1987 FJ60 build

[norsk]

John

spoke with Tom (Alaska60) on the shifter for the Ranger, and he said he put his in about 1-1/2 inch over and it clears the heater fine. He had to bend the shifter in a vice to have it come back enough, but it works great according to him without any other linkage.

dougbert

 

[JohninFla]

Thanks Doug, I sent a note to him to ask for some details. I will follow his idea and get my hi-low in gear!

Thanks!
John

 

[JohninFla]

I have been chasing an oil leak on the small block chevy engine. Replaced the oil pan gasket, seal around the crankshaft in the timing cover, harmonic balancer, and a bunch of misc other little things.

I did find an oil pan gasket that is new (to me), one piece and a re useable design. It's the blue in the photos.

I will take it out for another drive tomorrow, I hope I got it done.

 

[JohninFla]

Oh and my gas gauge decided to start working for some reason.

 

[JohninFla]

Chased my oil leak some more.

I read on the chevy forums that it could be the valve cover gaskets if there is oil all over the starter, and sometimes they come loose after you run a bit. Mine were all finger tight, that seemed to help a lot after I test drove today. Much less oil on the starter, and the cleanser I sprayed on the valve cover followed the exact path to the front differential that the oil did, so I think it might be part of it. Still have some oil coming out after I drive it.

The leak appears to be from the oil dipstick tube. I put some RTV around it, and slid it back in, I hope that helps get the rest of the leak. I also made sure I vented the valve cover into the air cleaner. It had a cheapo breather on it, but I don't know how much it could flow. We'll see if this is the right combo, I want to wait overnight for the RTV to set up.

Once the oil leak is sealed, I will chase out and check the 4wd function. I need to get this thing dirty!

 

[JohninFla]

Chased my oil leak to the valve cover gasket on the passenger side. I still have a drip from the front crank seal, but I am pretending it doesn't bother me.

I also rebuilt both hubs, and the 4wd works. That thing is a billy goat, it climbs through sand, splashes through mud, and just keeps going. I was trying to get stuck, and couldn't!!

I do have a tech question. I recall reading someplace that there is a splash guard that mounts to the front under the radiator. While I was out playing today, the water spray up and soaked everything. Even the hood insulation was drenched. Might be me hitting the deep water moving pretty fast, but...naaaaahhhh, can't be me!

Anyone have a pic of it? I searched around and no luck. I could be calling it the wrong thing, though. I was looking under there earlier, and might just put some sheet metal across the frame down there.

Thanks, and some muddy cruiser porn attached. I am the guy in the cruiser, grinning ear to ear.

 

[cruisermatt]

Glad to hear the problems are getting sorted out, I'll have to come visit and play sometime while I still have my 3FE

 

[JohninFla]

I wheel, therefore, I break things....

I noticed a drip where there wasn't one before. My rear axle pinion is drooling onto the driveway. I was wondering what I was going to be doing next Saturday morning!!

Cruiser Matt - are you thinking of losing the 3FE?

 

[cruisermatt]

Losing it, getting a different one rebuilt, maybe a little hopped up, and swapping it in.

There's a good write up on the pinion seal replacement by "TheMachinist".

 

[JohninFla]

Kurt to the rescue!

I e mailed Cruiser outfitters this morning, and they had my pinion seal, (Marlin crawler HD), new nut on the way before lunchtime!

I went through TheMachinist's thread on pinion seal replacement, not horrible. I hope my truck is tall enough for me to sit underneath like he did!

I should be leak free this Saturday! Woo hoo!

 

[JohninFla]

Pinion heartache

Ok, moving along. Seems like I can hit a bump on a smooth road, every time.

I dove into the pinion seal replacement today. Had to stop and run to Sears for a 30mm socket, but it all came apart pretty easily. Old seal came out, new Marlin Crawler seal went in. Easy breezy. Then, things went caddy whumpus.

I cannot get the flange to go back onto the threaded pinion rod. It really feels like it is hitting solid on something, before the teeth even engage. It didn't seem like anything moved when I pulled the flange off, I didn't even use a puller, just slid it off with my hands.

