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Cheap and Easy Modifications and Fixes 4" Performance Air Cleaner I picked this up from Checker. It's a 4" air cleaner with a chromed cover. To install it you need to remove the stud the stock air cleaner mounts to on the carb. Next I used a Dremel to open up the plastic spacer on the new air cleaner so it would fit around the mouth of the carb. I used some high temp rtv to seal and hold the bottom of the air cleaner on. Let it dry for a while before driving. The air cleaner is made by Spectre, P/N 4790. Replacement filters are $4.99. 
Update: After some usage I
pulled the air filter off to blow it off with compressed air. I had some
dust on the inside of the cover, I believe due to a bad sealing surface between
the air filter and cover. If I get a chance I want to make a rubber gasket
for the top and bottom of the air filter. Extended Brake Line Retainers Upon installing extended length brake lines I noticed the brake lines in the front would come in contact with the tire when the wheel was turned hard to one side. There are two ways to solve this. If you remember to twist the brake lines before you install them, you can position them so they will stay away from the tire. If you forget to do this (like I did) or would rather have a positive retainer you can purchase some small extension springs and hook one end around the metal portion in the center of the brake line and attach the other end with a self tapping screw to the frame. Picture on the way.  Intermittent Starter Fix When I bought my Samurai the starter would give me a loud click from time to time and wouldn't turn over the engine. If I kept trying the starter would eventually turn over, but the problem made for some exciting offroading when I stalled on a hill and couldn't get the Samurai started right away. I did all the usual, test the starter, clutch switch, battery, ignition switch and coil. All of these items checked out good but the problem persisted. A few e-mails to the Suzuki mailing list resulted in some more testing, specifically the voltage at the starter when the key was turned. I found when it started I was seeing 10-11 volts at the starter and when it didn't I was seeing 6 volts. Somewhere along the way I was losing a lot of voltage. Two culprits were the ignition switch or the clutch switch, both were big $$ to replace. The cheapest solution was to install a 30amp relay. I used the wire that ran from the ignition to the starter as the trigger for the relay and then wired the relay to the battery and then relay to the starter. No problems since then and the starter even sounds better now that it is getting all the juice it needs. Side Marker Blinker Mod This is a nifty little mod that takes a minute or so to do. I got the idea for this when I relocated my turn signals behind my grill for my new bumper. I wanted to make my indicators a little more visible. I had seen some cars where their side markers would alternate as turn signals and this seemed like a good way to increase the visibility of the signal. To do this mod simply unhook the ground of the side marker and splice it into the hot lead of the turn signal on the appropriate side (green/yellow wire on the right turn signal wiring harness, green/red on the left turn signal wiring harness). The side marker will still light when you turn on the parking lights AND will alternate as a turn signal along with your other turn signals. Front Upper Shock Tower This modification has been passed around the Suzuki mailing lists for quite a while now. To mount longer shocks up front you need to move the upper mounting point up (and lower mounting point down if possible). Ford makes a shock tower that fits nicely once you grind off the original upper mount.. P/N E5TZ-18183-A, roughly $11 ea. Extended Brake Lines Raybestos part # (front) BH38541, (rear) BH38688 or NAPA part # (front) 38541, (rear) 38688. The fronts are about 20" long and the rears about 23" long. Tranny Cross Member Clearance
Not really a trick, but one way to get more clearance for the front driveshaft. Normally a little creative grinding will be adequate, but I am getting so much droop, my front driveshaft yoke was hitting the cross member, even after grinding it down. I welded in a new section made from C channel and then chopped the old section out. Chain That Motor Mount
This is an easy trick that will save some expensive parts if you do roll over. By welding a short section of chain to the frame and then securing it under the motor mount bolt you help ensure that if your motor mount breaks during a rollover the engine cannot go very far. Part Numbers Here's a list of commonly used part numbers: Front Axleshaft Seal - Napa #10173 Rubber Steering Joint - Suzuki #48251-52000 or Aftermarket Rag Joint - Pep Boys #31002 (in the red "Help!" packages) T-case Mount - Suzuki #2961082C01 GMB U-Joint - Checker #6181721 Clutch Cable - Suzuki #2371083024 Engine Mount - Suzuki #1161082C00 12V Superstock Coil - Pep Boys #0-30999-00712
Samurai Storage
Surplus ammo boxes make great storage containers. They are watertight and sturdy. I paid $22 for the medium sized one pictured above, I was able to put my tow strap, welding rod, another ammo box full of spare parts, first aid kit, MRE's, leather gloves, hammer, pitman arm puller and a couple other odds and ends inside of it. The box is bolted to the floor from the inside and I plan on adding a hook so I can padlock it.
To secure the contents I drilled two holes in the side an attached a small u-bolt to the side of the box to attach a padlock. |
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