81 BJ42 - I have to bring it home and pass inspection

[Varty Yo]

Wow!!!

2hrs i just took and read this whole thread! The wife couldnt believe i sat here silent for that long haha!

Amazing work man!

I said it before in another thread but the day i picked up my 45 rack from you last feb and you were working on the 42 i fell in love with it right there! I have now sold my 45 in hopes of prying a 42 away from a local guy who is building one he has up to make it a little more worthy!

Now i have to ask how do you get so much garage time in with kids??? I have a 10 month old and i just get the "look" everytime i say im goin to the garge for a bit. haha!

Love this thread man! Hope in a few months i can update that i have a similar 42.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

In October of 2014, after having trouble shedding heat on long drives, I decided to order a Champion aluminum 4 core rad. It was set up for the FJ40 so the inlet and outlet were mirrored from what I actually needed. I asked if they would make a mirrored version for the BJ or 3B and they said they would but there was a cost in time and extra money. It was decided that they would send along an extra set of inlet/outlet tubes and another filler assembly (at no charge BTW) and I would modify the rad myself.

So I removed the stock rad assembly in its entirety.

And disassembled it.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

The rad as I got it

A comparison of the factory 1981 BJ42 rad (no power steering in '81) and the Champion 4 core. The Champion comes with an oil cooler built into the bottom. I did not use this and just left the plugs in it.

And the extra set of fittings they were kind enough to include.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

The three core version from Champion is apparently a bolt in affair (for a 2F anyway). But the four core is a bit bigger.

Quite a bit thicker

And the bottom corners impact the radiator support. Many in the past have simply ground a little out of the rad support and this seems like it would certainly work. But I was not sure if this rad would be kept long term and I tend not to alter the factory parts if I don't have to. I decided to alter the rad rather than the truck it was being installed into. I was already going to be cutting and welding it anyway.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

Other than the bottom corners it does fit rather well.

The drain lines up decently with the factory location

Three bolt holes on the passenger side line up well

The left side (when in the rig) has only one hole that lines up, though the bottom one would line up if the bottom corner of the rad was trimmed. So one hole needs to be drilled in the rad mounting flange in order to get this side secure.

In addition to the bottom corners and one drilled hole the rad is much thicker than stock. As you can see there is a 1/4" gap between the rad support and the rad when the front is clear. This will be shimmed with spacers.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

Time to start cutting and welding.

Trim off bottom corners.

And remove the outlet

And to locate the new outlet

The outlet unfortunately needs to be below the bottom tank of the rad in order to line up with the rest of the plumbing.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

So I did it like so

Please note: Though I CAN "weld", I am by no means "a welder". My welds will not leak but they may not be the prettiest.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

And the top tank.

Leak testing. And fixing.

The bottom corners with much more room now.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

Turns out I had to drill two holes in order to attach the shroud in its correct location.

I used 1/4" thick spacers (from McMaster Carr)

 

[Awl_TEQ]

And walla... aluminum 4 core rad in a BJ42 with no mods to the rig. Well, other than the aluminum 4 core rad

 

[peteinjp]

Very nice! Even the unit I bought from Sor required grinding down the support a little in the corners- and the drain did not line up with the existing hole.

I wonder how that bright aluminum is going to look shining thru the bezel?

Pete

 

[Awl_TEQ]

Pete - I just read thru your maintenance thread for the first time. I made sure to subscribe so I can watch the developments. Man, that mud hole you were in sure snowed over in a short time!

As I noted at the start of the rad report above I did this in Oct 2014. In the late spring of 2015 I actually removed this rad and re-installed the factory one after a thorough clean out of the mud in the fins. I had several weeping leaks develop where the vertical tubes mated to the end plates at the tanks. Whether I caused this by welding on the tanks or not I dunno. It did not leak when first installed and did a very good job at cooling. My factory rad is now working well. I have had no over heating issues since cleaning it and putting it back in. That includes the trip to Turf-n-Surf where we traveled from Calgary to South of Salt Lake in one day at 10-15psi boost all the way. And thru Death Valley on the way back - but that was in November

The aluminum rad looked fine while it was in there. I never really noticed it being overly blingy. I'm sure I have a photo of it

Here is a cropped photo with it still installed

 

[peteinjp]

Actually the aluminum looks pretty good tucked in there. Thanks for checking out my thread. This thread along with your other threads- (your trailer rocks) have been inspiring. I want to get more into metal fab- it looks really fun if you do it right. I'll probably hit you up with some questions as I get set up to do more myself.

