The dreaded transmission rebuild..

The commando came with a 232 /258 I-6 , th400 amc model and dana 20 transfer case.

I sold this lump for a c note to help finance the newer tranny.

The 700r4 is going to be gone through before stabbing it in.

More to come as it comes in...

HVAC

Actually there's just a heater and vent.  The cables loosened up with a bit of pb blaster poured over them.
Everything is held in with 1/4" bolts because the switches and levers housing is 7 lbs of cast metal.
Mine came with some quality instructions taped over the switches.

and the back....

These pins are held in with clips that have to be removed to remove the defrost and heat levers.

Aluminum foil shines chrome btw.  note the outer ring of the housing before and after.

I used mothers aluminum and mag cleaner for the switches themselves.

I cleaned off the old paint, sanded and repainted with flat black

Then a overlay decal was placed over it.

How it turned out.   Goofy switch controls, but it looks good.

Finally- wires that work

I started tracing down wires to see what worked and what didn't.  Fortunately, ALL , yes all the wires in the steering column work.  I had to pull the steering wheel with a bolt puller.  After pulling the turn signal canceller ( might be a word) and the hazard switch there are two nuts that can be removed to get to the upper column bearing.  Mine required a massive amount of grease because it hasn't been seen in 38 years.  It was just a clean out and replace type of thing.



Putting it back together wasn't too bad, I cleaned the grime off the hazard switch, and buttoned it backup.  If the steering wheel all the sudden doesn't thread back onto the shaft its because the shaft slid into the engine compartment.

All ready to go!

Transfer case overhaul

  I got a transfer case (a 82 dana 300) with a 2.46 low range.  Great price (free) but it was in pieces.  My friend ordered this for the tail shaft and output housing to replace his.  After I got done with redoing his, I had a really fubar'd pile of parts. 
   I ordered a rebuild / overhaul kit for it that came with full bearings, intermediate gear thrust washers, and gaskets.

The yolk that came with it had bolts snapped off in it, plus it was the strap style yolk.  Why Dana/Spicer would ruin a excellent transfer case with these I have know idea.  If you've ever driven a early '80s CJ that had these, you know they are designed to fail.

The day started with stripping the case down to the case, cleaning and cleaning some more. 
The case got a spray of low gloss black, not just to match the engine, but to keep it from caking on dirt and oil.  (it'll seep a little bit of oil after it gets done)
Don't be afraid to use a propane torch to warm bearings etc. and grease to slide them over the shafts. After they are in place let them cool naturally.  Get a book or exploded diagram of the case to help with re assembly.
 Here's a good link:
  http://nissan4wheelers.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3766078435/m/13910815441

First ( not sure if this was done in proper order) the shift shafts went into the front output aluminum piece with all the balls and springs in place.  Make sure the shafts are on the correct side and orientated so the shifter balls and springs are lined up.
The rear output gears went in loose without the shaft, then front output gears and shift forks went in.  There is a lot of wiggling to get the shift shaft through the forks.  The rear ouput shaft  went through the gears, getting bearings set on them, rear output tailshaft. Front input shaft, gears, and bearings. Intermediate gear and bearings. Then tighten down and seal all bolts and flanges.  Shift shaft thimbles and wait for the u-bolt yolks to come in. It's that easy... Right!

The completed dana 300.

upper left: input gear from tranny

upper right: aluminum rear output housing

in middle : gear with hole is the intermediate gear

lower left: front ouput

on the tera low kits- the gears get replaced with smaller gears with shallower tooth depth

and the inner shift rail has a grooved out section to clear the intermediate gear

I got engine yes I do...

I lucked out and found a truck in good condition that was being parted up the road.
It was a 95 chevy z71 w/ a 5.7 TBI.  It was said to be (and looks) in good order.
The owner said he was going to use the truck as his daily driver initally, so he started looking
inside the engine and said it was so clean that he just put fresh gaskets on it and closed it up.
After driving for a little while he found a newer truck and decided to part this one to pay for the new
one.

This is the problem child its being hooked to.  A 27 spline 1982 700r4 w/ dana 300 adapter

price: free.  Even free things aren't free though...

It was supposed to shift fine, just took a second to get going.

I think a rebuild is in order anyway.