Junkyard Jimmy Super Low Buck Build Thread

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by Vintage Windmills

I wonder if the quality is there with that set? It just seems too cheap imo.

Thanks for the part number on the trans output adapter seals. Curious to hear if you find the gasket for that to trans.

Keep up the good work!

That gasket but should be the same for all TH-350 tail stock pieces. I believe the tranny case is the same as a 2wd, it just has a t-case bolted where the tail piece is.

Higher cost doesn't always mean higher quality. Typical name brand seals are just $6-10 each retail. These things just have typical paper gaskets, not exotic materials, metal impregnating, or special crush thicknesses. Now adays with fairly cheap equipment to cut precise lines, gaskets are cheap to produce. If I saw a kit of gaskets and seals that were 3 times the cost of most of the competition, I'd have to question their sanity. Remember that this is just a transfer case, not some precision high speed gear box on a million dollar machine. I see those all the time in my job and frankly, those gear boxes use paper gaskets and off the shelf bearings and seals too.

Most manufacturers produce off brands and relabel the product for other companies and their own label. I've been to the plants and seen it myself. Everything from food to hardware. That being said, it is possible that the cheap seals are from taiwan or hong kong, but there is feed back on the ebay parts and not much for complaints. Fact is, many of the "name brand" parts are not produced here, or if they are, may not have the high standard of quality their original parts had to create that image of quality. So many labels have been bought over the years it's hard to know who's making them anymore.

Your earlier comment on buying the full rebuild kit makes sense if you need the bearings, even just one or 2, because you will probably have to break the whole thing down for a rebuild anyway, changing a couple more bearings is worth it at that point. This build however is completely on the cheap. Fixing what's broke, using cheap or used parts when available, doing everything possible myself. The cost of this build could have easily doubled or tripled based on parts sourcing and not cutting corners where I thought I could get away with it. If I had to drive this truck all the time and had to rely on it, well, this is the wrong kind of vehicle for that.