If/when you ever have time, can you explain how you tack your metal together? It looks factory. Gall dang amazing!
'68 basket case resto-mod
- Thread starter Napoleon047
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- #42
I simplified the defroster ducts for ease of fabrication but they should work just fine
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- #43
All I do is predrill a hole in one panel and plug weld it to the other.
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- #44
Finished up the windshield frame and started the rear bumper/hitch
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- #45
Tail light protectors also. The rear crossmember is bent so this will give me a sturdy tow point
Impressive fabrication..coming along nicely.
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- #47
Took the tub off and built the exhhaust
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- #48
Slave cylinder mount
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- #49
Got the frame back from sand blasting today and shot it with a coat of primer.
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- #50
Quick recap of my recent engine saga:
I tore into the 350 from the donor truck to replace bearings, rings and all gaskets. When I pulled apart the bottom end, however, I found two spun main bearings and a spun rod bearing. Needless to say, the engine had a loss of oil pressure at some point. Pretty frustrating when the engine supposedly came from a running vehicle.
I took the bottom end to the local machine shop for an evaluation. The prognosis: it can be fixed, but unless I was having a high performance engine built, it wouldn't be cost effective for them to even touch it, I was better off finding another engine.
I shopped around on craigslist for another engine and found several, but I was gun-shy about an engine I couldn't hear run. I then started shopping for reman engines and settled on a reman L31 from the local parts store. It was pricey (more than I planned to spend anyway), but came with a 3-year unlimited mileage warranty. I was also able to sell the Vortec heads and return $300 worth of parts and gaskets that I was going to put into the other engine, and basically the complete engine came out cheaper than a reman short-block would have with the pile of parts I had bought.
For those of you who don't know, the L31 is the factory engine that vortec heads came on. It came in 96-2000 GM trucks and SUVs, and is based on the post-86 GM block with a 1-piece rear main seal. This engine will bolt up to the SM465, but it uses a different flywheel (a new flywheel wasn't much more than having one resurfaced). It has a factory roller cam, which means I won't have to use high-zinc oil. The only other caveat is there is no provision for a mechanical fuel pump at all - not an issue since I am going with EFI. Also, the factory roller cams require a different distributor drive gear, but otherwise the old-style HEI works just fine.
I tore into the 350 from the donor truck to replace bearings, rings and all gaskets. When I pulled apart the bottom end, however, I found two spun main bearings and a spun rod bearing. Needless to say, the engine had a loss of oil pressure at some point. Pretty frustrating when the engine supposedly came from a running vehicle.
I took the bottom end to the local machine shop for an evaluation. The prognosis: it can be fixed, but unless I was having a high performance engine built, it wouldn't be cost effective for them to even touch it, I was better off finding another engine.
I shopped around on craigslist for another engine and found several, but I was gun-shy about an engine I couldn't hear run. I then started shopping for reman engines and settled on a reman L31 from the local parts store. It was pricey (more than I planned to spend anyway), but came with a 3-year unlimited mileage warranty. I was also able to sell the Vortec heads and return $300 worth of parts and gaskets that I was going to put into the other engine, and basically the complete engine came out cheaper than a reman short-block would have with the pile of parts I had bought.
For those of you who don't know, the L31 is the factory engine that vortec heads came on. It came in 96-2000 GM trucks and SUVs, and is based on the post-86 GM block with a 1-piece rear main seal. This engine will bolt up to the SM465, but it uses a different flywheel (a new flywheel wasn't much more than having one resurfaced). It has a factory roller cam, which means I won't have to use high-zinc oil. The only other caveat is there is no provision for a mechanical fuel pump at all - not an issue since I am going with EFI. Also, the factory roller cams require a different distributor drive gear, but otherwise the old-style HEI works just fine.
Do you have a CAD drawing of your slave cylinder bracket? It is elegant in its simplicity. And I've had to look at way too many franken-brackets over the years, which makes me appreciate something this clean even more.
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- #52
I do have a CAD file, but before I share it, there are some caveats:
GM made A LOT of different clutch forks and many appear to be the same, but aren't: Pictures and Identification of GM Clutch release forks.
I made my first bracket for the clutch fork that came with the SM465. The throwout bearing spring on it was broken, so I ordered another from a 79 K20, thinking it would be the same. The one I received had the slave pocket 3/4" farther out and 3/8" down from the original location. I know some folks have trouble with the FJ master and slave lacking enough travel to disengage the clutch on an sm465, so I shortened the clutch fork by 3/4" to maximize the travel.
GM made A LOT of different clutch forks and many appear to be the same, but aren't: Pictures and Identification of GM Clutch release forks.
I made my first bracket for the clutch fork that came with the SM465. The throwout bearing spring on it was broken, so I ordered another from a 79 K20, thinking it would be the same. The one I received had the slave pocket 3/4" farther out and 3/8" down from the original location. I know some folks have trouble with the FJ master and slave lacking enough travel to disengage the clutch on an sm465, so I shortened the clutch fork by 3/4" to maximize the travel.
Interesting. In my three decades plus of wrenching I've never considered changing the length of a clutch fork. You have the option as an end user. My insurance company would cancel me in a heartbeat if I did that. It's still interesting. IIRC, the 86-87 FJ60 used a shorter fork than the older models, so there is some precedence for the idea.
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- #54
Two coats of rustoleum semi gloss with enamel hardener. Rear axle with new bearings and seals
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- #56
I feel like I spent all weekend in front of the blasting cabinet but having rust free parts is worth it.
I also forgot how long it takes to rebuild a toyota front axle.
I also forgot how long it takes to rebuild a toyota front axle.
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- #57
Engine and Trans back in
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- #58
El Dorado calipers with parking brake. The pinion is rotated up enough that I had to swap sides in order to get the caliper bolts in
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- #59
Twin stick for the clocked np205
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- #60
I'm using a Fitech fuel injection setup including their pump and filters. I'm using the inline pump setup because you can easily get the pump below the bottom of the tank in an FJ40
