1HZ install into a 1978 FJ40 (3 Viewers)

[crushers]

<ramblings of a tired mind>

i have to admit, with trepidation i opened this thread today to see if the owner had posted up.
Dan is supposed to have everything off to you but the windshield wiper switch, no stock in North America. did you check the fuse for the wipers?

drain holes, duh!! when i was assembling the door and the cargo boxes i said "must remember to drill for drain" and then promtly forgot again.

the finished look of the studs around the flip out windows is a good touch. as with all builds, i keep learning even after it is "finished".

i really enjoyed this build, it is a one of a kind that i could dig out ideas that have laid dormant since i stopped wheeling 40s a few years back.

i will send you a link for a kickass tugg'um rope that works wonders. in all seriousness, this rope is the best accessory you can buy next to the 8274.

(check the rear box for water as well)

anytime you want another run or if you ever want to add a trail guide/spotter, extraction engineer to your team i am sure we can arrange something.

nice pics, what they do not justify is the torrent of rain that just kept coming down that day. the hills were slick, slick enough that just trying to walk sidehill was troublesome let alone trying to take a 4500 lb vehicle sidehilling.

the more you work on the truck the more you will come to appreciate the complexity of that build.

i am sorry i dropped the ball at the end.

(back home, 51 hours of straight driving from edmonton to home with 4 X 1 hour cat naps in total. Cruiser is happy to have the world stop moving. ((i bypassed moosomin due to an outbreak of the swine flu, it seems that the whole town got hammered on thursday and the test results that came back were 80% of the cases are full blown H1. the cruiserhead there is the local doctor and although he offered a bed, he warned me not to stop but to keep moving on when i called)

i am tired so chat again later.

(i enjoyed the visit and hope to bring the wife down for one of those street parties)

 

[gifu]

Otter... will we see that rig at Surf and Turf in Pismo?

 

[OtterX]

Otter... will we see that rig at Surf and Turf in Pismo?

no plans right now, but its under consideration, time and work permitting

 

[OtterX]

glad you're back online wayne, got some questions to shoot you once i get to some of these tasks.

dan sent me some stuff but i won't know what missing until the box arrives next week.

fyi, back cargo box was 100%, since no rain got in thru the back and the integrity of the box itself, it was all good. just the hatches are suspect due to the orientation, but i am taking the measures to ensure water tightness.

will be in touch soon. probably right here in this threads so the tips and info can be shared as i go along.

<ramblings of a tired mind>

i have to admit, with trepidation i opened this thread today to see if the owner had posted up.
Dan is supposed to have everything off to you but the windshield wiper switch, no stock in North America. did you check the fuse for the wipers?

drain holes, duh!! when i was assembling the door and the cargo boxes i said "must remember to drill for drain" and then promtly forgot again.

the finished look of the studs around the flip out windows is a good touch. as with all builds, i keep learning even after it is "finished".

i really enjoyed this build, it is a one of a kind that i could dig out ideas that have laid dormant since i stopped wheeling 40s a few years back.

i will send you a link for a kickass tugg'um rope that works wonders. in all seriousness, this rope is the best accessory you can buy next to the 8274.

(check the rear box for water as well)

anytime you want another run or if you ever want to add a trail guide/spotter, extraction engineer to your team i am sure we can arrange something.

nice pics, what they do not justify is the torrent of rain that just kept coming down that day. the hills were slick, slick enough that just trying to walk sidehill was troublesome let alone trying to take a 4500 lb vehicle sidehilling.

the more you work on the truck the more you will come to appreciate the complexity of that build.

i am sorry i dropped the ball at the end.

(back home, 51 hours of straight driving from edmonton to home with 4 X 1 hour cat naps in total. Cruiser is happy to have the world stop moving. ((i bypassed moosomin due to an outbreak of the swine flu, it seems that the whole town got hammered on thursday and the test results that came back were 80% of the cases are full blown H1. the cruiserhead there is the local doctor and although he offered a bed, he warned me not to stop but to keep moving on when i called)

i am tired so chat again later.

(i enjoyed the visit and hope to bring the wife down for one of those street parties)

 

[lostmarbles]

....
i have to admit, with trepidation i opened this thread today to see if the owner had posted up. ....i am sorry i dropped the ball at the end.......

You weren't the only one feeling apprehensive Wayne! - But I don't think you dropped the ball!

This has got to be a first hasn't it?

I mean - The guy who built the truck running a thread on the build and then the purchaser continuing the thread! ..... I haven't struck this before.

Normally it would be the recipe for disaster/aggro (big time)!

When I worked in refrigeration/airconditioning I specialised in commercial/industrial work because I found your ordinary Joe Bloggs has absolutely no appreciation of the time/cost involved in doing a decent job. (So I avoided working for homeowners or small businesses - who I found would generally quibble about the bill regardless of the quality of work - and who would do such things as "accuse me of subsequent problems that could in no way be connected with the work I'd done".) in contrast, the engineers who were in charge of "big plant" could tell for themselves whether they were getting ripped off or getting a fair deal...

But this is all turning out well and is a tribute to you both (Crushers and OtterX)!

Teething problems are bound to result from a job of this magnitude.

 

[OtterX]

so, the latest small tweaks.

the 40 came with jury rigged leather straps for door limiters. each door opened very unevenly so until i could figure out how the factory ones worked or even if they would work on the fiberglas, i came up with some better ones.

using some 33oz MILSPEC hypalon (used in making military grade assault inflatable boats) i cut some temporary straps to replace the leather. this stuff is waterproof, doesn't strwetch and has a very high degree of lateral strength.

so, what's the factory ones like? aatlas1x, i know you mentioned that you might have some around. by looking at the above pic, do you think they would installable on my doors?

to get the thing semi-passable on the road wayne slapped on some canadian plates just in case during the transpo down. he also installed a small light to make it street legal. this was all installed on the bottom frame of the swing out (purchased from Manfre) before i had a solution to where i eventually wanted to put the CA plate. when i got my CA plates i simply tried to replace the canadian one to keep it easy and get on the road. upon removal i discovered the mounting holes seemed to be different. the light was too low and only one hole engaged the new plate.

after some thought i tracked down an OEM rear plate bracket and decided to mount it on the swing out cage. seemed like a good location for it and easy to see for our LE friends.

voila looks good.

with the removal of the plate, i was a bit concerned about the now extra holes in the swing out frame so i redrilled, retapped to 1/4-20 and used to mount a cable limiter for the cage swing out. i love my local hardware store as they are one of the few stores that actaully stocks a godo supply of SS hardware from SAE to metric. however for the eye screw in SS, they only had SAE, but no big. using some plasticoat aircraft cable and a SS screw link i mounted a simple and effective limiter for the swing our cage.

the other holes i plan on using for additional anchors for leashes to secure the swing out locking pin and handle.

wayne made some good observations on this swing out from manfre. 1st off he added the grease gun nipples on the main pivots which is certainly a welcome addon, but you would think that manfre would have thought of it too. its a bit of a weird product in regards to the fairly well thought overall engineering but they really overlooked some small, simple and more elegant finishing touches. when wayne got the thing (dropped shipped direct) the paint was an absolute disgrace. in some areas, it looked like someone has dabbed their fingers on the base coats and then tried to paint over it again. some of the paint was already badly bubbling off, chipped and scratched. very poorly done. when i contacted manfre, they basically tried to say that it was just the way it was. no recourse, no offer of partial refund to get the thing repainted (which it was by wayne's powder coat guy), nadda. they blamed the shop that made and i was pretty much SOL. i am never using manafre again. what a crock of sh*t. poor CS, poor QC, bad business.

anyways, the whole assembly was fairly recovered to a decent state. the new powder coat looked good, the grease nipples added and now my limiter to prevent the cage from hitting the body work. the tire side rests safely against the body work by virtue of the spare. the retaining pin for the cam handle and the handle itself are not secured in any way. with my micrometer i discovered that the locking pin could easily be replaced by a stock push button retaining pin, so a quick order from macmaster carr and the nice SS pin is on its way. btw, this is one of my favorite hardware sources with a wide variety of all kinds of SS fasteners, tools, safety supplies, industrial goods. been using them for decades and in CA it usually only takes 2 days to have stuff delivered.

they come with a d-ring so a perfect anchor point for the leash. i will have to drill a hole in the locking cam handle but that should be a breeze. both pieces will be anchored and leashed with aircraft cable to one of the existing holes from the original plate location.

will hopefully be cutting and making custom floor and cargo mats soon. i also have plans on fabricating a removable cargo floor plate with 2nd shelf. this will fit over the rear seat latch, have rails for an eventual fridge, and storage ontop. now if i can only get all my adventure gear, my gf, and my 2 dogs in the 40 i'll be happy.

the area i am most un-knowledgeable about will be the various non-functioning dash knobs and dead wiper. i was thinking for the usless fan knob, i might find a cool gooseneck 12V LED map light i can mount over the hole when i remove the knob. hope to get to this dash area in the coming days once some parts arrive. so if you see me scratching my head in this thread, pls chip in some tips and suggestions!

that's it for now fellas.

