[paulevans76]

I recently came upon an interesting bit of kit, as the Brits would say. I've always been interested in the land rover LT230 transfer case. Some version has been used in most land rovers for like 50 years. They are super beefy, with some beefy aftermarket support if needed, they have a high range reduction (discovery is 1.2:1, defender is 1.4:1) with a good low range of about 3.3:1.

What I found was a 700r4 to LT230 adapter kit. I've got a 2wd 60* 700r4 in the garage waiting for it. The combo would put me around 55:1 crawl ratio, which with torque converter factored in, would be around 100:1+. Should be much easier to control in the rocks. And even with the 700r4's 70% overdrive, the high range reduction will bring that up to around 85%, close to the 5 speed OD, and keep my highway revs where they are now, aka, in the "power" band.

The hurdles here are going to be the full time 4wd, so I'll need to make sure I can get the front to stay vibe free, and offset rear output, which may introduce vibes to the centered rear. Eventually I can swap an offset cruiser rear or Dana 60. They also make s part time kit for the case. It'll probably also end up as baby's first automatic trans rebuild.

But anyway, it should be interesting when I get around to it in, oh, say, 3 years :lol:

I got my Bluetooth obd1 connector and the app for my phone, so I'm going to be working on the over fueling issue first and foremost.

 

[paulevans76]

Took my brother out to Lake Houser, just outside of Boiling Springs, NC. Bout an hr and a half from me. He caught the 4x bug when we went to Uwharrie a month or so ago and bought a JKU.

I hadn't been here before, it's essentially a bunch of land between the powerlines and the lake/creek. Close to the water, the mud is crazy, and up in the powerline trails, it's muddy in the valleys between hillclimbs of varying gnarl. We had a good time out riding and walking up and down the area making sure we weren't about to drive into any sticky situations. Most of the hillclimbs would have a passable line, a questionable sort of sketchy line, and a 1 or 2 you'd want to have a rollcage lines. Tire rut and water erosion mainly. So some lines would look good, until you see that oh, this rut drops to 3 ft deep over here, I'd be riding on my doors if I do that line.

Mainly saw ATVs and SxSs, only a few other vehicles. But hey, it's close and it works for scratching the itch! Wish I'd gotten a few more pics, but we were having a good time!

 

[paulevans76]

Monthly check in - nothin' much to report. Busy work, 3 kids, holidays, just no time.

I've got my bluetooth ALDL and app, but I haven't tried it out yet to get the fueling figured out. I'm probably going to start tinkering with that soon. It would be nice to just salvage a little life for this motor. It's had a tough go. I'm going to guess based on some opinions I've heard, that the injectors may be partly to blame. When I bought this Holley TBI new old stock, the injectors were slam stuck. Took a few rounds of ultrasonic cleaning for them to function correctly. It's possible they are just crap. And the updated injector pod and injectors are stupid expensive. If I was to do things over, I wouldn't have used it. The adjustable FPR is nice, but I think I could have dialed in a good ol' 4.3 unit to work correctly and got a tune done with that. I would have done a lot of things different starting over!

One option I've been kicking around is going back to a standard 4.3 TBI unit, ditching the tune I had made a few years ago, and contacting harris performance for one of their OBD1 TBI tunes. That is what I should have done. But when I got the holley, I thought I was having troubled with my 4.3 unit, when in reality it was the whole wrong sized rings fiasco that ended with a tear down and re-ring. Anyway, I digress. At this point I should probably just swap in a 4.3 or 5.7. I could run a TBI version pretty easily, and if I pick up a package unit attached to a 700r4, I can use my LT230 adapter and go down that rabbit hole. If I could get this 3.4 to act right I already have a 700r4 core I can use, I just don't know if it's really going to have the oomph that I'll want it to have.

In other news, I've been having a lot of trouble getting my Sami to run right. When I fill it up with gas, it drives like crap, hesitating and sputtering like the evap system is getting goofy, even though I'm not overfilling it. It also drives like that when its warm. I replaced the pickup coil in the diz to see if that helped, and it seemed to initially, but it's still not right. Could be that the distributor somehow moved or something since I tuned it up a few months back. I've also got a fuel pump on order. I have a suspicion that maybe the fuel tank might be rusty and getting crud in the fuel system when I fill it up. I keep throwing all my money at parts to get it running right and not enough time to finish the build out of the fun stuff.

