Builds The "Red Rocket" Troopy (5 Viewers)

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what trans is in the NPR?

Can you just use that?
NPR Tranny to toyota Tcase adapter? .......... Every cabover I've driven had a realy nice low 1st gear.

Or if in a time crunch to go back to school and just have to drive that troopy: Commit the sin of dropping the Isuzu engine and tranny in and run it rwd only for the fall semester till you get everything figured out and lined up.

I have spent alot of time researching swaps for my BJ73. I found that there is not a great variety of adapters for our particular T case, fine spline input H55F...There's alot of information on IH8MUD, but sometimes it is hard to search and find it/find it again. It might be easier to fabricate an adapter for Isuzu bellhousing to H55F tranny as opposed to an adapter from isuzu engine to H55 bellhousing. J.. does have the great bennefit of having the parts in his hand to touch/look at /measure and figure out how to get it together. Pretty bold to dive in like he is not knowing for sure what lies ahead.
 
Did you enjoy your visit to Clay City?
If there was a city I didn’t see it lol, was literally on “Landfill Dr.” when buying this truck, just some trailer park. Guy was super nice tho, he bought it for $2,500 drove it for a while and wanted to break even, don’t think he knew what he really had in terms of engine potential.
what trans is in the NPR?

Can you just use that?
I believe it is the MSA5D, info from a while ago on mud about doing what you’re talking about states…

“Most people seem to want to mate the Isuzu engine to aLC transmission or to another transmission for which there are adapters to LC TC (ie NV4500). I would like to consider using the stock Isuzu manual 5-speed and mating it to the LC TC, possibly using the Toybox as an adapter. Not at all sure if this is feasible.
The MSA5D 5-speed fully synchro manual
transmission that comes with a 4BD1T has a 5.67
1st gear and 5th gear is 1:1 (no OD). Everyone that I know that has experience with these transmissions say they are bullet-proof.

The down side of using the Isuzu transmission is 1) mating the output to aLC TC, 2) setting up a means of shifting as these are not top-shifted but rather use a series of external rods and levers to connect the transmission to the shift lever.
NPR Tranny to toyota Tcase adapter? .......... Every cabover I've driven had a realy nice low 1st gear.

Or if in a time crunch to go back to school and just have to drive that troopy: Commit the sin of dropping the Isuzu engine and tranny in and run it rwd only for the fall semester till you get everything figured out and lined up.

I have spent alot of time researching swaps for my BJ73. I found that there is not a great variety of adapters for our particular T case, fine spline input H55F...There's alot of information on IH8MUD, but sometimes it is hard to search and find it/find it again. It might be easier to fabricate an adapter for Isuzu bellhousing to H55F tranny as opposed to an adapter from isuzu engine to H55 bellhousing. J.. does have the great bennefit of having the parts in his hand to touch/look at /measure and figure out how to get it together. Pretty bold to dive in like he is not knowing for sure what lies ahead.
As much as I want to get things running… I want to do them properly. I feel like if I rush things, it will end up screwed up and I’ll just have to take apart everything later down the line and re do it the right way. Honestly I love the idea of using the engine and tranny. I think I’d have to regear my diffs cause I’d like to be able to go 65mph comfortably and with 5th gear being 1:1 with 4:11 in the rear I know it would be revving super high at that speed.

I also have literally no clue how to make an adapter and then adapt a Toyota transfer case to this 2wd transmission. I have no clue how any of that stuff works. As for most automotive things in these cruisers the one thing I understand the least at this point is the transmission/transfer case and how everything all ties together. I’m not saying I can’t learn, I just don’t even know where to start with possibly adapting a Toyota transfer over to the Isuzu tranny… maybe someone has done it? Reading through threads from a while ago apparently @Dougal tried this, can’t find if he was successful or not.

If it isn’t *that* hard to do in comparison to everything else I’d love to go this route. Everything is such low miles I’d prefer to not even mess with anything, if I’m able to use the transmission and engine together as they were meant to be from factory I feel like that takes out a lot of other issues I may run into with stacking adapters and using 2 flywheels… talk about loosing power, frying pilot bearings, etc etc.

So many different routes and options at the moment, just gonna be a ton of research. And hey, maybe if I loose all hope with this swap and there’s no momentum happening… I’ll rip the engine/tranny out, sell them for 4-5k and part out/scrap the rest of the truck for another $500 or so. I figured as long as the truck made it home under its own power I really can’t loose money if I just turn around and flip it.

My ideal scenario is to gather parts/pieces for everything during the 1st semester of school. Then if I have everything go to TOWN on the engine swap over winter break. Drive the troopy up 2nd semester… that’s best scenario tho lol
 
This sounds great:
"My ideal scenario is to gather parts/pieces for everything during the 1st semester of school. Then if I have everything go to TOWN on the engine swap over winter break. Drive the troopy up 2nd semester… that’s best scenario tho lol"

Getting your money back parting out the NPR is also a great Idea. That engine/miles/compression sounds awesome and worth money.
 
