…except at highway speeds (>50 MPH) at which point the top oscillates at random rates and acts like a spastic sub-woofer.   The guess is that the rise between the top of the windshield and the rollbar and the concave shape of the top act like a foil to create a low pressure area that sucks up the top at speed.  Once in the "UP" position, concave becomes convex, the top loses lift and is blown down forcibly by the rushing air. 

At speed, the noise of the top rendered radio useless, but the good news based on NHTSA logic is that it also obviated cell phone usage.  Despite the safety benefit, the noise precipitated a quest to fix it.

1. Velcro
   
   Plan “A” was to add industrial strength Velcro to the top of the B-Pillar roll-bar.  The idea was to have tension across the entire width of the top and thus stop-the-flop.  No joy!
   
   
2. Middle Belt
   
   Added 6 ballistic cloth "belt loops" down the center and then ran a 1" belting strip that could be tightened front-to-back between a footman loop on the windshield frame and the rollbar.  Much better, but to the question; are we there yet?  Nope!
    
    
3. Batten
    
   Had a spare piece of 1/4”
   rod and wondered what would happen if it were threaded through the loops to act as a stiffener, or in sailing terms, a batten.  Voila, the noise vanished.  (OK, it didn’t go away entirely, but it was w-a-a-y better.)  The batten worked OK when simply passed through the "belt loops," but the addition of a fixed bracket to the windshield frame and threading the batten to screw into it made it even better.  Success!

   
   

The hypothesis is that the batten both stiffens the top and, by adding a rib, eliminates the concave curve causing lift and the convex bubble that made the thump.  I also think that the batten effectively splits the top into two sections that each have less force and may be within the range of all three countermeasures and act (oscillate) somewhat independently and thus often cancel each other out.

Whatever the reason, it works!

I flipped a note to Bestop, because it would be easy and cheap to fold/sew a batten pocket into the top during construction and provide a low cost product update/upgrade.

ID	Description
1.	Instrument Panel – Ver 2.0 Fix turn signal LEDs hidden by radio faceplate when it tilts during operation Fix monolithic faceplate that requires the whole dash to gain access to any of the connectors Fix defective Cruise Control switch logic Swap Speedo / Tach positions (Done) Validate SES indicator operation Add filter module for RFID key system (Done) Gang “ad hoc” relays on left side (Done) Clean-up power distribution and segment connections Powder Coat Dash Panel Not really the IP, but add cup holders to console (Done)
2.	Convert former A/C Compressor to OBA Turns out that when the suspension is really workin’ it has a prodigious appetite for air.  The Viair is rated for a 100% duty cycle and can keep up without any problems, but it’s noisy.  Yeah, yeah, I know the whole damn thing is noisy, but the electric compressor is bad noise.
3.	Muffler – Ver 2.0 : Speaking of noise, find a quieter muffler to fit in the same envelope as the current Magnaflow  (Done)
4.	Engineer New (longer) Pitman Arm Decrease Steering Radius Increase Steering Effort It will be a challenge to work out the interference issues
5.	Paint Center “Console” (Ammo Cans)  Body Misc. Chassis Components
6.	Spray-On Bed Liner for Tub Interior ($???) (Done)
7.	ScanGauge II  (Done) Reads the ECM to provide any four functions from list including: Maximum Speed Average Speed Maximum Coolant Temperature Maximum RPM Driving Time Driving Distance Fuel Used Trip Fuel Economy Distance to Empty Time to Empty Fuel to Empty Fuel Economy Fuel Rate Battery Voltage Coolant Temperature Intake Air Temperature Transmission Temp Engine Speed (RPM) Vehicle speed (MPH) Manifold Pressure Engine Load Throttle Position Ignition Timing Open/Closed Loop Can also serve as a scan tool to: Read/Clear Trouble Codes Reads conditions that set the Trouble Code Turn off the "Check Engine" light Tell you when vehicle is "Ready" to pass OBDII testing Make and store up to 10 rewritable special codes to send to the vehicle computer
8.	Rocker Guards with Step (Done)
9.	Finalize rear speaker installation (Done)
10.	Clean-up connections at Fuel Tank (Done)
11.	Install IKEA interior LEDs (Done)
12.	Figure out why the driving lights don’t work They did before I installed the brake lines. Doh!
13.	Re-plumb vacuum line for heater/thermostat
14.	Front Inner Fenders (Half Done – ECM/Driver’s side complete)
15.	Front half of roll cage Cannot start until after Ver 2.0 Dash

  and had it powder coated here in Cincy.  The roll cage is about 1" taller than I had planned, but it just fits under the garage door with the AiRock suspension at full drop.  (Thank heaven for air suspensions!)

