I hear you on the running. With my bad knee, I only run if my life depends on it, and it better be a short distance!

You've been inside that t-case. Doesn't it have ball-check detents? Oh, wait, knowing Mopar, probably not. What I would do is adjust the linkage in neutral as stated, then disconnect the rod, move the levers on the case and the floor to one position and see if the rod aligns with the hole in the case lever. Then try it the opposite way. If that works, you're good to go.

 

OK, just spent the last couple of hours fighting the linkage issue and losing miserably. Because I have an extra 231 TCase I confirmed the location of 4Lo, N, 4Hi and 2H. Now, putting it in 4Lo I cannot get the lever adjuster to line up as the linkage hits its max adjustment with the torque rod and shift rod when the adjusting trunnion is loosened up.

There is no way the shift lever can go on with the green bushing pointing towards the ground but it doesn't work with the green bushing up top towards the cabin either. WTF?

I know the torque shaft rod for the 231 is 2" shorter than the 249 rod but, according to the write up on the Jeepforum.com:

"Most likely though, you will not be able to fully engage 4 lo. This is easily fixed. Put the shift lever in 2wd, then get under the Jeep and loosen the 13mm adjustment bolt on the shift linkage. Push the shifter all the way forward, and tighten the adjustment bolt."

My assumption is that the Tcase shift adapter should be in the 2H position. I believe I tried this but with negative results. Anyone got any words of wisdom on this? I've seen your posts Dave but that doesn't seem to be working either. A good picture of a properly set up linkage would probably be helpful.

 

So, after researching and then getting back under the truck today it still just won't work. So the thought occured to me, perhaps I ordered the wrong adapter?

How do I tell if the adapter that I have is for a 231 vice a 242 and, is there a difference between an adapter for a 231 setup for a cherokee and a 231 setup for a wrangler or CJ? I'm running out of ideas, this is the last thing that is holding me up from getting my son's truck back on the road.

 

So, I went and tackled the linkage this morning with a new plan of attack. Get the measurements of the shift lever, mock one up and check linkage positioning.

What you see here is the original 249 shift lever and two cardboard templates that are the dimensions of the 231 shift lever. I transferred the position of the 249 section that connects to the TC onto one of the templates to see if it would work in a shorter version.

The thought process is to see if I can fabricate a tab OR modify the existing 249 tab. I then went out and started to check positioning. No matter what I tried, the tab would impact the TC or the linkage would be at its max position and only allow the shifter to go from 2H to 4H or 4L to N but never the full range of motion.

As indicated by the write up on the Jeep Forum, the shift torque bar for the 231 is 2" shorter than the one on the 249. THIS is the primary issue. The length of this piece is not allowing me to fully engage the shift lever.

If this piece is shortened by 2 to 2.5 inches I should have no problem using the existing shift lever and will not have to fabricate one. This being said, I am off to see my friend Andy who is an independent welder/metalworker with his own extensive shop. I will have him cut and re-weld the torque shift lever. I would do it myself but I don't have any damn gas for my Oxyacetylene rig!

Of course now I have to find the problem with the coolant leak that just manifested itself. Looks like it is dripping down the side of the block but the exhaust manifold is blocking my view. I hope to hell it isn't the head gasket! We will see; she only did this now with the left side of the vehicle on a jack stand. No coolant leaking with entire front up or when she was off the stand. I'm getting tired of this damn thing.

 

I'm a toolmaker by trade and it seems to me you can just drill (hardened link) another hole in your link and shortening it. I made a set of shift linkage levers for a corvette 4-speed that shortened the shifter throw by 3 inches just by shortening them.

 

Dave,
Are you talking about the torque link that goes from the adapter to the shift link?

 

OK, so new/old issue. It has been leaking coolant. After crawling up under her I was able to track down where the leak was coming from.




So, unless i'm off, this would be one of the freeze plugs along the left side of the 4.0l 6cyl correct? I know I can get a new one however, how in the hell do install a new one without pulling the motor?

I was thinking maybe disconnect the exhaust from the manifold to give me some room? Anyone done this? It is the third one back from the front of the motor so not a whole lot of room.

