Builds 79 Aussie BJ55 build

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So the current theory on why I keep munching B series input shafts has something to do with 4 cylinder diesel harmonics (?).. driving it under 2000rpm, eg: lugging it around at low RPM, and the 3.7 Ring and Pinions. I did notice a bit of a grating/grumble when driving under 1800-2000rpm on the 3.7's but didnt think much of it.. If anyone has any resources to help explain this theory or 4 cylinder diesel harmonics, I'd love to learn more.

When I put a Cummins 4bt (with a NV4500 5 speed trans) in a fj60 years ago, I took that transmission apart 3 times before I figured out that the hammering noise at idle was from the harmonics of the motor... The last time I took it to a transmission shop in southern Minnesota and they put it on there machine and ran the clutch and trans through its paces, it was nice and quiet, and they told me about the harmonics. It was a very frustrating and expensive lesson. Sorry, not much for tech, but I can relate.
 
With all the bits mocked up I could work out some lengths

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I measured my current drive shafts then dropped my H55F for the last time..
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Yesterday I took my driveshafts to get shortened and lengthened..

So thats pretty much where I'm up to now..

I still need to:
- install part time transfer kit and reduction gears
- wire up h4 switch and transfer relay so it works with the HF2A
- Modify the Dyna bellhousing so it can accept the Tacho sender and my tacho will work as normal
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- Figure out what I need to do with gearbox crossmembers. The H152 gearbox mount is about 265mm further back than the H55F. I'm glad I found the original gearbox mount from the FZJ80 auto.. so we'll see what I can do with that
20230404020418-48058af1-la.jpg

- Drop both front and rear diff centers and swap out the 3.7 R&P for the 4.1's that I have somewhere..

Theres still a heap to do but I'm getting closer :)
Wow, you have done some work!!!
 
I’d guess yes, the 4cyl has such broad power pulses.
In my road race car with a tubo‘d 2.4L 4 cyl I was shredding transmissions that would live behind small V8s and 6cyl making similar HP. Tearing the bearing retainers right out of the housings.
We concluded it was the broad pulses that destroyed the housings that had otherwise been happy with the similar HP.
2.4L - is this in your 510?
 
Found some more info
Torque pulses are always at the same interval in any 4cyl engine at any given engine speed. The intensity of the pulse will vary but not the frequency, (a more powerful engine will produce a more intense pulse).

The frequency of vibration varies continuously with engine rpm. Hence while the maximum torque pulse is the same the engine running at higher rpm has less torsional vibration than the same engine running at lower rpm. It's simply less time for the flywheel to decellerate before the next pulse. The rotational space remains constant, but the frequency does not.

suspect the 3.7s diff ratios didnt help much...

In other news.. the full time transfer case has been rebuilt with a part-time kit and 3.11 low range and is now back together. Getting the right bearings for this was challenging.
I put the gearbox in and fabbed crossmember chassis mounts, etc but then found the bellhousing fouled on the floor so it needed to come out again. Did that but now I need to clean up the welding on the chassis mounts for the cross member before its in for good.
I've got driveshafts shorted but fingers crossed my calcs were close.

Still to do is :
- swap out 3.7 locked diff centers for open 4.1's
- wire up H4/CDL switch/relay to the motor
- trim up the trans tunnel cover to suit the new shifter positions

My work has been flat out, and there has been non-stop horsey activities so I've had little time to work on this.. which is killing me! its been off the road for over 3 months now :(
 
Put about 50km on the new setup yesterday.. not entirely sorted yet.. there is some clutch chatter at idle and in neutral with the pedal out. pedal in and it goes away.

also some weird cyclic chatter with pedal out, neutral and rolling forward. 4th gear pops out cos I think one of the bushes I lost in the gearbox is messing with the selector seating all the way. I'm hoping with a bit more use/abuse it'll get chewed out and come good...

It's been a while since driving so trying to remember what noises are normal and what's not. Also can't really hear bad noises when driving cos everything is so loud.

Gearing wise, very happy. 4.11 rear diff ratio, 5th gear, 110kph and just sitting on 2000rpm.. 4th gear at 60kph is about 1600rpm, and at 80 about 1800rpm.. Im thinking i could almost run 4.56's in the diffs but wont bother with that.. I just want to get it running properly without weird noises and get some km's on it.
 
Said everybody who ever had a car project since the dawn of time!
I did have a few. months of trouble free operation there at one point..
 
Originally my clutch would engage as soon as you lifted your foot off the floor so i extended the throw of the pedal by about 20mm.. i removed that and the pedal works normally (although very limited movement) and doesn't slip and the noises arent there as much. Took it for another drive and feeling more confident with it.. will give it more seat time and see how things go.
 
So had a long weekend this weekend, and the fact that 4th was popping out was giving me the sh!ts so I removed the gearbox and tore into it on saturday. I've got it down to a 2hr removal process and only need the floor transmission jack.... it's so much easier and safer with that.

