Moses Ludel

There's an epidemic problem with fuel these days, and many blame ethanol and winterized fuels as the culprit. Whether ethanol or MTBE is the issue, carburetor and EFI system clogging is rampant, especially in vehicles that set for long periods of time. This became clear when our XR350R Honda dirt motorcycle set for over a year with fuel in the carburetor bowls. This four-valve thumper uses two carburetors, and one has the idle circuit and a pilot jet. The engine ran flawless until parked, then would not idle after setting for a long time. Most of us are aware of this plague, especially owners of Jeep 4x4s, rock crawlers and OHVs that park for long periods. Essentially, gasoline and diesel fuel has a shelf life. These fuels break down over time. The result can be an inability to fire, severe engine ping and symptoms similar to extremely low octane performance. In the day, this would simply cause poor performance. A fresh tank of fuel would solve the problem. Remember that old barn find MB Jeep or Bultaco motorcycle that would not start? A fresh tank of fuel (pre-mix for the Bultaco, please), priming the carburetor, and the engine fired! Sure, the carburetor gaskets may have shrunk and they leak now, but we're running! Today's ethanol behaves like alcohol and bonds with any water in the fuel. This water, instead of laying low in the fuel tank, moves through the fuel supply system. Fuel filter materials, especially pleated paper, swell in the presence of water. This swelling serves as a safeguard to protect fuel injection and carburetor components: The filter clogs and stops fuel flow. Note: This can even happen from one bad tank of fuel (too much water content). We've all heard about or experienced the gas station that ran its storage tank to the bottom, where the water accumulates. The unlucky customers who pumped that gas wound up with clogged fuel filters. Back to the XR350R example, the stale pump gas in the fuel bowl and pilot jet caused such severe clogging of the jet that the jet could not be cleaned with carburetor cleaner! (Drilling a carburetor jet is a lost cause; the bit, even turned with finger tips, will scarf into the brass and increase the jet's bore size!) I replaced the jet with the proper size pilot and rebuilt both carburetors. The engine's dependability and performance immediately returned. So, if your 4x4, OHV, ATV or dirt motorcycle sets up for long periods, consider using a fuel stabilizer or other additives that will prevent fuel breakdown and damage from stagnant fuel. In the case of motorcycles and ATVs with petcocks, always turn off the fuel for both safety reasons and to stop flow to the carburetor. Drain the carburetor bowl(s) when your OHV or bike will set for long periods; most OHV carburetors have a simple drain plug on the bottom of the carburetor's float bowl. Don't overlook the "fuel station" on your toy hauler trailer, either! Use up that fuel or stabilize it. I keep stored fuel for no more than four or five months these days. If my 4-stroke motorcycle fuel can is setting that long with fuel, the fuel gets dumped into the street/trail driven XJ Cherokee and burned up. We do the same with the Ram/Cummins diesel and its 75-gallon auxiliary fuel tank. After 60-days without a lot of driving, I will run both tanks down completely, timing the refill for a period when fuel prices will not be devastating: This is a 110 gallon refill, and the 30-50 cents a gallon "futures-based" price hike can be costly. Does anyone have a gasoline or diesel fuel stabilizer that they find useful and effective? Please share... Moses

