Topic: 1979 Jeep CJ7 4.2 auto (Quadratrac) (Read 8575 times)

Jeepers · « **on:** May 26, 2009, 09:46:01 PM »

Hi V8 Bubba,

A kind person who replied to my posting in another forum suggested I should contact you because he says you are the God when it comes to anything Jeep. Here is my cry for help as posted elsewhere. I really do hope that you may be able to help as I don't want my CJ7 to end up as spare parts after I have only just bought her although limited funds may force me to do this anyway!

Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 6:13 pm Post subject: Jeep CJ7 - help desperately wanted

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Hi,

Are there any Jeep mechanics in my area or can anyone recommend someone or a garage in Somerset?

I bought what I thought was a bargain Jeep CJ7 on Sunday (through eBay), and indeed she is very tidy and the engine ran sweetly. Not bad for £650. It is a 1979 4.2 with auto transmission and Quadratrac. However not long into the journey home a very loud clattering noise, rather like a fan blade hitting something but much louder seemed to come from within. This happened when the engine was under load. Stopped the jeep and the engine was running fine in neutral, couldn't see anything fouling anywhere so carried on a little further. It was quiet for a while and then the clattering came back. Before I could get to the next lay-by something seemed to snap and it went quiet but the jeep was still driving ok. Anyway, pulled over and stopped again but this time when i neutral it sounded as though it was a cement mixer with loads of rocks rumbling around inside! On looking under the jeep I found transmission fluid spewing out everywhere from what I presume to be the transfer box. For some reason the engine was overheating too because water was escaping from the rad cap.

Got her transported home courtesy of the AA and now I am stuck with a lovely old Jeep which is going nowhere! I am loathe to sell her for spares but at the same time I don't think I will be able to afford to fix her unless there are some really friendly, mechanically minded people out there. Not sure what the problem is because despite all the noise and rumbles etc she will still move forwards and in reverse (very gingerly!} If the transfer box was shot would she in fact move at all? Or if the auto box is shot would she still actually move? I have already enquired through an American vehicle specialist re rebuilding/refitting transfer box and they quoted approx £1200 + vat!!!

Apart from the fuel gauge and temperature gauge not working, the only other thing not working was the speedo which I believe is taken off of the transfer box?

If anyone has any suggestions (not scrapping her!) or can offer help and advice, please contact me soon because I want to be driving my lovely Jeep!

By the way the seller was most apologetic but I had bought it unseen, however he did let me have £150 back which was good of him, not that it will cover cost of repairs! I suppose I can't ask too much for £500 but it would be nice if it was going.

Cheers,
Trevor

Your advice, suggestions, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,
Trevor

Bishops Finger · « **Reply #1 on:** May 26, 2009, 10:08:10 PM »

The god that is Bubba will be along in a while.....from the pics looks a reasonable CJ

Just keep Bulldog away or for a bounty of a Jaffa Cake yer CJ will be spirited away....good luck mon...you are ina good place for such matters...

captain cavalier · « **Reply #2 on:** May 27, 2009, 02:02:32 PM »

was the transmission oil white and the rad water foamy

if so internal oil cooler in radiator split

transmission fluid in water and water in the transmission

thats what happened in my xj anyway

to clear it all out i had to take the transmission sump off in the end and change the filter
take all hoses off where I could and drain them.

just my 2 pennys worth

Jeepers · « **Reply #3 on:** May 27, 2009, 02:13:14 PM »

Hi Mud Plugger,

No the transmission fluid was oily dark red and the water maybe just a little rusty looking. I've yet to investigate the transfer case for a hole/split. It was making a heck of a din before something seemed to snap! I reckon the snapped chain diagnosis could be right.

Cheers, Trevor

Dave69 · « **Reply #4 on:** May 27, 2009, 06:45:41 PM »

you might need to take some photo's as this will help alot.

diagnosing might be a bit of a hit or miss at this point.

one idea is that the clutch might have disintergrated and damaged a seal causing fluid to leak.
or the transferbox chain has failed but you also might have a second problem with the engine

Jeepers · « **Reply #5 on:** May 27, 2009, 06:54:31 PM »

erm, doesn't have a clutch, it's auto!

Panic mechanic! · « **Reply #6 on:** May 27, 2009, 06:54:45 PM »

me thinks it may possibly be the torque converter but like dave says, you need to get under it and take some photo's and try to work out exactly where the fuid has leaked from.

Ric Jacques · « **Reply #7 on:** May 27, 2009, 07:02:59 PM »

Mate I symapthise with you and if you were posting this a year and a half ago I would have been able to help - I left Somerset last August!

Anyway the first thing you need to do is look on Amazon fr this book;

http://http://www.amazon.com/Jeep-Rebuilders-Manual-1972-1986-Restoration/dp/0837601517/ref=sr_1_2/191-1852091-8957708?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243446633&sr=1-2

It's worth it's weight in gold, goes right into transfer case and gearbox strips.

Don't be scared though it's simple American engineering, not complicated at all - take a look at my resto you'll see what I got up to with mine.

If you crawl underneath you should be able to remove the sump cover from the bottom of the transfer case. At least you'll get a looksee what's going on inside. You might need to drop the skid plate to get at it.

Whatever you do DO NOT SCRAP HER!

Good luck dude if I think of anything else I'll post it up.
Ric.

Jeepers · « **Reply #8 on:** May 27, 2009, 07:41:49 PM »

Thank you all so far, I shall try and have a look see soon, damn work does get in the way! Thanks for those words of encouragement too Ric.

Jeepers · « **Reply #9 on:** May 27, 2009, 08:43:15 PM »

Just had another quick look at my poorly CJ7. It is difficult to see where the transmission oil is coming from and it is a red coloured oil rather than the finer auto box fluid. Checked the level of fluid in the auto box and it is up to if not slightly above max level, no dirt or contamination in it. Engine oil is at the correct level and coolant is at correct level with no contamination so don't appear to have lost much of that when she overheated.

Bubba · « **Reply #10 on:** May 27, 2009, 09:09:42 PM »

hi dood sorry to hear bout ya mishap sounds very much like chain slip if it had snapped there would be no drive at all and the chain almost allways detonates the lower part of the casing you must clean the casing and check carfully for cracks as you need to establish where the oil is coming from set up a photobucket acount to load pics to then link them back on to birtys as pics would be very helpfull

at a pinch i am hoping that the leak is from one of the propshaft seals or they can leak from between where the transfer case bolts up to the rear of the auto box that always looks bad and seems to piss out but somtimes tightning the bolts can cure this
but i think yours needs to come out to change the chain and hopfully no other damage

a simple chan check is to run the engine up till warm on tickover hold ya foot on the brake and move the gear change between drive and reverse do it several times smothly as you can if the chan is streched it will make muffled clang/clunk niose
keep ya foot on that pedal at all time if the chain is ok you will only feel the surge of the drive moving from forwads to reverse and back avery small almost unoticeable clunk is ok

Dave69 · « **Reply #11 on:** May 27, 2009, 09:45:35 PM »

Quote from: "Dave69"

you might need to take some photo's as this will help alot.

diagnosing might be a bit of a hit or miss at this point.

useless info removed

yep realised that,

Bubba · « **Reply #12 on:** May 27, 2009, 09:50:26 PM »

there is also the posability that you dont have a transfer problem other than the leak you may have a spinning rear axel shaft
you would need to remove the tin covers on the rear center of the rear wheels to expose the center nut tipex a line that goes down the side of the nut and onto the hub then try and make the slipping noise/ judder and check to see if the lines are now misalighned if they are a new shaft and hub is needed

Jeepers · « **Reply #13 on:** May 28, 2009, 11:40:21 AM »

Thanks for your input Bubba, I haven't had chance to look more closely yet but on starting her up last night there is still a lot of rumbling and clonking from within even when in nuetral although this seems to quiten if the revs are slightly increased. Engine sounds fine. She goes into reverse and drive ok and actually moves in both directions but not without lots of clonking and rumbling emitting from the gearbox area (I think!). Initially when I broke down I did notice that the transmission oil was coming out pretty fast. There was nothing untoward whe I stopped earlier for fuel. Will try your last suggestion at the weekend.

