Builds - Summer time Black FJ40 re-baselining (1 Viewer)

[TexFJ]

Just bought my first FJ40, yay (I think).

- 1973 (FJ40145310) Not sure what config it originally came in. F155 with j30 tranny.
- No roof, no doors, no wipers
- All blacked out, everything... yikes.
- No front brakes, back left locks up easily
- throw out bearing noise? after a noise, it goes into gears and drives...
- Missing a bunch of hardware after being painted. No knobs, just choke and light. No heater.

great to have cruiser friends. @JohnnyFish brought his neighbor's trailer to help with the move. Can't wait to see what he does with the FJ40 he just picked up.

No rust on tub, could it be replaced? many of the hardware holes seem to be filled in.

Kicked my FJ62 out of my garage, now I can actually walk around inside my garage..

 

[Pighead]

Why is your air filter mounted to the fender?
( might know why but i want you to tell the story)

 

[mattressking]

Why is your air filter mounted to the fender?
( might know why but i want you to tell the story)

Someone was super paranoid to remove the head bolts

 

[sokoloka]

Looks better than I would have imagined all blacked out. Nice!

 

[Pura Vida]

Wow! Looks like an awesome base for a project! Looks great! I would look at the brakes first if I were you and figure out how to get discs up front and figure out how to get working rear drums (ones that don’t lock up easily like you say)

 

[TexFJ]

Why is your air filter mounted to the fender?
( might know why but i want you to tell the story)

This is one of those purchases where the seller was just a temp owner, knows nothing about it. Had to do with owing money and part of payment was done with the FJ40. Hence no history, so I reached out to previous owner but no response yet, we'll see. I'd love to get the hardware that is missing and I'm sure laying around in some garage.

The air filter mounting was one of the first things I noticed. definitely different. Also, I'm trying to find out what the pipes which got pinched are for. did they have EGR in 1973 and this got de-smogged? hmm...

 

[Pighead]

It used to have a smog pump, i bet. Those look like the remains of the air injection rail still in the head. I forget when EGR started. My '74 had it.

 

[TexFJ]

Someone was super paranoid to remove the head bolts

I would guess they didn't have the proper bolts that were longer to cover the air filter bracket so they used the shorter ones and moved the bracket.

 

[TexFJ]

Front brake system was dry. Opened up the drums and it was just soaked with either brake fluid or gear oil, so I just decided to knock out the knuckles.

This was the dryer one. new brake shoes and slave cylinders going in all around. I must have had the wrong cylinders as the notch/groove in the piston was not wide enough for the fat side of the shoe, so I had to grind it to be wide enough.

Never had to take off decades of mud caked on the knuckle before. HIgh pressure washer couldn't do it so the wire brushed got it off eventually. Hopefully fresh paint will help to keep the mud from bonding to knuckle.

 

[TexFJ]

Very surprised that the knuckle kits come only with the new felt. Hopefully the brackets hold up

should I thread the wire through the bolts or torquing them will be enough. what's the consensus on this?

 

[DangerNoodle]

Very surprised that the knuckle kits come only with the new felt. Hopefully the brackets hold up

View attachment 2792072

should I thread the wire through the bolts or torquing them will be enough. what's the consensus on this?

View attachment 2792071

Which kit did you use? All of the ones I have done have always had the backing plates.

 

[Pighead]

should I thread the wire through the bolts or torquing them will be enough. what's the consensus on this?

If there's a place that i can use safety wire, i use safety wire.

I just got knuckle kits from Kurt, came with the backing plates

 

[EWheeler]

@TexFJ Torque the bolts. Safety wire not necessary, your arent racing baja in this thing.

 

[TexFJ]

Which kit did you use? All of the ones I have done have always had the backing plates.

Cruiser Brothers... but others also come with just the felt. hmmm maybe it's a pre '75 thing.

 

[TexFJ]

If there's a place that i can use safety wire, i use safety wire.

I just got knuckle kits from Kurt, came with the backing plates

Really? The 58-75 SUMO kits seem the same from various places.

4x/5x Series Knuckle Rebuild Kit - Fits 1958-9/1975 4x/5x Series Drum Axle

Wheel Bearing kit for Early-9/1975 4x/5x Series Toyota Land Cruisers

cruiserteq.com

 

[TexFJ]

Wasn't really sure where to buy the wire, but I just picked up some picture hanging wire and it seemed to work. Hopefully it's strong enough.

The torque spec on these bolts was crazy low IMO, for such a critical part . 17 lb-ft. I guess it would just bend the plate.

I feel like a rebel with the silver paint.

 

[TexFJ]

Feels weird that there isn't a gasket specified nor included in the kids for the area between spindle and backing plate.

 

[TexFJ]

Also, when everyone is saying backing plate, I'm taking it as we're talking about the dust cover where the felt is. My idea of the backing plate is the back plate that holds the slave cylinders.

 

[Pighead]

That explains that.

 

[Living in the Past]

I would guess they didn't have the proper bolts that were longer to cover the air filter bracket so they used the shorter ones and moved the bracket.

The bracket used for the air cleaner is stamped steel and not that to require longer bolts. Most likely bracket either got miss laid or forgot when the head was installed on the block at some point. Install of risking a head gasket leak removing two bolt right next to either air was mounted to the fender. With the 2F in the US a different air cleaner was used. This use a air horn mounted to the apron. An according hose is used to connect the air horn to the air cleaner. This is because the engine is mounted with rubber isolators for flex from engine torque. Securing the air cleaner to the fender is not a good idea.