Clogged venturi tubes or other fuel circuits could be an issue here. When you have the time, look through my article on rebuilding the BBD. Also, regarding the O-ring, did you remove the bowl vent, too? Look at that illustration near the top of the article. Before you get involved with the carburetor again, disconnect the fuel hose at the carburetor side of the fuel filter near the carburetor. Safely route a piece of fuel hose to a can away from spark and heat. (You may need to cap the fuel filter return hose nipple to prevent a leak.) Remove the high tension (spark plug gauge size) wire from the distributor cap to the coil as a safeguard. Have someone crank over the engine. The fuel pump should be moving fuel. The normal volume for your pump is 16 oz. in thirty seconds with the engine idling. Since you cannot get the engine to run, the cranking volume will be less but should be a steady flow, spewing in pump strokes. If you have a gasoline pressure gauge, the fuel pump pressure is 4-5 PSI on your pump's application. You should have the 3-pipe fuel filter and all EVAP components hooked up. If there is no fuel moving through the pump, the fuel tank pickup could be plugged, or there might be a restriction in the system (doubtful, the engine ran when you shut it off last year). Then there's the often overlooked issue with the emission system and possible trouble with the EVAP hoses and components that can cause a fuel lockup in the system. We'll talk about that if you're not getting fuel to the filter. I'm not quick to condemn parts and start the "parts replacing" strategy. One item that can cause havoc on the 4.2L engines with EVAP, however, is the fuel tank cap. If the cap is not pressurized and sealing properly, there can be a fuel supply problem. I'm bringing this up, because in the worse case scenario, there can be little or no fuel to the carburetor bowl. For the moment, let's not "borrow trouble", there's plenty available if you cannot find a problem at the carburetor's fuel circuits. Since you do have a carburetor kit, I would definitely follow through with the rebuild, using my article and this forum if necessary to assist. There is a lot of creative misinformation on the web about the BBD and how you should strip off the Sole-Vac and other components. This is a senseless approach unless done systematically, and that's not easy with so many components and functions overlapping. Rebuilt to factory, "blueprint" standards like I describe, including the Sole-Vac system restoration with alcohol as a cleaning agent, you can get great results. You do need to make sure all of these components function properly, though, and that the fuel, vacuum and spark systems interact as designed. Not always easy with a 1980-90 4.2L Jeep inline six! If your Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler is stock and intact under the hood, consider yourself fortunate. Any missing or defective pieces within the fuel/carburetor, vacuum, spark control, fuel metering, EVAP or exhaust systems, plus the electronic modules and wiring, will present a troubleshooting challenge. While many CJs and early YJ Wranglers have been converted to Mopar, Howell and MSD Atomic EFI systems (click here for details on all three systems in my 5-page article on the MSD Atomic installation), you may not want to go that expense. I'm not a big fan of the Weber carburetor "cure", however, that's a less costly alternative. To instill owner confidence around later CJ and YJ Wrangler 4.2L engines with the BBD carburetor and OEM spark system, I like to use this metaphor: We tested these vehicles over the Rubicon Trail in fully stock, showroom fresh form. They behaved like any other carbureted engine in terms of side slope flooding and altitude sensitivity; however, they ran very well. I'm a restorer and believe that the OEM system, when working properly with its integrated components intact, can be a success story. Moses

I worked as a light- and medium-duty truck fleet mechanic in my early career. In this environment, vehicles must run well and safely. I performed any and all mechanical service work and preventive care on 22 vehicles and pieces of construction equipment. In the process, I found quick ways to "test" engines, chassis, brakes, steering, transmissions, clutches, axles and electrical systems. Some of those fundamental diagnostic skills serve me to this day. One area of testing was for internal engine wear, and at other forum topics, I discuss the use of compression, vacuum and leak down gauges. None of these tests, however, pinpoint wear on the engine's timing chain, sprockets or timing gear mechanism. The vacuum gauge comes closest, as it can show retarded valve timing or ignition retard effects, indicated by low vacuum at an idle with normal engine compression readings. Retarded valve timing indicates a worn timing chain, sprockets or timing gears. In the conventional ignition distributor (breaker point or HEI) era, there was a hint of timing chain wear when the ignition spark timing suddenly retarded (without a loose distributor housing). At one time, OEMs tried nylon coated camshaft sprocket teeth for quieter engine operation, and it was not unusual for the engine to suddenly show retarded spark timing with mysterious "white plastic" bits appearing in the engine's drain oil. Regardless of sprocket or gear design, I used my own quick test for engine timing chain wear without the need to remove the engine's timing cover. With a breaker point or breaker-less ignition distributor with a cap and rotor, the test is quick and straightforward: 1) Disable the ignition and starter, detach the battery negative cable if necessary...This timing chain or gear test will be easier if the spark plugs are removed, but this is not mandatory. 2) Rotate the crankshaft pulley in the direction of engine cranking, using a socket and ratchet wrench at the crankshaft bolt; make sure the ignition is disabled or battery negative cable disconnected. Bring the pulley to the TDC mark. 3) Remove the distributor cap. Note the position of the ignition rotor to the distributor housing. Mark the distributor housing edge with a crayon or marker if helpful. 4) Rotate the crankshaft in the direction opposite cranking, very slowly; you will be watching for the slightest movement of the distributor rotor. 5) As soon as the rotor budges, stop rotating the crankshaft. Note the number of degrees that the crankshaft has rotated. The distributor shaft and rotor will have rotated 1/2 that number of degrees, since this is a 4-stroke engine: There are 2 rotations of the crankshaft for each rotation of the camshaft. 6) This amount of movement should be slight for a timing chain or gears in good condition. Since the distributor shaft runs off the camshaft, this movement reflects the play at the timing chain or gear set. 7) Repeat this test if necessary, always bringing the crankshaft pulley slowly to the TDC mark in the cranking direction—without passing the mark. If you pass the pulley mark, rotate the crankshaft back 45-degrees or so and carefully bring it to the TDC mark again. This test indicates the play between the camshaft gear or sprocket and the crankshaft gear or sprocket. It works on most OHV engines and also L-head engines. From the earliest Willys engines with sprockets and a chain, through the gear set valve timing mechanisms, to the modern chain and sprocket sets, the principle remains the same. If you're trying to translate rotor movement to wear, my experience taught that approximately 5/8" of crankshaft pulley movement (8" or so pulley diameter), at the O.D. of the pulley, was considerable for OHV or L-head engines with a timing chain and sprockets. If the engine has timing gears, like the older Jeep L-head or F-head 134 four, movement should be less than this amount. You're talking about play between gear teeth. This is a rough test but useful when your ignition base timing has been retarding over time on a conventional distributor—and the distributor housing is not loose. On all engines, including modern EFI engines where the PCM/ECU controls spark timing, the distributor's rotor movement determines the amount of timing chain and sprocket or timing gear wear. The fleet engines I serviced and rebuilt at that time included Chevrolet, GMC, Dodge (slant six), Ford and I-H inline six-cylinder OHV types. These pushrod engines used either a timing chain with sprockets or timing gears, all with a breaker point ignition. Engines like the AMC/Jeep 232/258 and 4.0L are of similar design, beginning with breaker point, then electronic and finally PCM driven ignition systems. Moses

Biggman100, I appreciate your compliments, the article and its illustrations are a "textbook" approach to rebuilding the AX15. I was diplomatic when I shared that this transmission rebuild is not for the "faint of heart". I've had very supportive comments from many who have rebuilt an AX15 from the steps I share and that level of detail, which, quite frankly, is beyond a factory workshop manual, since a workshop manual lacks the number of photo-illustrations and is shorthand for professionals who already have a sense for transmission rebuilding. On the other hand, I have not polled the folks who rebuilt their AX15 to determine what previous experience they brought to the task... I instructed automotive mechanics a total of seven years at the adult education level, writing curriculum for five of those years. Bringing that experience to projects, I want the reader to "think like a mechanic". (Excuse me, we're "technicians" today.) I'm an optimist and instructor who believes that information translates as ability. I've been known to overestimate the number of folks who either want to think like a mechanic or have life experience that supports that "thinking". I like JJ's hint, and we could employ a skill/difficulty rating for projects, setting up criteria for what each rating really means. This is popular elsewhere and would be a sensible way to forewarn folks of a project's challenges. Moses

If anyone is inclined to wash off their engine, again, the caution is to make sure the engine castings are not hot when you begin! As for moisture in the wrong place, there are several concerns. In the breaker point ignition era and even HEI, I would avoid shooting hot wash water or steam cleaner spray (very legal and commonly used at repair shops "in the day") directly at the distributor cap. Sometimes, I would cover the cap with plastic or rags for added protection. Even condensation from this kind of cleaning would create moisture beneath the cap that biggman100 experienced. On modern engines, avoid high pressure spray around the PCM, sensitive wiring and plug connectors. Also avoid shooting water into the air cleaner intake, and by all means, if you use an open-face air cleaner (which I avoid using on anything but a strictly street driven vehicle), keep water away from the air filter element. If anyone would like to know why not to use an open face air cleaner, please start a new topic, I'll gladly elaborate. Coke on the terminals may have little impact if the battery is dead, I've heard of energizing a dead battery with other approaches that would be far less drinkable than Coca-Cola. Coke, incidentally would be very rough on the vehicle's paint finish. Battery cables made at your auto parts house sound worth pursuing. If you go that route, JJ, let us know the cost, and please provide a photo or two of the finished product! Moses

JJ_Jeep, your 250K miles with this little in the way of repairs and service parts is an indication of quality, highway mileage and conscientious routine maintenance. Good work there! The AX15 from Advance Adapters should be a bolt-in without modifications. There will be a transfer of some peripheral parts, nothing difficult there. A quality clutch replacement with new disc, throwout bearing and a new clutch cover, plus a new pilot bearing and resurfacing or replacement of the flywheel, would do it! I'll post the timing chain test at the Let's Talk 'How-to Tips' forum... Moses

ScramblingMan, welcome to the forums! Very pleased with your participation, and the whole aim with these forums is to bring members up the learning curve by sharing information. First, with your Carter BBD two-barrel, you're in luck. I did a comprehensive rebuild article for the magazine with the same level of detail you find in my books. That step-by-step set of instructions for rebuilding your BBD is at: http://www.4wdmechanix.com/Rebuilding-the-Two-Barrel-BBD-Feedback-Carburetor.html. Read my instructions and steps thoroughly. I believe that if you have a diagram, a carburetor rebuild kit and my illustrated instructions, you can rebuild and get your BBD carburetor functioning as new...Really! As for the O-ring that flew out from the air horn, look over the article's illustrations. Let's pick it up from there, SramblingMan. You should discover the location from the photos...or I can furnish better illustrations in a factory-level parts schematic, just let me know! To take the guesswork out of your carburetor adjustments, here is the adjustment procedure for a YJ Wrangler version of your Scrambler's BBD carburetor: Idle Adjustment of YJ BBD.pdf We can also discuss why your fuel supply was dry if that's still in question. Your CJ 4.2L has a mechanical fuel pump and a filter alongside the valve cover... Moses

ScramblingMan, welcome to the forums! Very pleased with your participation, and the whole aim with these forums is to bring members up the learning curve by sharing information. First, with your Carter BBD two-barrel, you're in luck. I did a comprehensive rebuild article for the magazine with the same level of detail you find in my books. That step-by-step set of instructions for rebuilding your BBD is at: http://www.4wdmechanix.com/Rebuilding-the-Two-Barrel-BBD-Feedback-Carburetor.html. Read my instructions and steps thoroughly. I believe that if you have a diagram, a carburetor rebuild kit and my illustrated instructions, you can rebuild and get your BBD carburetor functioning as new...Really! As for the O-ring that flew out from the air horn, look over the article's illustrations. Let's pick it up from there, SramblingMan. You should discover the location from the photos...or I can furnish better illustrations in a factory-level parts schematic, just let me know! To take the guesswork out of your carburetor adjustments, here is the adjustment procedure for a YJ Wrangler version of your Scrambler's BBD carburetor: Idle Adjustment of YJ BBD.pdf Moses

RareCJ8, this is an incredible, innovative trailer, thanks for the in-depth tour and description of the various components and the tent, which others should find of real value. Talk about trail tested products! I've had the pleasure of following this trailer on a tight, twisty, high ground clearance trail, coming out of Camp Wamp after transporting kids with disabilities to the camp—RareCJ8 brought a full load of gear into the camp before we took the Gold Lake Trail "shortcut" (i.e., rock pile) back to civilization... He tugged the trailer through major rocks with the stroker 4.6L-powered CJ8 Scrambler, and this outfit also does duty on the Rubicon Trail, Fordyce, Blue Lakes and other Sierra trails! Both the Scrambler and the trailer are excellent examples of trail-prepped equipment, purpose built and continually improved upon for severe duty use. Anyone guessed what the winches are doing at a Chevron station? Moses

Great tent! This is on a military trailer platform...RareCJ8, please comment about the trailer...I think it's fantastic on the Rubicon Trail and elsewhere, the real deal!