Once the Sami is running right and built out for wheeling in the Spring, then I'll need to make the tough decisions about the direction to take the trooper.

Here's some trooper pictures from the November Isuzuharrie for either hanging in there and reading my 4x4 livejournal, or if you just want to skip the wall o text and see a pretty rippin' trooper:

 

[paulevans76]

Not much going on lately. Had to have knee surgery done a few weeks ago, so I've been going easy on it for a while.

Ordered a bunch of parts for the sami including a new fuel pump and filter that I need to install. If the inside of the tank is like any bolt on this thing, it's probably rusty. Once I'm feeling better about rolling around on the ground and getting back up again, that will be first on the to-do list. I got the ECU rebuilt but it's still sputtering and being a pain. If the fuel pump doesn't do it I'm going to be scratching my noggin. I checked a lot of the grounds, I've got replacements for nearly every electronic component. Come awn sami!

Once the sami is rolling, I can start tearing into the trooper a little more.

I was able to check out some things using the new OBD1 data streaming app on the trooper. Since the e-fan install, the temp needle gets much further up the temp guage than it ever did with the mech fan. I have the e-fan set to turn on at the lowest possible temp, and from the streaming data, it's coming on right around boiling point, 212ish degrees. I would have thought it would be much lower, like closer to 180 or 190. It also didnt turn off either, it just cooled it to about 190-195* and sorta stayed there. This was sitting my driveway with ambient temps around 40-45*. I'm going to check and see if this can be adjusted further somehow. Also did confirm that this thing will not go into closed loop at idle. If I decide to keep this motor, I will need to go to a heated O2 sensor.

Now that I can sorta hobble in and out of the thing, I want to put some miles on it for data gathering, and look at the fueling to see if it's overfueling according to the computer.

 

[paulevans76]

I was able to play with the ALDL software a bit. The data was showing, surprise, rich conditions (BLMs were below 128) in most situations. I dialed back the fuel pressure a turn but it was still showing rich (BLM's higher but mostly still below 128), but driveability got worse. It was running like it would miss or hesitate a bit. I may have some ignition items to look into around that, but it's also puzzling that it would be telling me that it's pulling fuel during these driving conditions, while feeling like it needed more fuel. Maybe the chip/tune is part of the problem. Maybe the old holley injectors are leaking or sticking or something.

Oh and something is draining my battery down to 10v within the space of a few hrs. Maybe a dead battery cell? Battery is nearly brand new and it seemed like the last one was doing this as well.

I truly believe I wouldn't be having all of these issues if this motor would have been a more basic rebuild instead of all of the aftermarket parts. I would much rather have 165-175 reliable "clean" hp than maybe 190 that I can never dial in. Now I gotta figure out whether it's worth going through every last system again, or just swapping it for a 4.3 or something.

 

[Ed Mc.]

Man, that's a lot of trouble with that durned thing! The ironic thing is, I've only every touched the TPS on my Holley Big Bore and it's been on 2 Troopers. Of course I bought it new around '98-'99 when they were still selling them, it hadn't been sitting on a shelf for ages.

I wonder too if those injectors have been the bane of your existence all along. That's really screwy that you'd be so rich, but then run worse when you reduce fuel pressure. Sounds like maybe they're really inconsistent in their fuel delivery.

So it won't stay in Closed Loop at idle, at all, eh? How 'bout when you're underway? Does the O2 sensor seem like it's putting out the right signal?

Did you use a duel-inlet cat with O2 sensor bung? You'd think that it would run a lot hotter being screwed right into the cat, than being out there in the open like it was with the old "wheezy Wye".

So is it possible to bolt up a GM injector pod onto the Holley? I thought I read that somewhere, but may be misremembering. The gaskets look the same, although appearances can be deceiving.