Any ideas?

I decided it was enough for one night, came back in. In case anyone was worried, it has not been cold enough to kill the mosquitoes here yet, so all your little blood sucking friends are alive and well. Some are much fatter tonight, after gnawing on my legs for an hour or so after the sun went down.

 

[JohninFla]

Things always look better in the morning

I went out this morning, and it jumped together almost by itself.

Added some gear oil to the proper level, and I am back on the road. Or trail.

I ended up using the old nut, staked it as the FSM told me to, after turning it to just past where it was when I took it off.

 

[JohninFla]

Easily distracted and prone to wandering

Not much tech here.

Had the day off, drove around north of here, toward Daytona.

I think I need window tinting and a radio!

Found a trail off a back road, made a friend. Good stuff!

See pics.

 

[JohninFla]

I haven't done much lately, and this morning I was drinking coffee on the back porch, barefoot, in a tee shirt and shorts, reading the Mud posts. I started feeling guilty that Doug was in Utah, making a tent in the snow to work on his truck, and I wasn't doing anything in the sunny, 65 degree weather.

I got a short flexible antenna, and replaced my broken stub.

I wire wheeled my driver's side floor, and found that I had some holes in the floor! I covered the bare steel with Rustoleum, until I can weld something in there.

I did the famous $3.99 headlight buzzer mod. Took longer to type it than it did to do it.

Whew! I am wiped out!

 

[norsk]

ROFLOL

you did good.

25 degrees outside, clear skies and Venus is bright as can be.
Love it here


help for ya, if you want:

all that asphalt c-r-a-p on the floor - sound deadener, insulation whatever it is? If you want to take it off
use dry ice. Lay it on that stuff for a few minutes, then take a rubber hammer and pound it a
couple of times. Once cold as dry ice, it becomes brittle and "pops" off and cracks itself
something fun. It actually becomes fun to pop that stuff off. Will give you clean
steel to wield to.

I did that for the entire floor and put Cruiser C-R-A-P on it. Helped make it quieter
and resists the heat from the power train into the cab

And get a DeWalt grinder, something serious. I wish I had gotten one far, far earlier.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_210887-70-D...inder&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=grinder&facetInfo=

4.5 inch 7-amp dewalt,, got mine for $59 love it

love your white truck as well. Merry Christmas

dougbert

 

[Spudman]

Excellent write up mate, just read your whole post, just gotta luv the unpredictability of the 60.

 

[JohninFla]

Doug - I have a similar grinder, I was too lazy to go get it and drag an extension cord out. I agree, it is the right tool for the job. I will try the dry ice trick, that stuff is really on there. They should make the black boxes for aircraft cockpits out of it.

Spud - thanks, hello down under! The outback is on my bucket list.

I got more done today, I am happy with myself. I decided having the Ranger torque splitter bolted in hi range wasn't doing me any good, and got out there to hook up the shift handle. I bent the handle that Advance Adapters provided, it ended up being up too high and just not looking right in my opinion.

I grabbed a FJ62 shifter I bought on Mud when I got my truck, thinking I would put in an automatic. Made a quick bracket out of some steel I had laying around, and it's in there! I like it much better. I need to find a boot for it, the one that Advance provided is HUGE, I could wear it as a hat! But I guess it works with the trucks they sell the Ranger for, not complaining, it's just not what I want in there.

A couple of pics of the shifter in there, and the mighty Cruiser in the messy garage. I was surprised it fit through the door, it was close to rubbing the roof. On the right are the yellow steel channel for the rear bumper and the hummer tire carrier behind them. And my old radiator. And tons of other junk from cars gone by.

Comments welcome on the shifter, and I know, I know, on the garage!

 

[cruisermatt]

How much throw do you need to shift from High to Low? It doesn't look like you have enough room to shift the Ranger?

 

[JohninFla]

Not much. That is the middle of the throw in the picture. The slot in the floor is plenty long.

 

[cruisermatt]

Ok, it looked like it would hit the air tube