1966 FJ45LV Resurrection (1 Viewer)

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Great progress David! :beer:
 
Time for an update...

Over the past weekend, @forrest5000 and I chased electrical gremlins and, among other things, managed to track down the source of the oil pressure gauge problem (cut wire just past the firewall), got the rear heater fan and license plate lights working (bad grounds) and replaced the cigarette lighter that blew the fuse whenever the power wire was connected.

I was tired of seeing the PTO winch on the floor of my garage so after dinner on President's Day I re-installed it as best as I could. Although I was told all the nuts and bolts were in a bag, I am still missing a few. I hope to test it out and re-spool the 20 or so feet of cable that got loose in the next week or so. No pic of the re-installed PTO until it looks presentable, although I have no illusions I will be able to re-spool it as well as it was when I bought it.

I like the look of @JackA 's LV so much, I bought a YOM license plate that seemed fitting, 5 new steelies from Toyota, 5 repro hubcaps from a vendor @majojo4 sold some of his stash to and 5 BFG M/T KM2 33x10.50x15s from an ONSC club sponsor. (FYI - Rumor has it BFG is discontinuing this size in the M/T KM2.) I'm just waiting on warmer temps to get some grey paint on the steelies so I can have them installed. (Come on spring!)

If things work out, I'll have the carb from JP in the next week or so. Once it's been installed and a few other things are checked and re-checked, I will get her tagged and insured so I can finally take her out on the roads outside of my subdivision.
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Temperatures were finally above 50 degrees yesterday so I got busy with the wheels. I hit the new wheels with some burgundy Scotch-Brite to scuff them up, wiped them clean with a degreaser and gave them a couple coats of Rustoleum Smoke Grey paint in my garage. Don't worry, I wore a charcoal mask so as not to kill any more brain cells. While they aren't perfect, they look very good in my opinion. I'm going to let them cure until the end of the week at which time I'll take them to the tire shop.

While the wheels were drying, I tried to get the PTO working so I could spool in the cable. I was unsuccessful in getting any movement using the knob in the floor of the LV. The knob does not pull up but does move forward and back. I believe the problem is that I need to get the transfer case into neutral but I haven't figured out how. As it seems JP rebuilt a PTO on an LV, I am hoping he'll over a tutorial. Fortunately, with the PTO clutch engaged, I was able to free-spool the line in for the time being.

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Once again, JP comes to my rescue. The transfer case lever on the dash that is used to engage 4WD is also used to shift the tranfer case into neutral. Once in neutral, the user locks it into place using the cotter pin.

Below are the handouts from JP's tutorial which will hopefully help the next guy in my situation. For the record, these are photos taken from JP's 1964 owners manual but I see no reason they won't for for my 1966.

I look forward to trying again later this week.

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I forgot to mention that last weekend I reinstalled the heater and it is working great. The heater core I purchased from Larry (lk930) turned out not to be factory dimensions. Thankfully, it did have three of the mounting brackets soldered on so it fits nicely.

Last week was another productive week. After what little snowfall we received had melted I dropped off the freshly painted wheels to have the tires mounted. After spending some quality time with @ClemsonCruiser (a long story for another time), I picked them up late on Friday afternoon and could hardly wait to install them on Saturday. Once on, and only after a lot of time and effort, the hubcaps were snugly in place. In retrospect, I should have bent the clips toward the center of the wheel before painting as the paint would have had better coverage and the hubcaps would have gone on more easily. I think the combination really improves the old girl's looks. See the picture below and I think you'll agree.

Also on Saturday, with the help of a neighbor, we unspooled and re-spooled the PTO winch which worked flawlessly. I somehow managed to make time to drop off the rear seat by the body shop to have them fix the frame damage that happened during shipment from Colorado. @roadstr6 fabbed up some mounting brackets so I am hopeful it will be functional soon.

Yesterday, with the help of @forrest5000, we managed to get the left turn signal working and almost got the horns working. I've pm'd Beno in hopes of getting the bits I need to have the horn button fully functional.

I hope to have the carb and some seat belts installed in the next week or so. The ONSC Meet and Greet is only a few weeks away so there is no time to lose.
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Looks freakin' great.

Just curious how much lift it has? Can you measure from the bottom of frame to the top of the axle tube, front and rear? Thank in advance
 
Looks freakin' great.

Just curious how much lift it has? Can you measure from the bottom of frame to the top of the axle tube, front and rear? Thank in advance

Thanks! Not sure how much lift it has. Here are the measurements: Front = 8", Rear = 12". Keep in mind, the rear springs were too short so a PO moved the spring perches.
 
Thanks for the measurements. Just trying to visualize different lift heights.
 
With spring-like temperatures yesterday, Dave (@roadstr6) came over after work to help me with the LV. We were able to install the freshly rebuilt carb (thanks again @ClemsonCruiser), adjust the valves and set the timing. Thanks Dave for the help and company.

