Builds 2F Retirement/ Vortec Resto-Fresh
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- Thread starter
- #183
^^Thanks for the kind words everyone! Appreciate it!^^
I've spent every free moment the last two days (and nights) furiously working to wrap up the multitude of misc. items remaining so that I could actually drive it to the exhaust shop. Think the wife has forgot what I look like.
Happy to say I dropped it off this morning and will hopefully have it back Friday afternoon in time for the weekend.
Very fun drive even with no exhaust!! But more on that later - maybe a driving video.
-Ed
I've spent every free moment the last two days (and nights) furiously working to wrap up the multitude of misc. items remaining so that I could actually drive it to the exhaust shop. Think the wife has forgot what I look like.
Happy to say I dropped it off this morning and will hopefully have it back Friday afternoon in time for the weekend.
Very fun drive even with no exhaust!! But more on that later - maybe a driving video.
-Ed
gregnash
Anal Retentive Analyst
Yes definitely a driving video... I am going to be in the need of an exhaust shop in the near future. Outlet exhaust pipe decided to rust remove itself from the muffler..
- Thread starter
- #185
It's been a week since my last post here and a lot has happened, most of it good. So here's a catch-up, hopefully not too long winded.
Got the truck back from exhaust shop last Friday at 2 pm. It's a small shop and had already closed for the weekend. The guy that owns the shop is a family friend and made me a great deal. When I dropped it off I told him I wanted the quietest exhaust he could put on. He seemed positive that he could accommodate my request given the generous space for a large muffler. Keep in mind the guy is an old school hot rodder and drag racer.
Driving away from the shop in my V8 FJ60 was surreal. All the time and effort I had put into this thing and I was finally driving it! Putting my foot to the pedal (gently at first - I didn't want to break anything yet) rocketed the old cruiser forward. Throttle response was incredible. And the sound! Holy s*** it was loud!
Maybe I'm just too used to the restricted stock 2F exhaust. The new system seems very well crafted with two 2.5" flowmaster universal cats. I like the big 3" tail pipe and the muffler is big (I forget what brand/model). It puts out a sound a lot of guys would probably envy so I'll see if I can get used to it.
I decided to drive the truck the 30 or so miles back to work from the exhaust shop. I was so stoked to drive it and of course to show it off a bit. **Bad Call**. The drive to the exhaust shop was the only shakedown run I'd had so far and I should have know better. By the time I got back to the job the truck was accelerating roughly and the volt meter was reading around 9 and dropping fast. "Hey man, check out my V8! Badass, right? By the way, you got any jumper cables?" Turns out my alternator was toast.
At least it was an easy fix. I think every auto parts store in America probably stocks a reman alt. for these engines. Also, the engine was throwing a code P0354 telling me I had a fault at coil #4. The coils are super easy to change out and at $40 bucks from Napa not too hard on the wallet.
The good news from this was that I didn't realize the truck had been misfiring on cylinder 4 this whole time. Replacing the coil made it run so much smoother and actually mellowed the exhaust a good bit.
Got the truck back from exhaust shop last Friday at 2 pm. It's a small shop and had already closed for the weekend. The guy that owns the shop is a family friend and made me a great deal. When I dropped it off I told him I wanted the quietest exhaust he could put on. He seemed positive that he could accommodate my request given the generous space for a large muffler. Keep in mind the guy is an old school hot rodder and drag racer.
Driving away from the shop in my V8 FJ60 was surreal. All the time and effort I had put into this thing and I was finally driving it! Putting my foot to the pedal (gently at first - I didn't want to break anything yet) rocketed the old cruiser forward. Throttle response was incredible. And the sound! Holy s*** it was loud!
Maybe I'm just too used to the restricted stock 2F exhaust. The new system seems very well crafted with two 2.5" flowmaster universal cats. I like the big 3" tail pipe and the muffler is big (I forget what brand/model). It puts out a sound a lot of guys would probably envy so I'll see if I can get used to it.
I decided to drive the truck the 30 or so miles back to work from the exhaust shop. I was so stoked to drive it and of course to show it off a bit. **Bad Call**. The drive to the exhaust shop was the only shakedown run I'd had so far and I should have know better. By the time I got back to the job the truck was accelerating roughly and the volt meter was reading around 9 and dropping fast. "Hey man, check out my V8! Badass, right? By the way, you got any jumper cables?" Turns out my alternator was toast.
At least it was an easy fix. I think every auto parts store in America probably stocks a reman alt. for these engines. Also, the engine was throwing a code P0354 telling me I had a fault at coil #4. The coils are super easy to change out and at $40 bucks from Napa not too hard on the wallet.
The good news from this was that I didn't realize the truck had been misfiring on cylinder 4 this whole time. Replacing the coil made it run so much smoother and actually mellowed the exhaust a good bit.
Sweet!
I've got a similar sized muffler and it's a little louder than I'd like at times. I was surprised how loud it was when I first fired it up and drove it, considering its one of the quietest that Flowmaster makes. The exhaust guy thought it was quiet!
