ZMotorsports Shop Projects 2.0

[zmotorsports]

Awesome sign.


Shorty Korte
Always remember quality in QST

Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

Hi Mike,

As always I enjoy reading what you are up to. Those cut down pole jacks are a great idea! I'll have to copy it if I ever get a lift installed

The pictures of Montana State prison bring back memories, it's one of the few places we actually stopped and toured while on vacation when I was a kid.

Thanks for the well thought out explanation for your jeep's cooling system. I totally agree that it is important to have a goal for a project (be it a vehicle or something else) and stick with it. Now I just need to actually follow through with that sentiment lol...

Thanks guys. I appreciate you taking the time to follow along and comment.

 

[zmotorsports]

It’s like they know me.

I know, right Matt??

My wife doesn't understand my infatuation with either.

 

[zmotorsports]

Knocked another item off of my white board this morning. I fabricated my grease gun holder that I have kept putting off.

I have had my grease guns in a drawer under my workbench placed on absorbent pads for the past two years and after greasing my Jeep suspension the other night and dripping oil all over my shop floor I decided to bump it to the top of the priority list. This heat we’ve been having has been separating the lubricant from the carrier and when I pick the guns up to use all of the oil runs out the bottom of the plunger. By having them hang it won’t prevent the oil from dripping but should at least eliminate the pooling and a gush of oil pouring out when I pick them up to use.

I started with some 3” ABS tubing cut into 12” increments and played with spacing.


After correct spacing was determined I cut the 1” square tubing to the necessary length and then drilled the holes for mounting the tubes as well as mounting the complete rack to the wall. By using the tube it also creates just enough spacing away from the wall to allow access to remove the bottom caps for cleaning when needed.


I then cut some 1” PVC into 2” lengths which will form the cup to secure the coupler at the end of the hose. I deburred and cleaned up the ends on the lathe.


Tubing all cut and prepped.


Coupler receivers and mounting tube painted and drying while I machine the .5” spacers.


Spacers machined and ready for assembly.


First one assembled.


All five assembled and ready to mate to the mounting tube.


Securing using 10-32 nylock nuts.


Using the masking tape trick to keep from dropping the nuts into the square tube while assembling.


The assembly ready for installation onto the wall.




Loaded with the grease guns for years of use and easy access.


Gained back one of my large drawers under my workbench.


Thanks for looking.

 

[LXCam]

Well mike for the first time ever I’m disappointed in something you built. I can’t believe that you didn’t do a stainless or aluminum back splash just in case there was a spot of grease on a hose that could leave a stain on the wall.


Whatta slacker


Lol, as always it’s looks great bud.

 

[larry4406]

Well mike for the first time ever I’m disappointed in something you built. I can’t believe that you didn’t do a stainless or aluminum back splash just in case there was a spot of grease on a hose that could leave a stain on the wall.


Whatta slacker


Lol, as always it’s looks great bud.

That’s funny right there! But I can see the value of the back splash.

 

[zmotorsports]

I’m sorry Cam. I didn’t think a backsplash was needed as I wipe the grease off the coupler before storing.

I’m sorry I let ya down bud. I’ll have to try harder on the next project to reacquire your respect. [emoji12]

 

[4 FN 27]

Well mike for the first time ever I’m disappointed in something you built. I can’t believe that you didn’t do a stainless or aluminum back splash just in case there was a spot of grease on a hose that could leave a stain on the wall.

Was thinking the same thing...but I hear you Mike on wiping them down prior to putting them away.

Where there is a Grease Gun there is a Rag or a Matt...or a Puddle.

 

[zmotorsports]

I here ya Pat. At my last shop I had my guns hanging on a piece of tubing protruding out perpendicular from the wall and an absorbent pad on the floor for the drippings. I just wanted something a little nicer now and a little more aesthetically pleasing than an oil soaked pad on the floor.

 

[TTMotorsports]

Nice mount I'm going to be making one similar and have the abs tubes drain through a tube below which is where my oil drain tank lives.