If you look carefully, you’ll also see the bikini top over the passenger compartment. (More on the top later…)

I lost my phone in Phoenix last week and replaced it with a new HP iPaq 910.  It took the picture in the garage and this video that shows the radio and the push button start.

[QUICKTIME "http://www.hachiya.us/Jeep/Images/video_01.3gp" 176 144]

Phil also fixed the steering and upper control arm issues, so the front end is looking pretty good.

Though fun while it lasted, you can understand the State’s reluctance to being unwittingly conscripted into displaying the autre entendre of WTF-J. 

Surrendering the offending registration materials at the BMV, the clerk asked; "What does WTFJ mean to you?"  A quick feint and the answer "My daughter suggested that someone at the State probably wondered WTF I was thinking when requesting that plate?" got a chuckle from the counter staff.

So, "WTFJ" is dead, long live "Jeepish"  At least as long as the Duke says "It’s Okay!"

Ohio has a nifty Web based process for reserving vanity plates, but requires an existing registration/tag number.  New registrations use a PDF based form, but require an in-person visit.  While you can’t complete the registration, you can check to see whether the personalized plate is available, and "WTF J" came up a winner.

Bright and early on Monday morning, with completed form in hand and a blank check, I headed down to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles ("BMV") office.  The clerk checked on their official computers and sho’ nuff, the WTF-J will be officially known by the State as "WTF J" (No dashes are available on Ohio license plates.)  Five minutes and $93.75 later later I have the magic paper.  Woo Hoo!  (Note: The Ohio BMV continues to impress.  Every single interaction has been pleasant, efficient, and anything but bureaucratic.  Wish I understood why they get it and the US Postal Service counter staff doesn’t) 

One problem is that all of the instructions are to put the temporary tag in the back window.  Ummm, the WTF-J doesn’t have one, but that’s a secondary issue at best.

Made a couple of laps around the sub-division to make sure that everything was working.  (OK, I’ll admit it; the route of the maiden voyage kept me within walking distance of the trailer that was hooked to the pickup in case the WTF-J developed the automotive equivalent of stage fright.)  It was all good, so the time came to venture out to get in on some of that $3.55/gal. gas. 

Safely made it back to the subdivision, but stopping at a friend’s house set off an alarm at the home front when my wife came home and the WTF-J was inexplicably MIA.  The absence prompted her to call my mobile to confirm that I wasn’t broken down on the side of the road. 

Beyond the contribution to global warming, one other byproduct of all the driving around included the GPS and the compass in the mirror finishing their calibration routines, so the WTF-J now knows where it’s at and has a good sense of direction.  (We should all be so fortunate.)  I also realized that big tires, big horsepower and a fairly short wheelbase is r-e-a-l sensitive to tire pressure and wheel alignment!

One of my daughters suggests that the WTF-J is like a new child in our household; if that’s true, then today is similar to that day when your youngest child takes their first steps, but given the paper from the State, let’s call it Graduation Day.

Day #2 was warm and sunny day and perfect for the test.  The WTF-J was full of its vital fluids and the day also provided a perfect opportunity to clean the garage floor that had become a collection of hazardous waste from filling the differentials, power steering, oil, transmission fluid, and coolant.  

The worst spillage was due to a challenging power steering leak resulting from a defective O-Ring seal at the pump.  Pulling the fitting dumped about a pint of (awful smelling) P/S fluid and replacing it was no picnic either, since the only access was from underneath where there was no escape from the effects.  The leaking fluid also made it tough to get a grip on wrenches and the stuff would run down your arm into your shirt and drip into your hair.  Eventually it all goes back together, but the floor was pretty disgusting, so it was time for a shower and power washing the work area.

Let the testing begin!  The day before, the engine temp climbed to well over 220° and stayed there; now it spikes at 190°, the fan turns on, the temp drops to ~170°, and the fan cycles off.  The P/S leak may have succumbed to the new O-Ring, but got the last laugh as a mildly overfilled the reservoir blew out the plastic bellows vent ($4 part) that sits on the top.  

