1983 fj60 build up (1 Viewer)

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Nice bro! you turned that around fast. Looking good. Nice work.
 
Nice bro! you turned that around fast. Looking good. Nice work.

thanks, i'm tryin!!!!!

hopefully i'll get some stuff done today. i am turning to the engine this weekend. i am stalled waiting on parts for the rest of the rear axle seals and bearings and the lift.
 
well my work got delayed today. it was cold and foggy all day anyway which is not a good day for wrenching on your back in the driveway. i did get all my tune up parts together. got a new valve feeler gauge for valve adjustment, valve cover gasket, side cover gasket, ngk spark plugs, dist. cap and rotor, already had upgraded wires( did an continuity and ohm check and all look good), temp sensor, new thermostat, oring, base gasket, outlet gasket, new upper hose and clamps, new heater hose, the valve looks good and operates fine for now, new oil and filter. i am going to run cheap walmart oil and a fram filter for a while because i am pretty sure the oil pan has got to come down. i have a seeping leak around rear the seal, but i want to clean good and see if it keeps leaking from that spot, tranny and t-case oil. that should take up the day tomorrow.
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well i started off intending to do tune up stuff and changed my mind. liked the silicone vacume lines as seen in https://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wagons/206857-heres-quick-how-i-desmogged-my-85-fj60.html so will try and get some of them plus i tore the base gasket for the thermostat taking it out of the plastic, duh!! had to order another one. so decided to take a few pics of the engine and lack of smog hook up, but PO left all the stuff in place. i only have a few vac lines and will have to study the diagrams real close to figure what else i need.
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more engine pics
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so i decide to weld up the patch panel for the rear quarters. i was no real neat beacuse this truck will never be a show stopper. just sound, functional, and fun.
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Once that was done i decided to try something else. i looked up the price of an arb rack as well as others and figured i could make my own for the price of shipping. i have the aluminum spool gun for my mig welder and had som 1 inch tubing for another project that i had not used yet. i am not real good with aluminum welding yet. so the welds are not pretty. you have to move fast and push the weld. very very touchy. anyway here is my effort. its about 75% done. just have to finish the upper rails, tie into the base, make a floor, attach brackets for a high lift in the back, and figure out how to mount it. i will paint is black to match the other accessories i have built. material cost about 100.00 ade of 1x1x 1/8 aluminum tubing. rack demnsions, 49" wide, 80" long, sides are 6 inches tall.
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got a good days work in. started by removing all the siconnected smog stuff the PO had done. removed the air rail and capped, carb blower, have a webber so no need, and the smog tray of vacum stuff on lf fender. replaced three heater hoses that had holes in them. removed thermostat housing. i had no heat and surprise there was no oring. the po had put some epoxy and rtv to make the seal WTF!!!!!!!!! had to grind all that crap off. new engine to base gasket, thermosts fits in base recess, square gasket over thermostat, oring on top of thermostat, add thermo cover, new radiator hoses and complete.
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heres the other pics
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finished the rack, got a cheap set of thule raingutter mounts off ebay for $30 shipped cut the top insereted a aluminum crossbar and welded her up. can't weld the rack to the mounts until i get another spool of aluminum wire.
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onto OME

My shackles will be here monday so i decided to install everything and put the shackles on monday after work. took off the front springs, the passenger side had a bow in the main spring which was the imputus for get the lift sooner than later. everything came apart cery easy, got to love air tools, until the drivers side rear pin. seized against the spring eye bushings. i had soaked with pb blaster for two days hoping to have an easy go. took me the better part of 45 minutes to get the damn thing out. other side came right out but this one got me saying a few choice words. had another issue in that the old spring pacs with adaleafs had a caster shim on them and i debated using them. tried to get some quick help here and ended deciding to re-use them. took 3 seconds to undue the packs add the shims and snug everything up. so got both front spring in, shocks, new extended sway bar links and a new stearing stabilizer. all parts and bushings OME. will do the rear axle tomorrow
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another day down

Got the rear springs on today all went well except for the drivers side PITA spring bolt again. the passenger side came out fine arrggg. Well thanks to the good advice of others here i removed the shims from the front springs i put on last night. i will keep them just incase i find drivability issues. bled the front brakes today and welded the rack to the gutter mount braces and left the rack installed. its missing something, but i cant put my finger on it yet. thats the problem with design, sometimes your never happy. well as i said my greasable antiinversion shackles will be here tomorrow. i took before measurements and will put up the new numbers tomorrow night once i get done.
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lift completed

my shackles arrived today so i put them on at lunch today. i only took me an hour to do all 4 corners. i had read stories of how difficult the rear antiinversions were but i had no problems. an 18 inch wonder bar and a floor jack did the trick.

got my tax return so i ordered a aussie locker for the rear end. since i have to be in there to get the c-clips for the rear axle seals and bearing i figured it would be easier to do it now rather than have to take it down again later. should be here by the weekend.
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Man, you're like the army; you get more done before 9AM than most of us do in a day! On your Thule gutter mounts, are they the high mount style (#387) or the regular ones (#300)? They look like the perfect height for your rack. Keep up the good work, makes for some great reading.
 
Man, you're like the army; you get more done before 9AM than most of us do in a day! On your Thule gutter mounts, are they the high mount style (#387) or the regular ones (#300)? They look like the perfect height for your rack. Keep up the good work, makes for some great reading.

Thanks. the work is like therapy for me

the thule towers are the regular height 300's. it worked out great height wise.
 
Dude....You need to get a life !!

Just kidding , Great work !! ;p

I haven't been keeping up with the thread.......I didn't expect to see it progress so quickly!

If you ever need someone to hover over you , watch you work , hand you tools , and possibly fetch beers , let me know. Seriously :D ......I might have a 60 in my future. [Wife wants one , and won't have to twist my arm too hard ;)]
 
Thanks. the work is like therapy for me


I can relate to that. The first year that I had my 40 , I spent endless hours , laying on my back , in gravel , piddling , even when I didn't have new parts to install. Just finding something to "fix up". It's good therapy....... My wife thought I'd lost my mind.:D
 
This thread is a great learning experience. I particularly like the clean, indestructible look of that rear bumper you fabbed up.
 
I can relate to that. The first year that I had my 40 , I spent endless hours , laying on my back , in gravel , piddling , even when I didn't have new parts to install. Just finding something to "fix up". It's good therapy....... My wife thought I'd lost my mind.:D

I spent some time sunday lying on my back in the driveway under the truck just looking. my wife walked out and said what the h*** are you doing. then i heard "never mind" and she walked away.

So i too am in "lost mind" club
 

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