Thanks for the FYI Garth...
Maybe this should be moved to the appropriate forum section?
Anyhow, it's been a while since I started this project. I got stranded far away from the ALS Restoration Compound I own up in northern Nevada. Should be back in the shop with Gretta soon. I'll be a heck of a lot more comfy on my turf where the tools and space are ample. While I'm stranded, I figured I'd tinker on the ol' rocker rack and polish the head up. So far I have the head out and am rebuilding the rocker rack.
I almost forgot to mention, I removed the oil pan to have a gander at Mr. Camshaft and Mrs. Engine block and discovered one cylinder was seized. Great excuse to bore her out a bit.
Since I'm not currently at ALS, I'll wait to remove the "good stuff". Soaking her in WD-40 and transmission fluid to losen the rust in the bottom of that cylinder which is only about a few months old (from when I pulled an idiot move earlier this year). Once I get it up to the compound I'll bolt on an ultrasonic vibrator to free the piston as I tapp it out with a block and mallet.
Don't worry, I'll post pictures and video soon of the whole process including the rocker rack rebuild. Be patient please, I want to cover every detail with explicit instructions for everyone who needs them. But for now I guess I'm stuck being a tease.
Just look at those rusty pushrods, what a shame, on me even. Yup, I goofed when I went to pick her up. I had to be the kid at Christmas and peek before it was time. Spillage happened and humidity entered and presto, rust.
This is what I should have done, and what you should do when removing the head.
1) Drain ALL fluids from the engine and radiator. (This is where I messed up. Partly intentional because I thought all cylinders may be seized and was planning for the worse. I just had to see in there "now" and was on very limited time. Fortunately in this case colateral damage was minimal. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP EVER!)
2) Remove the cylinder head's rocker cover.
3) Remove the rocker rack.
4) Remove and mark the valve rocker pushrods. (I did not do this for good reason, see "Ex. 1")
5) For a full dismantle remove the valve lifter cover. (You can skip this step in some cases)
6) For a full dismantle remove the valve lifters and mark then to the corresponding pushrods. (You don't need to do this if you skip step 5)
7) Remover the rocker shaft oil delivery union from the pipe.
8) Losen the head bolts 1/2 turn at a time in the order shown in Fig. 1.5 of your Haynes Repair Manual. When all the head bolts are lose, remove them.
9) You may now remove the cylinder head. Often enough the head will need some persuasion to become free of the block. The Haynes manual says you can use a screw driver to free the head in the case that a mallet does not work. DO NOT USE A SCREWDRIVER!. If the head cannot be freed with a standard soft mallet apply an ultra sonic vibrator or use a weighted mallet (Ex. 2). Screwdrivers can scrape and mar your head and leave you with leaks or refinishing duties that could have been avoided.
10 ) Set the cylinder head on it's side on cloth or carpet covered wooden blocks, one toward each end. This minimizes the risk of scratches to the finished metal of the cylinder head while allowing easy access for hands to grab the head for moving it and rotating it on the bench for cleaning and polishing. You may want a spotter to help you if you have an extra set of hands around the shop.
[Ex. 1] Rather than take chances with the old pushrods, I decided I will mill new rods on the CNC lathe and refinish the rockers and possibly the lifters if they are also wore. For now I'm soaking the rocker assembly parts in a special oil bath to remove any burnt on oil. You can see in the picture that the rockers are coming out quite clean. Those pushrods are rusty and I don't trust their integrity.
[Ex. 2] You may purchase weighted mallets or make one. I have drilled the back side of a plastic mallet up to 1 1/2" from the face and filled it with a mixture of 80% lead shot and 20% (by volume) high strength epoxy into the the cavity. This gives the mallet much more power when striking the head while allowing the mallet to still be soft to the metal. This is an inexpensive alternative for some. An ultrasonic vibrator is a resto expert's best friend when confronted by seized parts. They literally shake the **** out of the parts and when done while submerged in solvent or light oil bath the results are wonderful.
I'm looking for another F engine. Preferably one that is in running condition that has had regular maintenance. No, I'm not going to replace my 45's engine. I'm going to add a second (to it or a second truck). Now, I know you are thinking one of two things. 1) This person is a nut job. or 2) I can't wait to see this.
So, these are my ideas/options for Project Franken-Helga.
A) Get another complete 45 and a second engine and keep the current 45 as OG as possible.
B) Get a second 45 to keep original and a second engine (if the OEM parts on it are more plentiful than on the current truck).
C) Scratch the second truck idea and go ape **** with this truck.
How would I add a second engine?
Simple! I'll drop it right in the back end, machine a special transfer case that will allow the truck to power both sets of wheels from either or both engines. Connect some custom machined linkage. All she wrote.
What really will determine which idea I go with is the availability of a second complete FJ45. Do you or someone you know have one that they just aren't going to be able to get to any time soon and wish it to a good loving home? Or have you seen one on a lot somewhere and have been wishing someone would fix it up? If you have or know someone with a 45 in similar condition to the one in my photos, who wants to sell it at a reasonable price, please let me know. Must be all numbers matching! That is the main selling point. I don't do mix and match restorations. In fact I think it's nearly a waste to put that much work into a patchwork project being that it's just not the same IMO.
Call me a compulsive stickler, but I even want the original seat belt hardware, jack, carburetor, wheels, knobs etc.. This truck I have now is 98% OEM. The front bumper is useless, front windshield cracked and the tail gate needs to be reformed or cloned, but everything else is original and the metal is solid. In a second 45 I desire the same lovability.