The garage was looking good and the floor had dried from the pressure wash so it was time to put the WTF-J up for the night.  Made it to within 4′ from the parking spot when a loud "Pfhhhht" emanated from underneath the car and then smoke filled the garage. 

The WTF-J was doing its best Exxon Valdez imitation; a red (transmission fluid) oil spill had erupted under under the car and more of it was dripping off the frame and headers.  What a mess!  The smoke was coming from the fluid that had sprayed on the headers and the exhaust pipe.  There was also a mini flash fire that melted one of the suspension air lines that produced the "Pfhhhht" noise.   

Turns out that the culprit was a temporary transmission cooling line that popped off about 20-sec. before the engine was due to be shut off.  The temporary line was actually nothing more than a 6-8" section of hose that was slipped over the barbed fittings on the inlet/outlet of the transmission cooling lines and had been installed on a cold day so it was pretty stiff.  (The lesson learned was that the warmer weather and the hot transmission fluid significantly softened, i.e. loosened the hose.) 

The above picture shows the freshly replaced hose and you can’t help but notice rosy glow and shiny surfaces.  This time, the hoses went on completely and there are now hose clamps preventing Valdez Redux.  The irony was that right after cleaning the floor the first time, I updated the "To-Do" list on the whiteboard: Item #3 was "Install Trans Cooling Lines"

After spreading enough Oil Dry (Kitty Litter!) to blot up the mess, it was time for some Budweiser Therapy.  Getting some perspective helped and it was still early enough to refill the trans. (It took 3 qts. to get the dipstick back to full!) and back the WTF-J out (with the newly installed line!)  to re-wash the garage floor. 

The next day, it was a pretty smokey 10-20 minutes of run time as the remaining trans fluid burned off the headers and exhaust tubing, but all’s well that ends well.  Fortunately no animals were harmed in the filming of this episode.

At first it looked like they would make a perfect center console, but the space between the back of the transmission hump and the transition to the rear deck was a bit too short.  Tried a couple of other places, but WTF-J gravity kept pulling them to the center console location. 

By cutting a wedge out of the front corner, the can would fit on the floor and as ammo cans are designed to be stacked, the height of two cans made a perfect location for a center console armrest.

Bolting the bottom can to the floor was no big deal and neither was bolting the top can to the bottom lid.  The problem with the "design" was that accessing the bottom can turned into a two-handed operation; the lid was soooo top heavy that as soon as it went over-center it would keep going into a less than graceful back flip.  The solution came from a couple of old gas struts that were salvaged from an old workbench.

By brazing a bracket into the lid, I could use the strut to limit the travel of the lid to 90° and hold it open while also stabilizing its lateral motion.  (I’m guessing that ammo can’s engineers probably didn’t anticipate this application in their hinge design.)  Testing the "system" with one strut suggested that one would provide more than enough lift, so the logical conclusion was to put one in each can.

At a later date, I might make some kind of cushion, but for the time being it works real well.  So it’s time to add one more item to the To Be Painted list, but once again it show the wisdom of listening to She Who Must Be Obeyed.

OK, so they are not plain old seatbelts, the WTF-J has the Impact Racing’s 5-point harness including a lost motion cam-lock latching system. 

Impact Racing ("IR") is the new company Bill Simpson founded after leaving Simpson Race Products following NASCAR’s initial assertion that a faulty safety harness was a major contributor to Dale Earnhardt’s death at the 2000 Daytona 500.  (NASCAR amended their findings a year later and noted Earnhardt’s team did not follow Simpson’s recommended installation procedures.  Simpson, a long-time pioneer in advancing the state-of-the-art in automotive safety products, took NASCAR’s early findings very personally.)  It was clear to me that Simpson was attempting to make a statement with IR.

The 3" belts have a center cam-lock that is pretty slick.  The individual belts are plugged in to a center locking point and are released with a turn.   The lock is called a lost motion mechanism as it requires 30° of motion before releasing the belts.  The intent is to prevent inadvertent releases due to the steering wheel or some other motion brushing up against the lock release.

The harnesses also have pads in the shoulder sections for no other reason than they are a lot more comfortable!

In the picture above, if you look at the side of the driver’s seat, you can see how the belts pass through the (shiny) black collars in the seat to the floor mounts.  The collars, along with the neoprene seat fabric are designed to keep the seat from loading up with water in a rainstorm and giving passengers an extended period of wet butt.  Below, you can see how the belt clips into the 7/16" eyelet, what you don’t see is the stud and the 3" structural washer that sits on the other side of the mount.