These generic battery cable replacements must be the new "normal", since OEM cables are either not available or very costly. Again, if installed properly, with rosin soldered connections on the pigtail and plenty of heat shrink protection, these cables should do a good job...for far less cost—as you describe, biggman100...Thanks for the tip and homework! Moses

Thanks for clarifying the difference between living at New York State and Nevada. They're close together in the alphabet but apparently light years apart in car wash regulations. After you drive on dirt roads with a 4x4 for hours or ride a dirt motorcycle on a designated trail, where do you clean off the vehicle? At Nevada, car wash facilities recycle the solution and separate debris. On a per car wash basis, I cannot think of any that allow cleaning of oily or greasy car parts. It is very illegal to dispose of drain oil, grease, batteries or other automotive stuff "on the ground"—anywhere in Nevada. We have the state's own EPA equivalent as well as EPA guidelines. There are few professional facilities for "steam cleaning" engines anymore, they come under strict guidelines in urban areas. When I talk about cleaning the engine and battery at a car wash, I'm talking about vehicles without oil leaks that have a dust coating in the engine bay from traveling dirt back country roads. How do you address this at New York State? Is it illegal to clean under the hood of a vehicle at a New York car wash? We see a lot of mud cleaning, as many vehicles travel dirt roads in inclement weather, it's a common sense and courtesy thing, folks "police" themselves at the car wash. Most behave well, sometimes you have to slog through clay mud and clean the car wash cement floor before attempting to clean your vehicle. Thanks for clarifying, this is important for the unknowing tourists passing through your state. Moses

Need to change the fittings to accept the R134a charge couplings. I vacuum pumped down the entire system first. A new expansion valve is recommended (anticipated moisture damage). This is your call if you think the system is thoroughly clean and will function properly without a new valve, you'll find out soon enough. O-rings must be changed to R134a compatible material. I bought all pieces, adapters, O-rings, etc., from NAPA at the time, this is common A/C stuff and part of a "conversion". Purchased an R134a gauge set with couplers, did the whole thing. There are less costly solutions now, including manageable cans of R134a and "better" (new chemistry) refrigerants that have the correct coupler attached to the can. You still need the adapter fittings for the under hood high and low hookups on the system. From here, I did a "textbook" AMC/Jeep fill of the system, using the gauges and a thermometer to determine the right amount of refrigerant. The end result, with the York compressor, was very impressive. This was the chilliest A/C system we've had in any car or truck when set to full cold mode! I've always considered this proof of how well R134a can work, the chemistry took a lot of flack when first introduced. Of course, this also says a lot about a York compressor! I will do a recharge on either the Dodge Ram 3500 or the XJ Cherokee soon. Each has its original A/C refrigerant, both are R134a, and I'll do a step-by-step how-to for the magazine... Moses

I use the traditional baking soda approach for cleaning battery terminals. Wearing eye protection, remove the ground terminal, then the hot terminal cable end. With a mixture of baking soda and warm water in a tin can or a jar, I submerge the terminal end into the solution, wiggle in around without splashing on paint or body parts, and if necessary, I use a retired tooth brush to scrub up the terminal. Protect your hands with nitrile shop gloves, and avoid splashing solution on your clothing or skin! If you dip deep enough, corrosion under the cable insulation will foam out, too. Clean thoroughly, then rinse with clean water, repeat several times if necessary. Install cables with the hot lead terminal first, then attach the ground terminal. You can also clean the battery case and posts with baking soda in solution, but avoid getting any solution inside the battery fill cover openings! Baking soda neutralizes and will damage the internal battery...Always rinse away debris thoroughly and assume that the terminal buildup is both corrosive and harmful. Often, I will simply take a trip to the car wash, and with the engine cooled down, spray clean the engine and bay, including the battery or batteries. This is quick and efficient, the terminals' external debris comes off readily...Note that I said "cooled down engine". We've all heard stories of engine blocks, manifolds and heads cracking when an unwitting owner sprays cold car wash water on a hot engine! Moses

