3FE Owners Check-In (3 Viewers)

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Hi there, I am checking in from Metro Detroit in Michigan. Have a 1991 3fe now for the last 7 years having bought it with 175K miles for ~$5K. It has 180K on it now and is still stock. I'm the 2nd owner. Previous owner kept it on his ranch in Montana. It had a clunk in the drivetrain when I bought it and it still has the clunk. The clunk is hard to duplicate under power but is loud when shifting from drive to reverse and park. I've greased the splines and the U-joints a few times and no change. Thinking about trying to isolate the driveshafts to see if that's the issue but not sure how to do that exactly. And, I'm getting old and not easy to get underneath this thing anymore. If anyone knows a great mechanic who is familiar with these trucks in the Detroit area or within a couple hundred miles please let me know. Thanks, Bob Nancarrow
 
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Hi there, I am checking in from Metro Detroit in Michigan. Have a 1991 3fe now for the last 7 years having bought it with 175K miles for ~$5K. It has 180K on it now and is still stock. I'm the 2nd owner. Previous owner kept it on his ranch in Montana. It had a clunk in the drivetrain when I bought it and it still has the clunk. The clunk is hard to duplicate under power but is loud when shifting from drive to reverse and park. I've greased the splines and the U-joints a few times and no change. Thinking about trying to isolate the driveshafts to see if that's the issue but not sure how to do that exactly. And, I'm getting old and not easy to get underneath this thing anymore. If anyone knows a great mechanic who is familiar with these trucks in the Detroit area or within a couple hundred miles please let me know. Thanks, Bob Nancarrow

when was the last time you changed your trans oil ? had this issue on the 62 and the clunk went got better with new oil.
 
On a different note, does anyone know of a good rear bumper build thread ?
 
Having an issue with my 3fe. I rebuilt the cylinder head and did not do anything to the rocker assembly other than remove and reinstall. I didnt disassemble it, clean it nothing. When I got the head back from the machine shop I installed it back on, it was very difficult to reinstall, I had to tap it on with a hammer. From what I hear, that 8a not supposed to happen.

5k miles later, my valves wont stay in adjustment, I've adjusted them a handful of times now and the clacking keeps coming back. Theres no oil getting to the valve stems or pushrod through the rockers! I verified I installed the headgasket correctly, and verified that the #4 pedestal with the oil hole is in the correct spot for the oil hole on the head. Any idea why this might be? I'm sure my valve stem seals are probably fubar after 5k miles of no live, I guess if it comes down to it I'll just throw some new ones in there....not what I wanted to do but at least I havent dropped a valve yet I suppose. I know the rocker shaft should slide on easily but I dont know why mine isnt.

Edit: ok so the #4 pedestal was not lined up with the hole In the rocker shaft. I wasnt aware that this could happen honestly. I did verify that I have oil pressure past the headgasket too after lining up the camshaft and spinning the oil pump with a screwdriver, it started flowing oil out. Now just to see if my valve seals survived this ordeal...
 
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I am quite new to this forum so if this is in the wrong place please feel free to move or delete!

In the event any of you have had issues with timing on a 3FE, this could help. I didn't like the holes and inability to get an accurate estimate on the actual timing so while I have mine apart, I decided to map the flywheel. Considering there is 136 teeth on the ring gear, that makes each tooth 2.65 degrees apart. At 13.5 inch root diameter, this is getting pretty accurate. For ease, I called each tooth 2.5 degrees and marked it out. This is what it looks like. I am going to mark each tooth with a different color and tune the engine to what works best so I can put it back to the same location each time rather than the "big dot" timing mark which is suppose to be at 10 degrees, but it is actually somewhere around 8. If someone has a better method of timing that you can actually see on a 3FE, please share!
Cruiser flywheel.jpg
 

You need the 3F manual from like '84, and the 3FE addon covers all 3FE-specific things.
You'll also want the A440F manual, which should be under the google drive link there somewhere.

