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Sunday, February 27, 2011

Jeepers and Creepers Throttle Body

I just picked this up two weeks ago. Let me start off with this..It's nice to know they're still people out there that care about their business. Jeepers and Creepers is one of them. Every time I called they answered the phone. The delivery was 2/3 days. The product looks amazing! Anodized aluminum looks great.

So what's the deal, why a new throttle body? The old throttle body is 62mm, necked down to 58mm about an inch from the top, before the throttle plate. The J & C version is a true 62mm throttle body, CNC'd from a block of aluminum, not bored out cast. So with my existing custom cold air intake I will capable of shoving more air into my motor. Coupled with new fuel injectors (soon to come), MSD Ignition and headers means more air, more fuel and more spark. All the same sensors are installed (provided yourself). In my case James from Jeepers & Creepers was kind enough to include a couple extra sensors. Thanks James!

So that leaves me here...I have installed the new throttle body and have had only limited time to play with it. The throttle response is definitely noticeable. Because I have my air intake inside my cab I can hear a new whistle upon throttle increase. It sounds like a turbo spooling up. Anyway, this week I will have more time to test this product and will post my results.



The installation requires you to cut part of your throttle shaft to accompany the larger throttle plate. While I had my throttle shaft removed I sand blasted it and sprayed it with clear coat.



All of your sensors plug into the new throttle body. They include the main gasket and the IAC gasket.

U-Bolt Upgrade

This was long overdue. We were doing everything imaginable to the rear axle and this was surely lacking. So off to Birmingham Spring to pick up a new set.
5/8" bolts
1/2" plates

The comparison: Old bolts 1/2" Old plates ? (I threw them away)
New bolts 5/8" New Plates 1/2"

Manual Brakes- Redo

The original brake design just wasn't cutting it. The actual problem was the distance between the master cylinders and the pedal was too far. To cover the distance we designed a push rod, which inevitably became the problem by deflecting the force and binding the master cylinders.
So back to the drawing board, and by "drawing board" I mean The Offroad Connection, my secret weapon. They mounted the M.C.'s on the firewall on a new plate. Now the M.C.'s are directly in contact with the pedal, thus no deflection.

Pro's:
-Well #1 for me is safety. If the motor dies I'll still have brakes.
-Two master cylinders, one per axle, insures the second level of safety.
-Room under the hood, which in the near future will become exclusive property. (I.e. coilovers)
-Cosmetic improvement. If you don't think so, look at the last two pictures.

Cons:
-Installation.
-Trying to install the Master Cylinders
-Generally speaking the installation process of the Master Cylinders.

Seriously speaking though, if you don't "push" on your brake pedal when you have manual brakes, you don't stop. Your stopping power is directly related to the size of your calves. No power assistance means no assistance. That does not mean "no" brakes. Actually it's quite the opposite. Now I can lock all four tires up. In addition, I love the feel of the pedal, I feel more in touch with the vehicle.

Before I turned it over to The Offroad Connection I fabbed up another push rod that integrated clevices from Wilwood Brakes and a heim joint to help balance the allthread balance bar. Little did I know it wasn't going to work.


The upper part of this picture shows the balance bar and clevices.


The master cylinders coming through the firewall.


New setup equipped with #4 stainless lines.


Old setup.

Master Disconnect

I've been wanting to install one of these for a while. So I decided to mount it on the opposite window frame of my fuel access. My batteries are back there so access to the negative wire is an arm's length away. I used 3" exhaust tube and sheet metal. Josh cut a circle out of sheet metal, drilled a hole big enough for the shaft of the switch and then welded it on the inside of the 3" tube. This way the switch itself is out of the way of passing limbs and such, but accessible enough for an emergency. Next I will have the tubing welded flush to the face plate. If none of this makes sense, I'll have a final install picture posted in a couple days.



Corbeau Seat Savers

Scored a set of Corbeau Seat Savers.

Pros: Great woven like material. Seems super durable and waterproof?
Embroidered logo front and rear.
Fits very well. Designed specifically for my seat. (One exception see below)

Cons: Doesn't fit all the way around the seat. Uses plastic buckles and adjustable straps

New Seat Bolts

Recently, I had to replace a couple bolts on the drivers seat. The threads were stripped and I was tired of the seat bouncing around. So I drill them out to 3/8" and installed grade 8 hardware. *Note* This was only done to the front bolts as a temporary fix until the cage is installed.