Ric Jacques · « **Reply #14 on:** May 28, 2009, 12:20:13 PM »

Reading again it sounds to me as though one of the bearings inside the gearbox has maybe gone south so you have a gear spindle knocking about loosely.

I'm not really familiar with the auto box nor your skills mechanically but if it were me I'd pull off gearbox and trans case and do a diy overhaul.

jimyj · « **Reply #15 on:** May 28, 2009, 03:03:33 PM »

I am no expert but i would think auto box , has it been off roading , and then stood up ?? My old cj7 had this very problem , lots of strange noise and no or little drive , turned out the th400 was full of mud and crap !!! only a rebuild will fix :shock:

Bubba · « **Reply #16 on:** May 28, 2009, 04:23:51 PM »

could be jim if he is propper unlucky
wher the hell are you in our wet and not so pleasant land

Jeepers · « **Reply #17 on:** May 28, 2009, 09:09:46 PM »

Hi Jim, thanks for your input. Can't see much evidence of her being offroaded a lot but apparently she hadn't been used for about 6 months. If the auto box has failed would this account for the transmission oil leak? On recollection it is possible that when driving her she did not get above 2nd gear. I'm afraid that I am not very familaiar with automatics but believe I am correct in saying that it's a 3 speed box? Also the indicator on the steering column is missing but presume the up position is Park/neutral, 2nd position reverse, third is neutral, 4th position is drive, 5th position is 2nd and fully down is 1st? Could be that I was in 2nd when I thought I was in drive which I guess would cause the engine to overheat eventually? I was driving along country lanes at the time so not really doing a lot of speed anyway.

Ric Jacques · « **Reply #18 on:** June 01, 2009, 05:05:20 PM »

The engine should be able to cool itself regardless of what's being demanded of it. maybe you need to look and see if the thermostat is stuck shut - take it out and drop it in a mug of water from the kettle (boil it first........ :lol:

) and see if it opens.

I still reckon you have a bearing gone south maybe on an output shaft - they pass through seals before they hit the bearing, if the bearing has gone south then the shaft won't sit centrally within the seal and she'll leak like MI5.

Only way to tell is to open her up and get a look inside!

Jeepers · « **Reply #19 on:** June 01, 2009, 08:20:44 PM »

Thanks for that Ric, I haven't managed to get under yet because I've been suffering from a very bad cold! Afraid that I have never undertaken any major tasks when it comes to engine and gearbox internals plus I don't really have the facilities/tools! However I have bought that repair/restoration manual which you mentioned which should be here tomorrow. I am eager to get her back on the road again to enjoy some of this sunshine while it lasts! Have contacted a couple of local garages but they seem to shy away from anything that's old, American and automatic! I imagine a garage bill anyway would be quite horrendous. If it is something the "novice" can tackle, are parts such as bearings and seals readily available? I have to admit that I am already feeling despondant and toying with the idea of selling her on for spares/repair!

Panic mechanic! · « **Reply #20 on:** June 01, 2009, 08:38:09 PM »

don't sell it, stick with it and when its all sorted , you will love every second of owning it.Everything in a cj is fairly simple so it shouldn't be too hard to sort it out.

Bubba · « **Reply #21 on:** June 01, 2009, 10:19:19 PM »

where the hell are ya we may be able to help

Jeepers · « **Reply #22 on:** June 01, 2009, 10:46:26 PM »

Down in sunny (at the moment) Somerset - Bridgwater to be precise.

Nosebolt · « **Reply #23 on:** June 01, 2009, 10:51:17 PM »

not far from me then. not that it will help you, i still recon autos run on magic mushrooms and fairy wings, but a dab hand at removing gearboxes (done mine 4 time this year so far)

Bubba · « **Reply #24 on:** June 01, 2009, 10:52:43 PM »

my gut says the th400 is not to blame

Author Topic: 1979 Jeep CJ7 4.2 auto (Quadratrac) (Read 8575 times)

Jeepers

Bishops Finger

captain cavalier

Jeepers

Jeepers

Panic mechanic!

Ric Jacques

Jeepers

Jeepers

Jeepers

Ric Jacques

jimyj

Jeepers

Ric Jacques

Jeepers

Panic mechanic!

Jeepers

Nosebolt