ROTW: The Yak

Mountain Goat · 08-20-07, 02:06 AM

It gives me great pleasure to introduce the Yak. Second only to my girls, she's my baby.

This truck started life as a California spec 1987 FJ-60. It's had many owners since.

I found it in AutoTrader. It was listed by a broker who was selling it for a private party. I was unemployed. My trusty old Chevy Lumina was totaled by a confused little old lady. I needed a car. I decided it was time to have a car that I actually want to drive, rather than one that is dictated to me by necessity. Then there was the problem of finding something I like. New cars these days are ugly.

I was coming from the FJ-40 community, not really wanting a 60. Couldn't find a 40 that I could rely on. I started looking at 60s, thinking since they are a little newer that I could find one I could drive every day.

I drove it. I liked it. I haggled over the price. I took it home a few days later. The alternator and smog pump quit on the first day.

Based on what I have discovered on my own and info from the mechanic that used to work on it, the old Yak has a spotty history. It's been wheeled and repaired. The PO bought it on ebay and got shafted. Someone had fixed the body, slapped on a ghetto paint job (pisses me off every day), and replaced the recently rebuilt engine (the reason I bought it) with one of unknown origin. Of course none of this was discovered until after I had the truck in my possession for some time.

Instead of doing the honorable thing and taking the hit, the PO decided to pass the savings on to the next guy, me. I spent two years and $3K trying to right the many wrongs of the mystery engine before I decided that was more than enough and I would just drive it until it quit. Shortly thereafter the engine swap bug bit.

I looked at the usual options and settled on a 12H-T from G&S Cruiserparts. Starting with the engine swap, I've been slowly pimpin' 'er out over the last 18 months.

Mountain Goat · 08-20-07, 02:29 AM

List of mods:

12H-T (85K miles) from JDM HJ-61 http://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.p...oat+transplant
H55 (new)
ARB winch bar
Home brew rear bumper with swing-outs http://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.p...t=bumper+build
OME 2.5" medium-heavy
32 x 11.50 BFG
Safari snorkel with Donaldson precleaner
Kaymar roof rack
Home brew dual battery system (Optima D31 Yellow tops)
JDM suspension seat bases
Rear sway bar with quick disconnects
Chrome removed
Euro style mirrors
Aussie grab handle over glove box
Plush orangutang on grab handle

Future Projects:

Home brew sliders
PTO winch
Lockers
35 x 12.50
4.11 gears
Little more lift
Outback-like drawer system to accomodate:
Stuff
Winch motor driven York air compressor
potable water tank, pump, and plumbing
More stuff

Some adventuring pics.

Goldeneagle · 08-20-07, 03:49 AM

That's a nice truck!

cabron · 08-20-07, 06:30 AM

Great mods, good combo of goodies, have some more pics for us?

redcorn · 08-20-07, 06:48 AM

absolutely brilliant!

john

Tofudebeest · 08-20-07, 07:02 AM

Please, in all seriousness, do tell...

How does one go from unemployed to being able to afford all those goodies (particularly the 12H-T)?

What do you do for a living and can I come and work with you???

By my estimates, that mod list you have there is approaching $20,000, but who is counting?

Dynosoar · 08-20-07, 07:51 AM

Nice Truck. Post up some under hood pics too.

Dynosoar

hks3sgte · 08-20-07, 09:15 AM

Great 60!

klinetime574 · 08-20-07, 10:22 AM

Did you say why you call her the Yak?

Tapage · 08-20-07, 10:48 AM

brand sparkling new H55F

big league dude !

Congrats !

cruiser88 · 08-20-07, 11:28 AM

kick ass man

Ducks · 08-20-07, 11:35 AM

Most excellent. I am looking at doing the 12HT swap and using Veggie Oil. How long did it take you to do the swap? Do you have a lot of experience in doing this sort of thing?

Also, what are JDM suspension seat bases?

Chad

Mountain Goat · 08-20-07, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cabron

Great mods, good combo of goodies, have some more pics for us?

I don't have a lot of pics. It doesn't help that I keep deleting many of those I take before they have been uploaded.

I'll see what I can do. Any specifics you want?

Mountain Goat · 08-20-07, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MyHJ60Sheila

Please, in all seriousness, do tell...

How does one go from unemployed to being able to afford all those goodies (particularly the 12H-T)?

What do you do for a living and can I come and work with you???

By my estimates, that mod list you have there is approaching $20,000, but who is counting?

To start with, I typed the first posts last night about midnight. I was barely coherent and only hit the highlights.

When my previous car was totaled, I had to cash in a IRA to get another car since my old Lumina wasn't worth anything. Didn't want to do it, but didn't have a choice. The 12H-T purchase was largly paid for by the sale of my '72 FJ-40. Add to that a timely company bonus and tax refund and viola - 12H-T.