I found this guy on YouTube who was tired of his leaky Holley injectors, and modified his Holley unit to accept a GM injector pod. Maybe you could do something similar:

Looks like all he had to do was drill a hole for the air cleaner hold-down screw. I don't particularly care for the way he extended the threads, with a jam nut, but it works I reckon. I'd put a drop of Loctite Red on that to make sure the pieces never came apart. I'm sure a 1/4-20 nut rattling around in the engine's innards wouldn't be such a great thing!!

I'm still running the old 2.8 ECM and really have not done much with the rig for years except drive it. It was really cranky after I did the swap, but setting idle speed and TPS fixed that. Had to replace the ECS sensor once and it ran even better after doing that. The exhaust was a huge improvement as well.

I did put in a heated sensor, and ran the "hot" wire up into the engine compt, but haven't hooked it up yet. I recall Geoff saying something about tying into the power window connections at the fusebox, but mine's an LS and those are functional, not spare. Maybe take switched power off the 12V feed to the ign coil, or something like that. I'll work it out sometime when it's nice and warm out!!

On your battery, maybe a bad cell, but it also could be a leaky rectifier pack in the alternator. Try disconnecting the alt wiring and see if the battery stays energized. Take the battery down to Autozone and they can load-test it for free (if they're still doing that).

What a pain, eh, when things don't work right!! :evil:

 

[paulevans76]

Thanks Ed.

I probably have a complete but disassembled 4.3 TBI in my parts stash, so I will take a look at converting or simply swapping back over. I think I remember looking into updating to the newer style Holley pod and injectors, but if I recall, it would be relatively stupid expensive.

It will not go into closed loop at idle, but as soon as I get going, it will go into closed loop. I have the exact exhaust setup you recommend from the downpipes to the dual 2" in, o2 bung right where they enter, 1 2.5" out, so I think I need to bite the bullet and get a heated o2 sensor.

For the battery, I need to remember to grab another charger (accidentally dropped mine and killed it a couple weeks back). I want to charge it up to full power and I was planning on disconnecting everything and seeing if the battery holds the charge overnight, and then I'll start adding things back on. I have a set of these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GZ ... UTF8&psc=1 so I can add back in accessories 1 at a time. Surely it wouldn't be related to my electric fan I recently installed and initially had some trouble with... :roll: :lol: I'm hoping it's just the battery.

 

[Ed Mc.]

I got my new battery at Costco and installed it today. What a difference. Turn the key and BAM!

It also seems to run smoother, and settles down to a nice, steady idle after warming up for a while. I'm expecting it's gonna run better down the road, too. Betcha there was a bad cell, or high internal resistance, dragging the whole system down.

BTW here's a tip on that battery. It's a Group 65 Interstate brand, about $108 out the door with core return. It actually fits the Trooper battery tray nicely, you do have to bend the angled part of the inner holddown bracket to fit the wider battery. But it works, and it's really nice to have 850 healthy cranking amps!

I keep the rig on a battery maintainer all the time, so I'm hoping for a very long life on this battery.

Now all I gotta do is replace the Aquarium pssgr headlight (new one on order from Latvia), and install a new serpentine belt since I imagine the old one full of cracks is at least 10 years old! :? Amazing what you find when you pop the hood! At least there's no slimy trail of antifreeze on the pssgr's side of the intake manifold anymore, that Subaru Coolant Conditioner sealant is Great Stuff!! :mrgreen:

Those Hydra Multi-Connect terminals are wild, I've never seen anything like them. I do need to get a new Positive clamp/terminal, but I won't need one of those Hydras! Maybe you should consider a manual battery disconnect switch, which would allow you to isolate the battery completely. Or just find the electrical leak! Easier said than done, eh!

