1970 in CT (1 Viewer)

[ryanwk628]

Yesterday afternoon I did some little things with the 40 outside and my welder out. I patched some new metal into the rear corner of the drivers side floor and did my best to stay off future rust in the floor area. This is by no means the artful bodywork some have done on this forum, but it is to get me by until I get a tub.

Once that was done I installed my seat bracket, seats and tuffy 10" console. This has been waiting for me to be able to patch the floor which was not going to happen in my tiny dark 1 car garage. The seats are leather manual seats out of a BMW E36 I picked up for $200. Because of the height of the frame I ditched the sliders and hard mounted them. It is a bit taller than I would like as a 6'6 guy, but so were the stock seats. A smaller steering wheel would make all the difference.

Because I ditched the sliders, only the recline lever works.

I am happy with it. The seats are really comfortable! They look sharp. The Tuffy console is nice and matches well. Cup holders! I have two small speaker boxes with 6X9s ready to go, now I need to get a head unit to stick in there.

If I had to do it again I would do a jogged bracket that lowers the mounting height of the driver's side and try to save the sliders that came with the E36 seats. This is a cage mounted frame from a random google search but gives the idea of what I mean

You can see how the driver's seat mounts off a lower elevation. Dropping it by the height of the sliders would have given me clearance to save them... But having it up high with no sliders does give me a lot of space for storage under the seats so that is a plus!

 

[ryanwk628]

I fixed the grill mounting ears on my bib and put in my freshly painted grill with a new Toyota emblem. My was really weathered and pitted. I also got two windshield hinge bolts out while I had my welder out and mounted the second of my new mirrors. Welding a nut on is the way to go on getting these out!

It seems there is rust behind the hinges on the windshield frame. The PO did give me a second windshield frame I hope to swap in this summer. One thing at a time

My cousin lives in VT, was home for Easter and stopped by with his jeep bumper totally trashed from hitting a deer. I put the bib and bumper in place to show him. A few months ago I picked up the ARB off another mud member when I saw he went a different direction. I beats the trashed JT channel bumper that was bent from a fender bender. I like how it looks in person, will keep me safe from all the deer around here and is more motivation to fabricate the rear bumper/tire carrier I have in mind so I have some front to back balance.

My cousin came bearing gifts

 

[ryanwk628]

Got the headlights back together. Rather than go with a 7" sealed beam unit, I decided to try an H4 housing with H4 LEDs. I went with
Ideapro LED Headlight Bulbs 40W 4000LM G5 LED H4 Hi/Lo LED as on amazon. This allowed me to use a 7" glass housing and keep the stock look. I read good reviews on other brands of complete units but they all looked a bit contemporary for my tastes. Another mudder said these worked well for him (cant recall the source) so I tried it. Price was much nicer than some other options. My expectations are too high but they seem well made.

I did have to zip a clearance hole in the back to pass through the connector and driver. This also allows some air to the fan which does not bottom out in the bucket.

I am hooking these up with a new H4 female connector on each side and replacing my terminal strips. Each original one just fell apart. I went with these really nice marine ones from Blue Sea Systems and am using water resistant heat shrink terminals.

Cant report on how they work because this project got side tracked by another issue (see next post)

 

[ryanwk628]

So my plan was to finish getting the lights wired and then I could drive it this week. I still have not taken it to work but have told several guys in my shop about it so I was anxious to drive it. Yesterday afternoon my girlfriend wanted to go for a ride and I needed to do a little shakedown run. Ive let it run in the drive way several times and taken it around the block. About 2 miles from home the temp starting shooting up followed by steam. I pulled into a buddies driveway, popped the hood and saw the issue.

I let it cool, put the clamps back on, topped it up with water and set off to get it home. On the hill to my house, once again the same thing. Coolant everywhere.

I am going to remove the paint from that part of the water pump and rough the surface up. I am also going to replace this two wire clamp with a T clamp (or two.) The problem with these wire clamps is sometimes they snug down great and really compress the hose, other times the threaded flat starts to twist, even if I try to hold it with something.

Now this should be the suction side of the water pump so I don't think any major issues would manifest here vs elsewhere, however googling this is like going on WebMD for a common cold and leaving convinced you have cancer. Things like the radiator cap doesnt work (but I have an overflow bottle), t stat is shot (brand new), head gasket is bad (God I hope not.) The head gasket suggestion on one forum I found did get me thinking "is that white smoke at start up just condensation or something worse?" It goes away quickly, but in creeps doubt. When I bought this truck I drove it and it ran strong. Since then it quickly started to have issues and felt rather gutless which I attributed to the carb. Just for my own sanity I ordered a gauge am am going to do a compression check. Never really felt the need to after test driving it but now Im wondering... Would the PO have put stop leak in this? Based on the quality of his other repairs I would not put it past him.

Will be back in a few days with a full report

 

[ryanwk628]

OK a little late on reporting back but a compression test proved my automotive hypochondria unfounded. Cleaning off the paint from the water pump outlet (and what ended up on the inside of the hose) plus switching to a T bolt style clamp in a few critical places resolved my issues (knock on wood). I like the wire clamps and am using them in a lot of connections still, but if you torque them and they twist they seem to lose their clamping force on one side. This new clamp allowed me to really crank on it.

My compression test confirmed what I felt when I test drove it - it ran strong but something was going on with the fuel delivery. I had assumed carb which was only part of it.

The compression test began by getting out my handy little Toyota note book. This is from my internship days in Torrance and has been sitting unused. I will have to do a post and share a bit about that experience when I have some more time. Now this is my FJ40 notebook

I ordered a gauge off Amazon. Compression numbers were solid. 138, 137, 133, 143, 141, 142 from 1-6 respectively. I was VERY happy after convincing myself it was full of stop leak or something.

I was seriously convinced this was going to be bad. Now Im !

 

[JohnnyC]

Imho get rid of that breather and run a hose to the air cleaner

 

[ryanwk628]

Still it was driving like crap and dying when I stepped on it too hard. That was part of why I thought I had a compression issue. Turns out it was two things. One was my timing which I rechecked and realized was off from the 10 degrees advance it is supposed to be at with a vac retard dizzy with no vac relying only on mechanical advance. Fixing that made a world of difference.

The other issue, and probably part of my carb issues, was the fuel pump. I had no idea it was bad until the pin holes opened up and it started leaking fuel out the bottom, on the wrong side of the diaphragm. I ordered a new one from City Racer LLC. This came with the gasket which was good because apparently my old fuel pump did not have a gasket. That explains some of the oil leaks....

This is not the same fuel pump used on my 1970. The tapped hole is in the other boss. I could have removed the fitting and threaded my old hose into there, but I was not comfortable with the condition of my old hose or making an S bend like that. Also I got a new WIX fuel filter off Amazon which was the hose clamp type with a 90 outlet and used that with a new section of 3/8 hose clamp.

This is the old fuel pump and the sleeved hose which threads in. The new hose is not tapped to enter parallel to the engine block like that. I probably could have swapped the guts and used the old housing but I did not think it worth while to save a tattered hose and a questionable filter.

New Filter with a 90 degree outlet and some new hose

Side by side of the fuel pumps. The arms are also different, one being stacked plates, the new being a formed piece. No one would ever see that.

All set!

Unrelated, this is our dog Noodle (when we adopted her she was Sky but she quickly earned the nickname Noodle and it stuck.) When Im working on my 40 shes usually underfoot and keeps me company. Shes obviously very photogenic and my girlfriend enjoys photography so a she entered a picture of her in Orvis' Cover Dog contest which raised money for animal cancer research. It turns out she won, so look for Britt's photo of Noodle in an upcoming Orvis catalog this fall!(Proud dog dad )

 

[ryanwk628]

Imho get rid of that breather and run a hose to the air cleaner

Why do you say that? Its not the PCV. I had something cobbled up but with the 2f valve cover it was a double dog leg mess of hose clamps.

 

[JohnnyC]

It draws air from top of the valve cover ... you'll get less condensation buildup with the hose in place

 

[ryanwk628]

Super easy .5 job but I also replaced my steering damper. Hardest part was the rusted in cotter pins which I ultimately just sheared right through with the nuts. I went with the OME unit. To answer the question that kept coming up as I was researching what to buy: YES it comes with the hardware. Nylock nuts rather than cotter pins which I like.

The sticker doesnt fit haha. I had to cut off the Emu.

The PO replaced a lot but not this. Totally shot.

Please disregard the water in my garage basement. My house is up against ledge and the water has no where to go. Happens every spring. Ive got a plan to address it.

Old vs new

One thing I noticed is the old one has grease fittings and seems to pivot on the ends. The new one has bushings.