I would feel bad pulling apart a truck just for the engine, but it looks like that ones chassis is at end of life anyways, so very nice! From what I've read, you may just have one of the best diesels of this size ever made. I'm excited to see where/how this goes!
 
I would feel bad pulling apart a truck just for the engine, but it looks like that ones chassis is at end of life anyways, so very nice! From what I've read, you may just have one of the best diesels of this size ever made. I'm excited to see where/how this goes!
Yep, I kept thinking while driving back just how good of a truck this would be, me and my dad could turn it into a car hauler for all of our nonfunctional cruisers, could be AMAZING. But its just so far gone, unsafe, especially while carrying a load.

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So with a bit of researching "Kuhlman Corp Versailles, KY" I found out that "Kuhlman Electric Corporation designed and manufactured electric transformers. Today, we still offer a broad range of electrical transformers used on the electric utility system. Our medium power transformers, high voltage transformers, isolation transformers, current transformers, instrument transformers, and distribution transformers are produced at our two facilities."
Cool neat, they did a horrible job at simply cleaning the underneath of their vehicles every winter, hopefully, their mechanical maintenance was better.

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On the side of the transmission, it does say "MSA-5D" Now just time to see if anyone has put a transfer case on one of these things, and if anything would even line up! Lots of research coming up

Here's a video I made if I ever do go to sell it... engine start is at 1 minute just so y'all can see that
 
Your school has a Student Shop?
Maker Space with software to lay out bellhousing adapter? 3d model printing?

I drove by UVA’s student shop one day and saw a 60 series with the bonnet up.
Truck owner ( an English major) was working with 2 excited techie kids using water jet cutter to make frame gussets.
 
Your school has a Student Shop?
Maker Space with software to lay out bellhousing adapter? 3d model printing?

I drove by UVA’s student shop one day and saw a 60 series with the bonnet up.
Truck owner ( an English major) was working with 2 excited techie kids using water jet cutter to make frame gussets.
Sadly not, at least not one I have access to. Other friends at other schools were talking about helping me out with their schools stuff, could be cool.

Reading more into everything, I don't know how possible it is for me to add a transfercase to the Isuzu transmission. Only real way I've seen is if I have a divorced transfer case or doing heavy mods with a land rover tcase, id just prefer not to go through all of that just to use a tranny that doesn't even have an overdrive. Might just be able to make an adapter from the Isuzu engine and bellhosuing to just the transmission, much smaller and less holes to deal with. Then use a 13BT clutch disc (for added power) in combination with the Isuzu pressure plate/flywheel. That is if the Toyota cutch would work with the Isuzu parts... robmobile also mentioned I would need a custom sized pilot bearing if everything else checked out, don't know how to source that but I feel like it would be pretty easy compared to everything else I'm taking on.
 
Sadly not, at least not one I have access to. Other friends at other schools were talking about helping me out with their schools stuff, could be cool.

Reading more into everything, I don't know how possible it is for me to add a transfercase to the Isuzu transmission. Only real way I've seen is if I have a divorced transfer case or doing heavy mods with a land rover tcase, id just prefer not to go through all of that just to use a tranny that doesn't even have an overdrive. Might just be able to make an adapter from the Isuzu engine and bellhosuing to just the transmission, much smaller and less holes to deal with. Then use a 13BT clutch disc (for added power) in combination with the Isuzu pressure plate/flywheel. That is if the Toyota cutch would work with the Isuzu parts... robmobile also mentioned I would need a custom sized pilot bearing if everything else checked out, don't know how to source that but I feel like it would be pretty easy compared to everything else I'm taking on.

It was my understanding that Lab courses in CNC machining and application the newer technologies to grow parts (out of plastics and metal) had become the educational standard in university programs with mechanical and material engineering programs. Typically such labs are senior level; if so, you might just need to connect to some seniors that might be looking for a project for their lab. If so you have the project and would be open to buying the material.

Good luck
 
I don't recall if you mentioned this thread, or if you've come across it but looks like some good info:
@doug720 swapped a 4bd2T into his 60 with an H55

And from @bluehawk

Looks like a few 60 owners have swapped both 4BD2T and 4BD1T (are they very different?) motors mated to H55s and other transmissions. I see a lot of reading and reaching out in your future ;)

Sounds like you got yourself a good engine!
 
I used to drive an NPR just like that in the early 1990’s, you guessed it, landscaping!


It had an auto though. I recall using the jake brake often.

Cheers
 
I am in the middle of a 4BD1T swap in a FJ62 right, you are definitely going to want a different exhaust manifold/turbo. There is no the isuzu setup will clear your brake booster
 
a bit of an update on the trip... been busy trying to fit the rest of my summer in before i go back to college. Got some free time so here we go, picking up right back from seeing the cool troopy near the tetons.

From the tetons we headed to SLC, got to meet @cruiserdan at the Land Cruiser Heritage Museum, in the flesh without even realizing it was him at for the first couple of minutes. Only after my buddies were talking to him about the blown up red troopy we were gonna take across the country did he realize who I was and I realized who he was. Funny
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From there, I had a meetup with @Knowbuddy @BHillteq @Branwillith at a local In-N-Out since none of the east coast boys had ever ate at one before.

@BHillteq, Me, and @Knowbuddy
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@Branwillith sick alucab troopy. He let me drive it around for a bit, made my week.
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And @Knowbuddy's troopy, where in an alternate dimension, I might have ended up picking it up on the first leg of the trip and driving it to SLC. Probably would have been disastrous, who knows
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Overall, SLC really gave me my cruiser fix for the trip. It sucked not having the troopy. Every day I'd just imagine us in the Red Rocket instead of some old $1000 sequoia, still an amazing trip regardless, just really missed my car.
 
@Branwillith was kind enough to let us shower at his place last year and continued the tradition this year aswell, ontop of letting us change our oil at his place aswell, thank you as always!! From there we headed to Moab to do some wheeling and so I could show the guys Arches and Canyonlands. We got incredibly lucky with the heat, every time I've been to Moab its been 100+ degrees F but it had rained before and we had a pretty nice cloud cover over head most of the time. A high of 80f, super nice!
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After a solid 2 days in the desert we headed on into Colorado. Had a good friend give us a place to stay in Creede, CO and her step dad owns the local restaurant... free food. Really good free food. They had a 60 just laying out front, the "box truck" only thing its done for 10 years is get filled with boxes and driven to the dump and back, simple as that.
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After a good day in Creede, it was time we headed to Salida, the home of Classic Cruisers.
Every year I've come here the employees have been extremely nice and take time out of their day to show my family/friends around the graveyard. It's been super cool to see the yard change over the past 4 years since I first came.
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And the last little bit of cruiser-related content for the trip was my trip around Boulder where I got to meet up with @gilmorneau and @FJBen.

Last year I got to see the most original BJ75 I'll ever lay my eyes on before Gilmorneau put it up for sale on BAT, this year it was a super clean HDJ80! After seeing a turbo diesel manual 80 series in action, I really do believe that that form of Land Cruiser is the best overall, for just everything. Especially being all factory, just such a great combination of everything coming together.
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Got to ride in the 80 for an hour on our way to @FJBen's upon arrival we were greeted by 1000 kittens roaming around and of course Ben's wonderful family. Great people all around. Fun to just talk cruisers with people who really understand everything there is to them. @FJBen said he'd try to get me in touch with @Laughingjackal who has a 4BDT1 powered 60, so once 7pm rolled around we headed over to his place, after talking cruisers with them for a while he gave me the opportunity to drive the 60... of course I took it up as at the time this was a probable engine I'd be swapping into the troopy. The 60 with the 4BDT1 behind it drove great! Really solidified the 4BDT1 as a possible engine for my future.
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@PabloCruise was also a treat to meet! I love putting faces to the usernames in person. Such a cool thing, what a great community to have.
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The last week of the trip was all pretty much Cruiser orientated, obviously the views were great all over the west but the thing that really made it was the cruisers and wonderful people behind them. The connections and opportunities I have gained just cause of some cool old cars is insane to me. I truly do think ih8mud is one of the most well-natured forums out there, so much help and very little negativity. Thank you all who have helped me and supported me throughout the life of this thread.
 
I am in the middle of a 4BD1T swap in a FJ62 right, you are definitely going to want a different exhaust manifold/turbo. There is no the isuzu setup will clear your brake booster
Sorry for a hijack...

The statement that the stock Isuzu 4BD2/1 manifolds and turbos don't clear the 60 Series brake booster is incorrect. See below.
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Sorry for a hijack...

The statement that the stock Isuzu 4BD2/1 manifolds and turbos don't clear the 60 Series brake booster is incorrect. See below.View attachment 3088778View attachment 3088780View attachment 3088781

Ok, but this is a 70 series which is narrower then a 60... Maybe it will work :meh:
We are using the Almarras 1" thick adapter with A440f and it is right up on the firewall. Still the OE setup with integrated turbo is less then ideal for a 60.
We are doing a Hitachi Excavator manifold (<$150) which puts the turbo in a regular spot and is now conventional T25. So it is easier to work on, swap turbos, experiment etc.

8-94119292-6 Manifold
 
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