Builds 1995 HZJ77 wagon build - Japan sourced

[Pip Bernadotte]

Jerry rigged a hoist arm extension with a piece of 2x2x1/4 steel tubing (also from a slider project) this time with 100% more ratchet straps to help ensure more shenanigans were not afoot.

Engine is out! Yay! (And somehow it thankfully didn't do any damage to the oil pan)

Empty engine bay for the time being.

The damage to my front clip... Hopefully I'll be able to straighten it... And thankfully it doesn't seem to have crushed my AC condenser radiator.... But further investigation will be necessary.

Moral of the story? The universe apparently doesn't like that I tried to put a turbo on my #1hz because this project has had problems at nearly every turn...

But, it's gonna happen sooner or later, so the universe is just gonna have to deal with it

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

With that, I put the wheels back on the cruiser and pulled it out of the garage with the tractor so that I could get the Fiat back in. Cause not having a functioning vehicle really sucks...


But as seems to be the case recently, nothing is ever that simple. Remember when I said the still hadn't graded the driveway leading into the garage yet? Well... they still hadn't... So I had to jerry rig up a chain fall and ramps to pull the Fiat into the garage.

But then the transmission went in pretty smoothly. So I've got that going for me

Only problem is that the speedometer didn't (and still doesn't) work... Which is fun when part of the way I usually know how much fuel I have is by how many miles I've gone because the wiring for the fuel sender is... iffy.... (damn italians and thier cursed wiring!)

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

Well, I needed another break before trying to pull the Cruiser's engine apart. Thankfully my friends like getting up to some interesting projects.

This time was picking up a super duty to pull the front and rear axles out of so that (literally in real time tomorrow) we can swap them onto my friend's excursion so he can have front coil springs instead of leaves.

Welcome to Gavin's HOA approved* chop shop!
(*actually still pending, but no mind to the man behind the curtain)

Because Gavin didn't want to piss his HOA off, and we couldn't figure out another way to get the axles out from under the chassis without taking the whole thing off the trailer first... We decided to use his engine hoist and lift the rear end up and unbolt the rear axle. With it suspended that way.




Also, there is some hope for "the younger generation" Found this sticker on his 18yo daughter's Isuzu Trooper.

She put it on there because she loves driving a manual. (and off roads it with us at NOAS events too)

 

[OGBeno]

Just buy a new short block. Easy peasy from any Toyota dealer in the US.

Work the head, new turbo and away you go.

Expensive lesson but everyone makes mistakes.

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

Our idea worked like a friggin charm!!

Based off of that success, we decided to try nearly the same thing with the front (while still having the rear held up by the engine hoist )

So we used some jacks and jack stands to jack the front end of the chassis up which would allow us to unbolt the suspension arms and remove the shocks , steering arms, and other stuff from the truck.

Again, all while the rear end was being held up by the engine hoist.

Don't worry, I used a come along to hold it from being able to slide or move anywhere for some added safety.

This was the first time Gavin and I had ever worked together "just the two of us" and we seemed to work together pretty well perfectly. Each explaining exactly what we were going to do before we did it, and getting some level of assurance that the other had heard and knew what was going to happen. Despite how sketchy all this seemed to both of us, there wasn't as single time that we were particularly concerned because of this great level of confirmation.

I love it when a plan comes together~


Axle is unbolted and ready to be hauled out on some dollies.

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

Just buy a new short block. Easy peasy from any Toyota dealer in the US.

Work the head, new turbo and away you go.

Expensive lesson but everyone makes mistakes.

Oh? I didn't know they could get them here.

The turbo is thankfully rebuildable and I already have the rebuild kit for it.

The head and block are currently at a local machine shop. Looks like I may be able to get away with a hone, if not I can have it bored and can go 1/4 mm or 1/2 mm oversize pistons and rings. Think its worth going that route over a short block? Toyota sells 1/2mm oversized parts for rebuilds.

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

We got the front axle out from under the chassis and off the trailer without much trouble.

Such a great view under the whole chassis

Front and rear axles out

With that, we lowered the chassis onto the trailer directly, covered it with the truck cover, and closed the "HOA approved* chop shop". And Gavin took the rest to the scrap yard the next morning. Not bad for a single days work~

 

[OGBeno]

Oh? I didn't know they could get them here.

The turbo is thankfully rebuildable and I already have the rebuild kit for it.

The head and block are currently at a local machine shop. Looks like I may be able to get away with a hone, if not I can have it bored and can go 1/4 mm or 1/2 mm oversize pistons and rings. Think its worth going that route over a short block? Toyota sells 1/2mm oversized parts for rebuilds.

When a new Toyota block is available, perfectly manufactured, for roughly the same costs as a machine shop labor and parts, time and energy, it’s a no brainer.

Almost every critical part for a 1HZ is available at your local Toyota dealer.

