Abandoned 84 FJ60 gets some love, and a 4bt! (2 Viewers)

[Thechief86]

Transmission and tcase are installed, as well as the crossmember. When I get home from work I'll put in the driveshafts and tcase linkage and floor plate. From there the only thing holding me back from driving it will be filling the trans and case with oil. The rebuilder recommended Amsoil Synthetic GL4, which is apparently $30 a quart, so I'll have to hold off until I get paid to buy it. But once I have the oil, I'll be back to daily driving my 60!
I can't frickin wait.

 

[Hojack]

Transmission and tcase are installed, as well as the crossmember. When I get home from work I'll put in the driveshafts and tcase linkage and floor plate. From there the only thing holding me back from driving it will be filling the trans and case with oil. The rebuilder recommended Amsoil Synthetic GL4, which is apparently $30 a quart, so I'll have to hold off until I get paid to buy it. But once I have the oil, I'll be back to daily driving my 60!
I can't frickin wait.

Here’s what I’m running

MT-85 75W85 GL-4 Gear Oil

Popular replacement for NV4500, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan (Altima, Maxima, Sentra, Versa, 350Z and 370Z) and Mitsubishi Diaqueen fluid (for Eclipse, Lancer, and Evolution models)

www.redlineoil.com

 

[cps432]

Here’s what I’m running

MT-85 75W85 GL-4 Gear Oil

Popular replacement for NV4500, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan (Altima, Maxima, Sentra, Versa, 350Z and 370Z) and Mitsubishi Diaqueen fluid (for Eclipse, Lancer, and Evolution models)

www.redlineoil.com

I run synthetic redline in my H55F and it’s very happy. Good stuff. Drove across the country twice overloaded with my belongings and the oil still looks brand new.

 

[Thechief86]

Here’s what I’m running

MT-85 75W85 GL-4 Gear Oil

Popular replacement for NV4500, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan (Altima, Maxima, Sentra, Versa, 350Z and 370Z) and Mitsubishi Diaqueen fluid (for Eclipse, Lancer, and Evolution models)

www.redlineoil.com

Thanks! I actually was able to talk to my Amsoil guy who I have a commercial account with and got their GL4 severe gear stuff specifically for the NV4500 at $19/qt. I can't complain about that, knowing the Amazon price for it. I got enough for the transmission and tcase, which should be shipped to the house by Wednesday. That gives me plenty of time to get the hard parts bolted in and right when I get off work the next couple of days. Once I've got the drivetrain sorted back out, I'm gonna yank the seats and all my tools and camping gear back out and install the rubber matting I bought to replace the carpet, in hopes that I can quiet down some of that sweet rattley song from the diesel lol.

 

[Thechief86]

Moved under its own power for the first time since March 15th. Holy cow it's about frickin time. I can't wait to button it up and take it camping this weekend!

 

[Thechief86]

Last night I finally buttoned everything up and went for a real test drive, about 7 miles or so. The truck did great! The transmission is very tight feeling and nice, although the first few gear changes were a tad clunky. I assume that will get better as things break in.
I'm gonna drive it to work here in an hour or so, about 30 miles of country backroads. I'm hoping to take my little one camping this weekend!

 

[cps432]

Man, that’s awesome! Doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that you blew that thing up. I know to you it seems like a century.

I can’t wait to get my 2F parts back from the machine shop so I can start putting it back together and get myself on the road again. I haven’t driven mine since the end of October last year.

 

[Thechief86]

Man, that’s awesome! Doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that you blew that thing up. I know to you it seems like a century.

I can’t wait to get my 2F parts back from the machine shop so I can start putting it back together and get myself on the road again. I haven’t driven mine since the end of October last year.

Dude, it felt like FOREVER. The truck sat a very long time before I got it, but once I had the title, it has never sat for more than 2 or 3 weeks, even when I did the drivetrain swap.
I had been daily driving it because it was more fun than anything else I had, including the GR86.
Once I had to daily the the 86 I really grew comfortable driving the little car and zooming down the backroads, but it sucks being confined to paved roads. My Subaru is still going, but it needs a little bit of work before I really trust it to go far from home, and without low range, I have to be more careful about how rough the trails are lest I burn it up.

 

[cps432]

Dude, it felt like FOREVER. The truck sat a very long time before I got it, but once I had the title, it has never sat for more than 2 or 3 weeks, even when I did the drivetrain swap.
I had been daily driving it because it was more fun than anything else I had, including the GR86.
Once I had to daily the the 86 I really grew comfortable driving the little car and zooming down the backroads, but it sucks being confined to paved roads. My Subaru is still going, but it needs a little bit of work before I really trust it to go far from home, and without low range, I have to be more careful about how rough the trails are lest I burn it up.

I’ve been learning so much in my down time. Read a lot of your thread and a lot of others. I got a welder and I’m about to start learning. I’ve taught myself a ton about rebuilding an engine and sourcing parts.