 

[shortykorte]

Very nice Mike. Definitely better than laying in a drawer. Is each gun loaded with a different grease or is the loaded for a year use due to all being the same grease?
I too like the back splash idea even if it’s for looks. How about this, laminate a picture of a monkey and place behind. Then the rack is your grease monkey. lol.


Shorty Korte
Always remember quality in QST

Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

 

[Boosted1]

Once again I am looking at one of your projects thinking you could sell those if you were to make a batch.
I have same problem you fixed with grease guns.

 

[zmotorsports]

Thanks for all of the comments guys. I appreciate the feedback and all of you following along.

As far as different greases, each gun has a different grease.

My Proto (favorite gun) is my most used EP2 grease which is Phillips Multiplex grease. Then my I have two Lincoln guns each containing Valvoline Ford moly-enriched grease for ball-joints/tie rods with a standard coupler and the other with a needle point for flush zerks and my RCV shafts. Lastly is another Lincoln with Red & Tacky that I use for motorcycles steering necks.

 

[aka Larry]

Nice work on the grease gun work Mike. From you I'd expect no less!

 

[zmotorsports]

Nice work on the grease gun work Mike. From you I'd expect no less!

Thanks Vincent, I appreciate that. Hopefully now I won't have to spend as much time wiping up oil drips all over my floor and can get more actual work done.

 

[lilscorpion]

Thanks for all of the comments guys. I appreciate the feedback and all of you following along.

As far as different greases, each fun has a different grease.

My Proto (favorite gun) is my most used EP2 grease which is Phillips Multiplex grease. Then my I have two Lincoln guns each containing Valvoline Ford moly-enriched grease for ball-joints/tie rods with a standard coupler and the other with a needle point for flush zerks and my RCV shafts. Lastly is another Lincoln with Red & Tacky that I use for motorcycles steering necks.

Cool project and dang that’s a lot of grease types. I think I have 1. Maybe I need to look into what types I actually should be using instead of assuming grease is grease.

 

[zmotorsports]

Cool project and dang that’s a lot of grease types. I think I have 1. Maybe I need to look into what types I actually should be using instead of assuming grease is grease.

Thanks Matt. Coming from the industrial maintenance field I learned that not all grease is the same so it has carried over into my personal life as well.

 

[matt_i]

Great design on the gun holders! You'd laugh at me, its a super-sized Ziplock bag with some rags inside, I take mine along with the boat trailer to purge water from the submerged hubs and that was the fastest way I could get it to "travel cleanly".

I'm trying to standardize on Mobil "multipurpose" XHP222 (blue) and the moly-laden XHP222+ (black).

I have given some thought to EP grease but have to make sure it doesn't get into any bronze...I've seen the results of that mistake firsthand...

 

[zmotorsports]

Great design on the gun holders! You'd laugh at me, its a super-sized Ziplock bag with some rags inside, I take mine along with the boat trailer to purge water from the submerged hubs and that was the fastest way I could get it to "travel cleanly".

I'm trying to standardize on Mobil "multipurpose" XHP222 (blue) and the moly-laden XHP222+ (black).

I have given some thought to EP grease but have to make sure it doesn't get into any bronze...I've seen the results of that mistake firsthand...

Thanks.

The Phillips Multiplex #2 was something we started using because of it's lubricating properties and it's resistance to water washout when our janitorial personnel would wash down equipment. At the time I was working on several boats for friends so I decided to give it a try on boat trailer wheel bearings and immediately saw a benefit by not having to disassemble and repack as often. I have pretty much used it for all of my general chassis grease and even have the 5-gallon bucket with my Alemite bearing packer attachment. It can be used in ball joints as well but I opt to use one with a bit of molybdenum in it for a bit more extreme wear of metal on metal surfaces that ball joints and tie rod ends encounter.

Thanks for stopping by and following along on my thread.

 

[zmotorsports]

The aluminum radiator in my Jeep developed a small leak a few months ago and I have been waiting for a replacement under warranty. It showed up a few weeks ago but with the triple digit heat we’ve been having it has started to worry me so I thought I would get it replaced before we start hitting several Jeep rallies we will be attending over the next few months.

