New Project-Turbo Diesel PIG Dreams-I want your input!

[carneters]

I am on DAY 1 of a new Cruiser project... the fun is about to begin!

I am open to enthusiast input!!

I came across an FJ55 last week unexpectedly, and purchased it without a game-plan. I've been keeping my eyes peeled for over ten years for one like this, and couldn't let it slip away.

So, here's the deal. I just this week sold a 1975 fj40 with a Cummins 6A TD and GM 700R4 trans conversion, and am interested in what else is out there right now in the diesel game.

I'd love to hear what people are doing, and what people are really sold on right now for mid weight diesel conversions with good performance all the way around. I plan to honor this rig with use. I roadtrip to Baja, the mountains of BC, and everywhere in between, so highway cruisin and four wheel ability are equal to me.

I've heard of a Benz motor swap, halves from japan, other Cummins projects, and various trannies paired to them. I'm wondering about going too big, and having to do major firewall mods if the weight of the Pig doesn't call for the horse-power of one of the bigger motors. Any 4 or 6 cylinder diesels with turbos that have the same reputation as the bigger Dodges? Comments on any and all Frankensteins out there are welcome!

Let's here it guys!!

 

[DanS HJ-45]

I can tell you that I've sure thought that a 55 with a 1HZ would be wicked cool. Shoot, when I got my 1HZ I seriously debated buying a 55 just to put it in (instead I decided that was silly when my 45 was in need of a motor).

So, for an FJ-55, my order of preference for diesels would be:

1. 1HZ (preferably with a turbo)
2. 12HT
3. 2H with a turbo
4. 13BT
5. 3B with a turbo
6. everything else

Sticking with the Toyota diesels in the list above will let you keep a Toyota transmission (in fact an H41, 42 or 55), and the Toyota diesels are much smoother, quieter and cleaner than any of the "others." A new B3.3 Cummins might be cleaner, but I'd still prefer the Toyota (that's just me). None of those listed above would require firewall mods, and the B series would actually give you a LOT of extra room to work with, but not have as much power as the 6 cylinder engines. cruiser_guy has a 3B/Turbo in his FJ-55, if you search I'm sure you can find his thread on the truck. It seems pretty sweet to me...

Dan

 

[carneters]

Here's a little bit of what I have in mind, for those who are stoked to see this start:

(I'll try to keep it to what might have anything to do with the drivetrain of choice) ;p

*I will likely install an auxiliary tank and run some VO, though I live in the mountains of Tahoe and used oil is not always readily available, and I am not opposed to running straight diesel for the coldest part of the year.

*Budget: I intend to work on and fund this throughout the winter. I don't have a silver spoon up my ass, but I should have the ability to swoop in on a good deal, should it appear, such as a wrecked truck with the right bits. (I've heard that going this route, so as to be able to collect the brain and wiring harness in the swap, is a good idea?)

*If all goes well, and the funds allow, I do plan to go with some great upgrades, such as disc brakes, locker, onboard air, etc. So, I think a dual gel cell battery set-up is wise for accessories like the compressor, yes?

SOME INFO (on the state of the truck, for the curious):
It's pretty much 100% rust free. Zero cancer, with VERY few spots of minor surface rust. Frame is great. All glass is great. All chrome is off and inside the truck. Chrome is decent. Seats and most of interior are toast. Headliner is amazing, strangely. Couple small dents, no biggie. No idea on the electrical stuff, or really the condition of any mechanized parts.

ok that does it for the night

 

[lynchmob]

I have a PZ engine/trans that would go well in there. I have a similar 55 of my own and Ive been debating (with myself) whether I should put the PZ in or a 1HZ/1HD. Ive been leaning toward the 6 because I want more power.

 

[Irish52084]

There are lots of interesting options for non toyota diesels. The cummins 6bt and 4bt engines are durable and powerful, but they are not sleeved and can be expensive, both to purchase and to repair.

The GM 6.2 and 6.5 turbo diesel are plentiful and can be purchased for less than $2000 for a complete truck. Some people swear these are the worst engines, but my research has shown me that they are hugely underrated in the reliability department. You will be able to get parts for both engines almost anywhere in the world, and they are some of the cheapest. Choice of transmissions is massive, 4l60/80, 700r4, nv4500, nv5600 etc...

The Isuzu 4BD1T or 4BD2T engines are pretty awesome and tremendously reliable. The power ranges for 115hp/210lb/ft to 135hp/250 lb/ft. They are turbo and sleeved, both major pluses in my opinion. Parts are available everywhere in the world as well, these engines came in NPR box truck since the late 1980's. The 4BD1/2T engines have a reputation for being extremely reliable and fuel efficient. This would be my choice if you want a 4cylinder turbo diesel.