Emphasis is on biggman100's suggestion that you splice and solder (rosin core only) and use heavy duty heat shrink tubing. For modern EFI systems with high amp alternators, avoid use of the yellow butt connectors shown on these universal "pigtail" cables. The pigtail is fine... I like the molded or soldered cable ends shown; I'm not good with the yellow butt connector idea. There is risk of corrosion and unpredictable wire contact at the butt connector crimps. Cut off the butt connector and strip back copper wire for a thorough "weave" splice. Solder the woven wires together and use heat shrink shielding—make sure heat shrink tubing, when shrunk, exceeds the wire's original insulation thickness. When RareCJ8 talked about crimping bigger cables, he meant the industrial strength crimping tool used by electrical shops on welding and high amperage cable ends. Moses

Forum member JJ_Jeep valued the vacuum gauge idea and purchased a gauge. In the video (below) by JJ_Jeep, you can see his engine running with the vacuum gauge hooked up properly. Note the idle readings (17-18 in/hg) and 2000 rpm read (21 in/hg). His 4.0L engine is in good condition according to the vacuum test, here is the download of the JJ_Jeep vacuum test: Jeep Vacuum.wmv 21.8MB. (You can either "Open" this .wmv file or "Save" it as a download. Opening allows viewing without the use of disc drive space.) This is a useful illustration of a vacuum gauge in service. If you want to see JJ_Jeep's comments about the vacuum test, go to the Jeep 4.0L #1 Cylinder Misfire Code topic: http://www.4wdmechanix.com/forums/topic/73-40l-jeep-six-cylinder-1-misfire-trouble-code/. Moses

Watched the video, JJ_Jeep, and this is great. (I'm linking from the vacuum gauge post to your .wmv here, it's a very useful and live illustration!) The plugs look quite good, and your vacuum readings for closed throttle and 2000 rpm are more than acceptable! The needle fluctuation is well within the norms for a vacuum reading. Unseated or burned valves would have the needle swinging quite widely as it flutters. Your engine is in good condition for the mileage and begs the question: What kind of oil have you been running and which filters? This engine likely has timing chain wear. I say this because the manifold vacuum actually picks up with engine speed, which can indicate spark or valve timing retard at an idle. I have a very quick test for timing chain wear if you're interested. This would separate ignition timing from valve timing issues. In any case, the indicated wear is likely not enough to bother changing the timing chain and sprockets—unless there is noise. Besides, you're not getting a camshaft DTC or MIL. If the engine is running quietly (no timing chain noise) with good oil pressure and no significant oil consumption, assume you have miles left in this 4.0L six. Of course, a leakdown test would offer more insight, but you have valuable information already from the vacuum test, and it does look good! As for the brake booster/vacuum response, this is normal. The booster reservoir drops vacuum with each brake pedal application, there's a void, and the engine vacuum must refill the booster, all very quickly, of course, but this is a vacuum drop. You don't feel this when driving, as the booster refills quickly. Normally, your foot is off the throttle as you apply the brakes, so manifold vacuum remains high. Regarding the AX15 transmission, you have good instincts. Rebuilding the AX15 is not for the faint of heart. I like to put this level of how-to out for owners so you can make an informed decision about whether this is a job for your home shop. I'm very clear about the tools involved, including pullers and a press with fixtures, feeler gauges and hand tools. I do include tools you can improvise to avoid a large tool expenditure for a one-time job. I like to call a transmission like the AX15 a "close-tolerance", close fit-up unit. Since I have been rebuilding both manual and automatic transmissions professionally for 44 years, I'm in a position to be straightforward about the skill level involved: The AX15 is a transmission benefitting from previous experience at transmission rebuilding. Having said that, I also know that many with moderate experience have followed my detailed steps and pulled off a thorough and proper rebuild. If you find the rebuild idea daunting, there is a recommended alternative: Advance Adapters sells brand new Aisin AX15 transmissions that just happen to be direct fit for the Jeep TJ Wrangler applications like yours. I heartily recommend considering a new unit if you plan to keep the Jeep Wrangler for a long time (like the TJ's first go-around), especially if you're considering a power upgrade to the 4.6L stroker motor. Moses

Sounds like fun, glad you got this into the summer agenda... Moses

Just raises the suspense, biggman100! Looking forward to the whole story... Moses

There must be a punch line...Right?