 

[ryanwk628]

It draws air from top of the valve cover ... you'll get less condensation buildup with the hose in place

Is your thought that the air is less humid by way of the air cleaner compared to this K&N filter? Its all from the same engine bay. It is an intake either way for the PCV system. My 73 blazer had breather filters as do a lot of other peoples cars I can think of.... my brother's mustang, my fathers cars, etc. Really it wasnt until Mud that I ever heard people advocate against them. I figured it was a "keep it stock thing" but with my 2F valve cover and F air cleaner there just wasnt a clean looking way without a big loopy hose or multiple elbows

 

[ryanwk628]

Update: As it is nice out I have been driving it. That is giving me some insight into what to do next.

Brakes: My FJ40 has a later model axle in it with front disc brakes. It runs the JT Outfitters adapter plate but has no brake booster so my first inclination as Ive been driving this was to add one.

POs Master no booster

• ryanwk628
• Jul 31, 2017

Turns out that is not plug and play, rather entails drilling and cutting the fire wall, modifying parts and ends up being uncomfortably close to the carb.

I am on the fence because it would mean more holes in the dash, not something I care about in this tub, but if I spend a lot on a new tub I would not want to do it and would likely prohibit me from ever going to EFI which I am interested in.

Suspension: I have 300 lbs of cement blocks and the hard top on just to get the Rough Country shackles vertical. I put Blisteins on it but still am not happy. I may switch to OME which Krut said should work with my Blisteins and get the softer ride while lowering it a bit. Its very tall and I like to look of big tires stuffed up in there. If I had wider tires a 4" would look nice but it looks a bit silly on the tall skinny 33s, especially from the back IMO.

Dizzy: Running the vac retard dizzy capped and set at 10 degrees on mechanical advance works great for going around town. However I have noticed the lack of advance going up hills. The current dizzy is definitely not a permanent solution.

Trans: I dont hate the 3 on the tree as much as I thought I would. Now that Ive said that I probably jinxed myself and will have a problem on the drive home today. A 5 speed with overdrive would be nice, especially if I planned to drive this any long distance. The vac shift t case is weirder than the 3 on the tree IMO. At least the column shift you can feel, the vac shift you just have to trust.

I need to figure out a spare tire carrier. I have the old one but the steel it mounted to on the bottom rotted off and the PO covered it with aluminum diamond plate. I would like to make one that mounts to the rear cross member on the frame but when I looked at it, I realized that is twisted, likely form towing something a long time ago and should be replaced. I would like to hold off on that until I do a tub.

Changed the oil. It is leaking somewhere at the back of the engine. Slowly. I need to pull the cover and see how bad it is. I used VR1 which is high zinc and Ive seen recommended in a few places. I added a zinc additive for good measure. The engine sounds noticeably happier with this in there.

Otherwise things have been good! The cooling system is working awesome. New fuel pump and carb work well. For not having power steering it is nice and tight. Seats are a huge improvement though as a tall guy I wish they were a bit lower. The gas tank height was the driving factor and I tried to keep the pair even. Enjoying my 40 in the summer!

 

[White Stripe]

Be careful how much zddp you add. If you go much above like 1700ppm in the oil it can pit the bearings in the motor. I was just reading up on this because I was thinking of adding a whole bunch to my oil thinking more zddp would be better. But their is a line where it becomes actually harmful to the motor. Send some of your oil for a analysis and see where you are at as far as zddp levels. If you have to much you probably should change the oil.

 

[ryanwk628]

Be careful how much zddp you add. If you go much above like 1700ppm in the oil it can pit the bearings in the motor. I was just reading up on this because I was thinking of adding a whole bunch to my oil thinking more zddp would be better. But their is a line where it becomes actually harmful to the motor. Send some of your oil for a analysis and see where you are at as far as zddp levels. If you have to much you probably should change the oil.

Thanks @White Stripe, I will look into that... So now that you said that Im researching and VR1 seems to be all over the map as far as test results people have found 900ppm to 1200ppm. Valvoline claims 1200ppm. This test showed the additive I used adding 573ppm to oil. Give I treated more than the 6 quarts, its closer to a 425ppm gain, so probably under your 1700ppm threshold. I was really concerned about getting it in there because I dont think the PO would have known to use zinc and he let it get lower than I ever would. Where did you see that number by the way? I cant find it. I did find something saying ideal would actually be higher.

