cult45's 45 recovery and remobilisation (2 Viewers)

[cult45]

Well today's six hours in the sun felt like another day where there was a lot of activity but not much progress. I think I need to reassess my idea of how long this will take.

After yesterday's seamless water pump install I went straight for the jugular: the thermostat housing and thermostat. Well there was a small hurdle. Despite the housings and thermo and gaskets coming as a complete kit the t-stat wouldn't fit inside the housings. Late last night I took it to my mechanic who instructed me to machine out a little bit of the top housing. So I did just that. I started with the side pressure of a spinning drill but that was a bit ugly, so I went hunting for a hole saw. That too ended up being too hard to make a nice round cut so I turned to metal files. They alloy to be removed was only 4-5mm so the metal file made short work of that. It ended up sitting in the top housing flush. Perfect.

Installed the bottom housing on the motor when things took a sideways turn.

 

[cult45]

The old t-stat housings were held together with one nut and bolt and one bolt that sheared off upon removal. So I applied gasket goo to the bottom housing, dropped the thermostat in, placed the gasket on, then applied goo to the underside of the top housing before lowering it ever so gently into place. I grabbed for the bolts only to realise I'd forgotten one had sheared off an the other was too long [and not threaded all the way along the shank - therefore unusable]. With the gasket goo quickly drying in the 25 degree heat and not wanting to remove it all again [which would include cleaning up the now drying gasket goo and virtually starting again] I ran for a c-clamp to get some torque onto the thermostat assembly, using a grinding disc to gain some purchase on the round top. I slotted some bolts in to locate it. Now that I'd bought myself some time I set about quickly finding bolts to fit.

It was at this point that I discovered the bottom housing is threaded to accept a specific bolt, a bolt I had zero of. Damn. But I got clever and thought outside the box and drilled the thread out of the driver's side hole and bolted it together with a bolt, nut and two washers. Perfect. So I got to drilling the passenger side when I realised the factory threaded hole doesn't come out the other side of the housing..

And that's where I stopped. I know I didn't pierce the bottom of the housing because I took a measurement by sticking a screwdriver down the hole and comparing it to my old housing. I think I escaped even scoring it. But now I have no thread deep inside an already sealed and bolted thermostat housing that cost me $195. I went and found something else to do after that.

Any thoughts on how to get around this one? The only thing I can think of is to tap it out. There's a good 6mm of meat on either side of the bolt hole.

 

[cult45]

After that little hurdle I left the engine bay and reinstalled the seat belts. Turns out they are factory TEQ, but made in July '76. I figured the PO five owners back decided to get stock belts installed a few years after the truck left the factory. But they bolt into factory holes with captive nuts? Maybe the stock '69 ones just wore out. Another mystery kept by the Cruiser Gods until the end of time.

I recovered the headlight part of the loom and cleaned the terminals. I also cleaned where the -ve battery terminal earths to the block. It's the stock woven copper type and there's probably better out there but it's staying. It's one of the coolest things I've seen. To clean it back to bare I used the North Queensland Bare-Metalling Technique whereby one stands on the item to be bare-metalled on rough ground and then kicks it into the concrete. It's a little less refined than other methods but it works. In truth this is a little rough, even for me, but I was defeated by the t-stat incident and had become decidedly gloomy.

 

[cult45]

After reinstalling the seat belts I returned to the engine bay and bolted the rest of the cooling system together. I figure even if I have to pull the thermostat assy. off I can still do that with the fan/water pump/shroud/radiator still in place. Installed top, bottom, middle and bypass hoses. Just need a few more hose clamps. I wonder why the part number sticker on the fan?

 

[cult45]

I pulled the clutch master and slave. No idea why they didn't work..

Installed new clutch master including swapping out the shiny new reservoir for my faded old one. The thread in the new master will not bolt to the hard line that runs across the firewall. The thread diameter is too small. It will however accept a newer 10mm tube bolt [I know this because I've already been through all this with my brakes at Slacks Creek Brake and Clutch] - so I'll have to go see them tomorrow about potentially sourcing a custom bolt. Or making up a new hardline whilst I'm making up my brake lines. Damn my desire to keep this truck ridgey didge! [That means stock in non-Australian speak].

Pulled the clutch slave and the flex line only to discover the same thing on the slave as I did on the master re: the thread. The flex line is in good-ish shape but I fear I may be forking out another $38 to have one made in order to get it to mate to the slave due to the thread diameter difference.

When I pulled the old slave down I cleaned the pushrod only to discover it had been brazed at some point in it's life. I wonder why? Also, is it too pitted to reuse? It's only a dirty old pushrod, it's not like it's sliding snugly along the cylinder bores. Also, which end goes in the slave?

New slave on top, old slave on the bottom.

