Pre-Production Sneak Peak at Boostwerks Comp Mount

[Greenz]

Getting the winch functional now that the Comp Mount doesn't need to come out again is the next priority. I previously calculated the three power cables at 57" and made them up before the last install. Now that they landed differently than I first thought, they could be a foot shorter.

The only place that made any sense to mount the control box was next to the fuse block. That would be fine except the radiator over flow tank is in the way. Well, the stock tank doesn't fit anywhere else. It's just too big. I did have some space near the drivers side head light. Previous mod I relocated my intake into the cowl.

I had approximately 3.5" X 10" to work with. Searched online and just couldn't pull the trigger on a universal tank. Some looked flimsy and others looked like the plumbing would come out the bottom. So, I went to the JY yesterday and looked at a thousand cars. Actually less than that but it was a lot. I found only one I thought might work. It came out of a late model Honda Odyssey. I snagged the tank, bracket, and mounting bolts. All for $15.

I trial fit the tank when I got home and found that it would fit. All I had to do was make a bracket. Made the bracket from the original Honda bracket. Lots of cutting and welding but it came out nice and I can pull the tank out without removing the bracket.

Here it is tucked away in its new home. Doesn't have the same capacity as the stock tank but I think it will work. Drove it today and got it good and hot and it didn't over flow the tank. It was nice to clean out the stock tank and hose.



Now on to the winch control box. plenty of room to work with but not enough of the right kind of scrap steel laying around. Except for that metal thingy holding up my wife's Peonies when they bloom. As Anak would say "necessity is the mother of invention" and I like to re-purpose things so out of the ground and into the Jeep, Yeah! A few hours later and I had my bracket. It attaches where the stock tank mounted and I drilled a new hole near the shock to give it more support. Drilled another hole for my cable clamps and welded a 1/4-20 nut on the back side so I didn't need to fumble with two hands. Would have been much easier to have ordered BWE control box mount.



Last thing to do was to attach the power cables and test the function. It worked beautifully. I'm still not done. I need to machine the Hawse Fairlead to clearance the winch mounting bolts. Spool up the cable. Complete the mods to Make Bumper Great Again. Hide the winch with the license plate. Enjoy the pictures. By no means is this the best way to do things. Just my way for my circumstances. Hope it helps others make easier choices based on my experiences.



BTW, the vacuum tank has been bouncing around in that spot for the last 13 years. I should tuck it up under the winch control box. lol

[Greenz]

I wrapped things up enough to make the winch functional. My neighbor offered to help me spool up the cable when I was ready. So I called him over to give me a hand. His first words were, "where is the fairlead?" Winning!

Since I was going to use the steel cable I needed to swap out the BWE UHMW fairlead with the Warn cast iron fairlead. One problem, it didn't fit. It overlapped onto the lower winch mounting bolts. I was going to trace the UHMW fairlead onto the cast but then realized I wouldn't be able to machine it smooth enough to look right. Then I thought about only removing the material that was in the way. Used my drill press and an end mill to plunge cut the clearance needed. Since you cant really use a drill press to mill, that was my only option. The cut side was facing down and it also acts as a stop keeping the winch mounting bolts in.



Then I mounted the bumper back on and made two vertical cuts to straighten out the bow. It worked as the cuts allowed it to naturally settle back out. Then I welded the cuts and it bowed again but not as bad. I can live with it. Also welded on a couple of hinges to mount the license plate. Was going to buy friction hinges but the hinges I used were just laying around. A couple of wacks with a hammer and it has plenty of friction to stay where I put it. I also measured where the clutch lever would come through. Found the vertical center line by eye and marked it. Then measured from the front of the original header panel to the center of my extension inserted into the free spool adapter. Exactly 3". Used same method to drill through the top of the bumper and nailed it.







Was going to make the free spool handle permanent but I like it a little cleaner. My helpful neighbor suggested I make two handles in case I lose one. Can't beat the wisdom of an old school Jeeper. Oh, I meant to not have that warn flag hanging there but the rain was coming down pretty good and I didn't want to keep my neighbor standing in the rain. It's coming off. Plus there is a hole in the bumper bracing I can attach the hook to making it more hidden. Future plans is to put a safety thimble on it anyway making it more hidden.

