1974 FJ40 through the Sahara and sand dunes! (2 Viewers)

[flx]

Beautiful part of France too! About a decade ago I spent a week just south of Ganges in Brissac up on the hill (during the WC where Germany beat Argentina) and have been meaning to get back ever since.

It is!

Oh man, she's just perfect for the job.
Congrats wholeheartedly!

PS. What about the rims/wheels, 15'' or 16''?
If I can see well they are not split rims/jantes cerclées...

Wheels are 16" (only on European 4WD models, ROW had 15" on 4WD versions) and yes they are regular wheels, not split rims.
16*6 ET30

Up to 1993 it's a plain steel rim old school, after 1993 it's this wheel model:

Which is exactly the same (same PN) than you could have on Hilux, 4Runner, T100, 80 series...
And on 90, 120, 150 series you could have wheels with the exact same spec and a slightly different design.

And actually all the drivetrain is standard Toyota small truck of the time, same axle, diff, gearbox, u-joints, wheel bearings, etc. than a Hilux or 4Runner.
So even if it looks niche/exotic, the mechanical side is very common and most parts are easy to source.

 

[flx]

For all of you wanting to follow the Hiace build, the thread is live and I just brung it back from Switzerland: 1992 Hiace 4wd Firetruck - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/1992-hiace-4wd-firetruck.1336328/

PS: some new things on the FJ40 are happening soon also!

 

[Roastchestnuts]

Haha good catch, you are both on something

Some of the pictures are taken with a Leica IIIg and a Summitar 5cm on Portra 160 or 400.
View attachment 3505133

Many are also taken with my Ricoh GR2 or simply the phone.

I thought some were film! Nice!

 

[Slapshot]

I really enjoyed your trip. The pictures and story were awesome! The van project will be fun to watch.

 

[flx]

On the FJ40 front, it will go tomorrow to the garage for a little general check-up and for replacing the waterpump. I finally decided myself to replace the current one (last changed in 1977) and as my very specific euro-spec setup isn't available, I gathered everything to adapt a 2F fix fan setup.

At least I will be sure my waterpump and fan are working at 100% if I was to go for a even hotter destination by the end of the year
A good clean and flush won't do bad also, lot of mud got unstuck from the engine during my trips...

Then in 2 days my 40 is due for its technical control (every 5 year for a collector registered car)... First one since the renovation, hope it goes well.

And then in 3 weeks we have our national 40 series rally =D

 

[flx]

It's in and running!


Details for those interested on those 2 threads:

GMB F and 1.5F 'Made-in-Japan' Water Pump Gone ?

I got this one. It doesn’t arrive until Monday so don’t know if it will work yet. Stay tuned… quick update. Pulley arrived and I temp bolted it plus put a belt on. Alignment seems to be right on. I didnt have my phone on me, so no pics, but I’ll get the whole cooling system back together this...

forum.ih8mud.com

Water pump for 74' euro-spec

So, some pictures to my setup match all I have shown just before. The separating fan clutch. Comparison between the 74-76 fan clutch and the 77+ that everyone knows. The look of the clutch match the schematics. The rivets on the pulley. (Note also the teq logo on the pump) In the...

forum.ih8mud.com

Now the bad news is that my rear brakes need some work... When I took back the 40 after some stopped time I had noticed the fluid level for the rear brakes was low... And mandatory technical control confirmed that RH-side on the rear was braking had 4 time less stopping power than the left... (which is the only default they noted on my 40 but sadly it's a bad enough motive to get rejected... so now I have 2 months to fix the rear brakes).
The GR program revived the rear wheel cylinders so I ordered the and take the opportunity to put all of them back to OEM... Yes because looking at the vehicle history they were already changed in 2018... by some FIC parts...

Anyway, tomorrow I'll go for a little roadtrip around France to see some friends on the way to the 40series national meetup. It will be a good test for the new WP and fan before to go to a remote destination with them.

 

[flx]

Started my trip by a visit to Grenoble, then a few days in the Alps at friends house.

Then headed to the Jura for the 40 series meetup.

Of course I never succeeded to capture every participants... Always someone taking the aperitif somewhere x)


And during a roadbook through the wood I succeeded in getting stuck in a mudpit... The 4 leaf springs stuck on the center ground.