While not exactly an airbag, I feel better already.  The quality of the materials and workmanship is confidence inspiring.   Another neat feature is that the belts are SFI Certified and have a two year life span.  (Belts older than 2-yrs are not permitted by most racing sanctioning bodies.)   Impact, like most racing equipment manufacturers has a very low cost service to re-web their harness systems with new belts. (Think new belts for 25-30% the cost.)  For a vehicle that is constantly exposed to the elements, this is a very good thing.

Sooooooo, that part is done, now let’s hope I never need them!

This view gives you some sense of the problem, but doesn’t include the front driveshaft nor does it show the transmission (To the left in this view) nor the transfer case and the skid pan so you don’t really get the big picture.  Suffice it to say that it’s tight!

The master fabricator in me said; "let’s build a crossover pipe."  Sounded like a good plan, since OTC crossovers are very expensive and custom crossovers are almost a religious experience (i.e. OMFG) in terms of pricing.  I watched enough Monster Garage and American Chopper episodes to convince myself that fabricating an exhaust was e-a-s-y.   I ordered some U-Bends, a 2.5" header connector kit, an O2 bung, and a 2.5"-3" transition pipe from Speedway Motors and we were off to the races.  (Speedway is a great place for good prices on racing parts.) 

The exhaust would also provide an opportunity to learn a new welding process with Silicon Bronze filler. Sili-Bronze has a much lower melting point and in the TIG process is more like brazing.  The advantage is that with less heat, there is a significantly lower  likelihood of warping and burn through.  The golden color of the weldment is also pretty neat.

Fast forward about four days of trial and error fabrication and voila!

I added the reference points to explain what I learned in the fabrication process.

"A" & "H" are fixed points on the engine and by fixed, even the orientation of the three holes on the flanges are "non negotiable."  Pipe "B" was the first piece.  It has a subtle bend that is needed to clear the bottom of the engine on the driver’s side.   Once that orientation is established, I could tack weld it to flange "A"  The next step was to cut the radius "D" and then use "B" to establish the depth of the crossover.  It’s a bit of a three-dimensional puzzle, as "D" needs to be properly oriented front-to-back, up-down, and with the correct yaw angle (i.e. maintain the horizontal pitch of the cross pipe.)   For the moment, the plan was to leave "E" open and use it as buffer to deal with any misalignment coming  from the right side.

This brings us to "F."  (The "F" in OMFG!)   The challenge here was the same three dimensional puzzle as "D" with the added complexity of joining up with the down pipe from "H."  The strategy with "F" was to take a radius and cope out the short end so that it would mate to the back (outside radius) of "I"  Then trace the cut-out on "I."   As it was curve on curve, I was well beyond my comfort zone. 

The uncomfortable truth was that the combination of the radii and the (minimal) ability to accurately cope the tubes necessitated some saddle plates to fill in the gaps between the two. (See the "inside" shot to the  right.)
	The outside joint served as a perfect location for the wide-band 02 sensor bung when it comes time to hot-rod the WTF-J at a later date.
So, time to fix flange "H" and the transition piece "G"  (If you look at the inside of the picture on the right, you can see the wedge shaped piece that is used to adjust (tune) the orientation and the length of the down-pipe.  (The length is a critical dimension for connection "E")  Even the clocking of the flange is critical, as the bolt hole need to line up and leave some slack for installing the completed assembly.

Once the right side was tack welded, a test fitting provided the good news that there would be no need for a transition pipe at "E," and the vertical, horizontal, and yaw  differences could be accommodated by creative cutting, grinding and welding.   Time to go through (yet) another cycle of taking parts off, cutting, grinding, tack welding, and re-hanging.   Joint "E" also has a major impact on the direction of "I," so one fortuitous by-product of being "real close" is that "I" actually runs parallel to the frame toward the back.  (Yippee!)

The end result was a crossover while not perfectly straight, is real close.   The bad news is that as a completed assembly the flanges need to be re-clocked slightly (~.25") in order to align all six bolt holes.    (Refrain: Time to go through (yet) another cycle of taking parts off, cutting, grinding, tack welding, and re-hanging. )   

Whew, that was hard.  The good news is that it’s done and the rest of the exhaust system is much easier to work with has m-u-c-h wider tolerances (i.e. room for my lack of skills.)