[Anak]

Nice work.

I have got to find time to get mine done.

[Greenz]

Thank you Anak. It does take some time customizing. This thing is solid so it was well worth it.

[Brent T]

Originally Posted by Boostwerks.com

This.

BTW, Sunex makes a socket that is "extra deep" that will work. https://www.amazon.com/Sunex-2-Inch-...1+1%2F4+socket

I'll add it to the website for reference.

I'm mid-way through my install now. It's a beautiful product and I'm looking forward to getting it all back together. A couple comments / issues I've run into for those getting ready to pull the trigger.

1. The Sunex socket listed does not fit. It necks down just past the hex portion to a size that's smaller than the round portion of the new sector nut. While the socket is the right size and it's deep enough, the sector nut will not fit inside the socket.
IMG_1097 by Brent Taylor, on Flickr
IMG_1096 by Brent Taylor, on Flickr

2. The lines for the factory trans cooler are in the way. I was able to get the hard lines to fit between the Comp Mount and the radiator support. However, with the winch installed, there is interference between the winch and the cooler lines. Since I'm going to need to cut and re-route the lines, I'll just install a bigger cooler.
IMG_1098 by Brent Taylor, on Flickr

[Greenz]

Looking good Brent!

I ended up buying the 24" jumbo adjustable from HF for the sector nut. It's come in handy for a couple of other jobs and I properly named it 'Big Bertha'. I'm a torquemister feeling the need to torque everything but I felt comfortable using Big Bertha this time.

BTW, nice welding table.

[Brent T]

Thanks Greenz. Some updates. Trans cooler mounted and lines moved out of the way. Control box mounted. Sector nut installed. Winch clocked and mounted. Comp mount notched for free-spool lever and installed. All that's left is to figure out the expansion tank for the radiator and run the cabling for the winch. Then I need to figure out a bumper. I'm thinking DIY Dirtbound Mojave modified with a hole for the fairlead. This would be a nice match for my rear bumper / tire carrier.

IMG_0015 by Brent Taylor, on Flickr
IMG_0016 by Brent Taylor, on Flickr
IMG_0019 by Brent Taylor, on Flickr

[Boostwerks.com]

Looks great Brent!

Thank you for the business!

Bryson

[Greenz]

Nice work Brent! You're almost there!

If you scroll up to my last couple of pictures, I have the DIY Dirtbound Mojave on mine. The bottom of the bumper is about even with the the fairlead opening. I played around with the placement of the fare lead on the bumper and it just didn't feel right.

I'm not satisfied how I cut my bumper but I was trying to get if functional quickly. Curious how you do yours. BTW, I still like my DirtBound bumper.

[Brent T]

I'm still kicking around the idea of fabbing my own low profile "bumperette" . Basically just a filler below the grille and "wings" for corner protection. I hate to give up approach angle.

[Brent T]

Coolant Tank installed. I ended up buying a Dorman p/n 54002 expansion tank. It's a tight squeeze, but once I got it past the A/C lines I was able to mount it near the back of the engine compartment. I had to re-shape the mounting bracket and weld a small tab on one side for one of the mounting bolts. It looks factory and there's still room to reach the oil filter when needed.

Coolant Tank 1 by Brent Taylor, on Flickr
Coolant Tank 2 by Brent Taylor, on Flickr
Coolant Tank 3 by Brent Taylor, on Flickr
Coolant Tank 4 by Brent Taylor, on Flickr

[Brent T]

Coolant Tank installed. I ended up buying a Dorman p/n 54002 expansion tank. It's a tight squeeze, but once I got it past the A/C lines I was able to mount it near the back of the engine compartment. I had to re-shape the mounting bracket and weld a small tab on one side for one of the mounting bolts. It looks factory and there's still room to reach the oil filter when needed.

Coolant Tank 1 by Brent Taylor, on Flickr
Coolant Tank 2 by Brent Taylor, on Flickr
Coolant Tank 3 by Brent Taylor, on Flickr
Coolant Tank 4 by Brent Taylor, on Flickr

[Brent T]

Sorry about the double post. Didn't realize the pics were HUGE and couldn't figure out how to delete.