 

[AirheadNut]

Wow, what a roller coaster! I can totally sympathize with the pain of not having a consistently functioning vehicle, the past 4-5 months it seems like every time I fix something on mine another two things break. Looks like you're making good progress on it though, and there is nothing like the joy of getting a vehicle running better than ever after some major work.

A while back my brother had a couple of concrete bolts left over from installing a 4-post lift, so he bolted a 2" hitch receiver to the shop floor against the wall opposite the shop door. A little 120v, 1000lb winch mounted on a piece of 2" square tubing mounts in the receiver and works amazingly well for pulling dead cars into the shop and onto the lift.

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

When a new Toyota block is available, perfectly manufactured, for roughly the same costs as a machine shop labor and parts, time and energy, it’s a no brainer.

Almost every critical part for a 1HZ is available at your local Toyota dealer.

Interesting do you have a part number specifically for the short block that I could look it up with? (I'm seeing 11400-17020, but that doesn't come up in an online search for Toyota NA)

I'll take a look. Thanks for the suggestion ~

 

[OGBeno]

11400-17120
11400-17190

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

11400-17120
11400-17190

OH wow! those are a LOT better than I thought they'd be!
What's the difference between the two? Anything noticeable or of concern?

 

[OGBeno]

OH wow! those are a LOT better than I thought they'd be!
What's the difference between the two? Anything noticeable or of concern?

One has the by pass pipe in the RH side of the engine off the top of the thermostat housing and one doesn’t.

Just add it to the one that doesn’t.

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

One has the by pass pipe in the RH side of the engine off the top of the thermostat housing and one doesn’t.

Just add it to the one that doesn’t.

Do they offer, and do you think it would be worth a 1HD block seeing as I plan to turbo it anyway?

- is what I originally wanted to ask, but immediately remembered that the pistons aren't the same, so it's a moot point...

 

[OGBeno]

Do they offer, and do you think it would be worth a 1HD block seeing as I plan to turbo it anyway?

- is what I originally wanted to ask, but immediately remembered that the pistons aren't the same, so it's a moot point...

1HD block is available but won’t work with a 1HZ head or a 1HZ injection system.

You can get a 1HD block (11400-17073) and a 1HD head (11101-17020) and build a 1HD-T of course.

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

1HD block is available but won’t work with a 1HZ head or a 1HZ injection system.

You can get a 1HD block (11400-17073) and a 1HD head (11101-17020) and build a 1HD-T of course.

if its a 1HDT, the injection pump should work, but it'd need new injectors. That being said, I think that's a fair bit more cost and trouble than I want at the moment... So I think I'll stick with the 1HZ and just be careful with fueling and EGTs when I put the turbo on it.

I'll call my machinist tomorrow and see what he says the total will likely come to and compare it to what new OS pistons and other parts that would come with the short block would be.

Thanks a lot for the information! I usually check most part numbers that I'm looking to order with the Toyota NA system just to avoid international shipping when possible, but I didn't think they'd be able to get the block! (and didn't know which number to go by to get it, because they don't have the 1995 block number I did try to look up)

 

[Gun Runner 5]

They all benefit from an Intercooler.

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

Wow, what a roller coaster! I can totally sympathize with the pain of not having a consistently functioning vehicle, the past 4-5 months it seems like every time I fix something on mine another two things break. Looks like you're making good progress on it though, and there is nothing like the joy of getting a vehicle running better than ever after some major work.

A while back my brother had a couple of concrete bolts left over from installing a 4-post lift, so he bolted a 2" hitch receiver to the shop floor against the wall opposite the shop door. A little 120v, 1000lb winch mounted on a piece of 2" square tubing mounts in the receiver and works amazingly well for pulling dead cars into the shop and onto the lift.

Yup! Victory is always sweeter after a longer struggle

Huh, that's a pretty good idea!
Hopefully we won't have to go with that system at dad's garage... and I know the garage I'm in the process of having built for myself here in the next few months shouldn't have that issue. I will definitely keep that in mind if we ever have an issue again tho!

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

They all benefit from an Intercooler.

So I've heard. I'm trying to see what I can do for a water to air intercooler (Because I'd prefer not having to cut a vent hole in my hood )

Do you or Rob have any preferred setups for the cruisers y'all have seen?

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

Ok, back to the "Gotta catch up my posts on Mud timeline" (Which I'm glad I'm finally getting around to doing it due to the great information I've received from @OGBeno that I otherwise wouldn't have known!)

After the holidays and a few projects to help friends, I finally got back to pulling the engine apart to check things out.


Slight strike on one of the valves, and a little bit of damage to the head itself. Hopefully it can be smoothed out with a slight skim job by the machinist.

Time to start pulling the rotating assembly apart.

Most of th pistons were ok, but a few were... unfortunate...

this is one of the particularly unfortunate ones... mostly because that piece of the spring clip got smashed into the head RIGHT at the edge of the piston, which is what scored the #1 bore... Hopefully it'll be able to be honed out, otherwise I'm gonna have to bore it out and get over sized pistons...