Builds Found an Arabian FJ40 (1 Viewer)

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Honger

Joel, TLCA #21509
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I've been looking for an FJ40 or 45 here in the Middle East for about 2.5 years now… I've posted one or two of the prospects here in the past for input. I've been reading 40-series build threads left-and-right amping myself up for eventual ownership. I'm thrilled to report that that day is finally here.

Snagged a very clean 1977 FJ40, GCC spec. Originally from Saudi, this was clearly from a drier portion of the country. Many of the typical rust spots are in perfect condition. It's got a little bit here and there, but no showstoppers. The chassis is in amazing shape. I'll let the photos do the talking… then I've got some questions.

001firstsight.jpg

002rear.jpg

003twof.jpg


Here's a typical shot of the wheel well condition...
004well.jpg

005dash.jpg

006under.jpg

007under.jpg


Had to have a front axle seal repaired, all the suspension bushings replaced, and two chincy seat belts put in to get it to pass inspection. It runs great and I've already been scooting around Abu Dhabi in it.

Now for some questions...
 
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So here's what I found when I popped the radiator cap…
008coolant.jpg

It doesn't smell or appear oily… just smells like rusty old radiator fluid. Lots of gunk on the rad cap. My thoughts are to flush the system and probably replace the water pump as a matter of course to baseline some of the mechanicals. Any other ideas or suggestions?

009oilooze.jpg


Can anyone tell me what this is and if I should be worried about the bit of oil oozing out? Tips or suggestions?

010stud.jpg

011stud.jpg


Lastly are these two studs sticking out through the lifter cover. Should these have nuts on them? Should they even be studs? Tips or suggestions?

I plan on doing some searching... but from what I've seen of the 40-series forum people like to chip in with assistance on each other's build threads. Thanks in advance for any tips and suggestions and advice.

Thanks,
Joel
 
Nice 40! Looks really clean. I noticed it has a heater delete which is the same as many South American spec cruisers.
 
Looks fairly typical for Middle Eastern trucks. Try a couple of clear water flushes before refilling with 50/50 coolant.
I guess you are asking about the PCV valve that exits the side cover and the two studs that usually hold a metal tube for either a heater or an oil cooler, depending on destination of the truck. Since KSA trucks came without heaters, someone likely removed the oil cooler and forgot to put back the ferrule and nut on each stud. PCV valve can be flushed with gasoline and reinstalled.

Good score. Should clean up nicely.
 
Very nice 40 ! Agreed with radiator flush, lack of rust is great !!
 
Looks like a great find!!

When you flush the coolant, don't forget to flush the block as well .. There's a drain between cylinder 5 and 6 on the left side of the block .. You can see it if you get down low in the wheel well and shine a light at the block. Could be tough to remove .. Use penetrating oil and patience .. Don't force it .. Patience!!

..and don't forget to burp the cooling system to get any air out.

When you clean the PCV be sure it rattles when you shake it.
 
Hmm thats pretty bad. Might be a good idea to have the radiator hot tanked at a radiator shop. Flush the system real good with water and as mentioned pull the block drain. Get a new radiator cap. Use distilled water or just buy premixed coolant when you refill the coolant. Also look into treating what little rust you have so it wont spread.
 
Nice looking truck. Do you know specifically where it came from in KSA? Seen some listed for sale in Qassim and Abha, but nothing in the Eastern Provence.

Your truck may have had factory heat originally and at some point had the system removed. Would explain the studs on the block where the heater tube would go as well as the plate over the firewall hole for the heater blower, although that delete plate looks pretty professional. I have seen a similarly aged truck in Saudi that did not come with factory heat and the firewall did not have the opening at all for the blower. Since you have the opening you could source the parts if you wanted to but it might be simpler to just go with an aftermarket A/C system and an aftermarket heater instead.

-Geoff
 
Looks fairly typical for Middle Eastern trucks. Try a couple of clear water flushes before refilling with 50/50 coolant.
I guess you are asking about the PCV valve that exits the side cover and the two studs that usually hold a metal tube for either a heater or an oil cooler, depending on destination of the truck. Since KSA trucks came without heaters, someone likely removed the oil cooler and forgot to put back the ferrule and nut on each stud. PCV valve can be flushed with gasoline and reinstalled.

Good score. Should clean up nicely.

Very nice 40 ! Agreed with radiator flush, lack of rust is great !!

Looks like a great find!!

When you flush the coolant, don't forget to flush the block as well .. There's a drain between cylinder 5 and 6 on the left side of the block .. You can see it if you get down low in the wheel well and shine a light at the block. Could be tough to remove .. Use penetrating oil and patience .. Don't force it .. Patience!!

..and don't forget to burp the cooling system to get any air out.

When you clean the PCV be sure it rattles when you shake it.

