We’ve got an event coming up, and the Big Chief needed some love before it goes anywhere. So I made a list: new starter, fix the trans leak that’s been following me home since the Rubicon, add rock lights for some night wheeling, reinstall the light bar, and do something fun to the hood. Here’s how it went — mostly.
The Starter (and the Wire Nobody Saw Coming)
The Big Chief’s engine came out of my Impala, and the starter came with it. On the Impala, there was no heat shield and those long tube headers ran right past it. All that heat made it brittle — I went to tighten it down and it cracked and broke loose. I had a spare starter from the green Suburban with a junk motor but a good solenoid, and I thought about swapping that solenoid over. In the end, I just bought a new mini starter.
I’ll be honest: the Amazon listing had a picture of brake shoes on it. Nothing says quality like that. But it had good reviews, so we rolled the dice. The pinion was a little tight to the flywheel, so it took a spacer and some shimming, but once it was in? It sounded great.
Then I found the real surprise. The exciter wire was completely melted and cut. I ran a new one and rerouted it away from the exhaust. Lesson learned: it’s hot in there, and those headers are probably getting wrapped.
Retiring a Rubicon Field Fix
On the Rubicon, the trans dipstick tube kept popping out, so we J-B Welded it in place on the trail. When that didn’t quite hold, we piled on RTV. It kind of worked. A year later, it still leaked.
Time to do it right. I pulled the pan so I wasn’t leaving old J-B Weld crumbs in there — and the fluid looked beautiful, which was a relief. The new dipstick has braided line and a double O-ring, so hopefully it stays put. It’ll be a bit of a pain to fill, but at least it won’t leak. Since I was under there, I changed the oil too. The Chief ran so rich on the Rubicon that the oil had to be junk. Always add your zinc.
Rock Lights on a Shoestring
Now the fun part. I had six lights I got for Christmas way back in the Four Lakes house days, plus four Harbor Freight-style ones Alex found at a thrift shop. It took me way too long to decide where they all go, but here’s where we landed: the thrift-shop lights went under the doors, and the others went in the wheel wells and up top as dome lights.
For wiring, I used what I’ll generously call an advanced technique. I stripped the insulation back on the main power and ground runs without cutting them, then used solder-seal connectors with heat shrink over each tap. If you’re an electrician, this is probably wrong. If you’re like me, it works. Flipped the switch after dark, and they look awesome.
The Star on the Hood
I wanted the classic white military star and circle, big, right in the center of the hood. I worked out the radius multipliers ahead of time — 1.18 out to the points, 0.73 to the inside corners — then taped a string to the center and swung arcs like a giant compass.
The “Big Chief” stencil on the side? That one didn’t go great. The stencil won’t stay tight on a curve, and I didn’t mask enough, so there’s overspray and a couple runs. It looks terrible. That one might be getting sanded off.
The star was a different story. Regular tape kinked on the outer circle, so I grabbed some curve tape made for flame jobs and kept going.
“Two hours of masking for 30 seconds of painting — but it’s going to be cool.”
I got home from night shift, pulled the tape, and it looks rad. A few imperfections where the tape didn’t seal, but this thing is going to get scratched up by tree branches on the trail anyway. It completely changes the look of the rig.
The Light Bar Can Wait
The light bar is the one thing I’m holding off on. It’s rated at 300 watts, and running that without a relay is how you burn down your Jeep. I also want it on the roof, which means welding a mount so I don’t drill into the cage — and the shop doesn’t have main power yet.
So here’s where you come in: roof or windshield frame? I’m leaning roof. Let me know in the comments.
New starter, no trans leak, rock lights, and a big white star. Sometimes it’s just fun to personalize your rig.
Wheel it, Wreck it, Wrench it, Repeat!
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