1971 FJ 40 Mechanic / Shop In Reno/Sparks (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter amaljs
- Start date
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I wouldn't let anyone locally do work on my 68 FJ40. Driving/Hauling it down to Georg Esterer at Valley Hybrids is well worth the time. He is a true pro with all things Land Cruiser, has reasonable prices and will take good care of you.
Lemme know if you need help getting it down to him. Buy me lunch and a tank of gas and I'll haul it for you (I will accept larger donations to my FJ40 project though!).
I have a winch in my trailer box, so I can haul it as long as it rolls. You'll need to ride with me or follow me.
Lemme know if you need help getting it down to him. Buy me lunch and a tank of gas and I'll haul it for you (I will accept larger donations to my FJ40 project though!).
I have a winch in my trailer box, so I can haul it as long as it rolls. You'll need to ride with me or follow me.
rusty_tlc
Dain Bramaged Member
What are you having done? The FJ40 F series is basically a Chevy straight six, most local shops can handle the normal stuff, water pumps, alternators etc. Alignment work is also pretty straight forward I use Sunshine automotive for that kind of stuff, they are old school and can deal with the primitive suspension on an FJ40. Sunshine has also don most of the steering and suspension work on my 100 series, no complaints so far. Carb work is touchy, no local shop I know of should be trusted with the Asin/Carter carbs that came as OEM equipment. I wish I could name a good all around automotive shop but since Martin went out of business I am out of leads.
The safest thing is to learn how to do as much as you have time for yourself. If it fails you know who to blame, if it works you get a sense of accomplishment. If you decide to take on repairs keep in mind that no repair is more than one stripped bolt away from a weekend ordeal.
gregnash
Anal Retentive Analyst
Same.... If you aren't able to do the work yourself then I would only let Georg touch my vehicle. If you don't mind sending bits and pieces out and about, for stuff like Carb work I would only ever trust Mark of Marks Offroad (SoCal) or Jim Chensworth (FJ40Jim on here). You can find both their information in the 40/60s forums or in the small vendor space.
I do all my own stuff. Sometimes I do it 2 or 3 times but it gets done right eventually. Cruisers aren’t rocket science but the are unique. Most good shops should be able to handle ordinary things. George has been mentioned and others. These are go-to kinda people who have the stashes of hard to find parts and hard to find Oem tools that make doing some jobs much easier.
- Thread starter
- #6
Thank you for the feedback. I appreciate it. The truth of the matter is that I am not mechanically inclined at all but do love my 71 FJ40. I wanted the following things done.
1. General check up of truck, preventative maintenance with all fluids drained and refilled. Also look for what may need repair / change soon.
2. In the winter my 3 on the tree clutch does not work or catch any gear, then miraculously when it warms up, the clutch works fine. I wanted to see why this may be.
3. Lot of play in steering wheel, a bit too much for comfort when driving over 35 miles an hour and that needs to be fixed.
I understand most enthusiasts on here do most of their own work, but it does not mean I love my FJ40 less if I do not, it just means that is is not a competency for me.
I would happily offer to any BB Cruisers of NN member who may have the time and interest/capability to look at my truck and if they can do the work, I am happy to pay a fair sum they quote for the help on these three items.
1. General check up of truck, preventative maintenance with all fluids drained and refilled. Also look for what may need repair / change soon.
2. In the winter my 3 on the tree clutch does not work or catch any gear, then miraculously when it warms up, the clutch works fine. I wanted to see why this may be.
3. Lot of play in steering wheel, a bit too much for comfort when driving over 35 miles an hour and that needs to be fixed.
I understand most enthusiasts on here do most of their own work, but it does not mean I love my FJ40 less if I do not, it just means that is is not a competency for me.
I would happily offer to any BB Cruisers of NN member who may have the time and interest/capability to look at my truck and if they can do the work, I am happy to pay a fair sum they quote for the help on these three items.
gregnash
Anal Retentive Analyst
@Tony_Farson Thinking maybe a get together to help with some of these items? Who has space to host multiple cruisers and handle such work?
rusty_tlc
Dain Bramaged Member
1. Most any lube place can do fluids, To base line you would want; engine, transfer case, transmission, differentials. When my FJ40 was my Daily driver I did a drain and flush of coolant every year or two, for a new to you rig I would replace all the hoses and belts at the same time. Also a good time to check the water pump. Like I said the F series engine is basically a Chevy straight six so most shops should be able to handle all this. The only tricky bit on the cooling system is the extra o-ring in the thermostat.
2. That's a bit of a head scratcher, possible (probably the more I think about it) water in the hydraulic lines. Probably should do a drain and flush on that system. Along with this I would bleed the brake system, inspect the soft lines and replace any that are cracked. The slave cylinders will probably be in bad shape, unless you have problems with uneven braking I wouldn't touch them. It is spendy to have them worked on. These are so much of a headache that I am doing a rear disc brake conversion the next time they need work, already converted the front to disc, it will be cheaper than the last time I replaced them. The only local place I would have trusted to do this is Martins and they are out of business.
3. Replace the tie rod ends, adjust the steering box and align. Sunshine automotive is the place to do this work I have been very happy with their suspension and steering work. Be aware that the FJ40 never did track that great, my first car was a two year old FJ40 and it was squirrely at highway speeds, on any tire over stock it is worse. The steering design has very little castor which is what helps a car track straight.
There is nothing really magic about Land Cruisers, they are pretty much like any other 70's era vehicle. If you find an independent shop run by somebody who is over 50 they will know their way around your truck. If you go to a shop and all you see are a bunch of guys in their twenties you will probably be sad with the work they do.
@amaljs I hear you. I feel like I was in the exact same place as you not too long ago. Like some of these guys have said, you're best served if you jump in and start learning. I started in on several jobs with minimal knowledge, but a wealth of knowledge and help, from guys on here as well as locally. There's plenty I still don't know, but I have learned through experiencing and just trying stuff myself and I think you might too. Understandably, there are some things you'll just want to outsource and pay someone to do it, but if you're willing to learn then trust me if I can do it then anyone can.
Here's some of the work I just did changing the front knuckles seals and grease and everything.
then cleaned and put back together...
preview of a couple other things to learn and do in the near future...
by the way if anyone needs to do this and needs the axle/spindle socket I bought this one from SOR...