Hmm thats pretty bad. Might be a good idea to have the radiator hot tanked at a radiator shop. Flush the system real good with water and as mentioned pull the block drain. Get a new radiator cap. Use distilled water or just buy premixed coolant when you refill the coolant. Also look into treating what little rust you have so it wont spread.

Okay, got it:
1. Clean the PCV valve with gasoline… make sure it rattles. I take it the current oil seepage isn't anything to worry about.
2. Flush the radiator… burp the cooling system… drain the block… have the radiator hot tanked. I'll need to hunt for a competent place to do that.
3. Check on treating the rust I've got now. Plan is to take it down this summer (when I won't be driving it) and have it repainted; chassis and body. I'll get rust cut out and new metal welded in accordingly. Since the truck is now living in a humid, coastal environment I need to get things sealed up nice.

Awesome find!

Thanks!
 
Nice looking truck. Do you know specifically where it came from in KSA? Seen some listed for sale in Qassim and Abha, but nothing in the Eastern Provence.

Your truck may have had factory heat originally and at some point had the system removed. Would explain the studs on the block where the heater tube would go as well as the plate over the firewall hole for the heater blower, although that delete plate looks pretty professional. I have seen a similarly aged truck in Saudi that did not come with factory heat and the firewall did not have the opening at all for the blower. Since you have the opening you could source the parts if you wanted to but it might be simpler to just go with an aftermarket A/C system and an aftermarket heater instead.

-Geoff

It came from Abha. A local here in the UAE had been scouting for me.

A factory heater being removed would explain some of the wonky wiring under the dash and wonky coolant hose arrangements under the hood. The delete plate actually seems OEM… I just assumed it had always been there. But the removal of a heater makes more sense now that folks mention it.
 
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Few more questions:

1. The transmission does not shift into 1st or Reverse very well… if I push down the clutch and immediately try to shift into either one it grinds. If I want 5-10 seconds after pushing the clutch it shift into 1 or R easily. Also, it likes to pop out of 2nd gear, especially when I've downshifted into second. Synchro issue?

2. Any thing over 80kph and I start getting a pretty good shake and shimmy action. Could this be due to the split rims? Are they particularly hard to balance? There are weights on some of them.

3. Finally, split rims… any advice or suggestions? I know they are field serviceable, but are there other reasons to keep them? Any good reasons to lose them?
 
for clutch, easy first check is enough fluid in reservoir and then bleed the line. very easy to do. bleeds by gravity and little pumping. make sure the nut/rod at the slave cylinder are in spec and play at the pedal.

i know not of split rims....

love love that tire cover. you should export a box of those this way :)

that valve cover is for a later 2F, here in the US those didn't show up til 79. perhaps you had an engine swap at some point. maybe to you have the later flat head pistons. maybe GCC spec got the later 2F's in 77. maybe someone just swapped the cover at some point.

you said you had the front axel serviced. how well was it put back together and aligned?
 
Honger,

I think you will find that most of the surviving 40 series trucks in the Arabian peninsula have had their engines swapped out at some point in their life--fairly typical.
Similarly, other parts are replaced with later versions--fuel pumps, master cylinders, valve covers, etc. Expect that these items have usually been replaced to keep the truck running and serviceable for the last 40 years. Note: good mechanics replace factory parts with correct factory parts, and do it skillfully; unskilled laborers will install anything that "sort of" fits, will do it terribly, and you should expect to remove and replace any butcher-jobs you may find. Many original Toyota Land Cruiser parts are available throughout the Middle East through small shops at decent prices--not the case today throughout most of the rest of the world.

Your engine has probably been swapped with a later version 2F. According to the code on your engine's head, your head is correct for General market, is closed-chamber, has no air injection ports bored into it, and uses flat-top pistons, not the hard-to-find domed pistons that would have been standard for your year truck in the US market.

You can check the date code on your engine head to determine its build date; the same goes for the date code cast into the left side of the block for its date of manufacture. If you post these numbers, along with the info on the firewall plate, some of us here can decipher what exactly you have there. All this has little to do with the value of your truck, unless you are looking to have a 100% totally original museum piece when you are done fixing it.

As to split-rims, they are still being produced by Toyota today, they have some dedicated fans around the world who treasure them, and there are some folks who despise them. They are not as dangerous as some will say, but they do require an inner tube and are prone to rust in some climates. There are factory solid wheels available in 15 or 16 inch sizes, and of course lots of aftermarket replacements. Your country would originally have had split-rims.

All in all, your truck frame and body should be in great shape due to the climate where it has lived; any mechanical issues can be corrected, and you should then be in great shape. Good luck.
 
for clutch, easy first check is enough fluid in reservoir and then bleed the line. very easy to do. bleeds by gravity and little pumping. make sure the nut/rod at the slave cylinder are in spec and play at the pedal.