Have known John Glancy since the 1980s, this business is officially licensed by I-H and works diligently on behalf of the I-H truck and Scout community. I covered the Springfield, Ohio annual I-H light truck and Scout gathering for OFF-ROAD Magazine in the late '80s and have enjoyed lasting friendships from that event. I-H truck and Scout owners are strongly supported through this parts outlet. "Thanks, biggman100!" for bringing this up. Anyone who owns an I-H truck or Scout will want to bookmark the Super Scout website as a reference, parts source and historical resource! Moses

Tatman, welcome to the forum discussions, I'm excited to see the I-H participation! My cousin had a '73 1210 4x4 in the mid-'70s, what a terrific truck. I replied at your wheel size inquiry (biggman100's posting on the Roadkill database). Now I have the bigger picture around your truck and am happy to elaborate... As with any I-H, the Line Ticket sheet is gold. If you have that still, you can part your truck down to the assembly line build components. The VIN can also turn up information. Years back, you could get a duplicate Line Ticket by approaching International-Harvester with the VIN. (Worth a shot, even today.) As a point worth making, the I-H trucks were built with the best components available in the industry. 1973-up 3/4-ton trucks like yours are often a prize! Some quick questions and points to narrow down the truck's equipment: 1) Is the front axle a closed-knuckle with drum brakes? Disc brakes and an open knuckle front axle were optioned prior to your model year, and your truck should be open knuckle with power disc front brakes. 2) Which GVWR rating (see the door sticker): 6300#, 7500# or 8200#? This will help you identify parts and the load capacity of the axles and springs. 3) If a regular cab with 8' bed, you're likely on the popular 131" wheelbase. 4) Your Dana 60 rear axle is likely 4.10 or 4.56 ratio, the 3.73 was typically for 3-speed automatic models. 5) Does the engine have a four-barrel (original equipment Holley with a stock air cleaner)? Does the manifold look "stock"? 6) You should have an I.D. plate on the transmission, should be an NP435 four-speed, there should be a round I.D. plate on the transmission. This is a great powertrain, the NP435 typically has a 6.69:1 compound low gear ratio. Your iron case NP205 gear drive transfer case is an all-time benchmark for superior OEM quality. This is the ultimate, and coupled to a 345 or 392 V-8 in good condition, should last a very long time. There is the one-off use of an AMC 401 V-8, designated "400" in I-H 1973-74 applications. (I've only seen these in Travelall models trying to meet emissions compliance.) Your 49-State 1210 truck should have the bulletproof, industrial strength V-345 or V-392 I-H engine. Provide me with the carburetor's "list number", begins with an "R", and if the original carburetor, we can narrow this engine down. There are subtle differences between the 345 and 392, 345s are typically 2-barrel unless retrofitted with a four-barrel manifold. Regarding your chassis lift plans, you're somewhat in luck here. The front springs are leaf type and can be re-arched or modified by a quality spring shop. You can use other period 3/4-ton trucks with your spring arrangement as a prototype. There are rear spring spacer blocks available in different widths and heights, also U-bolts and hardware. With some creative measuring and comparisons, you should be able to build your own "lift kit" from aftermarket products available for other 4x4 trucks of the leaf spring era. If you're really lucky, you will find front springs with similar width, length and eye diameters in an existing kit. Shock absorbers require proper length increase to match the spring and block heights...We can discuss this further. As for wheels, if you chassis lift, you also want to widen the track width to maintain a safe center-of-gravity. In this case, the backspacing and rim width will be determined by the proper "scrub angle" for the tires. (See my discussion about front end alignment and caster angle at the topic Megatron posted.) Your wheel bolt circle and center hole are common for other 3/4-ton trucks of the era (U.S. measurements). Ford and Dodge each used the Dana 60 rear axle with drum brakes, and a Dana 44 front axle was a Ford F250 approach—with two wheel hub center hole sizes, depending upon Ford's front axle load rating. (Ford F250 went to disc front brakes later than I-H, to I-H and G.M.'s credit.) You will likely discover a similar OEM backspacing on wheels built for Ford, Dodge or even G.M. trucks that use front wheel hubs close to the design of your 1210. A local tire shop can confirm your 1210's wheel bolt circle, the stock wheel backspacing and any clearance issues. This will turn out common to other domestic 4x4 trucks of this chassis size with Dana axles and similar brakes...I'm glad to assist further with your search. Please share your findings, others will benefit! When you lift, you will also need a dropped steering pitman arm. Since I-H sought out the best steering available, your truck has a Saginaw steering gear. You will find this used on Ford and GM trucks, and if you match your steering linkage design to the right truck, you will very likely discover a suitable, dropped pitman arm for that application that will work on your steering gear and with the 1210's draglink joint. You may need a different draglink joint that will fit the pitman arm and also your I-H draglink sleeve. We can discuss this further, too. Safety is primary! You'll likely want a decent steering stabilizer shock (universal mount) as well. This is an exciting and durable truck to own and build for your purposes, tatman! Expect my assistance and data to be available, along with input from I-H and Scout owners. Welcome! Moses

