End of Year Review

I bought my VehiCROSS for about $7k a few years back. I got to drive it a whopping 75 days before the wiring harness (which was conveniently draped over the exhaust on the psgr side AND wrapped around the drive shaft by the seller and their *ahem!* 'modifications') burned through. 1st sign was a TOD **CHECK!!** led by a non stop check engine until it burned through the crankshaft positioning sensor wire and threw a #1Piston through the psgr lateral side of the block itself...

It looked like Godzilla tried to punch his way OUT of my motor.. the car dies in Lawrence, KS and I had to rent a Penske and car carrier to get it home (this was the most economical way to tow it the last 500+ miles)...

It sat in a buddy's drive for a few years. Hell, I'm a medical professional and I didn't have the dough for a Jerry engine (Didn't even KNOW Jerry Lemond existed, yet) I wasn't bugging any Tom Brennan's yet for trailer hitches or other insightful (and always dead-on-balls accurate) spec and mod info, and at 40+ it had been at least 25 years since I SERIOUSLY turned wrenches on major projects (engine swaps, lifts, tranny swap with conversion from auto to manual, etc).

I started this past year on hiatus from work... Too much emotional weight to work through in order to gain my center again. My partner cut me a loan for a Jerry engine (Pd in full) and when I strong arm and cheater pipe'd the old seized 6VE1 out of it I had a lot of smaller decisions to make because as we all can agree, "just swapping an engine" usually leans towards "total 'other systems' failures" as the car reacclimates itself to a new drivetrain/engine...

I had friends "promising" to come and assist... never showed. Luckily MJ got legal and beer flowed from a block or two away... Both not needed in irresponsible quantities, just enough to quell a mans inner gray clouds to clear a path for the brain to control the hands towards mechanical success...

My buddy who hosted us is on disability so all mental from him no physical, and none requested... But his 10 year old son.... INVALUABLE ASSISTANT! ('Watson! Come in the garage!') Well worth teaching mechanics to as I tend to gravitate in friendship towards solid elder males able to teach with diligence and patience, here a chance to now reciprocate in kind.

We started w the Upper Ball Joint flip (Tom4Bren guiding us, all the while poor Tom getting an e-mail here, and there that posed the question "Who the hell is Sindarin?!?!") we had a stripped bolt on the psgr LBJ we finally got purchase on, and we each taught each other CV axle replacement, me and buddys son.

We ordered a Ron Davis radiator (I had to straight clamp the hose to the lower driver side radiator threads. My original brass 90 degree pipe connector would NOT thread for any measure (ANNOYING!!)) we replaced every damned thing we could get our hands on with the knowledge "If we swap the engine, and DO NOT take the time NOW, ALL OTHER SYSTEMS WILL CRAP OUT ASAP after firing this sucker up!"

My VX was my 1st CV's, 1st A/C, 1st computer rewire, 2nd P/S entire sys replacement, we redid all new master cyl, calipers, rotors, shoes, stainless steel lines (x5... Goodells) and of course the vacuum booster is crapped out but still hanging tough(does the dash need to come off to get it out?) we used OME 919's with all OME shocks around (LOVE OME/ARB and will consistently purchase them until death!)

The only interior work we did was replace the deplorably $h!tty papyrus coned 1/2" Clarion, -2W, 70,000 Ohm rear speakers that should have stayed in the RCA phonograph, keeping the dog's head tilted towards it. Today I have the metal Street Boutique Custom spare tire kit screws to replace, and torsion bars to adjust with a tire rotation. I drove it through 17 states (over 6,000 miles) for break-in... The exhaust needed a quick reweld (drivers side flange popped loose), the only maintenance besides an on the road oil change necessary.

I did a great job with this massive undertaking. I was able to build confidence and knowledge into a young mind (REPLACE yourself in society to continue positive motion!) and I look at each maintenance and adjustment with further ease knowing I have a group like all of you to fall into when the clouds gather and ignorance due to lack of experience falls o'er the land...

The other day I saw a fellow Ebony in a local strip mall area close to home and pulled up parallel to inspect their lift, exhaust (basically the few things left I need) They happened to come out and see me so I had a second to SHOW them my upgrades, fill them in on the site and bring them on board to this community (I hope, ain't heard back from 'em yet... but you know how shy ppl are ;) )

So a big shout out to you ALL! Of mentionable note Jerry Lemond (DEFINITELY! There ain't no Isuzu without the two proper nouns Jerry & Lemond being tossed around...), Tom4Bren, the members who gathered to help me on my Steering box recon. I stated in an earlier post how I was going to resurrect each system to perfection.. I'm now about 80-90% of the way there thanks to you all!

Nice job!
As for the booster...
No, you do not need to remove the dash. It is a fairly simple job.
From memory...2 bolts to disconnect the master cylinder, crawl under dash and remove 4 bolts that hold booster, plunger shaft has a pin that holds it that you remove. There are a few hard lines under the hood that you need to remove the mounting clamps so they can be moved to the side a bit...then wiggle, twist and manipulate the booster back (to clear the plunger shaft) and out through the top. Reverse for reinstall. There is a spacer you need to transfer from the old booster to the new one...don't forget to do it before putting the new one in.

DOOD after following like so many of yer posts.. here you come into one o' mine!

Goin to do the booster next....

LITERALLY just walked into my home after:

Planing out the front to fit a 3" Rocky-Road.com OME/ARB lift (8 turns does it y'all, and be sure to download Tom4Bren's post on it)

Rotating 4 tires

Installing the SBC spare tire cover kit (a whopping 15 minutes of paltry werk)

Attempting to hand align by adjusting tie rod/sway bars

about 4 hrs of time spent with a week of driving to come to a quick hr of adjustments NEXT weekend as needed...

LF a trailer hitch, a dual battery isolator setup, and then onto the interior (add an amp and maybe some type of mobile screen/DVD device) kicking off the new year with an auto tranny to H3 manual tranny swap after I resurrect a Jeep Wrangler dying for some attention.

Will rock out that brake booster by starting with a "where the eff are the bolts under this damned dashboard" search ;)

Just follow the brake pedal...they are easy to find :D

:thumbup: Awesome story!
You go sin, you go man! :thumbup:
Can't wait to hear about your next chapter! :wave: