Leave a Comment

For quite a while we have known about issues with our LED tail lights. People behind us on trails would often let us know one was flickering or only partially lighting up. Margaret saw it the last time we were out when she was filming from behind the Jeep. We’ve never really liked the tail lights. The ridiculous little LED spots just look stupid to us. I don’t understand why so many people are awe struck by LED tail lights and consider them an “upgrade” So we finally decided to swap them out.

At first I was looking at more LED tail lights. Not only were they quite expensive the styles were simply unimpressive. The more styles of LED’s I looked at the more unimpressed I became. This went on for a couple of days. I would find a couple that might look all right and show Margaret. She would frown about them clearly showing her distaste for any of them. Finally I just pulled up stock Jeep JK lights with a bulb. I liked it. Margaret liked it. So, for under $100 we ordered them from Amazon and they were delivered to our doorstep the next day.

Replacing them was very easy. 2 screws each and disconnect the wiring harness. I took about 5 minutes to replace both of them and that was even recording a short video. They light up well and provide better visibility than the LED style that was on the Jeep when we bought it. Here is a link to the short video if you decide to replace yours:

Here is a link to the short video:

 

Replaced The Radiator On Our Jeep

by Filed Under: DIY Projects, Jeep Maintenance, Maintenance Leave a Comment

Not a whole lot to write about on this. Our Jeep radiator has been leaking for over a year. Probably since we bought it. I always assumed the radiator fluid that was dripping was coming from the over flow tank. The splashes and drips came from the area of the overflow tank. It is really hard to see a lot of the seams on a Jeep radiator because of the plastic covers they encase it in. I finally was able to somewhat pin point the area of the leak and discovered it was coming from the drivers side towards the top of the radiator.

Removing the Radiator

You can see in the picture above the wet areas that show where it was leaking. This was with the Jeep sitting for over a week. The leaks are small and only leak droplets. Over time though it does make a mess on the under carriage and require a top off on fluid. High out door temperatures would cause it to leak quite a bit more when driving. Removing it was fairly easy. Take off all the plastic covers, the fan, hoses, overflow tank, air filter housing, Temperature wires, A/C coil, a couple of screws and it just pulls out. Took about 30 minutes to remove.

Replacing the Radiator

After researching radiator replacements I decided to go with an OEM Mopar radiator. There were some decent reviews for aluminum after market radiators and of some 3rd party exact replacements. Nothing however came close to the hands down comments, reviews, and recommendations as the OEM Mopar radiator. Price wise it was higher than any other radiator. It did fit without any modifications though. We ordered it through amazon and it was shipped from Mopar direct. It took 2 weeks for arrival. As I mentioned, it fit perfectly without issue and took about an hour to complete installation. I filled radiator until the anti-freeze was at the top and started the Jeep. I put the heater on full and let it run while I continued to fill the radiator until the bubbling stopped and the radiator would not accept any more fluid. Simply performing this process purged any air out of the line.

Test Driving

We took a couple test drives with it afterwards to check running temperature on the road. One of these was a 200 mile round trip to Loco Coyote in Glen Rose, TX for some BBQ. No overheating occurred and the temperature gauge actually sat a little lower than it used to. Our Jeep doesn’t have a digital display to know the exact running temperature so we have to go by the gauge. When the weather becomes reasonable again we will be ready to do some wheeling!

Repairing The Front Axle On Our Jeep

by Filed Under: DIY Projects, Jeep Maintenance, Off-Road, Repairs Leave a Comment

After breaking down the front axle and accessing the damage we settled on the repair decisions. This was the perfect time to perform parts upgrades. When we had the rear axle upgraded by Redemption Offroad and the gear ratio changed, we did not upgrade the front axle. There were money concerns which prevented that upgrade. We knew there was a good possibility of the front axle breaking by not upgrading and it finally did.

Installing The Limited Slip Differential

First we had to clean all of the metal shards that littered the inside of the differential. Next we had to remove the Yukon ring gear from the old carrier and reinstall it on the new PowerTrax Grip Pro LSD. I then made a pair of SETUP bearings for adjusting the backlash of the ring gear on the new LSD. This was done by purchasing the bearings at Autozone and using a dremel tool I carefully ground the inside until they would slide onto the new LSD. This allowed me to install the LSD and shim it until the correct backlash was set. Once the backlash was set I removed the LSD and using a press, installed the permanent Yukon bearings onto the LSD. Now the LSD was ready for final installation.

Installing The Axle Shafts

Next came the install of the Ten Factory Chromoly Axle Shafts. This was very easy. It really only involved oiling the shaft and carefully sliding it through the axle until the splines set into the grooves of the LSD. Be sure to determine the groove count on both ends and the lengths of each axle before purchasing. We also took the opportunity to install Axle Shaft Seals to prevent water and mud from entering the axle shaft.