Which gave me the opportunity to use my PTO winch to pull myself out for the very first time!

(tree protector and pulley were used)


Was afraid of breaking the pin but the winch did an easy job of pulling the FJ40 sideway to get back the left wheels on firmer ground.

 

[flx]

2 different views of the same recovery.




I noticed after that I let the parking brake on during the winching

The aftermath:

 

[flx]

Getting stuck just before the winching, failed to force the left wheel on the center ground... Not having PS doesn't help here, I wouldn't really force the wheel in a direction.

 

[flx]

And after the winching, when not lifted up the XZL do a good job getting traction in the mud

 

[flx]

Otherwise, on the way back from the meetup I broke my fuel consumption record on road, 14.7l/100km (16mpg) while I just went from a fan with clutch to a fixed fan!
Road conditions were kind of perfect for that record, mostly motorway with a stable speed but as it was very loaded WE on the road, speed was lower than usual at ~100kph.

Also, the plans for a Tunisian Sahara trip at the end of the year start to become more concrete, still a little bit a logistic to have the FJ40 for this but it's on good way.
This would includes a loop of 9 consecutive days deep in the soft sand dunes of the Sahara, in autonomy. Biggest challenge for the FJ is obviously the fuel to carry...

 

[flx]

Some news!
Tunisia is now confirmed!! Ferry, guide and even a cook for the diners are booked!
I'll spend both Christmas and NYE in the middle of the Sahara with the FJ40 and some friends.

I'm not completely going to the unknow, the friend organizing this trip went 2 years ago with someone else that came with a FJ40, which help knowing it's feasible... and also what is the real fuel consumption of the FJ40 in these conditions (<6MPG).

I should need a few less jerricans that he had. I also have the option to ask the guide (that has a brand new GRJ79) to take for me a few 30L plastic cans that they have over there, it shouldn't be a problem for him to add a few in his pickup.
But I'm also contemplating building a simple wood structure to hold the cans in the FJ40... Would feel better being completely autonomous in fuel... and who knows it may be useful for futures trips where I wouldn't have the option of the guide?

Bonus pic of the other FJ40 in the Sahara =)

Now... I need to source a few spare parts I'm missing for this trip:

• Carb kit... In Europe I can only find generic kit fitting all years so will have to order in the US but shouldn't be an issue.
  (May seem over reaching the carb kit but the yellow FJ40 was very happy to have one... his fuel tank over-pressurized with the heat, which destroyed the fuel filter that completely clogged up his carb... he had to fully disassemble his carb in the middle of the Sahara and change all jets)
• Birfield: I need at least one, my FJ40 being 10/73 built I need to find a coarse spline birfield... which are non existent in Europe... Will post a classified but if anyone has a correct one (or a pair) and ready to ship to France, I'm interested.
  
  
  
  The correct one for my FJ40 should be 43405-60011 but can't figure out what would be the difference with the previous 60010, all the parts that goes around don't change... But Toyota has not indicated it as a superseed... If anyone know? (because 60010 seems a lot easier to find).
• Jack Rod clip holder... Is still broken since the Moroccan trip so if someone has a spare clip of the right model I'm interested so my jack rod stay in place!
  
  

For the rest I should be all set, I already have spare wheel bearings, U-joints, fuel pump, fuel filter, thermostat, accessory belt, all kind of hoses, bolts and nuts.
Waterpump is new and fix type.

 

[MatthewMcD]

Some news!
Tunisia is now confirmed!! Ferry, guide and even a cook for the diners are booked!
I'll spend both Christmas and NYE in the middle of the Sahara with the FJ40 and some friends.

I'm not completely going to the unknow, the friend organizing this trip went 2 years ago with someone else that came with a FJ40, which help knowing it's feasible... and also what is the real fuel consumption of the FJ40 in these conditions (<6MPG).
View attachment 3745216
I should need a few less jerricans that he had. I also have the option to ask the guide (that has a brand new GRJ79) to take for me a few 30L plastic cans that they have over there, it shouldn't be a problem for him to add a few in his pickup.
But I'm also contemplating building a simple wood structure to hold the cans in the FJ40... Would feel better being completely autonomous in fuel... and who knows it may be useful for futures trips where I wouldn't have the option of the guide?

