Update: Realizing I had neither the time nor the pump to change my own gear oil, I stopped by the Jiffy Lube and paid the guys there to do it for me. Transfer, Transmission, and front diff are all full and clean—of Gl-5. So that will have to come out sometime this spring, after I’ve bought a pail of 50 wgt. The rear diff was full of chocolate milk so that got replaced, and he lubed all the points on the front and rear driveshafts. On the short ride home, I still heard chattering, so it’s looking more like a driveshaft problem than a simple lubrication issue. Oh, well.

Checking the Binder Planet, I found three posts with great information:

4 Quarts Valvoline 50 wgt racing oil is correct. See FAQs for details.

—Reason it needs to be GL-1 is that the EP additives in GL-4 & GL-5 will destroy yellow metals. That means the synchros, any bushings/spacers, brass or copper will disintegrate. Mobile has a synthetic Trans fluid that is supposed to be superb, but I stick with Gold Band Industrial Mineral Gear Oil, which is the brand we used in all out heavy equipment, international as well as CAT, from gear oil to hydraulic and I run it in both the transmission and transfer case.
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This link has two very good photos showing the drain plug on a Dana 20 transfer case.

I take the nozzle cap off a quart of gear lube, cut the tip off, and push it into an appropriate length of 5/16″ or 3/8″ fuel hose. Long enough so you can screw the qt bottle onto it right side up and hold it above the level of the fill plug while you squeeze it. Turn it upside down, squeeze, right side up, let some air back in, and repeat. Repeat until the bottle is empty, then screw on the next one. When the oil starts running out into the pan, stop and put the plug in. With the tunnel cover off, your best bet is to run the hose down into the fill plugs from the big hole there. Protect the interior from spills as necessary, this isn’t the cleanest method, but it works.

The trans, transfer case, and both axles have square headed plugs to check the gear oil level. The trans and transfer case have 2, the lower is a drain so use the upper. They shouldn’t be too dirty but as long as they’re full, you’re in the ballpark. There’s no filter in a manual trans. Also, greasing the u-joints, steering, and up on the bell housing there’s grease fittings for the clutch linkage and transfer case shifter.
[link]

Of course, with all the free time I have, crawling under the truck and servicing it myself is going to happen about as soon as hell freezes over. The Jiffy Lube out on 40 does transfer case and transmission servicing, which sounds better in the short term.

Wee bit of a fender bender on the way in to work this morning. Luckily, it wasn’t my fender.

7/16″ x 6″ bolts (2 pcs. for mounting the Hi-Lift jack)
7/16″ washers (2 pcs.)
7/16″ wingnuts (2 pcs.)

9/16 x 1.5″ bolts (6 pcs. for mounting the bumper to the frame)
9/16 x 2″ bolts (2 pcs. for mounting the outer section of the bumper to the frame)
9/16″ nuts (8 pcs.)
9/16″ lockwashers (8 pcs.)

1/2″ x 3″ fine thread bolts (3 pcs. for mounting the spare)

and got a total cost of $27.07 before tax. The next step will be to visit the Fastenal location in Elkridge and then the Ace Hardware out in Ellicott City to see whose prices are cheaper, and if it would pay to avoid shipping.

Update: Ace hardware doesn’t have grade 8 bolts longer than 4″, and no 9/16″ stock at all. Fastenal it is.

And here’s the new plan, based on lots of mocking up and thinking and head-scratching and more than a little beer-drinking:

Allowing for the height of the spindle, we decided to move it outboard of the tailgate by 1/2″ and scoot it down as much as possible. This means the swingarm no longer sits on the face of the bumper. Now, when it’s closed, the bottom of the swingarm aligns roughly with the top of the bumper. (We couldn’t simply mount the spindle through the top of the bumper, because the spindle is only 4″ tall and the bumper is 6″).

With that in mind, we trimmed the end of the swingarm to fit the round weldable sleeve of the hinge and tacked it into place. Then we pulled the bumper off and mocked it up on the garage floor to eyeball everything.

What we found was that moving the hinge further outboard moved the swingarm offcenter by about 1″, so we pondered this over a delicious steak lunch (thanks, Mr. Scout!) and glass of IPA, and then got to grinding the swingarm triangle off the bar. After we cleaned up the edges, we moved it 1″ and tacked it back together then mocked it up again to check the fit.

One surprise benefit to the new design is that it frees up the face of the bumper to mount a Hi-Lift directly under the swingarm, as opposed to the swingarm itself. So we tacked in two square rests and made provisions to drill holes for mounting bolts through the bumper.

So the plan from here is that Mr. Scout is going to take the two parts to his welder and have him burn everything together. Then we’ll bring the Scout and the parts, mount the bumper, and get the swingarm just the way we want it before welding it on for good.

* * *

Today also marks the first time Peer Pressure has run out of gas. I was about a mile outside of Centerville when I lost all power at the pedal and she slowly coasted to the side of the road. Thank GOD I wasn’t on the bridge when that happened. I emptied my 1-gallon jerry can into the tank, primed the carb, and she fired right back up again.

I put 5 gallons in as I was leaving home, and PP made it 54+ miles to Centerville before running out. It was extremely windy today, and I had my foot in the gas the whole way over (60 indicated, which equates to about 68MPH) but 11MPG sucks balls.

My hinge is in, as well as two clevis mounts bored out for mounting. I’m not sure whether I’m going to use these or a piece of 4×4 box to mount it to the bumper yet, but I’m psyched!

Not much new to report; after a hurried warmup and three gallons of gas, Peer Pressure rumbled quietly and politely into work this morning. I need to continue spraying white lithium grease on the heater control lever in the engine bay, because it takes a super-strong knuckle to get it moving. I asked Santa for a Kensington iPhone clamp so that I can get my phone up off the seat and into view. Next I need to find a cord with a thin enough edge to fit my case so that I can put it through the stereo.