- Thread starter
- #481
The 4th post is a video of just that... if I understand you correctly.
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Heater Install; HVAC Cleanup
- Thread starter
- #482
I did a pretty exhaustive thread on the HVAC system, so won't get into much detail here.
I cleaned all the diverter flaps of their rust and foam residue and gave them a basic coat of paint.
Then put new foam on them.
Finished product. I'm getting excited to have heat and floor air for next winter.
I used my existing AC-only control and the Heat-only control to make a fully functional unit. Amazing how serviceable these parts are.
Drilled holes in the firewall for the heater to pass through as well.
And a few more odds and ends buttoned up...
I also removed the 120kph speedometer alarm while I was in there... it's nice not to have the "beep beep beep" droning away now.
Also took @orangefj45's advice on the transfer breather.
I cleaned all the diverter flaps of their rust and foam residue and gave them a basic coat of paint.
Then put new foam on them.
Finished product. I'm getting excited to have heat and floor air for next winter.
I used my existing AC-only control and the Heat-only control to make a fully functional unit. Amazing how serviceable these parts are.
Drilled holes in the firewall for the heater to pass through as well.
And a few more odds and ends buttoned up...
I also removed the 120kph speedometer alarm while I was in there... it's nice not to have the "beep beep beep" droning away now.
Also took @orangefj45's advice on the transfer breather.
Dash Restoration
- Thread starter
- #483
With all the dash parts removed for the heater install, I decided to do some "refinishing". I remembered that @c2dfj45 had found some good SEM Color Coat colors for his Oak interior and I settled on the Medium Prairie Tan (after also testing the Monterrey).
But first, there were some holes in the ABS pieces that I figured I'd patch up. Using my styrene/plastic fine scale modeling skills I didn't think I'd have too much or a problem.
Glue in some plugs of styrene stock.
Apply some Squadron putty.
Sand it smooth.
And painted (this was before a second coat of black to make this part two-tone). Sadly my repair shows through just a bit. But only from a certain angle. Otherwise it looks loads better.
And the top of the cluster housing.
And the center bezel (with SEM satin black accented pieces).
Snagged a new cover for the wider blanks on the dash. My existing one had been drilled out for the rear-AC knob. I did the SEM satin black on this as well.
And also polished my choke/seatbelt indicators with some plastic polish. These look new!
Really happy with how it turned out. Of course I now have to sort out the steering wheel, steering column clamshell, and the dash pad. My son has been nitpicking at me about that already.
But first, there were some holes in the ABS pieces that I figured I'd patch up. Using my styrene/plastic fine scale modeling skills I didn't think I'd have too much or a problem.
Glue in some plugs of styrene stock.
Apply some Squadron putty.
Sand it smooth.
And painted (this was before a second coat of black to make this part two-tone). Sadly my repair shows through just a bit. But only from a certain angle. Otherwise it looks loads better.
And the top of the cluster housing.
And the center bezel (with SEM satin black accented pieces).
Snagged a new cover for the wider blanks on the dash. My existing one had been drilled out for the rear-AC knob. I did the SEM satin black on this as well.
And also polished my choke/seatbelt indicators with some plastic polish. These look new!
Really happy with how it turned out. Of course I now have to sort out the steering wheel, steering column clamshell, and the dash pad. My son has been nitpicking at me about that already.
- Thread starter
- #484
A few weeks back we had friends in town who enjoy heading out for camping and exploring. So we loaded up the Troopy and my wife's 4Runner and made for the KOFA National Wildlife Refuge in western Arizona. Just a beautiful place and, with a little effort, you can get quite remote.
Hunting for a good camping spot the first day we ventured up Queen Canyon, checking out skull rock, and trying to settle on a good spot.
The 4Runner, being a far bit wider, had some nice desert pinstripes to show for this part of the trek. I got about 98% out with a good polish/wax. My wife was a good sport about it... "making memories" she said.
The canyon was swarming with flying ants of some sort. Every time we stopped at a potential spot we got swarmed. Kind of a downer since we had a few killer spots identified. In the end we camped just outside the canyon. The breeze seemed to keep the swarm away so this worked out great.
As soon as we parked to set up camp the kids were gone... and scrambling up this!
Hunting for a good camping spot the first day we ventured up Queen Canyon, checking out skull rock, and trying to settle on a good spot.
The 4Runner, being a far bit wider, had some nice desert pinstripes to show for this part of the trek. I got about 98% out with a good polish/wax. My wife was a good sport about it... "making memories" she said.
The canyon was swarming with flying ants of some sort. Every time we stopped at a potential spot we got swarmed. Kind of a downer since we had a few killer spots identified. In the end we camped just outside the canyon. The breeze seemed to keep the swarm away so this worked out great.
As soon as we parked to set up camp the kids were gone... and scrambling up this!
orangefj45
Supporting Vendor
Very cool! That’s exactly what mud is all about. Sharing info and experiences.
Will Van
GOLD Star
Awesome! Your interior looks great!
- Thread starter
- #487
We woke up to an amazing sunrise!
And the kids promptly went rock scrambling again... my daughter still in her PJ's, but at least she put her shoes on.
