1968 FJ55 Local East Coast Swine Transfer

[wngrog]

If you are changing out the motor (I missed that) then there is zero chance I would I pay someone to put that 3 speed and all that linkage back in.

 

[J Mack]

Since I'm doing an engine refresh, I really ought to just do it

And this is how the mission creep always gets going!

Yep!

 

[navydivedoc]

If you are changing out the motor (I missed that) then there is zero chance I would I pay someone to put that 3 speed and all that linkage back in.

2F in that donor 60 runs great. Mission creep!!

 

[wngrog]

2F in that donor 60 runs great. Mission creep!!

Yeah. No way no how I’d go to the trouble of a 2F without the other stuff.

Having the donor truck is money though.

 

[navydivedoc]

Yeah. No way no how I’d go to the trouble of a 2F without the other stuff.

Having the donor truck is money though.

Yes, lucky timing there. 60 owner is even thinking about buying the Lobster.

Probably best to either drop the sniper on the F145 and the front axle in and leave it otherwise stock, or go all in. I'll need some swap guidance if choice #2 prevails.

 

[navydivedoc]

Decisions may have just gotten easier. Despite dragging the derelict 60 over to his shop, my brother now tells me the 60 owner is having major separation anxiety. No money changed hands yet, so I'm afraid my drive train score may disappear. For now, we wait.

 

[bobm]

That just opens the door for more options

 

[navydivedoc]

That just opens the door for more options

It would save me from myself. My wallet would breathe a sigh of relief.

 

[navydivedoc]

The forlorn 60 owner found a great deal on a 62 locally. I'm headed north and will make sure some cash changes hands later this week. I'm going to do my best to strip that rusty red one clean. Drivetrain decision now back on the table (just when I was making peace with the F/3 spd). If nothing else, I'll mothball the 2F/H42/Split for later.

 

[navydivedoc]

Pig still buried. This was my pre-dawn "workout"

 

[scrapdaddy]

A serious snow blower!

 

[Megadoomer]

I bet that is fun the first time you use it....

 

[navydivedoc]

A serious snow blower!

Growing up in Maine, my Dad just used my brother and I to clear the snow. Then I spent 25 years down south. Was really a revelation when I first fired this thing up. Sure beats a shovel. It's a beast.

I bet that is fun the first time you use it....

Yep, novelty ends about 3/4 of the way through that first use.

 

[bobm]

My Snowblower!

 

[bobm]

And the 1 in background

 

[navydivedoc]

It's official, I own a derelict 60 with a great drivetrain (minus the nuked clutch). That said, there's no way my brother and I can get around to parting it out until this summer at the earliest. Maybe the fall.

So, the Pig needs a refresh for the summer. Power disc brake conversion and the sniper are happening no matter what. 3 on the column stays for now and might just stay anyway.

Other updates while I'm at it?

1. I would like to refresh the suspension, stock or maybe 1" lift. @wngrog recommended 2" longer shackles and some Dobinsons 0-2" FJ60 shocks. I have a set of OME shackles from a later FJ40, new, but not sure if they'll fit this early 55. Pin size? Any other recs for shackles? I'll get some caster shims from @orangefj45

2. Pertronix vs DUI vs pull the FJ60 dizzy and side cover?

3. I had a persistent vacuum leak I couldn't track down in my 40. Should I do the block off plate mod to the intake/exhaust that I think cruiser outfitters offers? Is it worth having the manifolds milled to match and get rid of the half washers? Even if I do the 2F conversion, I'll need to keep the F manifolds to fit the early hood, so not wasted money if it's valuable. Anything else while I'm at it?

4. Advice for fitting a brake booster that fits along with the sniper on this early truck? City racer?

5. Plastic fan, clutch and new water pump. I saw the @cruiseroutfit thread somewhere with the part numbers.

6. @wngrog is sending me a powersurge. Tank has been pulled and cleaned in the last couple of years, so I don't want to mess with that to install an electric fuel pump.

7. @bobm fender patch panels going in. Will need to either match and blend into the non-OEM green or convince my builder, who usually does beautiful paint jobs, to do a respray of the color and NOT fix every defect. Not sure his and his painter's OCD can handle that. But, does bring up the possibility of a new color. OEM for sure, but WHAT OEM.

 

[bobm]

I honestly think that Pig was Red , just by looking at scuffed up Rocker. My opinion only. And opinions are like Assholes everyone has 1 .

 

[wngrog]

Is there something wrong with the F motor that’s in it?

I have had great luck with the DUI/Sniper combo. Fits an F motor fine without worrying about a side cover mod.

Late 40 shackles are fine. 18mm pin. The only goofy bushings are the shackle frame bushings. They are small 40 style with 18mm holes.

I like headers. Cheap and easy and further uncomplicates the clean up process on an old motor.

I don’t know about getting a fan clutch in there with the F water pump and fan shroud but a good plastic fan is a great upgrade.

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

#2 I've been running this HEI on my 2F and it's worked great.

HEI Distributor, 8.0mm Spark Plug Wires, and Battery-Pigtail Harness Kit For Early Chevrolet Straight 6 41-62 194 216 235 68-87 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 FJ60 3F Red Cap

Packed with design and build features, our HEI distributor offers a whole lot of bang for your buck. A CNC machined billet aluminum housing ensures a perfect fit, harden steel internals ensure stability and long-lasting performance. Its high-output ignition module and powerful 65,000-volt coil...

swperformanceparts.com

It fit (barely) without any side cover modifications.

 

[navydivedoc]

Is there something wrong with the F motor that’s in it?

I have had great luck with the DUI/Sniper combo. Fits an F motor fine without worrying about a side cover mod.

Late 40 shackles are fine. 18mm pin. The only goofy bushings are the shackle frame bushings. They are small 40 style with 18mm holes.

I like headers. Cheap and easy and further uncomplicates the clean up process on an old motor.

I don’t know about getting a fan clutch in there with the F water pump and fan shroud but a good plastic fan is a great upgrade.

F motor runs well. No concerns. At this point, I'm either going to run what is there and leave it an old school ride with safety upgrades, or go all in next winter with the 2F/H42/Split/3.73 combo from the 60. All or nothing.

That said, if I'm going with the sniper I'm also going to do away with points, etc.

Are headers still available from a vendor? Or, does anyone have any kicking around? I've honestly always preferred an OEM solution over aftermarket headers on other vehicles I've owned. I have a 3FE manifold and down pipes around somewhere too. Still, happy to defer to expert opinion down here if headers are the best answer.

@wngrog I thought it was your Pig build where you found the fan/clutch/water pump combo that worked with the 55 OEM set up? Found it Pig fan with clutch