Hello, Moses! I've got some questions for ya, i just bought a 1973 ih 1210 pickup. like you i was brought up around international harvester trucks scouts travelall etc. my step-dad worked as a mechanic at Grinnell implement in Grinnell Iowa. anyway my plans are to lift the 1210 but i cant seem to find any kits for that i would like to run 35 or 38 inch tires also it is real hard to find body parts for these old binders i'm looking for cab corners, rocker panels and maybe some floor panels. my binder "ol red" has a dana 44 in the front a Dana 60 in the rear a 205 t case but I'm having trouble finding out what engine and tranny it has in it i was told by the kid that i bought it from that it was a 392 the tranny is a 4 speed with what i call a great granny gear any help identifying these items would be greatly appreciated.

Please advise whether this is a Scout II or an I-H pickup. 4x4 or 2WD? Is this stock equipment that you're trying to replace/restore or are you doing wider wheels and tires and need to know the original backspacing and wheel bolt circle? Share details, I'll furnish information from my reference library..."Binder" covers I-H models in general, we'll narrow it down. The I-H pickup, Scout II and Travelall were each alive and well in 1973. Would be great if they still were! Thanks for drawing attention to the listings at Roadkill, I looked and confirmed your findings. Many others have dropped I-H details as well...Let's keep the 'Binders rolling! Please share the equipment that your '73 I-H has... Moses

Fantastic close-up photos, JJ_Jeep, thanks for sharing! Looks like enough carbon and soot for an injector problem, and you are likely spot-on about the filter/screen or solenoid issue. Moot point, as there's plenty here to cause a misfire. Glad you could narrow this down and merely buy the injector. As for what I see here, is the 4.0L using much engine oil? Looks like a possible ring blow-by or valve guide and seal issue, possibly oil or soot spitting back at the injector. Did the other injectors have this oily, soot look around the injector end? Does the #1 spark plug show carbon buildup or a sign of burnt oil at the tip or electrode? Oil consumption would certainly be justified at 250,000 miles, along with a drop in compression. Try my simple vacuum test at an idle, I'd like to know the idle manifold vacuum and how steady the needle looks on the gauge. You may have carbon buildup around the valve seats and combustion chambers; this would not be surprising for the mileage. We'll keep in mind that we're simply trying to have this engine run well until you decide on either a stock or stroker motor rebuild. Normal wear for the mileage is expected. For those interested, there are also rebuilt injectors available, one example is from GB Remanufacturing, a supplier to AutoZone, HESCO and others: For your engine application, JJ_Jeep, the part number is a GB 812-11128. As for the lowest possible price on this injector (per injector, not the full set), I quickly found this at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002NF10SQ/ref=asc_df_B002NF10SQ2667297?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=pg-93-01-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395097&creativeASIN=B002NF10SQ. $35.75 plus free shipping. This 812-11128 part number fits JJ_Jeep's 1998 TJ Wrangler 4.0L inline six-cylinder engine and other '97-up Jeep applications. Confirm the fit for your engine. New injectors are available from Mopar and a variety of other sources. If you need more information on the 3rd gear synchro, see the AX15 discussion here at the forums and my step-by-step rebuild of an AX15 at the magazine. It's a two part how-to with 209 studio level photos...Kind of like your great pics of the injectors, JJ_Jeep! Moses