We drove out to an area of the refuge where rock hounding is permitted. We hiked up Crystal Hill, collecting nice quartz specimens as we went. Then we found this massive vein of quartz that was strewn all about.
Our final day we headed out for the Dead Eye Mine. This drive took us through some very remote portions of the refuge. When we got to the mine the visitors logbook only had a handful of people each year. Not a lot of folks make the drive (which included some mildly technical portions) plus the 3/4-mile hike at the end to reach the mine. The kids had a blast.
My trust in the Troopy grows with each trip.
And the kids promptly went rock scrambling again... my daughter still in her PJ's, but at least she put her shoes on.
We drove out to an area of the refuge where rock hounding is permitted. We hiked up Crystal Hill, collecting nice quartz specimens as we went. Then we found this massive vein of quartz that was strewn all about.
Our final day we headed out for the Dead Eye Mine. This drive took us through some very remote portions of the refuge. When we got to the mine the visitors logbook only had a handful of people each year. Not a lot of folks make the drive (which included some mildly technical portions) plus the 3/4-mile hike at the end to reach the mine. The kids had a blast.
My trust in the Troopy grows with each trip.
- Thread starter
- #488
We heard about another good rockhounding site here in Arizona called Burro Creek. It's a sanctioned area for collecting rocks and has some very solid areas to go searching for pastelite. In addition, we understood that Burro Creek was still flowing and might make a good spot for the kids to play.
There was indeed still water, but it was getting low and in the ponding areas was getting pretty scummy. Still scenic though!
So we put up the awning, got out our chairs, and picnicked!
And the kids scrambled around on the rocks in and out of the creek.
Then we drove up to the rockhounding area and the kids filled their collection containers!
There was indeed still water, but it was getting low and in the ponding areas was getting pretty scummy. Still scenic though!
So we put up the awning, got out our chairs, and picnicked!
And the kids scrambled around on the rocks in and out of the creek.
Then we drove up to the rockhounding area and the kids filled their collection containers!
4Cruisers
SILVER Star
When we were active in Southern Nevada Land Cruisers my oldest son and I participated in a club run/camping trip to Burro Creek. On he drive down on US 93 we were following another club member and his wife in their FJ40, which was pulling a small single axle travel trailer. Their trailer came unhitched at speed and forced their FJ40 over the concrete curb of a large box culvert and into the wash below. Their travel trailer followed them partway, the axle hung up on the top of the box culvert with the tongue resting on the lower rear corner of the FJ40, behind the passenger side wheel well. Luckily no one was hurt. We were able to get the trailer back on the highway and hooked up to another Land Cruiser, and turned the FJ40 back up on its wheels. They were able to drive it out of the wash, back on the highway, and the rest of the way into Kingman to his brother's house. Other than that, we had a great trip.We heard about another good rockhounding site here in Arizona called Burro Creek. It's a sanctioned area for collecting rocks and has some very solid areas to go searching for pastelite. In addition, we understood that Burro Creek was still flowing and might make a good spot for the kids to play.
There was indeed still water, but it was getting low and in the ponding areas was getting pretty scummy. Still scenic though!
So we put up the awning, got out our chairs, and picnicked!
And the kids scrambled around on the rocks in and out of the creek.
Then we drove up to the rockhounding area and the kids filled their collection containers!
Do you have a part number for that transfer breather? how does it install?I did a pretty exhaustive thread on the HVAC system, so won't get into much detail here.
I cleaned all the diverter flaps of their rust and foam residue and gave them a basic coat of paint.
Then put new foam on them.
Finished product. I'm getting excited to have heat and floor air for next winter.
I used my existing AC-only control and the Heat-only control to make a fully functional unit. Amazing how serviceable these parts are.
Drilled holes in the firewall for the heater to pass through as well.
And a few more odds and ends buttoned up...
I also removed the 120kph speedometer alarm while I was in there... it's nice not to have the "beep beep beep" droning away now.
Also took @orangefj45's advice on the transfer breather.
- Thread starter
- #491
Tundra Seat Install
- Thread starter
- #492
I want to get rid of the factory split bench and go to bucket seats in the front. I'm not rolling in enough dough to spring for Scheel-Manns, so I snagged these used Tundra Seats quite awhile back.
My brother-in-law and I recently went in together on the purchase of a welder and associated equipment. So it was time to get the passenger seat in as a trial of the overall idea of subbing these seats in.
First order of business was locating the captured nut in the floor for the rear-left seat foot. My bench seat was wider and used a nut closer to the parking brake. With some measurements and careful drilling I managed to find it.
Removed the feet from the Tundra seat rails.
I did a similar, but far more careful, removal of the existing FJ75 feet from the bench seat. Cleaned them up, bolted them in, and started mocking things up.
I read articles, watched videos, and did as much internet-based welding prep as I could. But in the end, you gotta jump in. I did some practice welds on scrap steel and found that getting good penetration was pretty straightforward. I also got some guidance from my neighbor who's a certified welder and electrician. I've long wanted to learn to weld and was so excited to be taking these steps.
