Owner: Dave
I picked up this thing as an opportunity to flip it. It was a mechanics special, $200. 330k miles on the 22RE. It needed a harmonic balancer, and what I thought was just reverse gear. Seeing as I’m a mechanic, I thought it would be no big deal. Well, I fell in love with it and we named him “Larry” he’s not anything fancy but he gets er done…
I started by replacing the balancer and started driving it. Before I knew it I had 10k miles on it(without reverse) so I decided it was time to fix it and that’s where my love affair really began.
To date the list of the part that has been changed goes:
- Harmonic balancer
- First radiator swap
- Transmission(135k)
- Clutch and flywheel
- Rear brake shoes
- Rear brake spring hardware
- Rear brake wheel cylinders
- Front-wheel bearings, races, and seal
- Front brake pads
- Rear window motor
- Rear window/wiper control unit
- Left rear triangle window
- All exterior lights
- Radiator #2(don’t get cheap eBay radiators)
- Added radiator shroud
- Fan clutch
- Fan belt
- Smitty built twin-tube front bumper
- Auto feel 42″ 780k lumen light bar on the hood
- New tires
- New starter
- New battery
- New alternator
- New belts
- New shocks
- Seat covers
- Stereo and front speakers
- Heater core
- Reverse gear sender
- Added Asian front hub selectors…5mpg gain on highway
- Added airbags in rear coil springs, ran airline into a cab, and mounted on driver’s seat. Levels rear out and can gain almost 4″ of lift. Great for towing
Will update the list as I go, or if I have forgotten anything. Planning on ordering some lockers this month and start making it a more capable 4×4 before I lift 4″, and gear change for the planned 35 x12.50s I plan to run.
I also have all the parts and a short block for a new motor, including a new head and cam. Just waiting for Larry to get a little more tired, or to start to make some noise.
Sorry for such a long intro but here are some pics of my runner.
Well being a mechanic certainly doesn’t hurt! :amen: