Build 73 FJ40 Refresh

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Spent a couple of quality days in the garage with a scraper and heat gun removing the rubberized coating from the frame. Some kind of bed liner maybe? Most of top and outside done. Nice primer coat underneath.

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Got more scraping done this week, just have to flip it over and do the bottom.

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These came in the mail too. The correct fittings to make up to my OEM evaporator.


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Engineer8000 said:
I've been struggling with the color. I really like the Heath Gray with coral seats. I've been lurking on the FJCO web site trying to decide. Amazing looking trucks come out of their shop.

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My son who will ultimately end up with this when I'm gone likes dune beige. I'm torn.

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Grey, all the way. Now back to reading your thread…
 
Thinking ahead to exhaust. Doing some mocking up, it looks like about 4" is the max diameter muffler size that will fit in the stock bracket on the 73 frame and not interfere with the tub. I see where they are available from SOR and I could probably find a lesser cost aftermarket variety. I have a 3fe and this size seems kinda small so wondering what others have done here. Ditch the oem bracket and fit a larger oval muffler like I had?
 
Mine had/has an oval one. Obviously an aftermarket thing but it fits well and was cheap. Around $70 from a local muffler shop.

I’m not doing a full restoration (yet), just want to keep the girl purring along for the time being.
 
I know a few are working on reproducing the non US 1/79+ exhaust. Have a couple 78 2Fs. One has very good compression I want to run in my 2/73. The later exhaust would upgrade the size. It would also keep the area clear for a PTO winch and Fairey OD. In the US 1/79-7/80 US routing was under the frame. 8/80 a heat shield was added to the cowl and US joined the rest of world what I consider the best routing Toyota had in the 40 series. Exhaust is not run below or above the skid plate. Even the 1/75-1/79 exhaust was larger for the 2F. This is a problem if you running a see second fuel tank behind the rear axle.
 
Living in the Past said:
I know a few are working on reproducing the non US 1/79+ exhaust. Have a couple 78 2Fs. One has very good compression I want to run in my 2/73. The later exhaust would upgrade the size. It would also keep the area clear for a PTO winch and Fairey OD. In the US 1/79-7/80 US routing was under the frame. 8/80 a heat shield was added to the cowl and US joined the rest of world what I consider the best routing Toyota had in the 40 series. Exhaust is not run below or above the skid plate. Even the 1/75-1/79 exhaust was larger for the 2F. This is a problem if you running a see second fuel tank behind the rear axle.
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My April ‘80 had the mishmash of these years but the PO added a muffler where I guess the cat would be and routed the tailpipe out behind the rear drivers wheel. Looks like he may have been planning an auxiliary tank because there is a load of space there, heat shield still intact.

I don’t really mind this setup except the pipe runs right in front of the rear springs pin which I need to swap out. I demolished my finger getting the old muffler out about 9 months ago and I’m mega gun shy to remove the tail pipe again.
 
RevISK said:
My April ‘80 had the mishmash of these years but the PO added a muffler where I guess the cat would be and routed the tailpipe out behind the rear drivers wheel. Looks like he may have been planning an auxiliary tank because there is a load of space there, heat shield still intact.

I don’t really mind this setup except the pipe runs right in front of the rear springs pin which I need to swap out. I demolished my finger getting the old muffler out about 9 months ago and I’m mega gun shy to remove the tail pipe again.
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Not sure what you needed to do to remove the muffler. A stock muffler has three bolt flange. And a single hanger in the tail pipe. Should be fairly easy to remove.
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There is a hanger where the tailpipe goes under the frame. Middle pipe has a hanger at the front end where it connects to either the front pipe or CAT and after it crosses back under the frame.
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PO on my 3/79 installed a aftermarket longer muffler. Because of this middle pipe flange was cut off and pipe was welded to the muffler inlet.
Factory routing shouldn't interfere with the front spring perch for the left rear spring.
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The front routing is awful.
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But at least factory exhaust is designed to unbolted and replaced by a backyard mechanic.
 
The three bolt flange is wedded forever together.
They haven’t been touched since at least the late ‘80’s.
It’s going to need to be cut out and I’m not ready to roll it to the exhaust shop.
 
Engineer8000 said:
Thinking ahead to exhaust. Doing some mocking up, it looks like about 4" is the max diameter muffler size that will fit in the stock bracket on the 73 frame and not interfere with the tub. I see where they are available from SOR and I could probably find a lesser cost aftermarket variety. I have a 3fe and this size seems kinda small so wondering what others have done here. Ditch the oem bracket and fit a larger oval muffler like I had?
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SOR is selling the OEM muffler which is available from Toyota for about half the cost.. but they are 1.8"ish pipe size which is kinda small for 3FE though. I would do 2.25" and use the 75-up muffler location behind the shock crossmember and exit out the passenger side.
If you really want to mimic the pre-74 layout, I would go with Vibrant 1117 ... 2.25 In/Out round muffler, all 304 stainless, they are really nice and have the same old school OEM barrel look other then being shiny. I think we are going to do that here on the 1970 I am currently working on.
 
cruisermatt said:
SOR is selling the OEM muffler which is available from Toyota for about half the cost.. but they are 1.8"ish pipe size which is kinda small for 3FE though. I would do 2.25" and use the 75-up muffler location behind the shock crossmember and exit out the passenger side.
If you really want to mimic the pre-74 layout, I would go with Vibrant 1117 ... 2.25 In/Out round muffler, all 304 stainless, they are really nice and have the same old school OEM barrel look other then being shiny. I think we are going to do that here on the 1970 I am currently working on.
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I was looking at some of the aftermarket mufflers but don't want it to sound like a rice burner. Does the vibrant muffler sound ok?
 
Engineer8000 said:
I was looking at some of the aftermarket mufflers but don't want it to sound like a rice burner. Does the vibrant muffler sound ok?
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I think we are going with it so should have sounds clips in the next week or so.
 
Andrew S said:
@wngrog and his tig wizard might have some suggestions on mufflers, I've seen them build several systems from parts.

Andrew
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I've brazed and soldered my whole adult life. Never did much welding. Even if I did would still prefer a bolt together exhaust. If you replacing the exhaust can just use a sawzall and cut the exhaust out. But if you need to replace a clutch run above the skid plate the exhaust is in the way even if you can manage to squeeze the transmission out. Started a project to convert single direction split case PTO to a two direction PTO using parts from an early one piece PTO. The case on the PTO I pulled the parts from has a melted aluminum housing where it was too close to the exhaust. Never had an issue but know the oil in the transfer case had to be much hotter than normal operating temperatures. With a PTO and Fairey OD are hard to come by exhaust would need to be under the skid plate or outside the frame. Between the two choices outside the wins.

I picked this piece of 1/79+ exhaust that someone was going send off for scrap metal. Should have the bends needed to create a middle section.
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Besides the bends it has the correct heat shields.
This is the heat shield that was standard on all FJ and HJ series starting 8/80.
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1/79 Toyota moved the fuel tank out of the cab. 73-78 fuel tank was sixteen and a half gallons. 1/79 that jumped up six gallon to twenty two and half gallons. That was a big upgrade to a vehicle that gets such poor mileage. But it also meant running the exhaust above the skid plate would require a sharp bend down right after the skid plate. Outside the frame was the obvious choice. Just for ease of removing the transmission and transfer case nice having the exhaust out of the way.
 
cruisermatt said:
SOR is selling the OEM muffler which is available from Toyota for about half the cost.. but they are 1.8"ish pipe size which is kinda small for 3FE though. I would do 2.25" and use the 75-up muffler location behind the shock crossmember and exit out the passenger side.
If you really want to mimic the pre-74 layout, I would go with Vibrant 1117 ... 2.25 In/Out round muffler, all 304 stainless, they are really nice and have the same old school OEM barrel look other then being shiny. I think we are going to do that here on the 1970 I am currently working on.
Click to expand...

Did you get to try out the Vibrant 1117?
 
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