Have you checked the grounds?
In my experience, it’s the most overlooked item when troubleshooting electrical problems. Everybody goes over the hot and forgets the ground is equally important.
A common problem on both sides are connections that are intact enough to test out with a meter, but don’t have the capacity to actually carry enough current to do the job - like hidden corrosion inside connectors or under them. Most of the grounds don’t get moved around like the hots, so problems don’t show up as easily.
If it isn’t murderously hot in the old warehouse this week, I plan to go try it again. Thank you for the ground advice. I will jump for joy if that is the case and feel like a dunce a few minutes later. I have forgotten so much since HS auto mech.
I’ve cleaned out a lot corrosion in wiring harness. The main connector was really covered. After half a can of WD40 over a few attempts, I got that cleaned up.
That restored a some power in engine compartment up to the coil which had been flat.
Here is something that probably isn’t related but it is engine electrical. The starter failed a few weeks back and I took it to one of the few rebuilders apparently left. He got it back to me. There was a screw that had worked loose and shorted on the housing. According to him the guts were like new.
Anyway, it works but after a few attempts to spin over which it does fine, it gets really hot. I don’t go more than 10-15 seconds on any spin with breaks. I have to watch my battery since I don’t have power at this building and don’t want to kill it.
If you want a laugh, here is a smugmug album of what I have done with it off and on.
http://tysonneil.smugmug.com/Other/1968-Project-Willys-CJ5/15578238_GGkBkh#!i=1167186781&k=6xWUk
As I work on it, I send some of my video up as stock footage to see if I can ever get anything back during this long haul.
Mechanically it is all there, it is the body that has simply had it.
There are only so many of the Willys era left and I would like to have one.