PS…

If you were wondering about the different color of pipe, the dark pipe sections  are part of the header kit, while the lighter pipes are from the U-Bends.  Also, the downward bend tacked onto the back of "I"  is a simple "tail pipe" that will serve until the rest of the exhaust is assembled.

Our subdivision has a covenant that prohibits parking unregistered cars in driveways.  No license plate means the WTF-J is persona non grata and must seek sanctuary in the garage.  

The first attempt to title the WTF-J happened last year, but the Ohio BMV needed to physically inspect it.  They offered to sell me a 30-Day Temporary tag to drive it to the BMV office, but I passed, as it wasn’t much more than a rolling chassis.    The good news is that having purchased the core parts from an ’85 CJ-8 Scrambler, the WTF-J could be licensed and titled as an ’85.  The model year designation has significant implications vis-à-vis emissions and safety regulations, so this is a good thing, even better, in a couple of years, the WTF-J will be eligible for historical vehicle plates in Ohio, significantly reducing the annual registration effort. 

Last year was a virtual drought, so almost any day would have worked for the outing.  This year has been a different story, with sunny days few and far between. 

In the last installment of the WTF-J Chronicles, you may recall the problems with the transfer case shifting.  That problem was solved and the WTF-J was back in action.  (Note: In the cloud = silver lining category, the adjusted TC linkage forced a change in the heating outlets.  They had been hung under the dash on fabbed aluminum brackets, but the new throw on the TC levers would have required much longer brackets that would have exerted too much leverage on the dashboard.  The solution was to mount the vents on the firewall.  Aside from being a real pain to install, once there, it forces you to wonder why that wasn’t the first choice. 

So the time came to bundle the WTF-J off for its first inspection.  Picking up the trailer at the storage yard uncovered a defect in the trailer build.  When it was shiny and new, there was enough of an electrical ground in the trailer ball coupler to trick me into believing that it would not be necessary wire a dedicated ground.  Fast forward to today and the trip started off with no trailer lights and worse, no trailer brakes.  As none of the trailer electrical functions were working, the diagnosis of a bad ground was easy.  A test light shoved into the truck side of the connection, proved that there were no blown fuses/relays on that side, and a quick jumper between the truck chassis and the trailer frame confirmed the diagnosis.  Fifteen minutes and a couple of connections later, it was lights, (brakes too!) camera, action!

Having the TC shifters operational meant that walking the WTF-J onto the trailer was child’s play.  Between the power of the 6.0L and the jack-stands under the rear of the trailer during the loading process there was no drama and the 18′ length provides enough room to jockey the WTF-J into the center. 

The trip to the BMV would also be the first time towing any substantial weight on the trailer since it was first built.  Happy to say that it worked perfectly.  The torsion axles and the bulldog coupler combine for a real quiet and stable ride.  

The only disappointment with the trailer came from the recessed tie-down rings that were installed into the deck.  Their location rendered them essentially useless for securing the WTF-J.   (If you look closely at the picture, you’ll see the yellow patches virtually under the tires.)  The trailer has a 1/4" * 3" band that essentially provides unlimited tie-down point around the sides and back of the trailer, but the tie-down straps have oversized hooks that virtually require D-Rings.   After returning from the BMV, a quick trip to Tractor Supply and a quick session with the MIG and there are now weld on D-Rings in the four corners.

Made it to the BMV and the line was long, (Surprised?) but moved along quickly.  When it was my turn, the guy filled out a surprising number of forms (I only had to sign three of them!) and then it came time for the inspection.   Well, it turns out that the inspection is only a verification that the serial number plates match the (out of state) title.  (WTF-J’s core came out of Connecticut.)  WTF-J passed!  It probably didn’t hurt that the BMV rep was also a gear head, so we bonded on horsepower and torque discussions.  (I fired it up on the trailer so he could hear it.  It is reassuring to hear a public servant utter the word: "Sweet!")

The protocol in Ohio is that it takes up to 30-Days to get a Title, and you cannot complete the registration process without a Title, so once again, the offer of a temporary tag.  Since WTF-J doesn’t yet have seat belts of any kind and still needs a bunch of nit stuff to get roadworthy, it still doesn’t make sense.   (OK, so some people think that a muffler is more than a nit, but it really does sound "sweet" running open header according to the Official Representative of the Ohio BMV! )  Title application receipt in hand, it was time to head back to the house and put WTF-J back in the barn.

Enough excitement for one day!

More to come…