Old CWO

There is a youtuber guy that runs straight Pine sol in his ultrasonic. The parts that come out of it look like they were hot tanked.

Sweet truck. Maybe give it the linseed oil treatment while it's waiting it's turn for attention.

One of the coolest looking and capable 4x4 trucks ever sold in the U.S. market. I wish I had the bankroll to buy and DD a stone stock long bed '79 Toyota 4x4. What an awesome little truck; it probably helped cement Toyota's reputation for American consumers.

Manual – Quality Engineered Components

I have a 52 truck 4 speed sitting in the garage that measures 7 5/8 inches. I am under the impression the earlier trucks are the same, perhaps someone more knowledgeable than me can confirm. You may want to double check your info on the AX15, IIRC Jeep and Dakota AX15 are 7.8 input shaft length.

Once you get to this level of fab and modification, I really think you should strongly consider just going straight to a V8. Everything you have to mod for installing a non-native L6 is pretty much the same as a V8 swap. Given the ubiquity of V8 parts and upgrades, your total cost might even skew lower.

Not Jeep T5, Chevrolet. The S10 T5 is adaptable to the Mopar flathead trucks with a fairly simple kit. The T5 was in plenty of 4 cyl. and V6 4x4 S-trucks. You would use the Chevrolet transfer case married to the T5. There's some interchangeability on GM transfer cases of that era so you have options. The GM NP231C is very similar to the Jeep and NP231 and just as reliable, even taking some of the same beef-up parts. Yes, the S10 T5 is NWC but that isn't really a problem behind a flathead. The NWC is more maligned than it deserves - the root causes of most issues are incorrect fluid and lack of positive stops on the shifters. Both of those are easily corrected making the NWC T5 more than fine for less than V8 applications. Yeah the AX15 is a better transmission if you can figure out how to mate it up but the T5 is low hanging fruit if you're keeping the old engine. Either way, please keep the board updated if you proceed. It's a cool project

I have pondered a 4x4 conversion a bit myself and would like to see one done similar to what you are describing. The XJ D30 high pinion front axle with factory leaf springs seems like a sound approach, especially if you already have the Cherokee rear. YJ, TJ and ZJ front axles could also work but XJ is in my opinion the best of the bunch. You would want a 95+ high pinion axle for the larger u-joints and lack of center disconnect. Keeping the flatty for power is fantastic but I'm not aware of an easy way to run the AX15 Jeep trans behind it. With available adapters, I think it is feasible to bolt up a S10 T5 in 4x4 flavor with associated xfer case. I would probably favor the NP231C with aftermarket slip yoke eliminator. With 4X4 trucks, tire size drives almost everything so pick your last set first. Given the strength of the drivetrain proposed, 33s would be absolutely the maximum reasonable size. I like the idea of narrow steel wheels and LT215/85R16 in a very aggressive tread pattern for that old school skinny/tall look you would see on early 4x4 trucks.?

I have installed three-point retractable seat belt systems in vintage cars using a kit from this company: Seat Belts (julianos.com)

Speedway sells complete gasser straight axle kits.

Taller tires will kill some RPM

What's the plan for new drivetrain?

That's funny - I am a grinder and not a welder! Nice truck, looks like you're having fun.

To combat this and not be "ageist" perhaps states could require everyone to periodically retake both the written and practical driving exam. Let's face it, there are a fairly high number of not old people who are dangerous drivers as well. It is true that as we age our cognitive abilities decline. Certainly at different rates for different folks, but it happens. Better to have a dispassionate way to gently find out perhaps you shouldn't be driving anymore. I have moved to different states eight times since the age of 16; you know how many times I have demonstrated driving competence to get a new or renewed license since then? None. Not sure that's such a great idea. I mean if we are forced into paying for bloated motor vehicle departments, is it too much to ask that they have some method of checking driver competency while picking our pockets? Motorhomes and large towables would probably benefit from a special category that require additional operator requirements similar to a motorcycle.

They go on sale for $9.99 fairly frequently. it's a bargain for smaller paint jobs. Yes, the rusto in half pints, quarts or gallons. I assume every other hardware store type alkyd enamel will perform the same - I just generally use rusto for sake of color match and universal availability. I have only shot that type of paint through the purple gun so no personal experience with other coatings. I will say this; it's a serious upgrade from a rattle bomb for not much more money.