When I have to top it off in the future I will use a regular low detergent conventional and at my next change wont use the additive.

 

[White Stripe]

Thanks @White Stripe, I will look into that... So now that you said that Im researching and VR1 seems to be all over the map as far as test results people have found 900ppm to 1200ppm. Valvoline claims 1200ppm. This test showed the additive I used adding 573ppm to oil. Give I treated more than the 6 quarts, its closer to a 425ppm gain, so probably under your 1700ppm threshold. I was really concerned about getting it in there because I dont think the PO would have known to use zinc and he let it get lower than I ever would. Where did you see that number by the way? I cant find it. I did find something saying ideal would actually be higher.

When I have to top it off in the future I will use a regular low detergent conventional and at my next change wont use the additive.

I don't know if my 1700ppm number is right, I just said that because around 2000 or so people seem to have issues. I just looked in bob the oil guy forums etc.

 

[ryanwk628]

Well I knew I would jinx it.... Went out for lunch, got a sandwich and went to eat at the local state park. Go to start it and tsssssst, there was white smoke behind the dash. I made sure nothing was on fire, disconnected the battery. Something shorted and burned through the sheathing, need to look at the wiring diagram when I get home. AAA is in the way.

Oh well, there are worse places to be stranded

 

[sproggy]

Thanks for taking so much time detailing this and with such high spirits.

 

[ryanwk628]

Thanks for taking so much time detailing this and with such high spirits.

Thanks! Mud has been so helpful while working on this so I am more than happy to contribute my experiences, compile the information I used and also honestly weigh in with what did and did not work for me. Right now I am working ahead trying to sort things out so when I can get a new tub things will go as smoothly as possible - or at least I wont be getting side tracked with the projects I am doing now haha.

On the subject of a tub, my father's building is framed up and has a roof on it but is far from finished. He is having issues with the occupants at his rental and at this point he has to evict them which is costing him a lot of time and money on top of the money he is not getting in rent. Being a recently retired teacher, his rental income was part of his budget and its not coming it. Doing anything there this winter looks unlikely.

 

[ryanwk628]

So it looks like this is the issue that left me stranded yesterday.

That little bit made a lot of smoke!

When it happened I had assumed it was from my starter given I was starting the vehicle and had no accessories on like lights, maybe the solenoid went bad and that was sending too much juice up to the key for those little wires, but those colors dont seem to jive with what Im seeing online. Maybe it was just an old brittle wire that had seen one too many hot days? It looks like RY and RW would be headlights but they are not hooked up right now (on the to do list.) Perhaps the ground is bad and that is why they shorted...? But that switch is off

AAA got it home and I rolled it into the garage. I have not dug into it yet but any clues as to what Im looking for would be helpful.

 

[ryanwk628]

So I last updated this in August which makes me feel like a bad 40 owner. Since then I got engaged (which put a big dent in my bank account) and in hindsight underestimated what I was signing up for. Unlike my sisters, my fiance did not have her entire wedding planned out since childhood and every weekend was looking at venues, meeting vendors, etc, etc.

The good news is she wants to use my 40 in the wedding so now I can say working on it is technically getting ready for the wedding!

Since I last posted I needed a win and tore into the 8274 I got on CL for $50. It appeared to have been left outside based on the rust and water. I didnt take any chances and replaced everything. There are a lot of threads on rebuilds and anything I do would pale next to those. I used this, this, this and this... among others. A big thank you to everyone who has documented this process! It really was not a difficult project and now that Ive done one I feel like I could do another in 1/3 of the time.

There was actually a winch under the dust, grease, gunk. After wire brushing the heavy stuff off, I used stainless brushes on the dremel to get into the nooks and crannies. Did not go full polish because a)time and b) it just would not look right on my rusty 40. Maybe some day.

I opted to replace the motor with an aftermarket one for $79 (much cheaper.) Based on my winch number I thought I would have a keyed shaft but actually had a splined shaft.

Water, yes. Oil, not really.

Lots of dirt, dust and oxidization came off this thing. Dust mask was required.

I replaced the controls pack (mine was smashed in the front and had been sitting outside), the boots, did the brake service and the lower housing kit. I also ordered a new input bearing I did not end up needing because one came with the motor.

It is currently mounted on my bumper and a test off the battery shows it to be working great! I need wire cable for it and to set up my wires from the battery. I also have a new foil decal coming from SMG I will post pictures when it is all said and done