Final Steps To Completion

The rest of the rebuild was easy. Installed the hub assembly, brakes, wheels, differential cover, and tie rod. We finalized the rebuild by filling the differential with 90W gear oil. For testing I put it into 4WD and slowly drove it a short distance. I had to be easy on it because the rear axle still had to be repaired. Soon after we had the Jeep hauled to Redemption Offroad for the rear axle repairs. It was under warranty so it was the logical course of action.

Rear Axle Repair

The rear axle suffered a lot of damage as well. We snapped the driver side axle shaft. Pieces of it ground up inside the differential and destroyed the E-Locker. Both the axle shaft and E-locker had to be replaced. Redemption Offroad made the repairs which got us back on the road again. The picture shows the inside of the E-locker.

Final Thoughts

This experience was quite educational. Fortunately we were somewhat close to home when we broke the Jeep. It also taught us to make sure to upgrade everything necessary when performing initial modifications. Other than the rear axle shaft, the weakest components failed. These were the parts we had not upgraded. This could have easily happened on one of our out of state off road trips which would have been a complete disaster. For now though, were ready to wheel again and are planning our next adventure. This time with the front drive train upgraded as well.

The Front Axle On Our Jeep Wrangler

by Filed Under: DIY Projects, Jeep Maintenance, Repairs Leave a Comment

Decisions To Be Made

At this point we had to decide what parts we were going to use for repairs. Cost would play heavily into this decision. The stock components had given out which means if we repaired back to stock it would probably happen again. Because of this we decided to perform some upgrades.

Axle Shafts

The first upgrade were the axle shafts. From the pictures on the last post you can clearly see the twisting that occurred. That twist was at the point where the axle shaft is inserted into the carrier. The stock shafts simply weren’t able to handle the level of wheeling we have been doing. I suppose we were fortunate they didn’t snap or there would have been even more damage. We upgraded the axle shafts to Ten Factory 4340 Chromoly axle shafts. This will be quite an upgrade from the stock axle shafts and hopefully be able to handle the larger tires and level of wheeling we are doing.

Differential Carrier

Next was the difficult decision about what to install in the differential. While it is broken down is a great time for upgrades. The only problem is it can get very expensive at this point. We wanted to install an E-Locker like we did in the rear axle. The Eaton locker runs right at $1000. As much as we wanted to upgrade to the Eaton locker, we simply didn’t have the finances at this time to do so. Another option was to rebuild the stock carrier with heavier spider gears. This would have cost us right at $200 and would have only made the carrier stronger. It would not have helped with traction to both tires when needed since it would still be an open differential. After researching heavily for a couple of weeks we decided on the Powertrax Grip Pro Extreme Traction System. This is a limited slip differential that will apply torque to the wheel that is not rotating. Basically if one wheel is slipping it will engage the other wheel so that both will be providing traction. This is an in between solution to an open differential and a locker. Cost did play into the decision. This carrier was $351 which was only a small amount over replacing the spider gears. The cost was also far less than the locker. It would also give us more traction in the front when off roading which will be an upgrade for us.

Miscellaneous Parts

Other parts were more common that we replaced or added. We had to get new bearings and races for the carrier. We also added axle shaft seals to keep water out of the axle. The inner seals were recently replaced when we re-geared the differential and suffered no damage. The Yukon ring gear and pinion also suffered no damage which I was very pleased about. It was nice that the few parts we had upgraded were not damaged.

What Comes Next

The rear axle still has to be dealt with. We did not build the rear axle. We had Redemption Offroad perform that work. They re-geared to a 4.88 gear ratio with Yukon ring and pinion gears, Yukon chromoly rear axle shafts, and an Eaton E-Locker in the differential. This was a costly upgrade but made a positive impact on the capability of the Jeep on more extreme offroading. At this point we don’t know exactly what is broke in the rear axle. We only know for sure one of the axle shafts snapped. After our next post on the front axle rebuild we will cover all the information about the rear axle.

 

 

Discovering What We Broke On The Jeep

by Filed Under: DIY Projects, Jeep Maintenance, Repairs Leave a Comment

After towing the Jeep home and sleeping on what transpired we had to make some decisions. We knew a lot of parts were broken. We didn’t know the extent though. I decided to wait until the following Monday and call Redemtion Offroad for some quotes. They built the rear axle for us so we knew some of those parts at least would have a warranty.

Our First Option

I called Redemtion Offroad and told them what had happened and the symptoms resulting from the breakage. Wayne said we most likely broke a rear axle shaft since it wouldn’t move in 2WD but would move with the lockers engaged. The front however could be many issues. We knew all of the front axle components other than the Ring and Pinion gears were stock. We also knew it was only a matter of time before we broke those parts. Wayne gave us a quote for a few options based on the information I gave him. First option was to rebuild with used stock front axle shafts and replace spider gears if those were out. This was the cheapest way out but would put the Jeep back in the same shape as it was. This would not upgrade the front to handle the larger tires and heavy wheeling we have been doing.