 

[crushers]

i like the limiters you made, much better than the bootyfab'd leather ones. the factory don't work because of the thickness of the fiberglass doors and A pillar.
the limiter for the rear swing outs, yep, the swingouts allow the baskets swing all the way into the body. a simple tab (in hindsight) welded to the original tube assembly could have been implemented. simple clean permenant... overall i liked the design of the MAF bumpers. they are beefy and the arms do not flex or wobble like some i have seen. i just wish they would take a couple suggestions and, as far as i am concerned, they would have a winning kickass design/product.
the powder coating came of with my fingernail when i opened the package, they had PC over the original antirust oil so the PC didn't bond properly. to be fair accidents and mistakes happen but it would have been nice to hear "thanks for the heads up, we will look into it".

most of the subtrades i use are picked on the ability to converse with them about desires, improvements and results. if you are dealing with a subtrade and the attitude is "don't like it then go elsewhere" then i usually do. everyone is human, mistakes happen. sometimes the ball gets dropped. companies are just a bunch of humans grouped together under one name so even then mistakes can happen. if the person is willing to try a bit harder or correct a mistake the next time around then i can appreciate that and use them again.

i am not sure where i read or heard this "the failing is not important, preventing it from happening again is important". this statement was made during a build of some kind. a huge mistake was made, the owner of the company came onto the floor and gathered the workers around and got to the bottom of why it happened. this was done not to point blame, not to fire someone but how to prevent it from happening again. when i read or heard this i decided to try and adapt it to my life. each build i do i learn from my mistakes and figure out how to prevent it from happening again.

this was a huge build for one guy to undertake, mistakes were made, things overlooked. i am not too proud to admit i made them but it will be very unlikely that i will do the same blunders in the future builds.

the AC was something i had never tackled before and trying to use the original controls seems, in hindsight, a mistake. maybe if the controls would have been brand new with a graphite powder then it would have worked better. the biggest problem of this AC install was the tightness of the fit. everything seemed to work well when the AC unit was sitting loose but once it was installed it seems the mechanicles have resistance that was unaccounted for.

got to run, cheers guys and thanks for following along.

 

[sandcruiser]

on the swing-out limiter, keep an eye at how low that SS cable loops. it will fall right about behind your shackle, from the looks of it. A sturdy branch could rip the hardware right through the door's bottom if it gets caught in that loop.

somewhere out there I've seen someone use a gas strut to limit the motion and also to make for a smoother open/close. Might work.

 

[OtterX]

good observation. i noticed that too, but its clear of any suspension bits. could be an issue with brush tho.

this is my solution for now until i can explore other options. been looking for something just like you described. there are some industrial grade pistons/struts which i might be able to get to work as the eventual solution. am checking stock and dims with my guys at macmaster carr next week to see if i can sort something out.

on the swing-out limiter, keep an eye at how low that SS cable loops. it will fall right about behind your shackle, from the looks of it. A sturdy branch could rip the hardware right through the door's bottom if it gets caught in that loop.

somewhere out there I've seen someone use a gas strut to limit the motion and also to make for a smoother open/close. Might work.

 

[lowenbrau]

The paparazzi got you...

https://forum.ih8mud.com/chit-chat-section/313411-photos-snapped-while-driving-wth-4.html

see post 79

 

[Ming89FJ62]

The paparazzi got you...

https://forum.ih8mud.com/chit-chat-section/313411-photos-snapped-while-driving-wth-4.html

see post 79

I resent that remark . It's not every day that you see a trailered 40 in The Windy City. Sorry that traffic wasn't more condusive to a meet-and-greet. Damn nice looking 40.

 

[watrob]

Hi OtterX,

I also have a fibrglass body, I noticed where the bolts are used to hold the body to the chassis (one shown in the photo where you changed the drain plug) theyn have only used a small washer under the bolt.

I was advised by the my fibreglass body manufacturer to use a larger plate under these bolt heads and also place some rubber padding under that as well.

 

[crushers]

actually you need to see how the Gozzard fiberglass body is made and compare to yours.
this one has fiberglass, plywood and another layer of fiberglass, extremely strong and resiliant to rip or tear or shattering.
the finished product is roughly 1 1/2" thick where the bolt goes through.

Mike rolled one of his products ar 80 k/h into a ditch trying to miss a deer on the road. after he climbed out and pulled the Cruiser back on its wheels he inspected the damage. the hard top side had popped a seam and where he hit a rock with the front fender there was a fist size hole. the rest of the truck was completely intact.

the main support beam is under the front of the rear seats. it is a full width 3" wide, 3/8th" thick flat with mounts to the frame at each end. it is to this that the body is mounted and the seat belts are attached. the rear is supported by 2 bolts as is the front but the main beam is the structure of the unit.

there is no issue with the grade 8 bolt and washer attachment that you are describing.

cheers
Wayne

 

[lshobie]

You'll want to put a vent in those hidden box compartments as well as a drain. No matter how dry your climate is you will still get moisture in those compartments - so anything like a remote or what not will be in a moist environment. Sealing them right tight is not a good idea unless you can make it a vacuum.