I feel like taking a step back sometimes forces you to think of things differently and reassess your goals. Once I get my engine together I’ll basically be on cosmetic repairs and making it overland worthy.

I look forward to running some trails with folks from the forum, near and far! Some day I’m sure we’ll run up to a glacier out here in Montana when you get a chance to bring the boy and lady along with you.

 

[Thechief86]

I’ve been learning so much in my down time. Read a lot of your thread and a lot of others. I got a welder and I’m about to start learning. I’ve taught myself a ton about rebuilding an engine and sourcing parts.

I feel like taking a step back sometimes forces you to think of things differently and reassess your goals. Once I get my engine together I’ll basically be on cosmetic repairs and making it overland worthy.

I look forward to running some trails with folks from the forum, near and far! Some day I’m sure we’ll run up to a glacier out here in Montana when you get a chance to bring the boy and lady along with you

Yeah man! Once I get this thing sorted with a comfortable and clean interior and get AC working on it, I'll bring it out west! If ac doesn't happen soon enough we may just sweat it out, haha. Moab was fun on a motorcycle but not the same once you've been there with a 4x4.

 

[Thechief86]

Today I drove the Cruiser to work, then another 60 miles to my uncle's house and then 40 miles back home. The truck feels and sounds better than ever, with no leaks, so I threw all my camping gear in the back. Tomorrow after work I'll pick the little guy up from his summer day camp, and we will be off to the mountains to camp for the weekend. I can't wait!

 

[Thechief86]

This weekend we took the 60 out for a great camping and mild wheeling trip with an old jeep buddy and my cruiser buddy, @120mm.
All the rigs did really well, including the several hour cruise to and from Prentice Cooper State Forest. Good times were had, and all is right in the world again now that I can drive my big blue wagon.

 

[Thechief86]

 

[Thechief86]

 

[120mm]

It was a blast. Need to do it again, sooner than later.

 

[Thechief86]

I've had such a great time daily driving and weekend warrioring in this thing the past few weeks that I've barely driven my other cars, and have just been happy as a clam to have it going again. But the frequent adventuring, as fun as it is, drastically slows any improvements being made, because I'm too busy doing cool stuff.
I swear I'm gonna work on the interior and electrical stuff soon, lol...
In the meantime, here are the pics from today's creek adventure.

 

[Thechief86]

A couple of days ago I got home from work, and decided to pull my seats out and install the rubber matting I had gotten from Lowes, as well as the seats I had gotten from @71FJ40 in Missouri last year. It really makes the truck feel less like a pile of crap, while the mat also adds some sound deadening to improve the driving experience with the loud bulldozer engine up front. Once I get another mat to do the cargo area and back of the rear seat, I'll also put all the little trim pieces back on to make it look a little more on purpose.
The new to me driver seat has a small tear on it, but is is still much better than my original one that had been demolished by whatever critters took up residence in the truck while it was parked with the windows down for so many years before I started trying to save it....

Yesterday I rotated my tires and took the kid and dog to the creek to swim and fish, and today we continue the pattern of daily driving, smiling all the way. I plan to stop and buy the stuff to change the oil and replace my fuel filter on my way home this afternoon, and start looking more closely at installing a stereo and a couple gauges, and maybe an electric fan, if I don't decide to stick a mechanical fan on it.
In just normal driving, I've never gotten hot enough to need the fan, but when pulling long hills in 4lo and keeping the RPM up, it does tend to get a little warm and I have to shut it down to cool for a few minutes once in a while.

 

[Thechief86]

Yesterday I was out fishing with my son, had parked the 60 for about 20 minutes and decided to go down the road to the next spot. The truck was driving great, but then once we got back in, the front brakes were dragging HARD. Within a mile we had the awful stench of burning brakes and the truck did not want to move. Pedal was rock hard. So I stopped again, and while looking around the truck just tapped on the master cylinder a couple times with an adjustable wrench, and heard the creaky sound of the pressure at the calipers letting go. Sweet!
So I hopped back in, and the truck moved smoothly and effortlessly as before, so I started back home. At the first curve, I learned that only my rear brakes were working, and would slide before actually slowing the truck.
So we carefully limped home, and I've ordered a new master cylinder. Here's hoping that's all I need!

 

[boots4]

I think the rubber matting is looking decent. Did you shape it at all or did it contour to the curves on it's own? Might have to give that a try.

 

[Thechief86]

That stuff actually cut real easily and conformed to the floorpans very well! I just did a crappy job cutting it around the shifters so it looks worse the closer you get. But I'm real happy for an hour if work and $50. I'll probably redo the front mat later on and try to do a cleaner job.

I think the rubber matting is looking decent. Did you shape it at all or did it contour to the curves on it's own? Might have to give that a try