My '84 60 build, "Wallace"

[ntsqd]

It's been suggested that I start a build thread. Look elsewhere if you're expecting this to happen overnight. I move at a pace that has January Molasses passing me in the left lane.

The vehicle: 1984 FJ60 with 270k on the ticker. Two of the 4 keys came stamped with the name "Wallace" on them. Presumably one of the PO's names, but that is now the truck's name. I got it semi-locally, but from the stack of receipts it spent a fair amount of time in the Woodland, CA area.

What Wallace looked like when purchased:

The game plan is for it to replace my '91 Suburban. I still need, on occasion, to be able to haul 3 other people and 3-5 days worth of their gear or for the two of us to be able to go on an extended (1 month+) trip. I also need for the vehicle to be able to tow the TrailBlazer trailer, and the project Baja racer chaser.

"Glamping" it at the Central Coast Meet-n-Greet:

What is supposed to be the real project vehicle:

To do the towing well it needs more power than what it came with. Not a lot more, but some. It also needs better efficiency if I'm going to be able to justify using it. Even the full size 4" lifted Sub with it's not terribly sophisticated TBI engine that is 1.5l bigger than the 60's engine manages better fuel mileage.
The donor, a '92 Z-28, with a 5.7l - 700R4 combo:

 

[ntsqd]

Current status:

The first mod was to fix the tired battery cables and lack of a battery hold-down so that I could feel comfortable driving it. Plan was to drive it and get a feel for what needed immediate attention and what was going to need to happen later.

The first and most obvious thing was the poor ride quality of the worn out springs and dampers. I went with OME Med/Heavy springs and had Mirage Racing send me their best guess for the shim stacks for some 8" travel Fox 2.0 Remotes that I had laying around.

In driving it I started noticing a rumbling noise. My friend Ruben always teases me about hearing bearing noises. this time that is what the problem was.

So the cure is:

 

[alaska60]

Well if you are moving that fast than I will kick back for the winter with my jug and keep tabs on ya....
This will be fun.....Good donors too.
You'll love the V8!

subscribed!

 

[ntsqd]

Shortly after getting the FF rear axle in place I happened to really give the tires a looking over. Plenty of tread left on them, but the sidewalls were badly checked. They may have been worn funny as well because the truck still had some odd noises and behaviors.

My '84 Mini (this year is getting habit forming!) was shod with 33-10.50 BFG M/T's that were a failed experiment when several years ago I was about to take off on a ~2500 mile trip. I really didn't want to have to listen to the M/T's sing that whole way so I bought some new 33-10.50 A/T's. While I was at it I swapped out the 15x8 steel "rock crawler" (dang but those are heavy!!) for some alloys. Fast forward to now when the 60 needs tires. So back onto the Mini went the M/T's (on the alloys) and I moved the AT's to the 60 on it's existing wheels. The steel wheels went to friend with a ~12 y.o. boy who is hard on equipment, just like his dad. It should take him a while to bend those wheels on his short bed J-10.

 

[ntsqd]

Well if you are moving that fast than I will kick back for the winter with my jug and keep tabs on ya....
This will be fun.....Good donors too.
You'll love the V8!

subscribed!

So far I'm catching up on the past year or so of ownership.

 

[alaska60]

I like to think you are working extremely fast !!
can i do that?

 

[cruiser guy]

I saw that stripped cruiser behind the camaro that should be your project lol, nice job on the cruiser

 

[alaska60]

I saw that stripped cruiser behind the camaro that should be your project lol, nice job on the cruiser

Funny......
I thought it was a scout? what series cruiser do you see?

 

[cruiser guy]

Funny......
I thought it was a scout? what series cruiser do you see?

thought I saw a 60 but looks like your right

 

[alaska60]

thought I saw a 60 but looks like your right

Its cool.......I thought the same......LOL!!!

 

[cruiser guy]

Its cool.......I thought the same......LOL!!!