I am pleased to report that after our efforts the engine not only sounded great but we were able to dial it in and get a steady vacuum reading of 19 Hg. After Dave left I managed to get most of the old and dried out cork valve cover gasket off. Plans are to clean up the cover a bit and then use a little RTV the hold the new one in place. After letting it cure overnight, I plan to reinstall it on Friday.

For the record, the soft fuel line shown in the picture below is only temporary until I can source the correct inlet fitting for the carb (fingers crossed they are still available). The vacuum line for the 4WD and brake booster is a carryover from the PO and will be remedied when I can drive the LV to the auto store for new hoses and fittings (and a replacement air filter).

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Due to how the choke and hand throttle lines feed through the firewall and the location of the fuel line, reinstalling the valve cover ended up being a two-person job. Despite some hiccups with getting the YOM license plate at the DMV, the truck is now insured, registered and tagged. It seems YOM plate approvals take a few weeks to be processed and can only be done by mail.

In retrospect, I should have done a thorough safety check before going out on the roads but temptation got the best of me and I took her for a spin after the kids were in bed last night. She stumbled when cold even with the choke out but did pretty well after she warmed up. She was a little bouncy on the main road and I am hopeful some add-a-leafs @southerncruiser62 has offered will remedy that.

I plan to look over her later today after work while the sun is still up to ensure I hit all the zerk fittings and that I don't have any loose bolts/nuts in the driveline, sharp edges are padded, etc. If everything looks good, I'll drive to my local auto parts store and get an air filter and what I need to replace the vacuum line.

After striking out with Mr. T, I reached out to JimC for the correct inlet fitting for the carb. He had one he was willing to part with and I hope it will be here soon. The rear seat came back from the body shop in good shape and is temporarily in place until I can figure out how to more permanently mount it. I think it looks pretty good. I got an email yesterday that the seatbelts were being shipped today.

I have tried to source a used horn contact seat, rubber spacer and plate washer like Coolerman shows in his horn trouble shooting tutorial (http://www.globalsoftware-inc.com/coolerman/fj40/Page8Images/P2170001.JPG). While I'm sure I can find a plate washer and make a spacer, I think I'll have to find a horn contact seat. I've struck out with a few folks I've asked but am waiting to hear back from a few others. Wish me luck.

I'm planning to borrower a neighbor's pneumatic rivet gun to put temporary patches in the floor in the next week so I can drive to the Meet and Greet without worrying about the elements getting into the cabin.

Here are some pictures:
Rear seat installed and spare tire mounted
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Rear seat bracket fabbed by Dave
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Anyone know for what purpose there are these four holes in the floor behind the rear seat?
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Looking good, David! However, it would seem to me that add-a-leafs will only make the rear of the truck stiffer and bouncier. What you may need instead is to remove a leaf or two from what you've got until you can get some longer springs. Just thinking out loud here.

Did the valve cover gasket pop off when you tried to install it? I hate it when it does that!
 
Looking good, David! However, it would seem to me that add-a-leafs will only make the rear of the truck stiffer and bouncier. What you may need instead is to remove a leaf or two from what you've got until you can get some longer springs. Just thinking out loud here.

Did the valve cover gasket pop off when you tried to install it? I hate it when it does that!

You may be right on the add-a-leafs. I look forward to getting input from you and other club members in the weeks ahead as to things that can be done to improve the ride.:steer:

I made a solo attempt on Friday and had just about gotten the valve cover w/ gasket in place when I realized I needed two more hands to do the job. I pushed ahead and the gasket dropped off. :doh:
 
Since David won't brag on himself, I thought I'd post some pics (stolen from elsewhere here on Mud) that proves

It's Alive!

Pics from the ONSC event this past weekend ...


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Congrats on getting it roadworthy David!

I hate to admit it, but he's gotten more done on the 45 than I have on my 73 in the same period of time.
 
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A lot has happened since my last post. I did find a replacement for the air filter (and no, I didn't take it off my lawnmower), I cobbled together a replacement the vacuum line set-up, replaced the power steering fluid return hose and a hose on the 60-series brake master cylinder and installed the seat belts and temporary patches in the floor. I tried installing the inlet fitting for the carb I got from JimC carb but I need more practice flaring fuel lines.

I'm still trying to source a used horn contact seat, rubber spacer and plate washer and after driving the LV to the Olde North State Cruiser's annual Meet & Greet, know I need to find a way to hook up the vacuum advance distributor line. (Let me know if you have some fittings to spare.) Long story short, I believe that without that vacuum line hooked up, the timing was off resulting in a loss what little power this 1F has to offer.

There's no doubt about it. She's a real head-turner, getting lots of looks and comments almost everywhere I go. Only with the help of several ONSC club members and JP (all of whom I think I've thanked before) was driving it safely to and from the Meet and Greet possible.

Here are a few pictures taken since my last post:
First fill up
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A couple shots from the Meet & Greet
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Did anyone get a shot of you driving with a big smile on your face?
 
So what's next? You did a fine job of meeting your goal to have it ready for the Meet and Greet. Have you slowed your roll?
Now that the 45 is running, what does the future hold for your 40?

Inquiring minds want to know. :)
 

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