Also, this float was in the old master reservoir. Is it a necessity?

 

[west aussie]

g'day cult 45; just quickly checking in on mud in transit on my way back from holidays overseas.

good progress; slow and steady will get there eventually. will add more comment after i had a proper read at home.

that little piece from your dash cut in post 54 is the original cab light for early landcruisers up to 64 i think. the americans call it the 'darth vader light'. its a nice thing that is often missing. would love to trade you for it; my 1964 project patina badly needs one of these!

 

[cult45]

No worries west, thanks for checking in. How goes the Emerald Isle? Hope you made it to St. James' Gate in Dublin. I'm pretty keen on the cab light as it's a cool period piece. So I'll have to see what you've got to trade

On the way to the truck when I noticed a FJ45, a 40 undercover and a hand-picked styleside bed floor in someone's yard. Naturally I stopped. Turns out the owner is a chick who runs a 40 series FB page called 'Australian 40 series Landcruisers'. Check em out if you want to meet fellow cruiserheads or advertise for parts.

Turned up to work on the truck and my mate Deano volunteered to help for the day. It's in his backyard so he didn't have to travel far but he got to wrenchin real quick. Well, as soon as we did a few little jobs for him. I owe him for letting me chuck my 45 in his backyard for a four months so it was the least I could do. A few hours later we returned to the 45.

After two days in the sun I got smart an erected a damn marquee. Should have done this weeks ago. Today was brake hard-line manufacturing day! Turns out it's quite simple. Put tube nut on pipe [facing the correct way]. Put pipe in clamp. attach flaring tool. Wind slowly in. Repeat. My new clutch master cylinder doesn't take the same union bolt that the stock one does [the stock bolt is a larger diameter but same thread] and due to a lack of availability of '69 model parts I had to remake a perfectly good and patina'd clutch hard line. Took about 15 minutes and it was cut, flared, bent and installed.

 

[cult45]

Then Deano got to making the short hard lines that run from the t-junction to the wheel cylinders on the front end. Pics tomorrow. With Deano underway I started on honing the rear brake cylinders clean. Turns out a $12.90 cylinder hone is just about one of the handiest pieces of kit you can have. Brilliant. After about 10 minutes my cylinders looked like this. I was told to use kero as a rubbing lubricant due to it's high oil content, so that's exactly what I did. The filings that come off are so fine that you know the bores are going to silky smoooooooth. Turns out a disused lower t-stat housing makes a great base for such intricate work.

That's about as far as we got. Deano's neighbour came over to 'help' and spent more time asking annoying questions and interrupting with anecdotes from back in the day. What I did manage to achieve was realise the P.O had been less than meticulous with the rear cylinders. I discovered I had three types instead of four matching ones.

2 x twin piston 1 1/8"
1 x twin piston 1"
1 x single piston 1 1/8"

Naturally this won't do, but I couldn't find any literature on the correct bore size. Does anyone know? The manual says the rears are all twin piston and the fronts are single piston. But I need hard data on the size of the bores. And this is how we left her..

Back at it tomorrow.

 

[catskinner]

good work cult that ute wasn't that far from me looks like it went to a good home as a lot of these things are getting parted out and sent middle east, do you plan to drive her on the hiway with those roadtrak majors. I have followed your budget brake rebuild, forgive me if I sound rude but be VERY CAREFUL as it is a single circuit system when your scootin down to hiway and your boot goes to the floor is not fun
are you going to give her a lick of paint

 

[cult45]

Hey cat,

I am planning on just putting around but yes, a few highway miles I think though nothing too drastic. I'm looking for more RTM's if you see any up your way. A bloke I know is after 6.50's and 7.00's and I'm after one more 7.50. No paint - the patina is too nice.

Tell me your thoughts on honing cylinders etc vs. buying new ones? You think it's too unsafe? I'm not getting much input from the 'Mud crowd.

 

[Aussie 25]

Hi Cult 45. You are doing a good job on it. I agree with catskiner those rodtracks will be at least 30 years old now and very hard and wont stop. If you are putting it in a show by all means put them on but don't use them on the road. I have a set to put on the army for display only. As for the breaks ,new hoses , steel lines and a master all good. But being a single circuit brakes if one of the 8 cylinders leak you loose all foot brakes and its such a nice ute. I think at $55 a cylinder for a SS liner is fair. [ I belive youhave to glue them in to stop the fluid leakink between the sleave and the cylinder.]
As for the size I am not sure. I am working in the NT now ad am away from all my books. If you need a nother one I will be home in 3 weeks an have a few odd ones there.
Cheers

 

[cult45]

Also, what size are the rear cylinders?? Help, please. I have a mixture of 1" and 1 1/8" that were on there when I bought it.