Welcome to Hotel Toyota!
The A440 Manual is available from Specter.
 
Never actually “checked-in”, so can I leave?? Haha sorry, Eagles reference. I bought my 80 about 2 years ago now, she’s a ‘91 with a 2.5” OME Lift on 17” Method 305 wheels and 35” tires. I’m running 4.88 gears and she drives like a dream. I take her out wheeling about once a week to local trails here in OC, CA just to keep my sanity and her legs stretched. Lately, we’ve been going out about 2-3 times a week since both my jobs are closed and the kids are out of school. I do have a question, anyone running 37’s or 39’s with 4.88’s? I’d like to be able to at least run 37’s with the current gears but if it’ll add any unneeded stress, I can wait to regear. Thanks for the help so far, and I’m looking forward to sharing more as we build!

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Awesome...I am on a total of 4" lift..to run 37s with proper clearance requires a substantial amount of fender/flares trimming as well as f/r axle relocation.

Ok, so there is a bit more involved than just buying 37’s. Anyone you recommend in the SoCal area that can do the axle work?
 
@Frida The FJ80, is that a DIY light bar? I’m still running the OEM front bumper and have had some nice OR lights sitting around for about a year. I couldn’t find any lo-pro, simple ones and I thought about using L-brackets but. Clean
 
After looking for an 80 series LC for some time, I finally picked one up yesterday. It's spent its entire life in Modesto, CA and the past 25 years among the same family. I'm going to have it looked over by a mechanic next week. Then plan to get an ARB front bumper, Old Man EMU lift, and looking at 35" tires with 17" wheels. Roof and tailgate paint is fading, so thinking of painting it a blue-grey, but not sure about that yet. Should be a fun project.

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IMHO
stick with the stock rims going to give you more rubber and you will save money,
If that is a 3fe id stay away from 35s unless this isnt a daily driver or you live somewhere flat.
3fe will turn em but would be better with gears (4:88) which is another 1000.

That being said do what will get you stoked
 
@Frida The FJ80, is that a DIY light bar? I’m still running the OEM front bumper and have had some nice OR lights sitting around for about a year. I couldn’t find any lo-pro, simple ones and I thought about using L-brackets but. Clean

that bar was installed by the PO so I’m not sure tbh. i tried to look up a bar for the stock bumper but I couldnt find anything advertising it so it may be DIY.
 
IMHO
stick with the stock rims going to give you more rubber and you will save money,
If that is a 3fe id stay away from 35s unless this isnt a daily driver or you live somewhere flat.
3fe will turn em but would be better with gears (4:88) which is another 1000.

That being said do what will get you stoked

I wondered about that but hadn’t gotten around to research it yet. Thanks for the heads up. Definitely need to consider that even though it won’t be a DD. Maybe 33s?
 
I wondered about that but hadn’t gotten around to research it yet. Thanks for the heads up. Definitely need to consider that even though it won’t be a DD. Maybe 33s?

I went back and forth with 33s vrs stock 31s for a long time on my 1991 3fe land cruiser. I am glad I made the decision to get 33x10.50s I may go 4:88 in the future but at the moment the stock gears are just fine. I think 35s would be tuff.
 
personally i'm looking at doing a Manuel swap this summer with all this time i seem to have now....

I had through before that 4:88 with 33's would be sweet as it would help the 3fe a lot

that being said I run 33-12.5-15 currently and have no complaints i like the thickness of the tire but i think if was to buy again i would sacrifice some offload predominance for the skinnier tire.

side note: I live in Northern BC up here in Canada and we have a lot of hills, 33s have been fine just a little slow on the hills :)
 
I went back and forth with 33s vrs stock 31s for a long time on my 1991 3fe land cruiser. I am glad I made the decision to get 33x10.50s I may go 4:88 in the future but at the moment the stock gears are just fine. I think 35s would be tuff.
Thanks man. 33s sound like the way to go. I’m good with that. The 3FE I saw with 35s does indeed have 4.88 gears.
 

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