This page is not intended to make anyone a mechanic, only to pass along a few things I have discovered in my Scout endeavors. Always use extreme caution when making any modifications to your vechicles.

Courtesy door light switch replacements?

Broken plastic gear in the ignition switch?

Bad door seals?

Upgrading your distributor (Electronic)

Traveler liftgate latch & lock

Replacing front cab mounts

Cheap 1" body lift

Basic Guide to Winching Techniques

Turn Signal Cam Replacements

Courtesy Door Light Switches Need a replacement door switch for your 76 or newer Scout II? I have found thru my local Mopar dealer that the 1977 Dodge pickup used almost the identical switch. The wire connection end is straight instead of being bent at a 90 degree angle, but it works perfectly fine being straight and it has the correct "Bullet end" connector. Switches also come with new connector ends for your wire. Mopar Part# 2822592  ----  List for $4.40 each           or Mopar Part# 4221548  ----  List for $5.12 each [ Back to Top ] Broken plastic gear in the ignition switch? 1973 thru at least 1979 Chevy pickups used the same plastic gear in their ignition switches. You can get a bearing kit thru your local GM dealer that has the upper and lower bearing as well as the plastic gear for the tilt columns. [ Back to Top ] Bad door seals? I have found that the door seals from a Saturn will work rather well. It is the correct thickness so your doors will shut well.The only problem is it's not quite long enough to go all the way around. So you should get 3 of the Saturn door seals and use pieces of the third seal to complete the other two. It's easier to find a seal from a Saturn than it is to find one from a Yugo as other people have suggested. [ Back to Top ] Upgrading your distributor (Electronic) The Ford Prestolite distributors, which were used in the 78, 79 and 80 model Scouts, are available from O'Reilly's Auto Parts. These also work well in the older 304, 345 and 392 engines. Using this eliminates the gold box used by IH (which I've been told is no longer available) that as you may have discovered, when it quits..... it quits for good. If you change to the Prestolite ignition system you will need to purchase a set of GM 454 Chevy plug wires because the distributor requires the same type of end that goes on the plugs. There are no wiring modifications required. The new distributor has 3 wires, 2 of which go to the coil (red to the "+" side and brown to the "-" side of the coil. The 3rd wire (white) may or may not be connected. It connects to the engine speed sensor unit which your Scout may or may not have. O'Reilly's part numbers: A-1 (brand/mfg.) 74'~76' - part# 30-44824 single vacuum advance w/o governor       77' - part# 30-44822 single vacuum advance w/o governor Cost ~ $114.99 + $50.00 core charge (plug wires not included) [ Back to Top ] Traveler liftgate latch & lock Here's something for the Traveler owners. I recently put all of the latching components from a Traveler liftgate into the liftgate of a 82 Plymouth Trail Duster. I put the latch button, latch and locking arms from a 76 Traveler in the Trail Duster with NO modifications at all. My trusty Chiltons manual tells me that the Ram Charger & Trail Duster had this liftgate thru 86. So you might check your local Mopar dealer for new parts and keep an open eye when at the salvage yards. Good hunting! [ Back to Top ] Replacing front cab mounts Have you replaced front cab mounts yet? You will get a set of instructions (or not) usually with your new cab mounts, but they typically don't cover everything in enough detail for what your going to need to do. You need to unbolt the fan shroud and lay it back over the fan out of the way. Be sure to disconnect your rag-joint on the steering shaft or you will pull it apart and damage it when you lift the body. Take the bolt out of the frame that is holding the emergency brake cable just behind the rear spring hanger on the drivers side spring. Then disconnect the cable end on the inside of the vehicle at the pedal and pull it out of the floor to get it out of the way. Your speedometer cable may need to be disconnected at the transmission as it probably runs between the cab mount and the frame mount. It will also help to get your plastic fuel line out of the way since you will be doing some welding. As with most Scouts you'll probably find that you need to fabricate some patches for the floor, because if your cab mounts are real bad then floor probably is too. Click here for pictures of the floor repair and front cab mount replacement! [ Back to Top ] Cheap 1" body lift Want a cheap 1" body lift for less than $20? Go to your local sporting goods store and buy 8 each Hockey pucks (about .99 cents each). Now go to your local hardware store and buy 8 new 7/16" bolts 1" longer than the originals. If I remember correctly you will need 6 each 7/16" X 5" bolts and 2 each 7/16" X 6" bolts. Unbolt the fan shroud and lay it back on the fan out of the way. Disconnect the steering rag-joint so you won't damage it when you lift the drivers side. Raise the Scout one side at a time. You will need to fabricate some kind of drop down for the fan shroud and it will need to be 2" long. Yes 2", check it for yourself! Good luck! [ Back to Top ] Basic Guide to Winching Techniques Need a better understanding of how a winch works? Want to brush-up on your winching skills? Download Warn Industries newest booklet: The Basic Guide to Winching Techniques (1053kb) Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader [ Back to Top ] Turn Signal Cam Replacements According to information I've found on the internet the turn signal cams are the same as the following: '72-84' AMC '73-84' Jeep '70-84' Chrysler with tilt '77-80' Chevelle and Chevette I haven't actually given these a try, but will as soon as I can! [ Back to Top ]

© Binder Blues Last Updated: