1HD-FTE Conversion - Creating my perfect 80 Series

[MooseMichaels]

Good updates here - the harness from Jonathan is almost fully installed. I’ve been taking my time getting things in place, and routing things so they wont rattle and that I’m happy with the mounting.

The harness in the engine bay and trans are 99% sorted. I’ll be adding a support for the main bundle coming from the engine into the cabin, otherwise it’s ready to roll. The photo below was just before I worked the harness grommet into the new firewall hole on the drivers side and re-installed the vacuum reservoir.

I’ve been working on getting everything to fit under the dash to my liking. The ECU is now located on the driver’s side, it’s always a grind laying under a dash and working over head. Still on my list is to wire is the harness to the auto shifter wiring.

A Unichip bypass plug set should be arriving tomorrow so my plan is top off/check all fluids, plug in the bypass and try to fire it tomorrow - that’s the last thing holding me back from hearing this thing run.

Lastly, huge thanks to Bryan at @Lutz Auto who shared an excellent explanation and wiring diagram for how to wire up cruise stalk he modified for me to work with the FTE ECU.

 

[Mag71k5]

Can't wait for first start man! Hopefully everything goes nice and smooth!

Its such a better engine lol. Im still impressed with how smooth it is on the highway compared to my 1fz lol.

 

[MooseMichaels]

Ladies and gents, this rig runs. It made a bit of smoke on starting and a bit of mechanical racket, though both cleared up after it idled for a minute or so. I’m not sure how long the engine had been sitting.

Below, the first two cuts are the first start, the last cut with the extension on the engine was after it had ran for 5 minutes or so, with yours truly running around excited, checking things out.



Next up is to finish up wiring the conversion harness to the shifter, install the lutz auto multi plex and go for a drive.

 

[Mag71k5]

Ladies and gents, this rig runs. It made a bit of smoke on starting and a bit of mechanical racket, though both cleared up after it idled for a minute or so. I’m not sure how long the engine had been sitting.

Below, the first two cuts are the first start, the last cut with the extension on the engine was after it had ran for 5 minutes or so, with yours truly running around excited, checking things out.



Next up is to finish up wiring the conversion harness to the shifter, install the lutz auto multi plex and go for a drive.

HELL YES! She sounds great!

 

[Marvelicious]

Ladies and gents, this rig runs. It made a bit of smoke on starting and a bit of mechanical racket, though both cleared up after it idled for a minute or so. I’m not sure how long the engine had been sitting.

Below, the first two cuts are the first start, the last cut with the extension on the engine was after it had ran for 5 minutes or so, with yours truly running around excited, checking things out.



Next up is to finish up wiring the conversion harness to the shifter, install the lutz auto multi plex and go for a drive.

LOL, yeah, I'd say she smoothed out!

 

[Mag71k5]

@MooseMichaels are you going to bring her out for cruise moab or solid axle summit next year? Im looking at going to both. Would be cool to get some 1HD cruisers together!

 

[MooseMichaels]

Possibly - it would be rad to get into the back country with some like minded cruiser heads. I usually am in the mountain west for 2-3 weeks or so each summer on vacation.

 

[MooseMichaels]

After staring at connector pinouts and wiring diagrams for both 80 series and 100 series, the trans control wiring is wired up - but not fully buttoned up. I wanted to test it before making a last pass to clean everything up.

I checked all fluids, slapped in the rear drive shaft, center diff lock on, grabbed the girlfriend and dog and went for the maiden voyage - to the gas station to fill up with diesel fuel.

Once fully warmed up, I pumped another 1.5 quarts into the trans while running, till fluid ran from the check plug.

Off for another test drive, 10 miles of back roads in the middle of the night.

I’m super happy with the way it runs - feels strong, pulls well, lots more torque compared to the 1FZ, and sounds wayyyyy cooler. Turbo noises are present with the 3” exhaust.

There are some vibrations when not moving in drive that I’ll need to look into. Could be the exhaust as it’s pretty close to the t-case where it crosses back over the frame.

 

[Mag71k5]

Welcome to the club!!!

 

[ikarus]

After staring at connector pinouts and wiring diagrams for both 80 series and 100 series, the trans control wiring is wired up - but not fully buttoned up. I wanted to test it before making a last pass to clean everything up.

I checked all fluids, slapped in the rear drive shaft, center diff lock on, grabbed the girlfriend and dog and went for the maiden voyage - to the gas station to fill up with diesel fuel.

Once fully warmed up, I pumped another 1.5 quarts into the trans while running, till fluid ran from the check plug.

Off for another test drive, 10 miles of back roads in the middle of the night.

I’m super happy with the way it runs - feels strong, pulls well, lots more torque compared to the 1FZ, and sounds wayyyyy cooler. Turbo noises are present with the 3” exhaust.

There are some vibrations when not moving in drive that I’ll need to look into. Could be the exhaust as it’s pretty close to the t-case where it crosses back over the frame.

Nice, congrats. That's gotta be a great feeling

My 3" exhaust was touching underneath the driver's seat (RHD for me, LHD passenger for you.) I had to use a hammer to make a little clearance

 

[TheBussman]

Cool nice to see an 80 with the A750 conversion, I almost went that direction. If I ever manage to blow up the a442 that's probability what I'll replace it with. I'm planning at being at the relic run next year for sure and possibly a few other events. would be cool to see the build.

 

[MooseMichaels]

I'm planning at being at the relic run next year for sure and possibly a few other events. would be cool to see the build.

Ive never heard of this one, what are the details?

On the A750F - early on I waffled quite a bit on whether I should bite the bullet and source a H152, or stick with the Newer 5 speed auto that came with the engine. After putting 100 miles on the engine and trans over the weekend, I’m happy with the newer 5 speed and think it fits the drivetrain well.

Usually I’m not much of a hoon, but I swung by a family member’s shop this weekend and as I was leaving they all had their cameras out, so I had to stomp on it for their benefit.

You can tell from the video, 1st gear is pretty short!

 

[Mag71k5]

Ive never heard of this one, what are the details?

On the A750F - early on I waffled quite a bit on whether I should bite the bullet and source a H152, or stick with the Newer 5 speed auto that came with the engine. After putting 100 miles on the engine and trans over the weekend, I’m happy with the newer 5 speed and think it fits the drivetrain well.

Usually I’m not much of a hoon, but I swung by a family member’s shop this weekend and as I was leaving they all had their cameras out, so I had to stomp on it for their benefit.

You can tell from the video, 1st gear is pretty short!

Sounds great, any muffler or that straight piped?

 

[TheBussman]

Ive never heard of this one, what are the details?

On the A750F - early on I waffled quite a bit on whether I should bite the bullet and source a H152, or stick with the Newer 5 speed auto that came with the engine. After putting 100 miles on the engine and trans over the weekend, I’m happy with the newer 5 speed and think it fits the drivetrain well.

Usually I’m not much of a hoon, but I swung by a family member’s shop this weekend and as I was leaving they all had their cameras out, so I had to stomp on it for their benefit.

You can tell from the video, 1st gear is pretty short!

relic run is a pretty decent sized Toyota event at uwharrie NC in the spring. It's targeted at pre 1990 trucks but there are plenty there that newer. lots of 80 series. Carolina Relic Run #10 Registration Now OPEN! - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/carolina-relic-run-10-registration-now-open.1355253/page-6

sounds great! mine is too quiet.

 

[MooseMichaels]

Sounds great, any muffler or that straight piped?

This is the PPD HDJ80 system with the muffler - it's on the smaller side for a muffler which seems just right, IMO. Just enough to know something is there, but not over the top. Inside the car I can't really hear the exhaust, just the clatter of the diesel that's an inch in front of the firewall - I don't think that will get old. Kind of reminds of the type of cabin noise you'd get in the OBS Ford 7.3's

 

[MooseMichaels]

My 3" exhaust was touching underneath the driver's seat (RHD for me, LHD passenger for you.) I had to use a hammer to make a little clearance

I'm going to keep this trick in my back pocket. I adjusted the exhaust mount before the pipe runs up over the cross member above the rear axle upwards 3/16"-1/4" and took it for another drive to try to replicate the issue and couldn't; I think that was half the issue, because I'm still getting some first order vibrations.

I replaced the front driveshaft with a Toyota OE part when I got the 80, and replaced the u-joints in the rear with spicer replacements. One of those u-joints has a decent amount of play in it, and I'm also suspicious of the slip yoke on the rear shaft with 194k miles on it, and unknown greasing history before I got my paws on it. I think I'm going to get a new Toyota rear shaft. I learned today that a close family member just started working for the local Toyota dealer, so I'm going to see if he can swag a deal for me.

 

[MooseMichaels]

Picking up a rear driveshaft from my local dealer tomorrow.

I also found that a part of the t-case shifter was making contact with the trans tunnel causing significant resonance in the cabin - tonight I used some hog a$$ 5mm thickness washers to drop the cross member that same amount as a test, and vibrations in the cabin improved hugely - so I'm considering patterning out the profile of where the cross member bolts to the frame and send-cut-sending some steel plates so my brain doesn't have to live with the fact there are washers there now.

Still getting some vibes on trailing throttle-into-coast transitions, my gut is telling me the new rear drive safe will help with this.

After 155 miles of cruising around and feeling this thing out, I now have a coolant leak at the connections to the rear heater - with the FTE head being wider I'm having contact issues between the heater return line and the exhaust side of the head, and is stressing this connection. I am also seeing contact with the intake manifold on the intake side - I'm going to 86 the rear heater with a @LandCruiserPhil bypass hose that's on order, then I don't have to worry about contact points, nor issues with coolant leaks in the future.

@Mag71k5 I recall you mentioned you wanted to reconnect your rear heater - I wonder if you might run into this same issue.

 

[Mag71k5]

Picking up a rear driveshaft from my local dealer tomorrow.

I also found that a part of the t-case shifter was making contact with the trans tunnel causing significant resonance in the cabin - tonight I used some hog a$$ 5mm thickness washers to drop the cross member that same amount as a test, and vibrations in the cabin improved hugely - so I'm considering patterning out the profile of where the cross member bolts to the from and send-cut-sending some steel plates so I my brain doesn't have to live with the fact there are washers there now.

Still getting some vibes on trailing throttle-into-coast transitions, my gut is telling me the new rear drive safe will help with this.

After 155 miles of cruising around and feeling this thing out, I now have a coolant leak at the connections to the rear heater - with the FTE head being wider I'm having contact issues between the heater return line and the exhaust side of the head, and is stressing this connection. I am also seeing contact with the intake manifold on the intake side - I'm going to 86 the rear heater with a @LandCruiserPhil bypass hose that's on order, then I don't have to worry about contact points, nor issues with coolant leaks in the future.
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@Mag71k5 I recall you mentioned you wanted to reconnect your rear heater - I wonder if you might run into this same issue.


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Awesome progress, I'd really like my rear heater back to be honest. I also think the thermostat is stuck open or removed from my fte, it doesnt get up to operating temp, especially idling.

I think the combination of needing to fix my blend doors, no rear heater, and an engine that doesnt get up to temp will kill me in a Colorado winter lol.

 

[MooseMichaels]

That’s fair. We have significant lake effect here so winters can be brutal if the lake makes that decision to take us in that direction. There is also a salt mine under the lake, salt is cheap, and the roads are salted here in the winter so the 80 doesn’t go out in the that time of year.

In my experience, if just idling the FTE does take a while to warm up - maybe 20 mins or so.

With even a light amount of load it’s up to 165-170 degrees coolant temp within 5-10 minutes tops. Once you’re producing even a little boost it seems to warm up much more quickly. I’ve also not seen water temps above 172 so far, though it has been cool here.

That all said, it seems just the front heater seems sufficient for me. I’m going to leave myself a contingency to re-run soft lines in case I decide I do want the rear heater back, so I’ll keep the heat exchanger, switches and blower fan, but remove the front portions of the hard lines that are making contact.

 

[Mag71k5]

This is after driving/idling taking the kids the school this AM.

155 off of the water outlet that comes off the head.

Glowshift 3 in 1 numbers.

Idling in the school parking lot it went down from 140 to 128... lol.

It was 24 this morning.