The Next Option

The next option was to upgrade everything. Chrome Moly Axle Shafts and Electronic Locker. This option is what probably needed to happen but it was also costly. Now we were talking over $2500. That was only for the front axle. At that point he told us if we were going to spend that much to overhaul and upgrade our dana 30 axle it would be better to spend a bit more and just order a fully loaded upgraded dana 44 axle instead. Now with options we had to come to a decision.

Our Next Move

Because we did not know the extend of damage to the front I decided to drain the differential and see if there were any metal shards in the oil. Removing the drain plug revealed a lot. It was literally covered in metal shards. Now I knew there was carrier damage so I remove the differential cover. Now the extent of the differential damage was revealed. The spider gears in the carrier were almost gone. The teeth had shredded and were laying in the bottom of the differential. At this point I wasn’t even thinking about having anyone else perform the repairs. I was actually kind of excited to continue tearing apart the front looking for damages. It only took about 2.5 hours and I had the entire axle tore apart.

What Was Damaged

The spider gears were gone. We also found the axle shafts had twisted at the point they mated with the carrier. So new axle shafts were now necessary as well. The Yukon Ring and Pinion gears had no damage at all. The seals were still intact as well. We would need new carrier bearings for the rebuild as well. Now that it was in pieces I decided to go ahead and perform the repairs myself. The only parts under warranty in the front axle were the Yukon Ring and Pinion which were still good. Doing the work myself would void any warranty on those 2 parts but at this point that cost is negligible. This gives us the opportunity to upgrade the front axle. We will have Redemption Offroad repair the rear axle because of the warranty. The next post will cover the parts we used and the rebuild.

Jeep Exhaust Manifold Continued

by Filed Under: DIY Projects, Jeep Maintenance, Repairs Leave a Comment

After discovering the broken bolt on the passenger side exhaust manifold I decided to go ahead and make the proper repairs. After removing the passenger side manifold I was greeted by a welcome surprise! The bolt was not broken into the block like the drivers side. There was still some of the bolt sticking out for me to grab. Using a pair of vice grips I was able to loosen it and even remove it by hand.

What We Discovered Next

The exhaust manifold on the passenger side also had a crack. It wasn’t as bad as the other side but we decided to replace it. Having gone this far it only made sense to complete the work properly. The crack wasn’t the only issue we found though. I noticed the rear spark plug had quite a bit of oil on it. After closer inspection I found the valve cover gasket was leaking. It only made sense to repair that as well. Upon removal of the valve cover I was unable to simply remove the gasket. It had solidified along the bottom edge and cracked into pieces. I had to dig out all the hardened rubber in preparation for the new gasket.

Getting the Parts

Summit Racing again provided the replacement exhaust manifold. I already had new bolts from the kit from the driver side replacement. The valve cover gasket came from Autozone. Then came the next problem. No auto store anywhere local had the manifold gasket. Summit could get the part but it would have been a month before it arrived. We had to order it from Amazon at a higher cost but it would arrive within 5 days.

Installing the Parts

It only took a couple hours to reinstall the new parts. Once again the Jeep is ready to go. We’ll take it out a couple times before our next off road adventure to make sure there were no issues with the install. The picture below is of the completed driver side install. I couldn’t get the camera on the passenger side manifold for a final picture due to lack of space but it looks essentially the same.

Jeep Exhaust Manifold

by Filed Under: DIY Projects, Jeep Maintenance Leave a Comment

Since purchasing the Jeep we have had a dreaded heat shield vibration at around 3500 rpm. It’s quite annoying and makes you assume something is wrong mechanically. After a trip to Crossbar Ranch in Oklahoma I decided it was time to find the cause. I started with the exhaust header heat shield. That seemed to make sense being attached to the block and subjected to any rpm changes. Upon removal is when all the trouble began.

What We Found

Taking off the heat shield was easy. I lubricated the exhaust manifold bolts that secure the heat shield for a couple days with thread penetrant. Then carefully ratcheted them out by hand. Upon removal of the heat shield is when we found the cracked exhaust manifold. This is a common issue on Jeeps and I really had no issue with having to replace it. If only it was that simple. I decided to soak the bolts every day for a week with thread penetrant to make sure of the best chance of successful removal since they were rusted. It was during one of my daily applications that I found a real problem. Someone in the past had tried to remove one of the bolts and broke it off in the engine block. They didn’t bother to repair it. Now it was my problem to deal with.