I stopped by my buddies shop Monday afternoon and evacuated my A/C system and pulled the radiator.

Last night I swapped the Camaro SS electric fan and the A/C condenser over to the new radiator.




Assembly ready for installation.




These JK’s are hard on aluminum radiators for two reasons, first there are so many electronics that they have issues with electrolysis so I added a ground strap directly from the chassis to the radiator shell. Secondly the Jeeps flex and have a tendency to crack aluminum radiators so to aid in allowing a little ability to move without cracking while flexing I added some springs under the rubber isolators. These seem to retain the radiator well yet still allow some movement.




Another issue I have seen on the JK’s is that people have a tendency to remove the rubber side flaps and lower radiator valances when they are installing aftermarket components such as transmission coolers, aux. lights and winches. These rubber flaps aid in cooling by keeping the airflow directed through the radiator core rather than around it under it so make sure you keep yours in place.

Here you can see on the passenger’s side I merely cut a slit to allow the braided transmission lines to run through it but the flap is still in place and fastened to the core support.


Driver’s side in place.


Upper radiator hose installed along with 1/4” line to the surge tank using tie-wraps to help conceal the surge tank hose. Another tip for keeping things clean and tidy is to loosely install the tie-wrap then rotate it so the lock is under the hose and out of site before tightening and using flush cuts to snip the tail. This does two things, the flush cut cutters eliminate that nasty sharp cut edge so you don’t get scratched by it and by not seeing the lock it provides a much cleaner overall appearance.

Ready to pull a vacuum on the cooling system and check for leaks and fill.


Double checking things after the test drive.


Now to recharge my A/C system.

 

[Finallygotit]

Nice job Mike.


This is a really good idea.



Well done too!

 

[fnieto]

Nice work on the cooling stack Mike. I also like your grease gun holsters

 

[zmotorsports]

Nice job Mike.


This is a really good idea.

Well done too!

Thank you Dan.

 

[zmotorsports]

Nice work on the cooling stack Mike. I also like your grease gun holsters

Thanks Paco. Glad to have you back following along my friend.

 

[Monza Harry]

Well Mike nice job on the grease gun rack, But you could use some Two Faced Tape and a precut piece of Aluminum Diamond Palate for a back splash, easy, pretty, and functional. That is if you are looking for back seat fabricators to help you out! And then to raise your game and silence the peanut gallery [Yes I resemble that remark] you could learn to, and apply some, pin-stripping and calligraphy to mark which gun goes where. And I wholeheartedly agree that air flow control is #1 & #2 on the list for your rad re-install. Keep them coming! Harry

 

[shortykorte]

Pin striping and lettering, I like it!!!


Shorty Korte
Always remember quality in QST

Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

 

[zmotorsports]

Thank for the prodding guys. Who do you think I am, Don Long?




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[zmotorsports]

I racked my Jeep Thursday night to check things out and noticed I had some play in my ball joints so I tossed in some new ones between Thursday and Friday evenings.

On Saturday morning while it was still on the lift I decided to install my new driving lights. My Hella Black Magic 6” driving lights have worked well for the past 8 years I’ve had them but being halogen with a glass lense I finally had one take a rock and break during a recent off-road trip.

I opted to go the LED route this time and bought a pair if KC Pro 6 Gravity lights. I also ordered some amber covers as it will help in dust during off-road driving as well as that nasty inversion **** we have to drive in here in northern Utah during January and into February months.





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[TimeWarpF100]

always fun to stop by and check what you are up to!

 

[zmotorsports]

always fun to stop by and check what you are up to!

Thank you. I concur as I check yours out as well. Love seeing your projects.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

[zmotorsports]

My wife and I just returned from our annual Ouray, CO wheeling trip. This was our twelfth year in the area and by far the most interesting. The amount of damage and carnage from many, many avalanches was staggering. We’ve seen an occasional slide or avalanche area here and there but we counted about 17 this trip and that was just from one heavy snowfall season. Upon talking with a local who works at a historical museum in the area he said this was the highest snowfall on record since the 1880’s and by what we witnessed I have no reason to argue the point.

