Builds 1963 FJ45LP SWB Fixed Top "Sweet Simplicity"

[47coeman]

Use a good 30 wt non detergent for break in, change oil and filter at 500 miles. 4-5 thou per inch of cylinder is the going rate, and a lite oil to spray with a oil can when you are honing. As soon as you get a good cross hatch pattern stop save all the cylinder Wall as they may be worn. Easy Piesie my friend, have at it.

 

[redfj45can]

 

[redfj45can]

G`day Paul, you must visit this place ↷

 

[middlecalf]

More numbers . Based on this —> Checking Compression Ring Gaps - Piston Rings Manufacturer | Made in the USA | Hastings Manufacturing - https://www.hastingspistonrings.com/tech_tip/checking-compression-ring-gaps/ I checked the OEM ring gap below the cylinder wear band, and it was 0.015“ so that’s in-spec (high end). The bore diameter at this location is 3.540”, and the bore diameter within the wear band is 3.552”, so 0.012” wear which is right at the limit suggested by Hastings for successful re-ringing without reboring and installing oversized rings. Given this, and my ‘tractor‘ build goals, I’m going ahead with a re-ringing using the OEM STD rings along with a light cylinder honing.

 

[middlecalf]

Honing ok?

I‘m at 3.552+/-0.002 across the board in the wear zone as best I can measure. Unworn (below piston) area is 3.540.

 

[whitey45]

Thats like racecar ready!!

 

[middlecalf]

Thanks Brian!

 

[wngrog]

What did you do for the roof to fixed cab weatherstrip?

 

[middlecalf]

@wngrog I used cityracer’s weatherstrip but it’s not a perfect fit. Here’s some info from earlier:

Roofs on, serious fight.
View attachment 2336003View attachment 2336004

Maybe some tech: (1) the city racer LPB roof seal will work on these fixed top SWBs, it needs to be stretched in the corners, otherwise it fits reasonably with door holes aligning and new holes added along the back. (2) I loosely installed bolts along the back first, then propped the front up to get the windshield seal in place, then lowered the front onto both seal flanges, and using the string technique for other glass install I was able to pull the inside flange into position - with a little soapy water - leaving the outside flange in place. Installed other bolts and clamped everything down. (3) But in order to do that, given this is an old rig and I had it disassembled and replaced a lot of metal, the holes didn’t align enough - so I jacked the low side of the frame until everything aligned enough, bolted it up, lowered and nothing popped . I actually did the same thing when I put the cab on to get the proper cab mount height. This thing is sprung to a 1/2 inch of its life. Good weld quality test .

My daughter’s Brittany Sophie has done her inspection, gave it a claws up.
View attachment 2336011

 

[middlecalf]

And here‘s more wrt fit check on the seal @wngrog:

And endless picture posts continue. Now to the rest of the roof seal. Here’s city racer’s 45 LPB seal. It’s close when it gets stretched, but interesting. I thought the legs over the doors would be short because the cabs on the fixed tops are smaller in length, but this seal actually fits without stretching over my doors ??. And the holes along that part align with frame holes, so I guess that’s common with the removeable top cabs. The corners are tighter, so not sure where the removeable top cabs get there extra length. The rest of the holes don’t match, not surprised.
View attachment 2272338

Here’s how the seal sits unstretched on my rain gutter frame.
View attachment 2272351View attachment 2272352View attachment 2272353

Not sure the best approach to make this fit, I’ll invent something. Didn’t find where anyone’s documented this, one mud person has one they were going to use at some point.

 

[wngrog]

Sounds good enough to me. Thanks

 

[middlecalf]

Pistons with new rings back in. Connecting rod caps torqued to 50 ft-lbs. Rotates with no bad sounds but is a lot “tighter.” Question: as far as the cotter pins go, if the bolt hole and a castle nut opening are just slightly off do I torque the nut further (so it’s > 50 ft-lbs) or do I loosen the nut (so it’s < 50 ft-lbs) to align the two so the cotter pin is easily insertable? It looks like it will take more torquing than loosening to align most of the holes/castle nuts.

 

[whitey45]

If you bearing clearance is correct, you can go tighter to align them. If it doesn’t rotate, your bearing clearance is no bueno!!

 

[middlecalf]

Thanks Brian @whitey45, I wish that made sense to me, but it doesn’t. The nut torque impacts the bearing clearance after the cap bottoms out on the connecting rod? Why then are there different thickness bearings (STD, U/S 002, 010, 020, 030, and 040)? Also, there’s no mention of the cotter pins in the Toyota F-Engine Repair Manual. Only the 50 ft-lbs torque spec and bearing clearances. How’d they get this done on the factory floor? Drill the cotter pin hole after they torqued the nut down and verified the bearing clearance?

I’m simply reinstalling the connecting rods and caps with existing bearings (they’re ok for a tractor motor). So now I have to deal with the original torque spec (50 ft-lbs), cotter pin hole and castle nut alignment, and bearing clearance in spec. Seems like an impossibility for a retrofit.

 

[middlecalf]

And these showed up today. Amazing extrusions. Now I need to find a glass template as well as instructions on how these go in to place (e.g. with or without glass first?)

 

[whitey45]

Normally the crank and rods are ground to spec with the appropriate bearing clearance. The torque spec is to hold all together, not to determine the clearance , if that makes sense.
Pretty sure the glass has to be in the rubber first as there in tracks? Will be interesting to see how these install?always wondered!

 

[middlecalf]

Got it Brian, thanks! I misunderstood your statement…

If it doesn’t rotate, your bearing clearance is no bueno!!

I thought you meant the “it” was the castle nut, not the crank itself .

 

[Michael B]

I think the new gasket and glass will go in using the old rope trick.

 

[middlecalf]

Cleaned up and lapped valves back in head with new umbrella seals (Fel-Pro).

Made a head bolt hole thread chaser from a spare HB (from John @pardion ). Been some discussion on criticality of HB length for proper torque prior to bolt bottoming out. The bolt on the left is original to this motor (AFAIK), right one will be the chaser. Note the length difference. Tech message: verify proper HB length with block/gasket height.

Does anyone use a HG sealant such as Permatex Copper or just dry (OEM HG)?

 

[middlecalf]

Cleaned out HB holes and threads chased. Or a scene from Twilight Zone. Either way a handy place to store crud if one so desires .