Build 79 FJ 40 Rebuild

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Okay ended up taking my relay out of the housing. If you look at the two contact points the one on the right was touching so I placed a small piece of paper in between it to see if breaking that connection would fix it. And sure did. Maybe some adjustment on the arm then it will be all set!

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There is a procedure for setting the VR in the manuals. I would get a new/rebuilt one now as a spare.
I tried the adjustment but mine was just too far gone. Getting a new one is advised for sure.
 
Somewhere about 1985 I had to replace my 72's oem VR. I think at that time I tweaked the contacts and haven't touched it since. Before I went away to university in 86 dad helped me take apart the alternator and starter for servicing. I remember having to drill the head off a threw bolt in the alternator, local dealer gave me a replacement from a dead unit going for rebuild. Both starter and alternator are still there and working fine so far.

When the alternator goes I'm sticking on a GM one wire in the 100 A range. I have a spare used starter and a "new" alternator from rockauto's closeout was like $25 (no pulley)
 
Boy it’s been a while. Tinkering in a cold garage is no fun.

But I let the heater run all day And with fire extinguisher in hand planned to finally fire up the engine.

Motivated by a few episodes of road with rescues all I needed was fuel and spark. Fuel was good, new pump, lines, filter and dipped carb.

Unfortunately, it didn’t fire. Power at the coil, new flame thrower. Power to the distributor, nothing FROM the distributor. Sanded the mating surface of the dizzy to unsure ground, no spark, only the slightest voltage on the multimeter at the plug when firing.

It ran before the rebuild, i disassembled the dizzy and cleaned off any all corrosion before reinstalling.

Considering purchasing a new dizzy from cruiser corps and being fine with it…
 
Ok upon further research. The coil I purchased from pertronix is designed for electric ignition not points and I believe you I can eliminate my ballast resistor.

I have the pertronix conversion ignition on the way to convert my points over and then we’ll see what happens 😂
 
She lives!!! Sort of….

Finally got my new Weber 38dgas.

Finding timing with the HEI distributor was a nightmare. I needed to make a rail to relocate my coolant lines as they were interfering with the dizzy cap. Seemed like the vac advance on the dizzy was hitting everything trying to find a good orientation for it.

Anyway it idles like a dream, sounds good. Need to fine tune carb and timing.

This is the next hurdle though. Under load it sounds like I have a massive exhaust leak. I do have the aftermarket Y header. Is that super loud?

Also when reassembling it’s just 1 gasket that I’d used for the intake/exhaust manifold correct?

I saw some images for stock configurations that use multiple gaskets.

Maybe my valve adjustment is off causing the loud exhaust also? Hoping to get my plate and take it in for a tune up.

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@orangefj45 or @wngrog has a good thread on manifold gasket install. Get the Remflex thick gasket. Google Mud site for it.
 
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Ok update on the exhaust. Like line I was in such an excited hurry to install the exhaust manifold I didn’t fully clean off the old gasket.

Clean mating surface, new gasket, new bolts and studs. Perfect.

Test drive, no brakes. Both my NEW break pressure sensors FAILED. purchased from cruiser corps…usually their stuff is petty good. In the picture it’s just a small drip but when the brake is engaged it gushes out. Super great after fully painted frame, body etc……

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Ok update on the exhaust. Like line I was in such an excited hurry to install the exhaust manifold I didn’t fully clean off the old gasket.

Clean mating surface, new gasket, new bolts and studs. Perfect.

Test drive, no brakes. Both my NEW break pressure sensors FAILED. purchased from cruiser corps…usually their stuff is petty good. In the picture it’s just a small drip but when the brake is engaged it gushes out. Super great after fully painted frame, body etc……

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Fwiw, we also ran across a bunch of new sensors that all leaked from the sensor itself. There must have been a bad batch out there as they came from several re-box manufactures (Wells, Beck Arnley, etc). We are now installing the OEM sensors (or plugging) as the aftermarket ones have been so hit/miss.
 
Ok new brake pressure sensors from cruiser teq. No leak yet.

Here is my timing issue.

40 sounds great!

After I drove it for about 10 minutes and went up a hill it started knocking during acceleration. Terrified that I completed my project only to develop a rod knock due to low oil pressure. I parked it and stayed up all night thinking about how I might’ve ruined my engine.

After further research, I was hopeful that it might be a timing issue. I started it back up a few days later accelerated no knocking ticking nothing checked the timing at the inspection window with a freshly painted BB as much as I can rotate the distributor, advanced and retard there is no BB visible could my timing really be that far outside the inspection window and that’s my issue?

HEI distibutor

Oil pressure Guage only moves slightly. But I don’t think I have a single Guage working correctly anyway.
 
So check that you are on #1 TDC compression. Pop the dizzy cap - is the rotor bug pointing at #4 spark plug? I know nothing of the HEI stuff maybe they don't have a bug/pointer.

Get a direct read oil pressure gauge.

Download some free manuals
 
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