One of these would do in a pinch until you find the offending component:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=battery+disc ... WCDMI62JOP

BTW those electric fans don't draw any extra juice! Maybe you'll need a bigger alternator (if you don't have one already).
Do they make 500 Amp Alts?? :twisted: I suppose you'd have to swap-in an LS to have enough power to drive the alt. :drunken:

G'luck with your pesky battery drain, they're the worst! :x

 

[paulevans76]

Replaced the battery a little while back and that fixed the charging issue - had a dead cell I beileve. Nice when it turns out it's not my wiring skillz! :blackeye:

I tried to get the trooper to the zu Uwharrie deal back in April but ran into a few issues. It has a fairly regular stumble now and it vibrates a lot over 55-60mph. I need to determine if my driveshaft is out of balance, a wheel/tire issue, or something in the diff. I made the drive halfway and turned around. I was not interested in dealing with it potentially getting worse on the trail and then having to limp it home or get a tow. So I came back home and went to Uwharrie in the GX just to hang with everyone.

I've been focused on the Samurai since then, but my luck hasn't been much better. I got the winch bumper built and 6.5:1 crawler gears and a cool set of shift rails installed in the case so it's got a true neutral. Flat towed it to the Gulches a few hours away and when I got there, it wouldn't stay running at idle and when I put any strain on the motor, it would die. So I think I've got a bad fuel pump or strainer or something, more than likely caused by condensation/rust in the tank. I've got an extended range tank coming as well as a set of RCV shafts for the front axle. I wanna be able to flog it, so I bit the bullet. Working on the cage while I wait for those to arrive.

So the plan is to finish the Sami and then turn back to the trooper and get some long term projects going. Got plenty of ideas but I need to nail down what "done" actually looks like.

 

[Enemigo]

Have you seen this channel on YouTube yet Paul? This guy just started his channel, but it's mostly Suzuki stuff.

Balmer's Workshop
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAORHV ... ilcDor2OHA

 

[paulevans76]

Have you seen this channel on YouTube yet Paul? This guy just started his channel, but it's mostly Suzuki stuff.

Balmer's Workshop
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAORHV ... ilcDor2OHA

I hadn't yet, no, but I will tune in.

On the Sami stuff, I have managed to knock out most of the cage:

The vendor forgot to put some of the front section's bracing/spreaders in the box, so I'll be cutting and notching some tube for those. The original bracing design is doesn't add much strength, so I'm going to try and add some additional triangulation. It's been a fun project. I have RCV shafts for the front axle and lockers for both diffs to do next, and I'm waiting on a Petroworks extended range gas tank (mine is garbage inside) which comes fully loaded with pump, sender, skid, etc. Then rear bumper & electric power steering and it will be "done" and ready to scrape on some rocks while I start back on the trooper.

 

[Enemigo]

Looking great!

 

[paulevans76]

3 month update - sorry, not much going on with the trooper lately. I've almost got the Sami done, but work and life have just been very busy.

So I know what I want to do with the trooper, but I'm still not totally sure of the best way to get there. I want to keep it and I want it to be my family/buddies party wagon for the trails. And I want it to be streetable and less sketchy in general on and off road. As soon as I have the sami done, I'll be able to focus on it.

For now it's just going to maintain its Yard Art status and give the neighbors something to look at

 

[paulevans76]

Minor updates:

Fixed an oil cooler line leak at the oil filter housing thingy - pain in the ***
Fixed exhaust leak at drivers side manifold (donut)
Fixed coolant leak on upper rad hose
Replaced 2 of the 3 1310 ujoints in the rear driveshaft which alleviated my vibes at speed

So now it's pretty quiet and not leaving any sorts of puddles, nice! But it still pulls to the right pretty bad on the road. Just gonna deal with it until I redo everything. I have a minor vacuum leak somewhere (the idle fluctuates) but that shouldn't be a big deal. Running a bit of seafoam gas treatment to hopefully help with the sticky injectors. Planning to drive it to Uwharrie for one last hurrah before going in-op for the next phase of the build.

 

[paulevans76]

Had a blast at Uwharrie with the Zu fam - the trooper did great. I wish I'd gotten more time out on the trails, but that's how it always goes.

Post Uwharrie thoughts (nothing new really):

• Really need to do something about the steering - it becomes almost impossible when the front is locked in, and the box has started leaking more. Also still pulls hard to the right when driving, so something is deffo off and not getting any better. I need some of that hydraulic assist. I'll address this when I address the front suspension and do it all at once.
• I need to seal up under the rear corners where I trimmed them up, exhaust is getting in the cab there
• And same ol same ol when it comes to the high COG, gearing not low enough, etc

I have a couple more samurai projects to finish up and then I can start in on the trooper again.