The welds aren't pretty, but they are serviceable. These were done after tack welding feet into place and test-fitting, adjusting, re-test-fitting several times to make sure I was getting this right.
Installed, the seat sits about 2" higher than the old bench. It also sits about 1" further forward (at it's rear most adjustment) than the old bench. What's nice is that the kids have a foot pedal on the back of this seat to spring it forward so they can get out.
Based on these results I'm going to move forward with the driver's seat. Once the other seat is mounted I'll remove them and clean up the welds and put down paint on all the raw metal. The plan is to reupholster these seats along with the kids rear bench with new fabric and foam. I may have the foam height reduced a bit in the seats. Will see how I like the height increase over time.
My brother-in-law and I recently went in together on the purchase of a welder and associated equipment. So it was time to get the passenger seat in as a trial of the overall idea of subbing these seats in.
First order of business was locating the captured nut in the floor for the rear-left seat foot. My bench seat was wider and used a nut closer to the parking brake. With some measurements and careful drilling I managed to find it.
Removed the feet from the Tundra seat rails.
I did a similar, but far more careful, removal of the existing FJ75 feet from the bench seat. Cleaned them up, bolted them in, and started mocking things up.
I read articles, watched videos, and did as much internet-based welding prep as I could. But in the end, you gotta jump in. I did some practice welds on scrap steel and found that getting good penetration was pretty straightforward. I also got some guidance from my neighbor who's a certified welder and electrician. I've long wanted to learn to weld and was so excited to be taking these steps.
The welds aren't pretty, but they are serviceable. These were done after tack welding feet into place and test-fitting, adjusting, re-test-fitting several times to make sure I was getting this right.
Installed, the seat sits about 2" higher than the old bench. It also sits about 1" further forward (at it's rear most adjustment) than the old bench. What's nice is that the kids have a foot pedal on the back of this seat to spring it forward so they can get out.
Based on these results I'm going to move forward with the driver's seat. Once the other seat is mounted I'll remove them and clean up the welds and put down paint on all the raw metal. The plan is to reupholster these seats along with the kids rear bench with new fabric and foam. I may have the foam height reduced a bit in the seats. Will see how I like the height increase over time.
Will Van
GOLD Star
Great work! Looks good.
thats great since i'm thinking about bucket options as well, i put Saturn buckets in my 55, good seats but finding another pair might be unposiible
- Thread starter
- #497
Yeah, no airbags. And infinitely better than the old over-worn bench. It’ll get even better once I do the re-upholstery work.
These Tundra buckets are just a shade tall… but manageable. I’ve heard Volvo, BMW, and Subaru seats are a very nice option. I found these via OfferUp and paid peanuts for them. I had searches in OfferUp for Tundra and others… and some were ridiculously expensive for used seats. I really wanted early Tundra seats so the kids had a pedal to spring the seat forward for egress.
They are! I had a 1998 T100 which had fantastic buckets. The first gen Tundra buckets are equally solid.
- Thread starter
- #498
When I moved to Phoenix I quickly learned the hard way that your front windshield is essentially a disposable item. My dad's T100, which I only had in town for 6 months, returned to Kansas with 4 nice rock chips. My wife's 4Runner now sports 5 rock chips. When I got insurance on the cars my agent told me that, in Phoenix, he adds a windshield replacement rider to all policies so that you can get up to one windshield per year without it impacting your premium.
The Troopy already had two nice rock chips in the windshield. It recently acquired a third which I thought was bad enough to get repaired/filled. When I went to check it out the next morning it was a crack as well... so it was time for a new windshield.
Since there are no aftermarket 70-series windshields in the USA, I got a new Toyota one! The windshield that was in my Troopy was 56111-60280... which includes the band of tinting across the top. I ordered that and had it installed with a new gasket while in Abu Dhabi as it came with a cracked windshield from Oman. Sadly, that part is a no-go here. Even with my HS7, it's not a part they can get. However, 56111-60220 was available next day with several in stock, and no HS7 required.
They came to my house to do the job which was nice. The guy knew what he was doing and loved the truck. There was no sealant on the existing gasket and he put it back in without sealant. Is that correct?
The Troopy already had two nice rock chips in the windshield. It recently acquired a third which I thought was bad enough to get repaired/filled. When I went to check it out the next morning it was a crack as well... so it was time for a new windshield.
Since there are no aftermarket 70-series windshields in the USA, I got a new Toyota one! The windshield that was in my Troopy was 56111-60280... which includes the band of tinting across the top. I ordered that and had it installed with a new gasket while in Abu Dhabi as it came with a cracked windshield from Oman. Sadly, that part is a no-go here. Even with my HS7, it's not a part they can get. However, 56111-60220 was available next day with several in stock, and no HS7 required.
They came to my house to do the job which was nice. The guy knew what he was doing and loved the truck. There was no sealant on the existing gasket and he put it back in without sealant. Is that correct?
I think that is correct. Mine was installed dry too. There is some kind of windshield goo that you could squeeze in under the lip if you wanted to seal it more. Windshield shop would be able to tell you what to use. I have thought about doing this but haven’t gotten around to doing this yet
The repair manual says sealant, but I don't like it
