84 grand wagoneer (wife's wagon)

I hear ya man. Waiting for my niece and her husband to decide on a heater for the garage. Otherwise, I have to bundle, which compounds my sweating problem.

 

I don't recommend you erect a cattailroot garage. But, surrounding yourself with heated rocks would help with working on cars in winter. Well, you were in the Army and probably in the Boy Scouts (please don't say Weeblo Division of the latter). Why do I need to explain this?

 

I was never Army, and the difference between the Army and the Boy Scouts is that the Boy Scouts don't have artillery. That having been said, I was Navy, and we burned Navy Distillate to make steam in order to keep us warm, otherwise, we simply stuck around the tropical lines and the Equator.

 

And there was nothing wrong with the WEBELOS.

 

It just sounds funny, when that word gets mispronounced

 

True dat.

 

I'm debating starting a thread on here for my garage, to get ideas and such, without watering down my wagon threads. How many active users do you think are on this forum?

 

That has been a subject of discourse as of late. I think your idea for showing your garage is good; we've had others shown, including my niece's.

 

Here's one:
http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/threads/garage-photos.23821/

 

Nice truck and worth investing in. Prices for these are going up and up.
After reading through this thread I see you are interested in just getting it running for now. I strongly suggest doing more now as given what was in the pan, the condition of the lifters(and no doubt the cam too) you'll be back in there before long. I've resurrected enough similarly neglected engines to know.
With the pan off you'd be foolish not to spend a few $ on bearings and oil pump and rear seal. Those new lifters will be toast in short order against a cam that has already wiped out one set. The t-cover is already off, and the chain needs to go. How much more work is it to swap the cam?
You can still go back later for a more comprehensive overhaul if it turns out to be really tired and re-use all the "new" parts.
Once together it's going to need some quick succession oil changes to clear out the remaining gunk. Tear open and watch the filters, you'll see.
In for a penny, in for a pound. Good luck

 

He'd like to do more work on it but wife's orders say get it running by December or get rid of it.

 

It's a few hours additional work at this point of dis-assembly and not much expense.
He might end up "running" in December and pushing in January.
It is almost a foregone conclusion that the cam/lifters will fail soon. Once the hardened surface of the cam is gone(cupped lifters, it is)it begins to wear exponentially faster and will take the new lifters with it.

 

He knows that. I think, he's getting it going as quickly as possible, in order to get her off his back. Whatever happens once she gets behind the wheel will be her fault. You don't know if there are kids involved. Escalating a conflict of this sort could end up with child custody issues, in case any conflict escalation provokes eviction with a restraining order. Once the kids are out of the house, he could pretty much do what he wants

 

"escalating a conflict of this sort"? What?
@OP You know my unsolicited thoughts, good luck whatever you decide to(or not)do.

 

Ross, I agree completely that I should throw a cam and bearings in it. If I still had the intake off, I might have done that. As for right now, I am swamped with side work and my full time job. I've expressed my concern to the wife and she understands as well. But, snow is falling here already and she needs a 4x4. I will be in the market for an engine, transmission, transfer case combination to go through completely and will replace all 3 over next summer when she can get back into her car. As for the quick wear, I am expecting that. She will only be driving this on the snow days. Otherwise, it will he in the garage. I will be monitoring the oil.