[Amc-list] general mumblings

[Wrambler242@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Spent yesterday working on the WJ's hitch.
Got it derusted, encapsulated the cleaned arears and put a nice heavy coat of satin Black on it.
Took the plastic bezel out of the piece of a Limited Grand Cherokee bumper cover it was welded to by heating the welded pins with  a heat gun till the welds softened. Then I cleaned up a reshaped the top edge of it to work on a Laredo rear bumper. 
   Your probably wondering what does this have to do with AMC? Well not much, but I am using my rambler mentality as a new hitch setup for my 04 WJ was a $444.00 installed! I'll have about $100 in this one complete!
   $60 for the hitch and used bezel, $29 for a new harness kit and $4 for a can of satin black spray!
Tonight I hope to get the rear bumper cover pulled and the hitch installed. The biggest part of this deal cutting out the cover on mine and welding the bezel to it. I plan on borrowing the plastic welder from work to do it.
     We have to get the boat out of storage Saturday or pay extra. So I delayed this as long as I can!

Now for Rambler, I got it running yesterday after sitting all winter. 
   Things I know.
  I need to get the 15W-40 out of it! as I let it run till hot and hot idle was at 62psi! That's way overkill.
With the Hi voluum pump in it I'm tempted to go to 5w-20, but I'm not sure as I want keep one of the higher zinc oils in it. I'll keep thinking on this one.
  I got definite trans issues. It squeals like a pig wiht the clutch depressed and the trans in neutral. :[ 
The first time it did this I thought, no big deal, release bearing. But this time I'm not sure as I bought a good one last time and swapped it out. I'm now thinking perhaps the Pilot bearing has died? It was kind of a machined piece I had made and the trans only engaged about 7/16" at the most. I'm thinking it just was not made well enough and has come out or is loose or hogged out.
   I'm in a delemma, as I'm not realy able to drive stick yet. My shoulder bugs me the more I do. I'm trying to stay optomistic, but hey, I never was too good at that! At least I can do a little bit again!
   
   Back to the Rambler. I have most everything to build the close ratio T5, but why bother if my shoulder is not goiing to let me use it? I need to take the American apart to get it's tailhousing. I guess maybe it's time to get the rest of the parts?
    But, if I keep having shoulder issues and AW4 will be a much better choice.
I dreamed up a  shifter for it yesterday!  I'd take a twinstick console and modify it.
Left stick would be PRND
Right stick would be set up spring loaded with contacts to up and downshift the AW4's solenoids!
Use the button on top of the stick to lock and unlock the convertor.
I know there are several guys out there making the controllers for use with contact switches, so I don't expect it would be too difficult to build this setup.   I have a console, just need a twinstick overlay to modify...
 I hate to go automatic, but this idea would make it interesting....

--
Mark Price
Morgantown, WV
1969 AMC Rambler, 4.0L, EFI, T-5
2004 Grand Cherokee Laredo, 4.7L, Quadratrc II
" Chronic Pain Hurts"
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