Long post, sorry about that. In any case, good luck with the diesel swap and keep us updated.

 

[Volcano cruiser]

I can tell you that I've sure thought that a 55 with a 1HZ would be wicked cool. Shoot, when I got my 1HZ I seriously debated buying a 55 just to put it in (instead I decided that was silly when my 45 was in need of a motor).

So, for an FJ-55, my order of preference for diesels would be:

1. 1HZ (preferably with a turbo)
2. 12HT
3. 2H with a turbo
4. 13BT
5. 3B with a turbo
6. everything else

Sticking with the Toyota diesels in the list above will let you keep a Toyota transmission (in fact an H41, 42 or 55), and the Toyota diesels are much smoother, quieter and cleaner than any of the "others." A new B3.3 Cummins might be cleaner, but I'd still prefer the Toyota (that's just me). None of those listed above would require firewall mods, and the B series would actually give you a LOT of extra room to work with, but not have as much power as the 6 cylinder engines. cruiser_guy has a 3B/Turbo in his FJ-55, if you search I'm sure you can find his thread on the truck. It seems pretty sweet to me...

Dan

X2 on Dan's list. I just did the 1HZ for a B diesel upgrade and the power difference is AMAZING in my 40 series. The 1HZ was designed to pull Coaster buses, Dyna trucks and it's kissing cousin the 1HD-T is in the non-US-spec 80 series. The one stain on the 1HD-T's rep is BEBs. Since the engine will not be in the truck just replace these before you mount the engine in the rig and your done. It comes with the CT-26 turbo and if you really want to get fancy you can put together a PWR based intercooler setup and be off to the races. Obviously I'm a fan of the 1HZ and the 1HD-T. In addition to the above these are both current production engines with true world wide parts availability long into the twilight years of the youngest mudder. I love going to the Toyota dealership now with an engine parts request. If the parts guy can't find it in the 80 series parts inventory, he switches databases and looks for the same part in the bus parts inventory and if we have strike two, he goes over to the truck database. Same part numbers acrross all three production lines. Nothing against the GM, Isuzu and Merc engines but as you can see above, Toyota is truly everywhere in the world and for these two engines they are in use in multiple vehicle types world wide.

Here's a little bit of what I have in mind, for those who are stoked to see this start:

(I'll try to keep it to what might have anything to do with the drivetrain of choice) ;p

*I will likely install an auxiliary tank and run some VO, though I live in the mountains of Tahoe and used oil is not always readily available, and I am not opposed to running straight diesel for the coldest part of the year.

*Budget: I intend to work on and fund this throughout the winter. I don't have a silver spoon up my ass, but I should have the ability to swoop in on a good deal, should it appear, such as a wrecked truck with the right bits. (I've heard that going this route, so as to be able to collect the brain and wiring harness in the swap, is a good idea?)

*If all goes well, and the funds allow, I do plan to go with some great upgrades, such as disc brakes, locker, onboard air, etc. So, I think a dual gel cell battery set-up is wise for accessories like the compressor, yes?

SOME INFO (on the state of the truck, for the curious):
It's pretty much 100% rust free. Zero cancer, with VERY few spots of minor surface rust. Frame is great. All glass is great. All chrome is off and inside the truck. Chrome is decent. Seats and most of interior are toast. Headliner is amazing, strangely. Couple small dents, no biggie. No idea on the electrical stuff, or really the condition of any mechanized parts.

ok that does it for the night

Honestly, with what you want to do with this rig I will suggest the easiest fit but the toughest sourcing solution. If I were you and this was not a project with great urgency, I think that the easiest long term solution would be to buy a non US spec 80 series diesel with a 1HD-T engine as a donor vehicle. It would come with the engine, drive train, axles, discs all around, factory lockers, and a clean wire harness. Actually you would keep all options open going this route, i.e., strip down the 80 and put the parts in the 55 or take the body off the 80 and swap over the body of your clean 55 onto the 80 frame, drive train and guts. Three guys here have done it with 40 series with amazing results. All agree that such a swap would be much easier with the longer wheel based 55 body. Regardless if you canabalize the 80 for parts or just swap over the 55 body, you'd have plenty of interior materials, seats etc, to use in your 55 if not going for a stock look. As such what you'd be looking for is not a half cut but either used or a wreck non US spec 80, hence the sourcing problem. There are alot of mudders here in Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand who could give you a hand in sourcing something. Good luck with your project.
John

 

[cruiser_guy]

My '55 with the turbocharged 3B pulls just fine and keeps up with the traffic. I've driven it to Central America and back.