I'm thinking about throwing in a resonator in behind it to knock some of the drone out.
It sounds good when you mash the pedal though.
I've got a similar sized muffler and it's a little louder than I'd like at times. I was surprised how loud it was when I first fired it up and drove it, considering its one of the quietest that Flowmaster makes. The exhaust guy thought it was quiet!
I'm thinking about throwing in a resonator in behind it to knock some of the drone out.
It sounds good when you mash the pedal though.
- Thread starter
- #188
Here's a little vid of the exhaust. The iPhone audio doesnt convey the actual volume of it. Actually sounds great in the video.
- Thread starter
- #189
I was thinking about a resonator too but I want to live with it for a bit. Mechanic friend of mine had the same reaction as your guy - he didn't think it was loud at all.
gregnash
Anal Retentive Analyst
Nice dude. Sounds pretty decent. I am starting to look at a swap as I know my 2F is not gonna be viable forever.
- Thread starter
- #191
Payoff!
Spent last weekend wrapping up loose ends and driving the cruiser as much as possible.
Took the dog hiking.
And wired up this sweet little trailer brake controller - Tekonsha Prodigy P2
So that on Monday we could do this...
Towed our 18' travel trailer to Lakes Basin Recreation Area. Just got back this afternoon and had a blast! The new power plant handled the load with ease even up some serious grades. An FJ60 is maybe not the perfect tow vehicle but for a lightweight trailer like ours (2800 lbs. dry) it handles it just fine. This is the added versatility that I had wanted for our truck. Makes all the hard work worth it for sure!
Thanks for following
-Ed
Spent last weekend wrapping up loose ends and driving the cruiser as much as possible.
Took the dog hiking.
And wired up this sweet little trailer brake controller - Tekonsha Prodigy P2
So that on Monday we could do this...
Towed our 18' travel trailer to Lakes Basin Recreation Area. Just got back this afternoon and had a blast! The new power plant handled the load with ease even up some serious grades. An FJ60 is maybe not the perfect tow vehicle but for a lightweight trailer like ours (2800 lbs. dry) it handles it just fine. This is the added versatility that I had wanted for our truck. Makes all the hard work worth it for sure!
Thanks for following
-Ed
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gregnash
Anal Retentive Analyst
Very nice dude. Where did you camp up at Lakes Basin? Wife and I were up there last weekend looking for new camp spots. Looks like East Meadows campground will be on the list next year at Jackson Meadows lake.
Need to come up and take you out for beer/coffee at some point to pick your brain on this. Recent things with the truck make me feel like I need to get a plan in order for when the time comes. I am doing lots of reading/research on the differences between late model TBI engines and Gen. II or III Vortec swaps and the cost benefit. Mine will likely be an extreme budget when the time comes.
Need to come up and take you out for beer/coffee at some point to pick your brain on this. Recent things with the truck make me feel like I need to get a plan in order for when the time comes. I am doing lots of reading/research on the differences between late model TBI engines and Gen. II or III Vortec swaps and the cost benefit. Mine will likely be an extreme budget when the time comes.
- Thread starter
- #193
I hear ya on the 2F. It sucks that it's not more practical/economical to build and maintain one. Parts are getting harder to come by and expert support is the domain of a few specialists. Without the Mud community and knowledge base how many of us might have retired them long ago? Our '87 2F is still going strong and I plan to keep it that way as long as it's still economically feasible.
We were in the Diablo Campgrond near Packer Lake. Such a great area and still a lot of places we haven't explored.
I can't tell you how many hours I researched and planned for the swap. At least as many (and probably a lot more) as I spent actually wrenching. For me it was better to plan all the steps, budget all the parts so I could execute with a certain level of confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Anytime you want to get together and have a beer and talk cruisers I'm down.
-Ed
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NCFJ
Supporting Vendor
Congrats! Love the sound myself, my wife wants quiet, only loud under hard throttle. Keep your eyes out for little things, loose clamps, wires etc. You have had enough apart on that rig that odds are something will come loose. Go back through everything you did and check for tight bolts etc. It is such a refreshing feeling driving a swapped truck, it makes you feel that this is how it should have been all along. This swap does not make it a super truck it just makes it equal in power etc to a Tahoe 
- Thread starter
- #196
- Thread starter
- #197
Congrats! Love the sound myself, my wife wants quiet, only loud under hard throttle. Keep your eyes out for little things, loose clamps, wires etc. You have had enough apart on that rig that odds are something will come loose. Go back through everything you did and check for tight bolts etc. It is such a refreshing feeling driving a swapped truck, it makes you feel that this is how it should have been all along. This swap does not make it a super truck it just makes it equal in power etc to a Tahoe
Sound advice, thanks! Already chased several leaks. On the way home yesterday while doing 65 and pulling the trailer I started thinking about drive shaft bolts. "Did I really torque them all?"
Ain't it great?
gregnash
Anal Retentive Analyst
LOL... wait til you hear that random "clunk" and then you really start thinking about those things. You mentally go back through and try to figure out if you properly torqued everything down and what not. Guess that is all part of the game, the checklist!