 

[cult45]

Hi Cult 45. You are doing a good job on it. I agree with catskiner those rodtracks will be at least 30 years old now and very hard and wont stop. If you are putting it in a show by all means put them on but don't use them on the road. I have a set to put on the army for display only. As for the breaks ,new hoses , steel lines and a master all good. But being a single circuit brakes if one of the 8 cylinders leak you loose all foot brakes and its such a nice ute. I think at $55 a cylinder for a SS liner is fair. [ I belive youhave to glue them in to stop the fluid leakink between the sleave and the cylinder.]
As for the size I am not sure. I am working in the NT now ad am away from all my books. If you need a nother one I will be home in 3 weeks an have a few odd ones there.
Cheers

We posted simultaneously. Thanks for your help Aussie and your advice. I'll run the RTM's and see. I can't die not knowing haha. But I have other tyres. As for the wheel cylinders the case for me buying new ones is growing. I just hate to waste.

As for the cylinder size well hopefully someone chimes in before you get home in three weeks, but if not then I'll wait til you're near your books. Thanks again mate.

 

[Aussie 25]

With the SS lined ones you wont ever replace them again. Being a single circuit just fit new buckets every few years and you will always have good safe brakes. If you use silicone brake fluid it will last even longer.

 

[catskinner]

Cult i enjoy your enthusiasm for keeping teq parts but dont worry about wasting brake parts just not worth the risk with these old girls around the hills

 

[Pauciflora]

G'day Cult,

I have a could of quick questions regarding the brake/clutch lines. How did you bent them? They look really close to original. Do the old lines appear to be obstructed, do they build up with crud. With my own build, I wondering if I could flush them out.

Cheers,

Ben

P.S. Nice marquee. I conceived my first child in a tent. I not suggesting that you and your mate Deano try and do the same, I'm just saying that you can achieve great things in tents and marquees.

 

[cult45]

Ok well as soon as I can find out what size cylinder for the rears I'm going to buy some new ones. Sigh. The front's were very clean to begin with and still are, no honing required so they'll stay.

I checked toyodiy.com to see if any later model years are interchangeable, thus giving me an easy out, but as you can see all part #'s are different.

But I'm wondering if they're the same parts with superseded numbers..?

 

[cult45]

G'day Cult,

I have a could of quick questions regarding the brake/clutch lines. How did you bent them? They look really close to original. Do the old lines appear to be obstructed, do they build up with crud. With my own build, I wondering if I could flush them out.

Cheers,

Ben

P.S. Nice marquee. I conceived my first child in a tent. I not suggesting that you and your mate Deano try and do the same, I'm just saying that you can achieve great things in tents and marquees.

HAHAHAHA damn I laughed out loud at that! Well done on the child. Was there any side effects due to the external conception? Hopefully it was within sight of a Landcruiser.

I'd love to take all the credit for the great looking lines but it's actually really hard to screw up. The flaring kit comes with three lengths of coiled spring that you slip over the hard line to prevent kinking during bending. Then you just bend away. I just followed the old line as I went and knew I couldn't really go wrong. I don't think the lines will fill with crud unless the P.O has been neglectful and allowed foreign matter into the brake fluid. Interesting to note brake fluid is an oil of sorts and therefore will prevent corrosion inside the lines. The reason I replaced mine was because some of mine were rusted through. Years in salt water I guess. I believe you can flush them out, though I think it's best to do it with something inert like metho.

 

[cult45]

Today was a bit of a half day on the truck due to other commitments, a long overdue cleanup and a lack of parts. I made the hard line that crosses the rear diff housing, made the short hard line that goes from the splitter to the driver's side wheel cylinder and attached them all to the flex line and installed that. One of the original hard line crimps [?] had rusted away so I made one out of an old piece of something that had been rattling around in my toolbox for years. Cut it, bent it, drilled it and bolted it onto the top of the pumpkin using one of the bolts. It's about a thousand times stronger than needed but it sure won't be going anywhere in a hurry. I attached the front flex lines. Due to my once new brake-master-to-splitter hard line being too taut [I almost had to stretch it to get it to bolt to the splitter] I made a new hard line with a few coils in it. It's a little reminiscent of the element in an electric kettle, but it'll do the trick I reckon.

 

[cult45]

I also tidied up a few things like tightening the crimps on the clutch hard line, putting my fan belt back on, reclamping part of the loom and most importantly CLEANING UP. The place was a damn pig sty.

Due to the brake booster [remote, from an FJ55 I believe] being shot I no longer need any vacuum from the intake manifold, right?

Also, how do you fix new rubbers to the doors..?

Tomorrow's task! Assuming I can find my soldering iron. Jeez I hope they glow a nice dull yellow..