The clutch doesn't seem to be the issue... it has good travel/throw. When I immediately try to shift they grind... if I push the clutch and then wait 5-10 seconds they mesh fine. And 2nd likes to pop out of gear sometimes. Or is this still somehow clutch related and I'm clueless?

love love that tire cover. you should export a box of those this way :)

I'll keep this in mind if I ever find more of them. It came with the truck. Covers like this are a dime a dozen out here.

you said you had the front axel serviced. how well was it put back together and aligned?

I'm pretty confident it wasn't a top rate job. I'm hunting for 60-series knuckles and plan a full axle rebuild once I've got the parts for front discs.
 
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Nice rig! Keep the split rims, they help keeping the rig looking stock. You might want to refresh them with a new coat of paint inside and out.
Noted... one vote FOR the split rims. They'll be getting repainted as part of the refresh no matter what. =)
 
that valve cover is for a later 2F, here in the US those didn't show up til 79. perhaps you had an engine swap at some point. maybe to you have the later flat head pistons. maybe GCC spec got the later 2F's in 77. maybe someone just swapped the cover at some point.

Honger,

I think you will find that most of the surviving 40 series trucks in the Arabian peninsula have had their engines swapped out at some point in their life--fairly typical.
Similarly, other parts are replaced with later versions--fuel pumps, master cylinders, valve covers, etc. Expect that these items have usually been replaced to keep the truck running and serviceable for the last 40 years. Note: good mechanics replace factory parts with correct factory parts, and do it skillfully; unskilled laborers will install anything that "sort of" fits, will do it terribly, and you should expect to remove and replace any butcher-jobs you may find. Many original Toyota Land Cruiser parts are available throughout the Middle East through small shops at decent prices--not the case today throughout most of the rest of the world.

Your engine has probably been swapped with a later version 2F. According to the code on your engine's head, your head is correct for General market, is closed-chamber, has no air injection ports bored into it, and uses flat-top pistons, not the hard-to-find domed pistons that would have been standard for your year truck in the US market.

You can check the date code on your engine head to determine its build date; the same goes for the date code cast into the left side of the block for its date of manufacture. If you post these numbers, along with the info on the firewall plate, some of us here can decipher what exactly you have there. All this has little to do with the value of your truck, unless you are looking to have a 100% totally original museum piece when you are done fixing it.

As to split-rims, they are still being produced by Toyota today, they have some dedicated fans around the world who treasure them, and there are some folks who despise them. They are not as dangerous as some will say, but they do require an inner tube and are prone to rust in some climates. There are factory solid wheels available in 15 or 16 inch sizes, and of course lots of aftermarket replacements. Your country would originally have had split-rims.

All in all, your truck frame and body should be in great shape due to the climate where it has lived; any mechanical issues can be corrected, and you should then be in great shape. Good luck.

Sounds like there is consensus here that I don't have the original engine. That's okay with me... this isn't meant to be a 100% museum piece, it's meant to be my cruiser for driving, enjoying, and teaching my boys to tinker with cars. The later model 2F puts me in a better position for a power steering upgrade as the head already has the tapped holes.

I'll get the head number, block number, and builder's plate posted here for more information.

Thanks for all the guidance here guys!
 
Guess it may be helpful to give some guidance on where I'd like to take my FJ40...

This isn't going to be a part-for-part museum restoration. That said, my aim is to preserve the FJ40's appearance and purpose. I'll likely be putting in a 2" lift and tall/skinny tires. Color will stay the same.

This winter I plan on driving as much as possible while also fixing up mechanicals. Water pump, add power steering, clean up the wiring harness (it's been patched and spliced too many times), upgrade the headlights. Parts will be Toyota OEM where possible/available. Plan is to search hard for OEM A/C equipment as well. Discs for the front using 60-series knuckles. Complete axle rebuild for the front. Etc. I have a feeling the tranny is going to need a rebuild based on some of it's behavior... perhaps I can source a 4-speed and just swap that in (I know the top gear is still the same).

Come summer time the plan is to start stripping it down for bodywork and paint. I've taken this truck out of a very arid environment and moved it to a coastal area with high-humidity. I need to get the body and chassis back in paint for protection. The current patina is nice, but what the photos don't show is several "fixes" that were done with brushed-on paint. The fenders have been completely brushed over and there may be some filler in there. The roof has some holes (for an antenna at one point) and a gash in the rain gutter.

So overall I want a Toyota drivetrain with baselined mechanicals and a refresh to the appearance.
 
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throw me in the category of loving split rims... the people who most often despise them are brainwashed to thinking all split rims are the same.... however they are not the widow makers that many here in the usa are accustom to hearing horror stories about

it does look like the door has been replaced with another ... or ... resprayed .... or... been off the truck for years and hasn't faded like the rest of the cruiser :)

whats the trim code and vin number of the cruiser? if you now either
 

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