Mountain Goat · 08-20-07, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dynosoar

Nice Truck. Post up some under hood pics too.

Dynosoar

Under-hood pics comming. I'll post some tonight.

Mountain Goat · 08-20-07, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by klinetime574

Did you say why you call her the Yak?

I didn't actually.

So the deal is this: She used to be the Goat. She was slow, stinky, gutless, and liked to chew on things.

Since the diesel swap, Goat didn't seem to be a fitting name any longer. She's still slow and stinky, but there is now an element of brute force.

The Yak isn't a really great name, and hasn't "stuck" so if there are any suggestions I'm open to them.

Mountain Goat · 08-20-07, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducks

Most excellent. I am looking at doing the 12HT swap and using Veggie Oil. How long did it take you to do the swap? Do you have a lot of experience in doing this sort of thing?

Also, what are JDM suspension seat bases?

Chad

The swap took me about two months from the time I disabled the truck to the time I could drive it again. I spent most of the year prior accumulating the parts and planning/researching.

For veggie oil you might want to think about an indirect injected diesel like the 2H. You can add a turbo for a couple of grand and the cost ends up being about the same as a 12H-T.

No, I don't have much experience in diesels or swaps. This was a first for me in both areas. All things considered, it was relatively painless. I had some problems, but most were due to inexperience.

JDM suspension seat bases are cool!

The JDM part just means sold new in Japan. The suspension seat base option is an adjustable, spring loaded seat base that isolates your butt from the up/down motion of the vehicle. It has a massive damper to keep it from being bouncy. Makes for a nice ride.

flybynight · 08-20-07, 12:21 PM

Quote:

For veggie oil you might want to think about an indirect injected diesel like the 2H.

Why?

I am very interested in the swap idea....just starting my diesel edu.

Mountain Goat · 08-20-07, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flybynight

Why?

I am very interested in the swap idea....just starting my diesel edu.

I can't give you the specific reason(s) why. I don't know enough about the subject. I recommend spending some time in the diesel section. There have been a number of threads on alternative fuels. You can easily find all manner of debate on the subject.

sandcruiser · 08-20-07, 12:42 PM

1) where did you get the spring bases
2) how much $$?

flybynight · 08-20-07, 12:46 PM

I am in the process of what you suggest. I was intrigued by the fact you suggested it for veggie oil, and I hadn't come across that yet.

Very nice rig btw, (I have been following the bumper thread). And Turbo Yak is quite fittig.

Thanks

Ducks · 08-20-07, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flybynight

Why?

I am very interested in the swap idea....just starting my diesel edu.

For veggie oil, the best recommendation is indirect injection and an inline pump. Of the two, the inline pump is the more important part. The 2H doesn't have piston skirt spray thing if I remember correctly although in real life it apparently doesn't matter (used to cool pistons from heat of turbo iirc). Craig from Plantdrive.com recommended the 12HT.

Mountain Goat · 08-20-07, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandcruiser

1) where did you get the spring bases
2) how much $$?

Spring bases - G&S Cruiserparts $400US/pair (very rare)

BTW - You should be aware that if you install these bases that your FJ-60 seats will not just bolt-on. You will have to do a little fabbing. You will also have to remove your rear heater and will loose all under-seat storage.

Mountain Goat · 08-20-07, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flybynight

I am in the process of what you suggest. I was intrigued by the fact you suggested it for veggie oil, and I hadn't come across that yet.

Very nice rig btw, (I have been following the bumper thread). And Turbo Yak is quite fittig.

Thanks

Best of luck to you in your project!

philos1 · 08-20-07, 01:32 PM

very nice setup!

Mountain Goat · 08-20-07, 02:07 PM

Thanks for all the support, guys.

I almost forgot to mention - I expect to be at Surf 'n Turf in November. Maybe I'll see some of you there?

PAFJ · 08-20-07, 02:40 PM

Wow, sweet rig! Are you refining your own bio?

Mountain Goat · 08-20-07, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PAFJ

Wow, sweet rig! Are you refining your own bio?

Thanks. No, I don't brew my own. We have bio at the pump on the other side of town. It's a bit of a drive to fill up but I don't want to have to deal with the tax problems of brewing my own. It's a lot of work anyway.

klinetime574 · 08-20-07, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mountain Goat

I didn't actually.

So the deal is this: She used to be the Goat. She was slow, stinky, gutless, and liked to chew on things.

Since the diesel swap, Goat didn't seem to be a fitting name any longer. She's still slow and stinky, but there is now an element of brute force.

The Yak isn't a really great name, and hasn't "stuck" so if there are any suggestions I'm open to them.

Haha. Very good reasoning.

I don't know any names

Mountain Goat · 08-20-07, 05:12 PM

More pics. These are borrowed from the engine swap thread. Let me know when you are finished with them so I can put them back.