Having been in the gearbox once to swap input shafts it was pretty straightforward to get in there again and remove the nylon bushes from the end of the h55f shift i'd lost. One was just in the oil tray and the other was scratch up as it looked like it had been caught by gears at some point.

I'd checked all the syncro's and the selector hubs and ensured that the cutouts lined up when I put the new input shaft in.. everything looked to be as it should.. so without much more fiddling it went back together with toyota gasket goo and test shifted fine on the bench. end float of the input shaft was minimal on re-install and so it was fingers crossed and back into the pig. This is direct contrast to the first time I put things together after re-installing the transfer, when it didnt feel as good as it does now.

Once again the transmission jack made things sooo easy once the gearbox was strapped on and took very little effort to line up and bolt on.

I also used this opportunity to get the CDL motor off the transfer (clearance with the floor is VERY tight once in the car), and wired up my factory BJ73 push button 4wd (it triggered the vacuum split transfer case) to the 80 series CDL relay. with it all jerry rigged up I can re-install the CDL motor to the transfer, transfer to the gearbox and rear drive shaft to get driving again. I'll get some 6 pin Deutsch plugs and make a harness from the CDL relay to the transfer during the week.

Once our family obligations are done today I should be able to finish off re-installing everything, and take it for a test drive. A mate recommended some Redline Oil MT-90 to help quieten down the transfer case so thats going in there too.. I only found 1 gal for $150AUD on the other side of the country.. so I really hope things are done for good because I dont like the idea of draining the gearbox again..

Oh and I need to figure out how to fab a mount for the VDJ transfer. When its bolted to the gearbox in the factory position it will engage and disengage fully but in low range the transfer lever is pretty much on the floor/trans tunnel cover. With the boot on it wont engage fully. I'm hoping a mount off the factory position out of 10mm steel will let me position that shifter a bit higher, in a better position so it doesnt foul on anything. Once thats done, last thing is to swap out the front center for an open 4.11, swap the R&P on my air locked centers for 4.11's and put them back in.. :)

Oh an no pictures of any of the work..cos i just got 'er done.
 
well things are a bit quieter with the redline oil in it but it still pops out of 4th on deceleration.. wondering if its too much end float on with the 1hz input shaft. I haven't looked yet but need to figure this out. I'm not spending all this time and effort to have something like this persist.. its a struggle though
 
So last night I had an epiphany and remembered I attempted to remove reverse gear to replace input shafts before learning you could do it without removing anything..
20230404021015-f05d9e8f-me.jpg


While I didn't think I moved the gear at the time at all.. there is some axial play (in/out) of the output/input shafts with it all back together.. which makes me think that I DID shift the reverse gear after all and that has impacted the reverse gear thrust clearance.. (step 7 )

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So plan of attack is to get some decent feeler gauges, remove the gearbox to hammer reverse gear in and check the clearance. I'm going to TRY and keep the oil in, bellhousing on and just remove the rear half of the case with the gearbox out of the vehicle. and hopefully that is the root cause..
 
well things are a bit quieter with the redline oil in it but it still pops out of 4th on deceleration.. wondering if its too much end float on with the 1hz input shaft. I haven't looked yet but need to figure this out. I'm not spending all this time and effort to have something like this persist.. its a struggle though
Crikey!
WTF?!?
 
So last night I had an epiphany and remembered I attempted to remove reverse gear to replace input shafts before learning you could do it without removing anything..
20230404021015-f05d9e8f-me.jpg


While I didn't think I moved the gear at the time at all.. there is some axial play (in/out) of the output/input shafts with it all back together.. which makes me think that I DID shift the reverse gear after all and that has impacted the reverse gear thrust clearance.. (step 7 )

20230613164334-d410aa86-me.jpg


So plan of attack is to get some decent feeler gauges, remove the gearbox to hammer reverse gear in and check the clearance. I'm going to TRY and keep the oil in, bellhousing on and just remove the rear half of the case with the gearbox out of the vehicle. and hopefully that is the root cause..
Reverse gear thrust clearance messing w/ 4th?
 
anyway.., i can't find anyone locally to service this gearbox and check why its doing whats it's doing. the folks i've talked to are flat out and can't take on any more work. I want to avoid having to send it interstate if I can just because of the time and money... but it may come to that .. who knows. I also need to get my hands on another 1HZ input shaft to double check its the same as the VDJ input shaft I replaced. the only other option i can think of to do this on my own, assuming the 1hz input shaft is in spec, is to get another vdj 5 speed, swap in the input and see if it does the same, hoping it doesnt then get this box reco'd and sell it off.. i hope it doesnt come to that cos its expensive and no guarantee's it'll sort the issue. I only know of one other person who's doing the gearbox + engine conversion and they only just go their engine so still a way off driving it ...
 

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