Many of the trails in the area were similar to years past with a few sections here and there that had larger rocks exposed and a culvert exposed that required some careful tire placement but overall a great trip. Two trails that I like to run were not open, Black Bear Pass and Poughkeepsie Gulch. I talked to a Forest Service ranger one day and was informed they were working to get Black Bear Pass open within a week or so but had no plans to work on Poughkeepsie this year as they didn’t have the resources to work on both this season.

For the last four years my wife and I had hosted a small gathering in the area(12-15 couples/RV’s/Jeeps) but this year we weren’t 100% sure we would be able to make it with our son’s home purchase and wedding so we didn’t organize anything. We were able to get away and it turned out to just be the two of us although we met a few people in the campground that had asked if they could tag along with us after discovering that we were familiar with the area.

Now for the pictures.

Our campsite for the week.


Day one it was raining and upon driving over Corkscrew Gulch, Hurricane Pass and California Gulch the damage was very evident.




















However, the natural beauty of the area was still very obvious. Lake Como at the top of the Poughkeepsie Gulch trail.










And with the heavy snowfall last winter the sheer amount and size of the waterfalls were probably a once in a lifetime experience. We have never seen so many waterfall in this area. Around nearly every turn we would comment about seeing “another” waterfall.






Thanks for looking.

 

[zmotorsports]

Picture of us traveling to Ouray, stopping for the night in Green River, UT.


I almost forgot to include some gratuitous pictures of our Jeep in her element.


















Then after returning home yesterday proceeded to wash and detail both the Jeep and the coach in preparation for the next RV/Jeep adventure.






Thanks for looking.

And for anyone interested, the new powertrain really performed fantastic and the 37’s really flattened out the trails this year. Especially seeing as how the rocks were a bit larger this year as all of the water had washed out much of the dirt and left just the large rocks exposed. The Jeep handled them in stride and I couldn’t be more pleased with the way everything performed.

 

[4 FN 27]

Looks like a fun adventure. Great pictures Mike!!!

I need to learn how to "Vacation".

 

[zmotorsports]

Looks like a fun adventure. Great pictures Mike!!!

I need to learn how to "Vacation".

Thanks Pat. I actually think I am getting this vacation thing down pretty well. If only I could figure out the whole how to quit my job and vacation full-time part.

 

[gearhead1960]

Thanks Pat. I actually think I am getting this vacation thing down pretty well. If only I could figure out the whole how to quit my job and vacation full-time part.

I think they call that "retirement". The other option would be to flip the work week to 5 days off, 2 days work.....

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Badass, I'm glad the Jeep performed! That area is my favorite place to four wheel. You can't beat the scenery or weather this time of year. We went there like 4 years in a row, but it's been a while now.

 

[zmotorsports]

I think they call that "retirement". The other option would be to flip the work week to 5 days off, 2 days work.....

Agreed Mark, but I'm still a few years off from retirement, until I hit the lottery anyways.

 

[zmotorsports]

Badass, I'm glad the Jeep performed! That area is my favorite place to four wheel. You can't beat the scenery or weather this time of year. We went there like 4 years in a row, but it's been a while now.

Thanks. Agreed, the scenery is spectacular which is why we go back year after year. This has been one of the very few places that when we were packing up to leave and getting the coach to travel mode that the wife said she can't wait until we can walk back down to the campground office and say we would like to stay for another week or more.

I too can't wait until we can do that.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

What park were you staying at?

 

[zmotorsports]

What park were you staying at?

Ouray KOA. About 4 miles north of Ouray and about 5 miles south of Ridgeway just off Highway 550 on CR23.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I've never stayed there. We've stayed at the city park in Telluride and the State Park just out of town. We've also stayed at the little park on the lake in Durango. The new rig won't fit in any of those places, so we'll have to look into the KOA.