If anyone is intereseted...

bvrScout

bvrScout

New member
Just throwing this idea out to anyone in the club who May be interested - I am going to install a borgeson steering joint and reassemble the steering column on my 76 Scout II this weekend.

I am new to IHSTO and scouts so I was wondering if a more seasoned wrench might be able to lend me a hand/advice this Sunday (1/10). I would be very grateful and am more than willing to help you out on any IH project. This is the last thing I need to do to get her driving, so you would get the satisfaction of watching her run up and drive off for the first time too!

I am in salem about 2 miles west of elmer's, just off market. If you think you might be interested I can pm my address.

Thanks!
 
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It looks like a busy weekend for the wrenches in this group. Saturday is a transmission party in newberg, with most wrenches in attendance. Sunday is probably going to be spent with family. You're welcome to stop by and seek advise from said wrenches. Sounds like it isn't roadworthy yet or you could bring it.
 
I am going to switch my work session to Saturday. I will give you an update on how things progress.
 
Good news! I was able to get it driving by following some tips from Mike. I assembled the steering column first, then attached the steering shaft to the u joint. I didn't install the borgeson kit yet either. I will save that for another day. Hope the transmission work is coming along well!
 
bvrscout said:
good news! I was able to get it driving by following some tips from Mike. I assembled the steering column first, then attached the steering shaft to the u joint. I didn't install the borgeson kit yet either. I will save that for another day. Hope the transmission work is coming along well!
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Awesome! How does it drive?
 
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ss2 said:
awesom! How does it drive?
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Not quite as well as I had hoped. It hesitates alot during accelearation. Not sure if that is because of bad fuel (it had previously been sitting for a year) or a potential exhaust leak?

Lots of white smoke coming out of the tails pipe and when I put on the air cleaner and pcv hose, bits of oil/water are spraying the ground as well.

Also, when I tried to engage 4l while in park, I could hear the front axle engage but when I would shift to r or d, the tc would pop back in to n. It has lock-o-matic hubs which I had read did not need to be locked in order to engage the front axle. Maybe I misinterpreted that.

Defintely overwhelmed by these new findings. The battle in my head now is whether to throw the money in to this Scout without knowing if it will be something I can actually take out in to the woods or put it up for sale and look for one that is more of a daily driver.
 
You need to have the auto trans in neutral for front axle engagement into low range. That's sop for pretty much any part-time 4x4 rig in existence, regardless of transmission, not just scouts. And for whatever reason, the Dana 20 t-case doesn't play as nice with the tf auto trans as well as it does with any of the manual transmissions when it comes to low range engagement/disengagement. Overall, the issues you are grappling with are not at all unusual for bringing any vintage rig back online that has suffered from use, abuse, and neglect for x number of years.
 
scoutboy74 said:
Overall, the issues you are grappling with are not at all unusual for bringing any vintage rig back online that has suffered from use, abuse, and neglect for x number of years.
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I agree with scoutboy. Keep driving it around. The more you drive it the better it will run. Fresh gas makes a world of deference. The carb May need to be rebuilt too. But I would drive it as much as possible before that. Chances are that any Scout you buy is going to have little issues. Oh and fyi that battle you are having in your head about wether to throw money in a Scout never goes away. . . :yikes:
 
I find all the d-20s a bitch to shift, ( I've been through a few) and they all seem a little different. I have the best luck with the rig rolling slightly and the transmission in neutral. Then again sometime it likes to be in gear rolling a little and a quick stab will do the trick. Getting out of low is worse. Usually rolling 5-10 mph, a quick stab on the throttle followed by a hard hit on the lever gets it out of gear.

Did you run it long enough to get it up to operating temp? Ours spits water vapor, water droplets and black oily shit until it warms up. Remember, these are old dinosaurs, not nice clean running modern engines.:yikes:

sounds like you have a pretty normal Scout.
 
That's about how mine is too, except I hold the clutch in and coast. It seems that tension between the front and rear drive shafts makes it hard to shift too. So I'll frequently coast in sweeping left and right arcs to unload the shafts. Once they are unloaded the d20 slips right out of 4h or 4l.
 
Thanks y'all for the candid feedback! I still have a lot to learn as you can tell. I will try the 4wd engagement this weekend.

Mjr screwup - I ran it for about 15 minutes last night and moisture/smoke/oily shit was still coming out of the tail pipe. Only gauge that works currently is the ammeter and I don't have a digital thermometer yet.

I will keep driving it around the 'hood and running up the engine to see how it goes.

I am thinking I should siphon out the old gas and and start all fresh. How can I estimate how much gas is still in the tank? Could I stick a wood dowel in there and estimate by the depth?

Thanks again!
 
I am guessing your fuel gauge is not working, but if the sender is still working you could measure the resistance to ground. I think the lead from the tank should be readily available near the rear passenger side of the frame where it exits before attaching to the wiring harness. At empty it May show about 78 or so ohms and 10 or so full. Not sure how many ohms would be added for corrosion over time.
 
I'm not so sure 15 minutes is enough in the weather we have now.
It takes a while to warm up 700lbs of cast iron and 12 feet of exhaust pipe. If the thermostat is stuck open or missing, it May never warm up. At 160℉ the upper radiator hose should be hot enough to where you can't hold on very long.
It would be best to get in a drive around a little then if it still is blowing crap out the exhaust you have a problem.
Also, if you have a 727 automatic be sure to idle in neutral not park. Park does not let the transmission fluid pump through the cooler. Ask me how I know.

Wouldn't it be easier to put some fresh fuel in? Even mixed with the old crap you'd be better offf.
A little alcohol fuel dryer would help as well.
 
major screwup said:
I'm not so sure 15 minutes is enough in the weather we have now.
It takes a while to warm up 700lbs of cast iron and 12 feet of exhaust pipe. If the thermostat is stuck open or missing, it May never warm up. At 160℉ the upper radiator hose should be hot enough to where you can't hold on very long.
It would be best to get in a drive around a little then if it still is blowing crap out the exhaust you have a problem.
Also, if you have a 727 automatic be sure to idle in neutral not park. Park does not let the transmission fluid pump through the cooler. Ask me how I know.

Wouldn't it be easier to put some fresh fuel in? Even mixed with the old crap you'd be better offf.
A little alcohol fuel dryer would help as well.
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I will check out the thermostat. I assume it is there but the upper and bypass radiator hoses were disconnected when I got it so it is definitely worth a look.

I will idle in neutral from now on. I am guessing you burned up a transmission from idling too long in park?

I've put 4 gallons of new gas in it so far. I am pretty confident I can make it down to shell about 5 blocks away.
 
There's no danger to the trans from idling in park, but there are a couple basic things to know about the 727. The pump is spinning and circulating fluid any time the engine is running, but fluid that would normally be filling the torque converter in any other gear position is bleeding off back into the pan when in park. This is by design and the reason why it says on the dipstick and in the service manual to check the fluid level only while hot idling in neutral. Checking it in park will show you a false high reading on the dipstick. The other thing that happens when the rig hasn't been driven for several days, is fluid drains back out of the torque converter into the pan. Again, this is by design. The problem is, if you go straight into drive from park the first time after the rig has been sitting for days, weeks etc, the rig May not want to move immediately. That's why its a good idea during your warm up procedure to engage neutral for a minute or so before going into drive or reverse, especially when the rig has not been driven for awhile. That allows the pump to fill the converter before you put into gear and try to move it. Other than that, you can idle in park until you run out of fuel or until you consume the planet's entire supply of oxygen if you'd like.
 
Thanks scoutboy. I do have the factory service manual. I will do my homework on these systems so that I fully understand what is going on/how to operate them instead the trial-and-error approach. Appreciate the knowldedge sharing that goes on here.
 
You bet. You're nestled comfortably in the bosom of the IHSTO. Them fellers has got sum uh the purdiest mouths I've ever seen.:yikes: you're in good company.
 
I live in wilsonville and can give you a hand or let you pick my brain sometime. Your not too far away at all. I bought a non runner and have been through the thing from top to bottom over the last few years. I've got it whipped now!
 
Thanks qdawg. I will definitely take you up on your offer at some point.

I drove it for about an hour total this weekend around the 'hood to get some fresh gas (17.5 gal worth) and test out the steering more. It is running noticeably stronger now (upper radiator hose is getting hot) but I have a charging problem. The ammeter ticks up to the c side then drops back down below center about every 3 seconds continously when running. Turning on the headlights the ammeter drops even further towards d and seems to put a serious strain on the battery.

Any ideas on that issue?:confused5:


also, the battery is brand new and if I leave it connected it gets run down by something. I read a post about checking the amps at the battery and removing fuses to determine which circuit is causing the drain so I will put a meter on it tonight.

Thanks!
 
My battery has been draining if I let it sit for more than 2 days and then my ignition switch just stuck and wouldn't shit off. I bought a new switch (not the cylinder) and the drain went away. Something to consider. Alternators are fairly cheap so I would replace it.
 
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