Questions??? Just ask!!

 

[sailor]

OK OK (lol!) Just buy the HDJ81 Jinzuke has for sale here and drop the pig body on the 81 rolling chassis. Change her to LHD and Voila! Coil sprung, locked, factory 1hdt Piggy! I think he was asking 9Gs CAD for a fully running truck. Classfied section.

 

[carneters]

chassis swap!

John,
I was down the hill working on stripping the 55 today, and had a few friends around talking about this project... the topic of a full chassis swap came up... and I really like the idea. (I was wondering if I'd get any flak on this site for such a non-OEM project, haha.)

It seems that if I wasn't hung up on the 'original equipment' aspect of running this cruiser, that just about EVERY part of such a swap is what I'd be modifying eventually to try to simulate anyway. Lockers, discs, suspension, drivetrain, etc... I really like this.

So sourcing is the snag.

I'm assuming that when a person purchases a non-domestic 80 series out of, say, Canada.. that, they have to disassemble the vehicle in CAN to import it, true? It's only doable as 'parts'? I wonder if the way to go, is to keep keep an ear to the pavement for a wrecked one up there...?

Any thoughts?

 

[carneters]

Also...I'm curious:

Is the 80 series wheel base close enough to the 55 to go as-is? or, do guys cut the frame when swapping to the 55 shell?

 

[roscoFJ73]

Is the 80 series wheel base close enough to the 55 to go as-is? or, do guys cut the frame when swapping to the 55 shell?

It would be much easier to just swap the 1HD T engine and transmission.
The 6 cyl toyota diesels are very close in dimension to the F engines and the 1HD T is almost self contained, needing no computer,just a 12v wire for the fuel cut solenoid to the fuel pump.
The 1HD T is the turbo version of the 1HZ

 

[DanS HJ-45]

I'm with Rosco.

Coil springs are great and all, but I don't have any problem with leaf springs. I don't personally find coils to be all that more comfortable, so I don't really see the big deal.

But a 1HZ or 1HD-T swap into an FJ-55 (using an H55f) would be pretty straightforward (because of the fuel cut solenoid, and the basic size and shape), and all of the other mods are pretty well documented. That's the nicer springs (OME baby!), the power steering, lockers, etc....

Let's put it this way.... if it was my rig, I'd swap the diesel into the 55 chassis/body and then make the PS swap and stuff to make it match my tastes.

Dan

 

[carneters]

I hear you guys on that... I'll have some time to really let this sink in, and do what I'm personally most amped on, when the time comes.

I'm thinking now, that any way I end up going, the body is still coming off the frame, so this has me thinking that 'the easiest' swap in my case isn't necessarily just the motor/trans. (Even if I was to do a temporary situation, like buy an inexpensive running/rusted pig to swap the driveline in and pull some interior stuff, I'd STILL take the time to clean up all the metal now and protect everything as it is, rather than wait to do that sort of preservation.)

On that note, I did actually find some rust! Hahah, well not much. It's almost completely stripped after last night, and the rear drivers side floor pan had water trapped underneath the rubber mat at some point in the last decade while it was sitting. It's an infected area about 18 inches across that will have to come out. There's two baseball sized spots that are right through the metal.

So, even though my friends who I was brainstorming with yesterday are more pragmatic, and thinking of various domestic truck chassis to put under it, I am definitely keen on this CAN 80 series idea. I am, after-all, a Toyota guy. I was already starting to consider a completely modernized rolling chassis under it for performance, parts availability, big picture cost comparison, etc... so, we'll just have to see. I did put Old Man Emu under one of my 60's and LOVED it. But the plug-n-play aspect of having all the mods[lockers/disc/susp/etc] done in one step is reeeeally appealing.

I gotta wonder about getting a donor vehicle here though, hmmmmm

 

[Volcano cruiser]

Carneters,
Here are the three threads that I refered to:
[FONT=&quot]https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/254340-fj40-80-hybrid.html[/FONT]

https://forum.ih8mud.com/hardcore-corner/264922-fzj40.html

https://forum.ih8mud.com/hardcore-corner/34899-project-x.html

The first one is a guy who did exactly what you are talking about here, the full rolling chassis of an HDJ81 with a 1HD-T engine etc in it, going under a 40 series body. The second thread is of a project undertaken by IPOR owner Lance. He specifically talks about going back and forth between putting the 80 series rollng chassis etc under either a 40 or a 55. The third was the famous Project X 80 series rolling stock under a LWB 45 pickup. The out of this world outcomes speak for themselves. There are many kinds of folks on mud, some ultra purists all the way to the buggy crowd over in the Hardcore section. For me which direction you go in with your project all starts with what you want to do with the rig, i.e., will it be an off road toy, trailer queen, your daily driver that sees street surfaces only or a mixed use on/off road warrior.
Once you decide what you want to do with the end product that will dictate the mods that you will do and how you will go about doing them. Good luck I'll be following your project.
John

 

[rchalmers3]

Man, what a great project! Dude, the classic body on a modern chassis is definitely the way to go. Going piece-meal with first a motor, then PS then disc brakes, then lockers, then A/C, and so on will kill your financial staying power.