Wow, those look really nice. My state recently started offering YOM repop plates for older vehicles but sadly they aren't embossed. I run them but they lack the proper vintage look of original stuff like that. Well done! Paint tip for the future: Rustoleum sprays really nicely out of those cheapie purple spray guns from Harbor Freight. Seriously nice, like good enough to paint some of your restoration project parts like the chassis, suspension, axles, engine bay, firewall, bumpers, running boards, etc. In my climate I mix 1 part acetone to 2 parts paint and shoot at 90 psi. It lays out well with good gloss and almost no orange peel. The gun is low enough priced that you don't feel bad if you choose to just throw it away instead of cleaning it. For even better results a couple drops of enamel hardener makes it cure really fast and glossy. That stuff has isocyanate in it so I usually chicken out but if you have a good respirator it will make a low buck approach look fantastic.

New bolts for sure, they are cheap. It's so much easier to just zip the old ones off with a cutting wheel on a grinder than try to remove rusty, crusty bolts. When I do leaf springs I "cheat" and use socket head cap screws instead of spring center bolts. It has a similar head diameter for the perch pocket but you now have a way to hold it better with an Allen wrench. You shouldn't try to pull the pack together with the bolt, I have stripped a couple doing that. A better method is compressing with large C clamps as you tighten the bolt.

I like those vinyl/plastic leaf spring liners with the lip and use them whenever I am restoring a leaf pack. If keeping the original look isn't mandatory I will simply remove the original clamps and install new full wrap clamps. It's much easier.

I totally agree with this. A fully gone through stock steering and suspension is plenty fine for a classic pickup truck. Medium and heavy duty trucks to this day use leaf springs and beam axles up front and log millions of trouble free miles. For those seeking power steering there is now an under dash universal electric hot rod unit on the market. It looks like it might be great for B and C trucks with 12v conversions. I have only seen them online and in magazines but am curious.

You can take that to the bank! Let's not even get started on how long your junk is in "paint prison;" body shops and engine machine shops always seem to have more work than they can handle.

Nice truck! Aside from wheel color it could be my truck's twin!

I am also running 215/85R16 modern tires on the original wheels. Looks and works great and the taller tires do kill a little top end RPM when cruising. I happen to really like the tall/skinny profile for classic trucks but also dig the big & little style. When I was a youngster there were a lot of pickups rocking stock front wheels with street treads and some fatter wheels and mud grips on the back for traction on the farm. ? I don't see any reason why you can't do that on your truck without issue. I have only dealt with Stockton Wheel for custom stuff but I know there are other shops that can widen your wheels for you so it will be exactly what you want. There are two other common truck tire sizes that are basically the same height as the 215/85R16: 245/75R16 and 265/70R16. They just get progressively wider at the sidewall, the 215 is about 8.5", 9.5" for the 245 and the 265 is 10.5". 265/70R16 on 16x7s would look pretty good on the rear with pizza cutters on the front.

I have owned a couple of those engines and aside from some pesky rear main seal leaks, they are basically bulletproof. I love them and think that an EFI L6 in a classic truck is a fantastic idea. There was such a thing as 2WD Cherokees with the AX15 manual and I am pretty sure a Dakota stick shift will bolt up to the Jeep bell as well. There is (was?) a standalone wire harness available to run the EFI marketed towards CJ5/CJ swaps. I would think that is something you could take advantage of. That being said, it's essentially the same effort to swap in a V8 which at the end of the day is a simpler path because of the deeper aftermarket parts and support. I bet you could find a clean running Magnum 5.2 cheaper than a 4.0L. Those hit that 230HP/300TQ range that gives plenty of pep without overpowering the rest of the truck. Something to consider if you're dead set on a swap. There are people who can build these engines and if there isn't one local, you can always crate it up and truck ship it somewhere. Even with the added transport costs it will still probably shake out cheaper and less frustrating than an engine swap. Check with forklift repair places; Chrysler flatheads were in some forklifts and other industrial equipment for a number of years so that might be a lead for you.

. The old school 2 bbl surely keeps the simple/reliable vibe going - works fine and lasts a long time. Nothing to complain about there... Keeping the power a little conservative on an old truck is a wise call; better to be safe than fast. I think a slant or V6 just isn't quite enough gain over the original plant for the effort involved so a 318 should fill the bill nicely. I also see that engine as a "gateway" for other potential future upgrades like AC, power steering, etc. if so inclined. It's cool, I dig it. Maybe the old 228 can live on powering a welder, generator, pump, tractor or something?

It looks like it fits in there very nicely. While I certainly appreciate the flattie, there's nothing wrong with a little more HP/TQ under the hood either. I like your engine choice: not a path of least resistance GM, not a gold plated early hemi and not an over the top rumpity cam'd 440. Simple, reliable and just enough engine for good pep without overpowering the rest of the truck. Small traditional OHV V8s really can be a great compromise of performance, economy and cool factor. Not to mention a good dual exhaust on a Mopar small block just flat out sounds great. Any future plans of EFI or staying tried and true with the carb?