Extraction

I continued lubricating through the week in preparation for removal. First task was to get the manifold off to see how problematic the broken bolt was going to be. All of the manifold bolts came out easily by hand. The penetrant had worked its way completely in the threads making for simple extraction. It was obvious whoever broke the one bolt off had no mechanical experience. They just stuck a wrench on it and began turning as hard as they could until the bolt snapped. Instead of repairing it they left the broken bolt in the engine block.

How We Extracted the Bolt

I decided to lubricate the broken bolt for another week. Every day I would go out and apply more thread penetrant to it. This was done to maximize our chance of successful extraction. I ordered a left handed drill bit and bolt extraction kit along with a 90 degree drill handle. The bolt was in the furthest position against the vehicle firewall which made it impossible to get a drill close enough to start a pilot hole. Other than the inconvenient position I had to get in to use the tools the bolt came out quite easily. I drilled a hole in the bolt. Drilled in the extraction bit and the bolt just threaded out without issue.

Repairing the Manifold

After removing the broken bolt we went to Summit Racing and purchased a new Exhaust Manifold. We also purchased a new gasket and mounting bolts. Total cost was right at $100. I couldn’t have been happier. I replaced the manifold and repaired an issue we didn’t even know about. Along with that we found the vibration as well. It was a heat shield on the exhaust that had a broken weld.

What Happened Next

All of this took place over a 2 week period of time. I was careful to lubricate the bolts well because I know how hard they can be once rusted to remove from an engine block. When we purchased the replacement bolts they came in a set of 12. Six for each side. Yesterday I decided it might be a good idea to go ahead and just replace the manifold bolts on the other side since we had extra. I began lubricating the existing bolts with thread penetrant same as before. That is when I discovered someone had broken a bolt off on the other side as well….

How To Replace The Visor On A Motorcycle Helmet

by Filed Under: DIY Projects, Gearing Up, Safety 1 Comment

How To Replace The Visor On A Motorcycle Helmet

How To Replace The Visor On A Motorcycle Helmet

In this short video, I’ll show you how to quickly change the visor or shield on a motorcycle helmet. This is handy if you wish to switch from a tinted visor to the clear option. Given that different manufacturers of helmets make their visor or shield releases in different ways, the basic idea is the same for all. Each visor clips to the helmet with a release button or tab near the ear area of the helmet, and once found, this makes changing out your visors simple. Sometimes the release mechanism is concealed, so check out the owner’s manual for your helmet for specific instructions on locating it. [Read more…]

How To Add Bling Or Stones To A Motorcycle Helmet

by Filed Under: DIY Projects, Gearing Up 9 Comments

Crystal Helmet Designs- How to BLING Your Motorcycle helmet.

Adding bling or crystals to your motorcycle helmet can be fun but it also increases your visibility during the day. There are several options for attaching the crystals but the two most common are with a heat fix tool or an adhesive.

 Clean The Helmet

Regardless of how you are going to attach the crystals, you need to clean the outside of your helmet. You need to make sure all of the road grime and bug splatters are off before you begin.  I sprayed mine with a mild cleaner, rinsed it off with a damp cloth and allowed it to dry.

Heat Fix Crystals 

Heat fix crystals are the easiest to apply and stay on the longest! My heat set stones stood up to the Texas heat for two summers, rain for days on the Blue Ridge Parkway and the scorching heat of Moab. Not to mention being rubbed against as my helmet was put into my saddle bag.

Shaped as a round crystal, they have a glue hardened on their backside that melts and attaches itself to whatever it is being applied to using the Tulip Deluxe Heat Fix Tool.  Without a doubt, the best aspect of Hot Fix stones is how convenient they are. You can place them exactly as you want them before setting the Heat Fix Tool on the top. Just like that, they’re attached to the material.

How To Apply The Heat Fix Crystals

1. Make sure Heat Setter is turned off and unplugged.
2. Choose appropriate applicator tip for the size of the crystal.
3. Screw applicator tip onto the end of the barrel by hand until tightly in place.
4. Plug in Heat Setter and turn on. The heat set tool will heat up in about 2 minutes
5. When using Heat Setter, do not hold by the barrel.  Place heated applicator tip onto crystal surface, lift and carry crystal to the desired position.
6. Place crystal straight down onto project. Press firmly for 5-6 seconds while adhesive backing on crystal melts on the o project. Lift heat setter straight up to reveal adhered crystal.

 

How To Use An Adhesive

  1. Cover the area you are working at with some newsprint or a tablecloth that you won’t mind adhesive getting if it does.
  2. Pour out the crystals and place them flat side up
  3. Either with your hands or tweezers hold the crystal
  4. With a toothpick or applicator tip apply a small amount of adhesive to the back side of the stone.
  5.  Place it on the helmet and hold in place for a few seconds
  6. Continue applying the stones in the same fashion until your design is complete


Have fun personalizing your helmet and gear. If you have any questions or would like to share of your gear feel free to do so in the comments section.