Suzuki Samurai -Windshield Wiper Fix.

Suzuki Samurai -Windshield Wiper Fix. This turned out to be an easy fix, but it likely is a common problem on older Suzuki Samurai's A lot of people complain that the wipers on the Suzuki Samurai are slow and mine were actually stuck. At first I suspected the motor then I though it could be rusty wiper linkage. That is what it turned out to be. Using penetrating oil, WD40 and grease I got the wipers working like new again and the wiper speed is as good as it was from the factory. When you install those plastic caps over the wiper shafts, fill them with grease to keep all the water out and everything lubed. The grease will melt on the wiper shaft and keep new rust from forming again.

Suzuki Samurai, Jimny 1300 - Quick Test Run after 13 years

Suzuki Samurai, Jimny 1300 - Quick Test Run after 13 years. This is a little 11 mile test run on the Suzuki Samurai (actually a 1985 Jimny 1300 with half-doors). It is excellent power at highway speed (around 55 to 60 miles per hours). It has more power than stock and it's still very economical. I had a very slight water leak on a replacement bypass hose, but a turn of the screwdriver seems to have fixed that little problem. I have a feeling something may come up since this thing was not really used in the last 13 years, besides starting it up sometimes and using it on the property to pull something. It was registered and fully insured the whole time but I was too busy to use it off-road.

Suzuki Samurai,,Installing New Soft Top

Suzuki Samurai,,Installing New Soft Top. I picked up a new Smittybuilt soft top for the Suzuki Samurai. It looks like a good quality top and better than OEM and cost $139 with free shipping. I go over some details on how to install the top easier. I use grease on the snaps and zippers so they don't get stuck. Also, if you are in an extremely cold climate, I used to put some foam around the edge of the soft top where it meets the body to eliminate any drafts. Make sure that front track on the windshield is installed correctly before snapping down everything in the back, or else wind will open up the front edge of the top when you get up to speed.

Suzuki Samurai -Windshield Frame Rust Repair 2 of 2

Suzuki Samurai -Windshield Frame Rust Repair 2 of 2. This was a quick repair on some minor rust-through holes in the windshield frame on a Suzuki Samurai. Jeeps, CJ5's, CJ7's and Wranglers would benefit from this fast repair that will stop the rust completely. I ground out the area, then coated the inside of the windshield frame with Chassis Saver (which will lock it and stop any future rust). Then I made some small patch panels out of sheet metal and bonded them in with 3M panel adhesive. (part no. 08115). 3M panel adhesive (part no. 08115) is made for bonding on quarter-panels, and door skins and other non-structural body parts. In recent years most cars have their panel bonded on at the factory versus welded. The bid advantage of using panel adhesive is that the back of the panel can be totally rust-proofed. When you weld, even when using weld-through primer, there is always some area that is exposed metal and can start to rust through again from the inside. that is not the case with panel adhesive. If you want a flat, clean job, the best way would be to flange the metal so the replacement patch panel would sit in the hole flush. But I am just going to paint half this Suzuki Samurai with spray truck bed liner in the areas that get subjected to the most rocks and debris. It's not worth putting expensive paint on an off-road vehicle in my opinion. It will be all black with half gloss black and the other half flat black truck bed liner.

Suzuki Samurai -Replacing Body Snaps for Soft Top

Suzuki Samurai -Replacing Body Snaps for Soft Top. This is a how-to on changing out the snaps that are on the body of the Suzuki Samurai that hold the soft top. Other Jeeps, CJ5's, CJ7's and Wranglers are similar. It is smart to unscrew these snaps from the body and re-install them using anti-seize. This way if you have to replace a broken snap sometime in the future you will not have to deal with rusted bolts and that frozen. Also I use grease inside the snaps on the top itself so the snaps install and remove easier. The grease also keeps the snaps from rusting, which is the main reason the snaps break.

Suzuki Samurai -Windshield Frame Rust Repair 1 of 2

) Suzuki Samurai -Windshield Frame Rust Repair 1 of 2. The most important thing in fixing rust is to either grind out all the rust and /or coat any rust with Chassis Saver, so that no new rust can form or existing rust can spread. All rust starts small and if you keep after it you will prevent major problems down the road. The Suzuki Samurai or any Jeep will get chips in the paint on the windshield frame, since the windshield frame is so flat. Once you have chips in the paint, it will not be long before rust starts and you have a hole in the body panel. Rather than welding, I am going to use small sheet-metal patch panels and use body panel adhesive to install them. i will also coat the inside of the windshield frame with Chassis Saver to stop any new rust from forming. The panel adhesive and sheet metal patch panels may be better than welding for any non-structural area, since the panel can be rust-proofed on the inside also. Chassis saver will stick a lot better to surface rust than clean metal. Your only concern, when using Chassis Saver over surface rust is to make sure there is no oil or grease on the area. After this windshield frame is repaired it will be painted with spray truck bed liner, which will make it impervious to chips from rocks. It is a good idea to paint parts of any Jeep or 4X4 truck that sees some off-road use with truck-bed liner. Any other paint that is used can chip and lead to rust.

Suzuki Samurai -Gear oil, Stuck Fill Plug & Speedo Cable lube

Suzuki Samurai -Gear oil, Stuck Fill Plug & Speedo Cable lube. On this I go over filling the differentials, transmission and transfer case with fluid. I use two pairs of ramps to get the Jeep off the ground and make it level because Jeep needs to be level to check the fluid level. The fill plugs in the transfer case and the transmission were stuck since they were not removed in a long time. You want to use a 6 point 15/16 inch socket versus a 12 point socket (or a 24 mm socket) since a 12 point socket could round off the filler plug (which happened to me). I tried vice-grips to remove the filler plug but what worked was to use a Dremel tool and make the plug smaller and flatten the sides. I was able to fit a smaller 23mm 6 point impact socket on the filler plug and use the impact wrench and that got it off. If that did not work the final solution would be to weld a not on the filler plug. As a last resort, you can also fill the transmission and transfer case from the top, if it is bone dry of gear oil. Grease the end of the clutch cable where it pivots because if it is not greased well at that pivot point it will cause the clutch cable to flex and they will lead a clutch cable failure (breakage). For the speedometer cable, I used a hose over the housing and filled it with Marvel Mystery oil and turn the speedometer cable by hand with a screwdriver, until the oil worked itself into the speedometer cable housing and the cable turned smoothly.

Suzuki Samurai -Installing Side Curtains, clear vinyl windows.

Suzuki Samurai -Installing Side Curtains, clear vinyl windows. This is a how to install replacement Side Curtains, clear vinyl windows on a Jeep or in this case a Suzuki Jimny 1300. You want to use the correct optically clear side curtain material and also vinyl window material that is rated for extreme cold temperatures. The material I used is Regalite 40 Gauge Vinyl Window Material and is rates for Cold Flex at -30°F (no crack). Available here: http://www.sailrite.com/Regalite-40-Gauge-Vinyl-Window-Material-24-x-54-Clear#.UxKgVs7LKSo There are advantages of hand sewing in the clear window, side curtain on a Jeep since you can tie a knot every few stitches and this way if the thread broke, it would not unravel very much. It is important to use the right thread. You do not want to use cotton thread because it will rot. Nylon thread does not rot but nylon thread will break down in sunlight. You want to use polyester thread that specifically says it is for outdoor applications. On the zipper you may want to use a little light coat of grease to make the window zip out easier. Also I found that the best way to protect and preserve clear vinyl window side curtains is to use a high quality furniture polish. It is easy and fast, it cleans the window well and does not streak and leaves a protective coating.