Pete

 

[Awl_TEQ]

I like metal fab. It's what I do. I'd like to try blowing glass too, never done it, but it looks like fun. Feel free to ask any questions you like.

The family and I just got back from a South African vacation. Already thinking ahead to the next trip. We are looking at three different destinations. Australia, Japan and Italy. I have always wanted to go to Australia. A fellow Commonwealth country and very similar to Canada in many ways. My son and I also want to see Japan. I don't know much of anything about the country but the basics. And that would make it fun I think to explore. I'd like to see shrines and mountains and countryside as well as the bright lights and big cities. Italy is my wife's choice. She has some Italian heritage and I find the Roman ruins and Vatican interesting. Venice, Pompeii, Rome... That would be fun.

Anyway... your screen name and location made me think of that just now. And also made me think that I should make some contacts in the places I might eventually get to. I missed out meeting up with a mudder in South Africa by simply not realizing I was going to be so close to his location.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

In January of 2015 I was tired of the lack of heat and week airflow from the heater. I also had an issue with both front and rear control valves for the heat. The cable for the firewall control valve would slip through the valve ad not actuate it very well. It also would not completely shut off either. The rear heater valve was simply stuck and immovable. I was able to buy a new OEM valve for the firewall but the rear heater valve is NLA.

So to get heat here is what I did.

With the rear heater, I removed it from the truck and removed the core from the body. I flushed out all the gunk and sediment that was slowing the flow of coolant. I bead blasted the brassy pipes and figured out that the valve guts were somehow frozen in place. The valve body is permanently attached to the bracket but can be taken apart. You can bend the little clips to remove the bracket and gain access to the guts. I normally would not do this but I had an ace up my sleeve. I had in my possession a rear heater from a 70 series rig. I had grabbed it off a junk pile that a friend was taking to the recycler. I snagged it for the 24V blower motor but it also had the control valve still attached. It was the wrong design but appeared to have the same guts.

Here are the guts. Parts of it are plastic and it got hot enough at one point to melt and deform. Given the overheating issues I experienced when I first got this truck (2F thermostat in a 3B?? yup) I am not surprised.

I don't have more pictures but what I did was to swap the guts from the good 70 series valve into the body of the 40 series valve. It took several tries to get the assembly to seal. I went through a bunch of different o-rings and finally got it to hold water. That gave me a good clean rear heater core that I could also control the flow through.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

Now, I also wanted a better center console. I had a few ideas and drew something up in Solidworks until I had what I though would work for me. I wanted to retain the rear heater, this is Canada after all, so i started with a cover to take the place of the factory console that also allowed the heater to work. I had to have louvers or hole to let the hot air thru and also access to the control valve I had just spent three days fixing.

This is what I came up with: It covers the heater, bolts to the same spots as the factory console, and functions with the heater valve/air flow same as OEM. I even had a sticker for the valve operation from Shane before he disappeared.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

So that piece gave me a flat top which I could build off of. I wanted the following in a console:

- a lockable space
- an easy access space
- a place for my locker switches
- a place for my interior winch controls
- a nice arm rest
- cup holders

Yah, I said it. A 40 series with cup holders. You try the Mcdonalds drive thru for a hot cup of coffee in a truck that shifts like a tractor and has no power steering!

The top lid opens toward the passenger. The top box has a 1/4 turn lockable latch that will lock the lower box. The top box, to gain access to the lower box, opens toward the back. The upper box sticks out the back so that it can only open so far. It is flush with the back of my seat when in my comfy spot.

 

[Varty Yo]

Nice i like it! Any plans for a pad on top?

 

[Awl_TEQ]

Yes, I have since powder coated it and installed winch/ compressor/ locker controls. I have some vinyl material and some foam but have yet to instal it. It's on "the list". The top lid is a clam shell sort of. there is an inner pan that will pinch the material - no staple or glue required.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

Here is the cup holder. The rectangular hole is for my phone. Or rather my old and slightly smaller than my new phone phone. The hole is too small for my iphone 6 plus with a case on it.