Builds '97 FZJ-80 Build - Mouse (1 Viewer)

[Fourt7]

I also found some plastic screws to hold down the steps to access the third row. I painted them grey to match the interior but the paint rubbed off when I installed them. I decided to paint them again after install. I could've taped it off but I just sprayed it. I figure it'll wear off over time.

 

[Fourt7]

In the mean time I stumbled upon this while doing research online. An 80 with a 60 grill. I really like it.

 

[Fourt7]

Also this has crossed my mind a time or two. Cool to see someone did it.

 

[Fourt7]

I wonder if anyone has dropped a classic chevy V8 in an 80. I've read a lot about LS conversions, but what about a classic carbureted engine? Anyone know of a thread like that?

 

[Fourt7]

Another thought. Im having a lot of success finding heads for my 1fzfe but less success with the entire motor. Today I was thinking about the fact that my engine actually ran fine prior to me tearing it apart to discover the mess I have now. I was talking today with a fellow cruiser nut and told him about my problems. He said "that thing would have never run if it hadn't been a Toyota" which I totally agree with. Here is an engine that has been completely overheated and warped beyond repair and yet I could still drive it 80 MPH down the highway. It makes me wonder about throwing caution to the wind, dropping a used head on it, and seeing just how far I can get with what I've currently got. In all reality that would be the cheapest option, and the fact is this cruiser isn't locked or anything special. I really only want to use it to get to and from work and take the kids out in the forest. What if I get another 50k miles out of it? Given that my commute is only 10 miles total it may take me 5 years to put another 10k miles on it. (I'm really kind of talking myself into this. I better go to bed!)

 

[1973Guppie]

how badly was it overheated? what was warped? have you confirmed if the bottom end of the engine is dead or not? I would work on confirming whether or not the bottom end is bad and then go from there. These engines can take alot of abuse. I have rarely seen the bottom ends go bad unless they were extremely overheated and / or completely starved of oil.

 

[Fourt7]

How would I go about checking the bottom end? Do I have to pull the bottom end and inspect it?

Also when people talk about doing main bearings how do you go about that? Doesn't that require pulling the crank?

 

[Fourt7]

how badly was it overheated? what was warped? have you confirmed if the bottom end of the engine is dead or not? I would work on confirming whether or not the bottom end is bad and then go from there. These engines can take alot of abuse. I have rarely seen the bottom ends go bad unless they were extremely overheated and / or completely starved of oil.

Not starved of oil. A couple of my cylinders have what is called a corner wear pattern indicating the piston itself is warped.

I completely agree that these engines are tough as nails. That's what leads me to consider just putting a head in it and trying my luck.

 

[Fourt7]

Still on the search. I have a couple good leads but the majority of them are not panning out.

 

[Fourt7]

I've been thinking a lot today about my engine dilemma. As I've been reading posts I see a lot of people saying things like "when my 1fzfe finally dies Im going to...". So it tends to reason that perhaps Im in a good position here. Mine IS dead and Im searching far and wide for replacement options. Perhaps I should take a serious look at alternatives while I have the chance. Im a HUGE diesel fan. The 6BT conversion sounds (literally) awesome, but Im intimidated by the project. When I make a list of all the things that I would need to do it gets overwhelming fast. Should I seriously consider this or just stick to the course?

 

[1973Guppie]

usually I pull the head and take a good look at the cylinders for scoring, etc. I also usually pull the bottom oil pan and rotate the engine up and down to see that everything rotates nicely.

If the truck is still running I would reccomend doing a compression test and a leak down test. This will tell you if your piston rings are ok or not. Ideally you want to do all these test before pulling the head, that way you know what to look for.

an example of this recently was a customers truck that ended up having a cracked valve, the test beforehand gave me somewhat of a guide of what to look for and once it showed up I knew that was the issue.

good luck, let me know if I can help.

Noah

 

[1973Guppie]

my opinion is that these trucks have great engines and are built to last, I am not a fan of the v8 conversions, if done right they are great but many times you are opening up a can of worms that could take a LONG time to finalize. Figure out if that bottom end is bad or not, if it is good, just put it together with a good used machined head and drive the s*** out of it.

There are also a ton of things you can do while you have the head out. Take a look at my 80 build thread for all the seals, etc you should replace.

 

[Fourt7]

usually I pull the head and take a good look at the cylinders for scoring, etc. I also usually pull the bottom oil pan and rotate the engine up and down to see that everything rotates nicely.

If the truck is still running I would reccomend doing a compression test and a leak down test. This will tell you if your piston rings are ok or not. Ideally you want to do all these test before pulling the head, that way you know what to look for.

an example of this recently was a customers truck that ended up having a cracked valve, the test beforehand gave me somewhat of a guide of what to look for and once it showed up I knew that was the issue.

good luck, let me know if I can help.

Noah

The head is off so I can't do anymore testing. I did compression tests prior to pulling it. The numbers are earlier in my thread. Cylinder 3 had really low compression numbers (50) and that's the cylinder with the worst scoring. (See picture)

In the mean time I'm trying to keep busy with other projects. I'll check your thread for more ideas. Thanks for your replies.

 

[Fourt7]

Can I pull the engine without pulling the transmission or is it easier to pull both together?

 

[1973Guppie]

have you looked closely at the head, any major problems with the valves on #3?

 

[Fourt7]

I've had the head looked at by two machinists. One told me it was too warped. The other actually measured it with me and showed me what he was doing. He was excellent. A couple of the valves are "burnt". I believe one of them was on #3.

 

[1973Guppie]

the reason I mention it is that cylinder may show problems during the comp test if those valves are cracked or not working properly, had the same thing happen on a customers truck, do the other cylinders test out ok?

 

[1973Guppie]

so I looked at your #'s on page 1 and it looks like you did do a dry and wet test, looks like the #'s were low on #3 and #5. If it were me and I could identify problems with the valves on #3 and #5 I would assume and take an educated guess that the issues are arising from these valves not the bottom of the engine. If it were me and I could identify valve issues with 3 and 5 cylinders I would take the risk to clean up the bottom engine and have a a good used head rebuild and slap it in with a new headgasket.

That's my take on it, hope that helps. I may be way off and hopefully others that are smarter than me will chime in with their opinions. Post some pics of the valves, would be interested to see.

good luck, Noah

 

[1973Guppie]

before you do the above though, pull the oil pan and rotate the engine with the starter and / or by hand to ensure everything smoothly rolls over.

 

[Fourt7]

so I looked at your #'s on page 1 and it looks like you did do a dry and wet test, looks like the #'s were low on #3 and #5. If it were me and I could identify problems with the valves on #3 and #5 I would assume and take an educated guess that the issues are arising from these valves not the bottom of the engine. If it were me and I could identify valve issues with 3 and 5 cylinders I would take the risk to clean up the bottom engine and have a a good used head rebuild and slap it in with a new headgasket.

That's my take on it, hope that helps. I may be way off and hopefully others that are smarter than me will chime in with their opinions. Post some pics of the valves, would be interested to see.

good luck, Noah

Good suggestions. I'll take some pictures of the valves and look at pulling the oil pans.