Bonus pic of the other FJ40 in the Sahara =)
View attachment 3745218


Now... I need to source a few spare parts I'm missing for this trip:

• Carb kit... In Europe I can only find generic kit fitting all years so will have to order in the US but shouldn't be an issue.
  (May seem over reaching the carb kit but the yellow FJ40 was very happy to have one... his fuel tank over-pressurized with the heat, which destroyed the fuel filter that completely clogged up his carb... he had to fully disassemble his carb in the middle of the Sahara and change all jets)
• Birfield: I need at least one, my FJ40 being 10/73 built I need to find a coarse spline birfield... which are non existent in Europe... Will post a classified but if anyone has a correct one (or a pair) and ready to ship to France, I'm interested.
  View attachment 3745227
  The correct one for my FJ40 should be 43405-60011 but can't figure out what would be the difference with the previous 60010, all the parts that goes around don't change... But Toyota has not indicated it as a superseed... If anyone know? (because 60010 seems a lot easier to find).
• Jack Rod clip holder... Is still broken since the Moroccan trip so if someone has a spare clip of the right model I'm interested so my jack rod stay in place!
  View attachment 3745228

For the rest I should be all set, I already have spare wheel bearings, U-joints, fuel pump, fuel filter, thermostat, accessory belt, all kind of hoses, bolts and nuts.
Waterpump is new and fix type.

Of all the things on your list, that rattling Jack Rod would be a bummer on a long trip.

 

[RevISK]

Yay, looking forward to another epic thread from you.

 

[MatthewMcD]

Yay, looking forward to another epic thread from you.

...and photos!!!

 

[flx]

Hello

In a little bit more than a week I will be on my way to Tunisia!

So I'm slowly starting to prepare the FJ40 for the trip.

First topic is to install a cyclonic pre-filter in front of the airbox to remove most of the sand it will ingest. Obviously I'm not willing to cut any original part and the F airbox opens as a trumpet... which is not very practical to connect anything...

This is the cyclonic I want to install, I think it comes out of Harvester of some kind.

A friend manufactured a knuckle that slip into the airbox trumpet and if I remove the horn it barely fit in front of the airbox.

Needs a little bit of grinding there and there to fit with enough margin.

Grinded + silicon + foam

It's not nice but it's installed and it works, the piece of tube helps it stay in place, fencing wire helps with vibration (I hope). It only need to survive for 2 weeks and then to be removed without letting a trace.

 

[flx]

The Hiace and FJ40 are back together by the way!

Installed a VHF radio to stay in touch with the group.
I still need to tuck away the wiring, I installed a cigarette light port on the (unused) radio positive line, which is commuted, contrary to the original cig lighter port which is always ON.

Placement of the radio all the way on the passenger side isn't ideal and not too sure how well this suction cup is going to hold but not much other place to install it except the windshield. I wanted to double my ram mount and use the ball but the one provided with the original holder is way smaller than the ram B ball I have installed in the dashboard.

 

[MatthewMcD]

The Hiace and FJ40 are back together by the way!
View attachment 3791619

Installed a VHF radio to stay in touch with the group.
I still need to tuck away the wiring, I installed a cigarette light port on the (unused) radio positive line, which is commuted, contrary to the original cig lighter port which is always ON.
View attachment 3791621
View attachment 3791622
Placement of the radio all the way on the passenger side isn't ideal and not too sure how well this suction cup is going to hold but not much other place to install it except the windshield. I wanted to double my ram mount and use the ball but the one provided with the original holder is way smaller than the ram B ball I have installed in the dashboard.

Check out how @wngrog mounted his with a plate behind the dash pad. Photo in this post: Builds - Vermont Troop Carrier - Tilda Bogue Service Station - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/vermont-troop-carrier-tilda-bogue-service-station.1343887/post-15732861

 

[flx]

Check out how @wngrog mounted his with a plate behind the dash pad. Photo in this post: Builds - Vermont Troop Carrier - Tilda Bogue Service Station - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/vermont-troop-carrier-tilda-bogue-service-station.1343887/post-15732861

Thanks! Not sure I can install my unit the same way as it's not a remote screen but will check if I can find a bolt or nut available somewhere on the dash to install it more securely and closer to me.

 

[Spike Strip]

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