 

No, I was talking about the links in your pics. Lay the cardboard template on top of the black steel one, transfer the hole location, and cut off the rest.

 

Ach so! The adapter/shift lever! That's what I thought you were talking about. I have the correct one so that is not the issue. The length of the torque shift rod is the issue but that is being shortened so should resolve this problem.

I took a look at the freeze plugs again last night, I think I'm gonna have to pull the intake and exhaust manifold to reasonably access the plug to change it out. Since I have to do that, I may just change all the side freeze plugs while I am at it to be sure I don't have it bite me in the *** later. Dangit. I thought I was close to done with this sucker.

 

You ought to know by now a jeep is never finished. There is always something to fix.

 

They make freeze plug installation tool. It is bent so you can get it to most of them.


http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key..._5lg7wbp9hj_ee


You just drain the coolent. Beat a hole in the old one and dig it out. Clean the block and pound a new one in.

 

Or...use a pipe or socket...costs less. Besides, I already pulled the intake and exhaust manifolds.

 

So I got the intake and exhaust manifold taken off yesterday after I got home from torturing my students.




Talk about a booger to get to the nuts! needless to say, it has come off before as several nuts were very loose. Now, the torque specs aren't very high but I shouldn't have them break free with just a minor push on the wrench.

Cleaned up the gasket surfaces and popped out the plugs which wasn't difficult but challenging in the fact that I have little room to work within. I have to clean up those areas before I pop in the new plugs and will flush the system as well.

I gave my middle son who is currently living with me and attending the Aviation Institute of Maintenance, the job of cleaning up the exhaust manifold gasket surface. He discovered several cracks to include a crack that was extending from a poorly done weld to fix a previous crack.

I will clean those areas up this afternoon as my students have a short day today so will have plenty of time. My co-instructor and fellow gearhead, he has a couple of 60's Buicks, has a MIG that I will borrow to repair the cracks this evening before I re-install the system. He also mentioned that he thought the leak maybe above the one freeze plug in the block.

That would be bad. I'll take a look at the area really well when I get home and see if there is any cracking or maybe some pinholes. I'll have to clean up that area really well to find it. If there is, I'll just J-B Weld it and let the eldest son deal with it. I don't have the time nor equipment to do a block repair!

Hoping to get 95% of this done today so I can get it on the road. I still need to pick up the torque shift link that Andy cut and re-welded. Will try to do that on the way home from work. And the saga continues but eventually, It'll get done and then I will disappear from this forum like accountability in congress.

 

Hey, man! Don't do that! We were just getting to know you.

 

OK, good news is, she is back on the road. Coolant system flushed and tires aligned. Bad news, she had a hairline crack right above the one freeze plug! That was where the coolant leak was coming from. Nevertheless, I replaced ALL the side plugs to be safe!

As you can see in the picture, I also J-B welded the crack. I took the time to prep it and grind in a 'v' groove along the crack so the J-B would take hold. She should last for at least a year if not longer.

I had the guys at Firestone do a brake inspection as that was where the metal on metal sound was coming from and it wasn't gonna cost me anything. I talked to them today as I sat grading final papers and the problem was that the PO installed the rear parking brake drum assembly incorrectly to include boogering up the hardware!

Seriously? If you don't know how to do it, leave it the hell alone!!! I at least take the time to research the issue before I tackle it! Needless to say, I'll be fixing that this week. After that I need to change the oil pan gasket. Looking up under her, it doesn't look like a very simple job so I'll have to set aside some time to get it done at the Naval base hobby shop.

I got the shift torque link back, it is still giving me some challenges but I will get it sorted. I'm on the home stretch! I have some ankle biters that I will troubleshoot while I wait for the boy to come and get his truck but it won't keep him from picking it up, it is just nice to have things. His front wipers only work on high and his rear wiper doesn't work at all. I need to trouble shoot the switch to see if it needs replacement.

Now, I need to start getting ready for MY cars as I pick up my MG Midget tub from paint in August and need to finish the motor rebuild on that car as well as put the motor back together for the Porsche!