Build 1st FJ40, '76 - SMOKEY - Puttin’ her Back Together

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Michael B said:
Scott short of having the block vatted at a machine shop your probably not going to get clear fluid on the return. If your not getting sediment any longer that's about as good as it's going to get.
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I'm slowly realizing that. After 4 days of vinegar running and soaking, my rinses were pretty clear but there's a lot of rust that's still present, and a lot of rust that wipes off with your finger but not with movement of fluid over it.

Oh well, it's not muriatic-acid clean but good enough for rebuild.

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There is a green metal etching prime you can buy at all Autoparts stores and Walmart that is very good. Although I can't recall the name of it right now.
 
Vae Victus said:
What should I prime with?
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This is where you can start looking to the future and decide what brand of paint system youll be using. Grab a harbor freight HVLP gun, reblast those parts and apply an epoxy primer that will work with the paint system. Its a waste of time to blast and coat with something that you will strip later.
 
Worked on the steering system this past week. Replaced all the TREs, cleaned up the drag link and am in the final stages of rebuilding it. Painted all the steering rods.

Saved the steering box for the end. Pitman arm WON'T come off. Tried two HEAVY duty pullers (OEM brand). First one just bent around the arm.

I ended up welding the 2nd puller directly to the pitman to keep it from slipping, but to no avail. Broke the welds - twice. The puller is cast, so it's brittle. Chunks of the puller jaws just broke off. Thought I was pretty smart but in reality I trashed a $95 borrowed tool from Autozone.

Soaked it, beat it, heated it, pulled on it, impact tool used on it, welded it, huge breaker bar and wrench used on it. Still it stays.

Next step is just to cut it and remove it destructively and buy a new one. Saw a YouTube suggesting this. Makes sense when they are $20, but noooo, not Toyotas, 40 year old ones at that.

Who has a cheap spare Pitman?

Prob spent 10 hours on this. Tired now.

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Tried strapping the arms down, didn't work. Tried two - broke them. Destroyed one set of bolts, but you just can't keep the puller arms from walking off.
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Got fed up and welded it to the arm. Tried twice. Didn't work. Second weld was much thicker and built up all around the jaws. Still, nothing. Broke the welds, trashed the puller arms.
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Vae Victus said:
Worked on the steering system this past week. Replaced all the TREs, cleaned up the drag link and am in the final stages of rebuilding it. Painted all the steering rods.

Saved the steering box for the end. Pitman arm WON'T come off. Tried two HEAVY duty pullers (OEM brand). First one just bent around the arm.

I ended up welding the 2nd puller directly to the pitman to keep it from slipping, but to no avail. Broke the welds - twice. The puller is cast, so it's brittle. Chunks of the puller jaws just broke off. Thought I was pretty smart but in reality I trashed a $95 borrowed tool from Autozone.

Soaked it, beat it, heated it, pulled on it, impact tool used on it, welded it, huge breaker bar and wrench used on it. Still it stays.

Next step is just to cut it and remove it destructively and buy a new one. Saw a YouTube suggesting this. Makes sense when they are $20, but noooo, not Toyotas, 40 year old ones at that.

Who has a cheap spare Pitman?

Prob spent 10 hours on this. Tired now.

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Tried strapping the arms down, didn't work. Tried two - broke them. Destroyed one set of bolts, but you just can't keep the puller arms from walking off.
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Got fed up and welded it to the arm. Tried twice. Didn't work. Second weld was much thicker and built up all around the jaws. Still, nothing. Broke the welds, trashed the puller arms.
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I had good luck with putting the nut on the steering box just flush with the threads but not tight, dousing the pitman arm with Kroil, installing and adding pressure on the puller and then every day i'd tighten the puller and smack the pitman with my deadblow. It took about 3 days and a bent puller but it finally popped. Good Luck.
 
Jdc1 said:
Also, for the upper drag link, this thing is worth its weight in gold:

Amazon.com: Stanley Proto J5446A 1/2-Inch Drive Drag Link Socket, 15/16-Inch: Home Improvement
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Had no idea about rebuilding the drag link until just recently. I bought the rebuild kit but hadn't looked at the procedure. When I saw your tools posted here I went ahead and tried to get the screw off using just a screwdriver.

Fortunately for me it came right off! You win some you lose some.

Thanks for letting me know about that socket - I'm glad I don't have to use it!
 
Creeping forward. Installed thermostat. Had to stop and create a "how to" thread cause I figure I'm not the only idiot out there who has never done it before. :flipoff2:

Have to return the Scat Pro90 seats that just arrived - they sent the wrong ones. Haven't been really impressed with the level of communication from them. Not bad, but on a couple of screw ups, no offer of apology or make-right offer. In the customer service/retail world you turn lemons into lemonade. You don't let them suck on that lemon for any longer than necessary.

I seem to be buying more parts for the other truck right now.

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Ordering factory fresh hardware for motor mounts and brackets - $100.

Finding that stash of baggies with said parts 8 months later, and not remembering ordering them - Priceless!

FYI if anyone wants the complete list, here you go:

Part # Qty Desc
91619-41228 2 Front motor mount insulator bolt
91619-41225 6 Bolt for front motor mount bracket
94612-11200 2 washer for front motor mount
94512-01200 9 split washer for front insulators and rear motor mounts
94115-41200 2 Castle nut for front motor mount
90102-13010 2 Bolt for rear motor mount
90102-13009 0 Bolt for rear motor mount insulators (NLA use 13010 above)
94612-11300 2 Washer for rear motor mount bolts
94141-41300 2 Castle Nut for rear motor mount bolt
95381-03025 2 Cotter pin rear motor mount bolt
91212-51232 7 Bolts for rear motor mount bracket


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Drumbeat of progress on putting engine back together.

Took it off the stand today, hanging by the hooks. Seated the pilot bearing. Put on the bell housing and flywheel after carefully cleaning, blasting, and clearcoating the hardware.

Tomorrow, rear motor mounts and put it in the frame!


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Looking awesome Scott. There may be light at the end of the tunnel... well, maybe just the current tunnel.

I know that you must like doing the whole thing yourself but just call me when you need a hand.
 
A warning when working on engines suspended on a hoist: remember they can and will fall as you ADD WEIGHT to the engine.

Last night, I had to remove the flywheel and bell housing so I could shorten the chains on the hoist to reach the height needed to get the motor on the frame. I did so, relifted the engine from the stand, lowered it a little, and put the bell housing back on.

When I started tightening the bolts, I pulled down a little on the engine, and the whole damn thing came down while I was sitting spreadeagle under it. Somehow by the grace of God it only glanced my shin, and somehow it didn't crush my skull OR the oil pan :clap:

When I righted everything (it only fell about 18 inches and gently laid over partially on its side) it immediately wanted to tip again. I had to lower it to touch the ground and change the length of the arm.

So what happened? Why didn't it tip over before? When I shortened the chains, to get it close to the ground I had to lower the arm much further than it had been before. This pushed the center of gravity forward by a few inches. That was enough to make it tip.

Shortening the arm made it stable, but I decided to not put the flywheel back on it until its in the vehicle. I also raised the arm up some to move the CG back toward the rear.

I got lucky. I didn't have any backups to the hoist - no support under it, nothing. I decided that when I move it, I'll strap 50# to the rear, and I'll carry it higher when I move it. I won't work on the engine with just the hoist holding it.

Be careful out there.

This is Carolina Shophand 4000.


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The arm shown once I moved it back about 8".

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