The hole in the door for a drain is a good idea but the hole is draining inside the seal - so when you are driving water may come in the truck? But doesnt seem to be enough room between the outside of the door and the seal for a hole - not sure what the solution would be unless the doorseal isn't tight then the water will slip out anyway.

Good ole 40's - hard to keep the watwer out

 

[crushers]

i didn't want to say anything since he already drilled what i forgot to do but the proper place is just outside the seal at the bottom, a long very narrow slit is best. if you take a look at the factory doors at the bottom you will see the drain i am talking about.
he could reseal the hole and do it again, he has the talent needed.

i am curious why the floor storage had 3" of water in it but it did and he fixed that issue. the lids are suppose to have a rubber seal around the lip but neither of the lids had them. easy fix. venting would only be needed if they were left sealed for long periods of time.

 

[watrob]

actually you need to see how the Gozzard fiberglass body is made and compare to yours.
this one has fiberglass, plywood and another layer of fiberglass, extremely strong and resiliant to rip or tear or shattering.
the finished product is roughly 1 1/2" thick where the bolt goes through.

Mike rolled one of his products ar 80 k/h into a ditch trying to miss a deer on the road. after he climbed out and pulled the Cruiser back on its wheels he inspected the damage. the hard top side had popped a seam and where he hit a rock with the front fender there was a fist size hole. the rest of the truck was completely intact.

the main support beam is under the front of the rear seats. it is a full width 3" wide, 3/8th" thick flat with mounts to the frame at each end. it is to this that the body is mounted and the seat belts are attached. the rear is supported by 2 bolts as is the front but the main beam is the structure of the unit.

there is no issue with the grade 8 bolt and washer attachment that you are describing.

cheers
Wayne

There's hardly any difference between my body and the Gozzard, I would say that the Gozzard would have had to pass the same tight legislation & tests requirements relevent to the Transport Department there as it is here.

In Queensland mine also had to be inspected by the Transport Dept after fitment, they also specified the rollcage design, material used and the thickness of foam covering the steel roll cage.

I would hazard a guess and say that both designs are over engineered, your right in the back seat bracket area when I drilled thru, it would have been 3" to 4" thick, I was suprised at the length of the bolts need!

 

[crushers]

at the DMV inspection office.
the rules made us remover the truck from the trailer for inspection, not a biggie for us but the Jag in the back ground wouldn't run so for them it was a real PITA. we gave them a hand reloading the car onto the trailer.

 

[crushers]

the last shot i have of the result of all my hard work.

Mother Nature baptizing the baby with the worst rain storm since 1962. i wish i would have grabbed a shot of the torrential downpour on the drive out to Holister Hills playground. I have never seen rain like that, I couldn't see 3 truck lengths in front of me.

the ground was slick, the day overcast and i had a blast.

 

[DirtyLawyer]

at the DMV inspection office.
the rules made us remover the truck from the trailer for inspection, not a biggie for us but the Jag in the back ground wouldn't run so for them it was a real PITA. we gave them a hand reloading the car onto the trailer.

Looks like the Fell Street DMV office, no? That's where I reg'd my truck as well.

OtterX - Amaurer and I are headed down to SNT on Saturday morning - leaving South Bay about 7-7:30ish. You are welcome to caravan, but doubt we can keep up with you now! I'll definitely keep an eye out for your rig.

 

[OtterX]

Looks like the Fell Street DMV office, no? That's where I reg'd my truck as well.

OtterX - Amaurer and I are headed down to SNT on Saturday morning - leaving South Bay about 7-7:30ish. You are welcome to caravan, but doubt we can keep up with you now! I'll definitely keep an eye out for your rig.

wish i could find some play time for the rig. still need to sort out the nonop wipers. a "new" switch arrived, and i'll be checking the fuses and ground as suggested by a few mudders.

up to my neck in work until the 15th. my "reward" for myself is to meet all my design deadlines b4 the the 15th, so i can work in some wrench time.

last sunday i did manage to reinstall the new front cargo hatch and sealed it with a healthy amount of silicone. looks pretty water tight. the cargo box will be used on a semi regular basis so i won't worry about "venting" it from long term condensation build up. any long term storage items will be sealed in vacuum bags.

not loving my rear swing out limiter i made, just seems too temporary and jury rigged. still searching for the right strut system which might work.

working with a friend of mine to design and fab a removable and adjustable rear cargo shelving unit, and also spruce up the dash a bit with a billet frame plate for the custom switches and indicator lights.

more pics and progress soon. maybe i'll take a break from my design deadlines and work on the 40