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Tomorrow I return to my barn on the edge of Black Sink Prairie and revisit these questions in a place that, well .... ‘you can’t get there from here’.

Such efforts demand isolation lest those with sensitive ears are exposed to and offended by the occasional scream or blasphemy. Wildlife in the area is mostly unaffected as they go about their own activities.

Baby steps, perseverance, good helpers and lots of cash....
a formula for success..... what could possibly go wrong?

2. Improper pressing will crush the ears and narrow the gap.

Trying to get my head straight so forgive any misunderstandings.

“Crush the ears” .. Are we talking about the yoke? Did I maybe bend the ears/arms of the yoke with my shop press so as they are no longer parallel thus making it impossible for the u joint to properly seat?

I am going to borrow a pressing tool used by ‘Metalshaper’ in his video on this process and attempt to install the remaining joint on another unmolested yoke. That tool seems to have its own alignment features which may help compensate for my lack of basic shop press skills and prevent crushing.

I will also look for crushed pins in the caps of my other failed attempts

Thanks for the advice. Later.

“Crush the ears” .. Are we talking about the yoke? Did I maybe bend the ears/arms of the yoke with my shop press so as they are no longer parallel thus making it impossible for the u joint to properly seat?

Yes

Some rollers had in fact dislodged and were crushed in the bottom of the cap.

I now understand that the distance between the outside edges of the retaining ring grooves minus the thickness of the two retaining rings is the actual length available to the u joint..... but I think my poor shop press methods were the major problem.

I am not sure about damage to the yoke ears. My calipers (for me) are difficult to use for measuring distances between grooves on the inside surface of a tube. I will have the shop guy take a look before pressing any more joints.

Don’t feel bad about the rollers. It’s happened to many, including me.

I’ve learned no matter how careful, if I get serous resistance I stop and yank everything apart.

Then again an Old Guy showed me how to install them with a vise and sockets. You can still break stuff and bend yokes, but not 10 or 20 tons worth.

Hey, it’s a relatively inexpensive lesson. Many times they are much more expensive.

Take care,
Brian

Thanks......been trying to get smaller stuff done while waiting for the engine rebuild to be finished..... which seems to be taking a long time.

Baby steps. / Set backs. / Baby steps / Big leaps. / Set backs.

I need to find a ‘War Jeep’ buddy or at least a retired mechanic who can drink beer as he tells me what to do .....

hey, I know that guy ..... hmmm, where is Jerry’s number??
Now that we all got our shots ..... yeah, Jerry.
I don’t think he drinks but the guy has restored a bunch of cars.

Actually the vice & socket method I have used since the 60's. Very safe and simple. Often a good complete bushing driver set will have an adequate diameter plug to use in the vice against the cups. Two pieces of aluminum round stock just slightly smaller in diameter then the cups and about 1" long will also do the job. Large 30 ton presses are not necessary to move these cups into the yokes.

If you had dislodged rollers that is 99 percent of the problem.

Fugs Law: If you push something hard enough it will fall over.
Give me a lever and a firm place to stand ..... Anyway.

Used a large bolt to check each yoke.
They did not seem bent and there was no binding during the task.

Cleaned, lightly honed and used a Dremel tool to make the inside shine.

Went to Autozone and borrowed a tool.

I had to go back and correct the Zerk orientation on two yokes.
Oh well. It's ready to mount. That was fun.

Cheap lesson and a win!

Congrats Don!