Guess I shouldnt jump to conclusions and insult 60's like that lol

 

[ntsqd]

Efficiency more than power is the goal. All of the swap components are being chosen wit this in mind. If a diesel that was KA smog legal could have been found at a reasonable price I would have gone that direction. Currently it is rather gray about what or if they'll bother with checking past conversions. I don't want to have trouble down the road with the gumberment's idiotic lackeys, so I've applied the same gasser swap rules to the eligible diesels. There are only a few that would be legal. The OE diesels could be iffy in the future since they were not imported to KA and this truck is already registered in KA. That leaves two options, the 6.2l out of the K5 Blazers, and the 6.5l td out of the very rare 1/2t Tahoe. I'd be OK with the 6.5, I've no interest in a 6.2l.

In on-roading and off-roading the Sub I've really come to like the 700R4. That was the first part chosen. I'm really more of a Ford guy, but using a Ford vee-ate would have been an extra $700 over and above the cost of everything else. I didn't think that was very efficient use of my money.
With the trans now a fixed item that meant that a 5.0 TPI or 5.7 TPI was the simple engine choice. The transfer case took a bit more thinking, but the crux of the matter is that the Split Case has the offset drive, which flows the power laterally through two sets of gears and many bearings. It may not be much frictional loss, but I'm out to minimize all losses than I can. My target is 20 MPG highway, lightly loaded.

The Plan:

5.7l TPI backed by the 700R4 and an NP 241 transfer case with an SYE kit. Not because the SYE kit is needed, but because that allows for a flanged rear output. The front and rear flanges will be modified so that stock Toyota Companion flanges will mate up properly. No hybrid drive shafts needed.
After the engine is in and running the FF rear housing will be combined with the OE SF housing to center the diff. Drive will happen with 80 series drive flanges and custom double splined axle shafts.

So that brings us to the present, more or less.

Current status of Wallace; the engine fell out!

The good news is that the 2F is going to a 60 that has been marooned in a NM repair shop's yard with a rod through the block. Suspect the killer galley plug let the oil out and the numbnutz driver kilt it.

 

[ntsqd]

I like to think you are working extremely fast !!
can i do that?

No problem, it's better for my ego!!!

Funny......
I thought it was a scout? what series cruiser do you see?

That rusty white blob of rust behind the Z was a Scout II. It got dropped here w/o my permission by a fairly good friend.
It sat for a while and the project never got off the ground, so it became 800 lbs of scrap metal worth $32.25 courtesy of 3 Sawzall blades....

 

[NorCalBorn]

I was all set to ask about the 60's name.. idea for you for a little back window sticker?

These two smiling back or an "Anti-Pesto" business logo..a little juvenile but fun in the spirit of how we all love to play with our rigs.

 

[cruiser guy]

I was all set to ask about the 60's name.. idea for you for a little back window sticker?

These two smiling back or an "Anti-Pesto" business logo..a little juvenile but fun in the spirit of how we all love to play with our rigs.

He needs to get another one and name it gromit

 

[ntsqd]

Maybe I should name the Baja "Grommit"?

 

[Spike Strip]

Looking good!

And that's a cool little trailer, too... {{ envy }}

 

[cruiser guy]

Maybe I should name the Baja "Grommit"?

I like that idea considering he is wallaces partner in crime lol.

 

[ntsqd]

I forgot to mention that I spent some time building a Excel file that calculated the Z's engine rpms with it's tire size and axle ratio at 60, 65, 70, & 75 mph. Then I backward solved for Wallace's axle ratio using those same rpms and the 33" tire (32.8" according to BFG). The results came out within +/- 50 RPM for 4.11's, so that is what I have sitting in the garage in the boxes that also have the diff rebuild kits and the ARB's in them. Next to the boxes on the floor are a pair of drop-outs waiting to be rebuilt and re-geared.

 

[Tinker]

NT -
NoT to throw cold water on your goal(s), but with the brick aerodynamics, friction losses, & 700R4, 20mpg would only be achievable over a cliff in a vacuum with rock-hard 5" wide tires.

15-16 combined is realistic if you keep your foot out of it.