Project 4x4 Commuter Mazda

[legoms013]

Okay October update.

Bad news:

Got myself a gf in Aug (not bad news in itself, she is awesome!) so didn't make my goal of poly bushings and the JD Trak bar since school is real busy, and I am not making much in the way of money.

Good news:

I may be getting a commuter. For free. 2002 Volvo s40....21-31 mpgs! Will be picking it up from family November or December.....which means my truck can sit (save me some fuel $$$) while I get SAS parts....might be sooner than I was hoping. Just need steering stuff, coils, track bar bracket and wheels/tires...so CLOSE!

Truck is running good and just turned 240k miles...shows no signs of quitting. Hopefully the powertrain will last till I get a commuter!

Taking my uncle's 97 Tj to the Rubicon the weekend for Pa's bday....has 35,s ARBs, Rubicon Express 6" long arm kit and much more. Pretty dope machine.

Sorry this thread has been so dead, but life has been crazy lately! That's all for now.

 

[2004xlmiller]

pics of the tj? congrats on the girl. she'll test your devotion to building this rig and also teach you to budget the money between gas and ass.

 

[legoms013]

Anybody need some Ford style stock radius arms? They are off the axle I narrowed...don't need them since I have the JD ones....shoot me an offer need them gone!

 

[Grunizzle]

man I was hoping for an update on this...

 

[legoms013]

Got some D44 balljoints and u-joints for christmas (ordered some GM tapered inserts too for the knuckles for OTK steering):

BUT on my way to a friends house my truck died I was driving along, heard a loud thud, and then the motor quit. Dash stayed lit up and elctrical was fine but it was dead. Pulled over and tried to crank it but it just cranks and cranks and never fires (cranks very freely without much sounding different than normal). Had my dad tow me home and watch while I crank it over and it looks like nothing is spinning not even the harmonic balancer

Any ideas? Sheared crankshaft? Broken flywheel? I'm not very knowledgeable about the drivetrain so help me out lol

 

[escort_gts]

Oh no, that's not good.

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[88_Eddie]

i'd start simple. electrical, make sure you're getting a spark and fuel. then move on to serious engine failure like a sheared crankshaft.

 

[motopete]

If your starter is spinning but your crankshaft isn't, I would say you sheared the flywheel bolts. Its pretty hard to snap a crank just driving along. The trans input shaft could be holding the flywheel in place and just letting it spin. I could be wrong but thats what makes sense to me.

 

[legoms013]

Just verified, it has spark and fuel.

Took the starter off, and the ring gear spins freely except in two spots it almost hangs up.

Makes sense since when I crank it over NOTHING rotates on front side of motor. Serpintine belt is intact and nothing obvious externally is wrong.

 

[escort_gts]

Looks like you need to pull the trans and.see what's up with the flywheel

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[legoms013]

Im heavily leaning towards broken flex plate. Though it is possible the crankshaft sheared at the rear journel, the flex plate is far more common.

 

[legoms013]

So I ended up taking it to a shop....turns out the flex plate is toast, input shaft and the torque converter too.

 

[escort_gts]

Time for a manual trans swap.

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[legoms013]

Time for a manual trans swap.

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I should. Maybe when the current tranny gives it up for good!

Hoping to get it back from the shop before the weekend...I'm supposed to be wheeling in Nevada sat & sun!

 

[2004xlmiller]

saw you going down the road near ruffstuff last friday afternoon. rig looks sweet!