I am a vote for placing that 'ole piggy on a TD 80 series. Your project won't have a run-a-way budget and it will be easier to remember what VIN to order parts for!

Rick

 

[Volcano cruiser]

Man, what a great project! Dude, the classic body on a modern chassis is definitely the way to go. Going piece-meal with first a motor, then PS then disc brakes, then lockers, then A/C, and so on will kill your financial staying power.

I am a vote for placing that 'ole piggy on a TD 80 series. Your project won't have a run-a-way budget and it will be easier to remember what VIN to order parts for!

Rick

Rick,
That is my thinking exactly. If I ever do another build project that is just the reason why I'd do the classic body on modern rolling stock.
John

 

[carneters]

Thanks for those links Volcano!

Those projects are so refriggindiculous... wow. So impressed with the Florida 40.

A very cool day today. this project has some pretty ironic coincidences to it so far. I found this 55 about 10 minutes away from the workspace available to me down in Colfax CA, for starters. And, therefore the PO even delivered it. Now today I took the advice of a friend and looked up a nearby mechanic's shop(just 10 minutes in the opposite direction!) called 4x4LAB, whose owner, Luke, has been specializing in cruiser diesel conversions. Pretty cool to pull up and see a half dozen stock and lifted Pigs, a few 40's, 60's, a Montero, a couple classic cars, and... a 60's Toyota Stout truck in epic condition! ...aaaaand most if the cruisers are diesels, Luke even has an HJ61.

So, long story short, after some talk of my intended uses for this 55, I was told of a running gear swap that might be too good to be true.

Luke is focusing on Merc swaps mostly, and sounds to be doing a fair share of Cummins, as well, but mentioned a full running gear option that he says he just happened to luck upon a decade ago. I'm not sure of the circumstances leading up, but he found an early 90's diesel Blazer and because the measurements were so close, did a conversion, only to find that it ended up nearly being perfectly aligned in every way, from the radiator to the body mounts. He said the wheelbase was even within a half inch.

I will be continuing to work on the disassembly of the 55, and be educating myself along the way on what's best for this rig. I'm pretty open to all solutions, from the high-brow imported options to the Chevota style stuff.

Any comments on this diesel Blazer idea?

Also, I'm gonna look for front seats, and look into having the interior panels and rear seat redone. Any suggestions? I do want to keep a pretty original look to the interior, but actually have no particular need to keep it Original Equipment. I might order this stuff, have some custom work done, or find donor interior to have redone, whatever works.

If I do go the full running gear swap route, what are the thoughts on moving my original gear on to someone looking for a frame to galvanize or something?

I'll have all day Thursday down the hill to work, so I'll throw some pics up then for sure!

 

[Irish52084]

Was he refering to the 1990-91 blazer? They had the larger body style and came in tons of versions. I know the military diesel K5 Blazers had 6.2 and maybe 6.5 diesel engines and usually had 3.08 gears if I remember correctly. They may also have had rear LSD or locker. The military blazers are usually cheap and readily available with low mileage, and the military diesels are supposed to be more powerful. only drawback to military diesel is that it wont have a/c brackets or any options brackets.

 

[carneters]

Funny, I was just thinking that I meant to include that info... I believe it was a '91...and I'm pretty sure the 6.2 came up as well. Sounds like a match. His comments about the alignment of bolting on the 55 body have me wondering about Toyota Corp's initial design basis for the longer wheel base wagons. Interesting...

Sounds like such a sick, beefy, utilitarian way to go, to me.

 

[Irish52084]

If you find a donor blazer and want to swap the 6.2 out for a 6.5 turbo it should be a straight forward engine swap. Only downfall I can think of with a military blazer would be the th400 transmission, it has no overdrive, but a 700r4 would be exactly the same but wit a 30% overdrive. 30% should get the rpm's in the 6.2/6.5TD down to 1800-2000 range for highway cruising.

Now that i know a blazer frame will mount a 55 well, I wonder if a 60 or 80 series would be simple to swap as well? I'd be hugely interested in knowing if a 60 or 80 would fit the blazer frame, if so I most definitely will go that route.