 

[paulevans76]

So quick quarterly update:

I still have a few little Sami projects to finish, but it's totally wheelable right now. It's got an issue in the tcase where it likes to pop out of high range and into neutral when I drive it on the road, which is a pain, because I was hoping to drive it to work occasionally when the weather is nice. Luckily it's only happened when I could coast into a parking lot or center turn lane, come to a complete stop, and reengage. On the highway middle lane, I would be terrified!

Trooper gets cranked up and driven every few weeks. I experimented with the fuel pressure and found a spot where I am able to maintain idle without it seeming like it's overfueling. I don't think I'll ever have this motor dialed in perfectly, but it gets me where I need to without much issue. I don't think it will live forever, but then again, it's not like I'm driving it thousands of miles a year.

I've got a line on a landcruiser fwd swing steering box, and the plan is to swap that and run hydro assist to alleviate the steering issues.

I'm having an incredibly difficult time not purchasing a set of built dana 60s that are advertised locally. Mainly because they are a load of cash (albeit a fair price) and would require me going to 8 lug wheels (another load of cash), but they were built by ECGS - and I mean totally rebuilt dodge 60 front and GM 60 rear - new bearings, seals, brakes and calipers, geared to 5.86, 35 spline chromo throughout, detroit front and spool rear (only thing I really dislike) with 1310 yokes that would bolt right to my current driveshafts. Just need to decide if that is a better option than just going to a 14 bolt rear and swap to 8 lug outers on the front 44.

I may go ahead and do axle things first, find some 37s or 38s on 8 lug beadlocks, and see how that goes. And then go ahead and figure out the power/drivetrain (keep the 3.4, or go to 4.3, 1UZ, or LS; then decide whether to back it with manual trans with duals, a divorced 2nd case, or auto to rover case or something else).

The balls out 1 ton swap and hydro steering seems like a good intermediate step that would live behind any other powertrain options I decide on.

And I guess once I step up to big boi axles and all that, I should get on the stick in regards to the cage so I can scrape it through the rocks without totally destroying it.

 

[Enemigo]

Ohhh, exciting decisions to make!

 

[paulevans76]

Indeed. I have been talking to the dana 60s guy. He's up around where I'm going to be picking up my hydro-assist-ready landcruiser box when it's ready in a few weeks. I reckon I will show up with a utility trailer and envelope of cash and see what happens 😵

 

[paulevans76]

Welp, going to pick up those dana 60s on Saturday. I'm going to see if I can adapt my current suspension and make some tweaks to lower it, or just start from scratch. Fun stuff to come.

 

[paulevans76]

Picked up the 60s this weekend. The ad for these axles stated that they had a spool in the rear and a detroit up front. Looking back, I should have noticed as we were loading them that something was off. The rear was able to ratchet but the front was not. We thought maybe since it had slugs in the hubs and without the tie rod, the knuckles were all flopping around and being a pain, it was definitely locked in some way. More to come on that!

Loading these was a bear with no hoist and just 2 large dudes:

Made it home without significant issues aside from a psychotic semi driver trying to kill me.

Got them home and wrassled them off the trailer to do some additional inspection.

The hoist made it much easier, as did removing the front slugs.

Popped off the diff covers, rear first:

That is definitely a locker and not a spool. Maybe I lucked out and it's got detroits front and rear?

Let's see what the front has...

Ah SH*T !! Actually has the spool in the FRONT. Argh.

Should have pulled the covers at the dude's house and negotiated more based on this, but what is done is done. It's not a deal killer thing it just has me rethinking what I'll need to do. I don't really want to tear the front completely down to swap in a different carrier/locker, so we may as well try it as is. Going to absolutely need the hydro assist dialed in. The front also came without hubs, and Warn premium 35 spline are difficult to find, so I'll have to see what the options are there. Definitely not going to run slugs/flanges. I think I should probably also work on getting a case I can twin stick to disconnect the front easily on the trail.

Anyway, it begins...