How NOT to restore the FJ40 (1 Viewer)

[PabloCruise]

I apologize for the hi-jack.

If anyone else wants to spend an inordinate amount of time pontificating how much torque to apply to their nuts (and bolts) whilst using anti-sieze, here are more deep thoughts: https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/604971-anti-seize-over-torquing-bolts.html

/HIJACKOFF

 

[handcannon]

FJ40Jim, thanks for your response to my question about SBC valves in my F head. Since I'm not very educated in this area do you have part numbers for the valves and springs?

Don

 

[FJ40Jim]

You don't need PN's. The machine shop will get the parts. If they don't know how to put chevy valves into a chevy inline 6 truck head, find a different (competent) machine shop.

 

[handcannon]

Thank you!! Good info. Since this is not something I have ever dealt with before I wasn't sure.

The guys at the machine shop I go to seem to know the Chevy I-6 motors, so when I get a chance I'll go down there and talk to them.

Don

 

[FJ40Jim]

Cam & timing

On teardown, the following things were noted.

New cam & lifters, new solid steel timing gears.

Problems:
Camshaft that came out appeared to be new, but had several prematurely wiped lobes.
Lifters were also dead from failed lobes.
Cam was sticking out front of block, so thrust plate was bent/cracked.
Oil squirter was threaded too deep into plate, so oil flow to squirter was restricted and plate was bent & jacked off of block, resulting in leakage behind plate.
Timing cover was very bent around boltholes from overtightening to correct oil leakage.

Fixes:
New USA camshaft and new lifters.
Good used steel thrust plate, from later model 2F.
Good used (unbent) plate and squirter set to correct depth.
Good used timing cover with latemodel reinforcement around bottom bolts.


Got a few pics of assembly:

Steel cam thrust plate (and all correct hardware after coming out of tank).

Thrust plate installed on new camshaft with the good almost new timing gear from previous rebuild.

The clean, unbent timing plate, with sguirter at correct depth, just flush with oil transfer slot.

Then it all goes together: gasket with grey FIPG, timing plate & new torx screws, cam & thrustplate, timing cover with gasket & a little more FIPG, harmonic balancer. The timing cover is installed loosely with screw barely started, then balancer is whacked on to center up the seal and alignment sleeve inside cover. Then cover screws are lightly torqued down. Again, there is RTV drying, so this all has to happen pretty quick to ensure a good seal. There's no time for cleaning hands, taking pics and getting dirty again.

Who knows which tab gets staked against nut and why? Is it the 11:00 or the 2:00?

 

[FJ40Jim]

Valvetrain

New lifters replace the worn originals. Here's a pic before dropping the last one in the hole, showing moly grease on the business end.

The pushrods are greased and dropped into place.
The rocker assembly was inspected and found to be in very good condition. It is common to find a trench worn in the pad of the arm, and the bronze center bushings are often worn excessively. Not here.
This indicates that either the rocker asembly was replaced or the 52K miles on the odo is correct.

So the rocker shaft assembly is dropped into position and torqued down.

Time to scrape the old gasket remains off the side cover. there are some interesting punch marks in the cover. It appears the PO didn't want to forget where the studs went, so a prick punch was used to positively mark those holes.

In this pic the punch shoved the tin all the way through the gasket and flattened it against the block. If one prick is good, then three is just enough.

Different hole, similar motif.

The punch damage and general hole distortion is dollied back out of the side cover, but I wanna get all the pumps installed before closing up the tin.

 

[Mace]

11:00 to prevent the nut from backing off..

 

[FJ40Jim]

11:00 to prevent the nut from backing off..

You are correct sir!

You win an intarweb cookie:

Please enjoy responsibly.

 

[Blue77FJ40]

I'd say the 2:00 because it appears to be the most parallel to a flat of the nut.

Ed. Mace's answer wasn't present on my page at time of post. Why won't 200 work?

 

[Diskord]

I'd say the 2:00 because it appears to be the most parallel to a flat of the nut.

Ed. Mace's answer wasn't present on my page at time of post. Why won't 200 work?

The tab at 11:00 is in the best position relative to the flats on the nut to lock the nut in place.

The tab at 2:00 could allow the nut to move a little, which would then become a lot of movement?

 

[crushers]

the pic is deciving, 2:00 looks more parallel to the flats on the nut. 11:00 looks like it is closer to the tip of the nut and on an angle to the flat.

 

[FJ40Jim]

The 2:00-8:00 tabs will actually be pushing on the flank of the nut in the lefty loosen direction. That is not useful.

 

[Mace]

The 2:00-8:00 tabs will actually be pushing on the flank of the nut in the lefty loosen direction. That is not useful.

I'm waiting for the "but but but" statements to come...

 

[nuclearlemon]

but but but

 

[crushers]

but but ... if you torque properly then there is little stress on those tabs anyway .... but but ...

 

[PabloCruise]

I'm waiting for the "but but but" statements to come...

Looks like you did not have to wait long!

 

[PabloCruise]

but but ... if you torque properly then there is little stress on those tabs anyway .... but but ...

Should you torque with anti-seize?

I kid, I kid!

 

[yooper]

See if it was me I'd fold up all three of those tabs.

 

[Spike Strip]

Jim, do you think the cam and lifters were bad from low-zinc oil or improper installation?

 

[FJ40Jim]

The cam failure was primarily due to the wrong rear plug shoving the cam forward 1/8", which just about centered the lobes under the lifters, allowing the lifters to stall.

A lifter that doesn't spin wears out very quickly.