Build Another Prado in Montana

[AirheadNut]

The factory fuel supply and return lines ended up too low on the firewall and would have been difficult to hook up to the VW filter housing, so I ended up trimming them back.

@90WT kindly lent me his brake line double flare kit, it worked great for putting a bubble on the ends of the fuel lines. Tested first on one of the offcuts, just needed a bit of a chamfer before using the flare tool.

Space was tight getting the tool in there and working on the hard lines, but it ended up working out well.

Looking at hooking up the high pressure power steering line, I think there is just enough length in the hose I made up for the ALH swap but the banjo fitting points in the wrong direction. The hose ends are -6AN, there aren't a lot of male-female adapters available but a 90º or 135º would be ideal. One of my local auto parts stores carries a pretty big selection of hydraulic fittings that are the same flare and thread as AN fittings, so I'll drop in there and see what they have that might work. I'd rather not have to make up a whole new hose, but it may come to that.

 

[AirheadNut]

After doing a lot of digging for a tool that could put a bead on my 3/4" OD coolant tubing for the intercooler, I pulled the trigger on a vintage Parker No. 416 Hand Beading set. The set was missing several dies, but fortunately Aircraft Tool Supply reproduces both the tools and replacement dies, so I was able to make it a complete set. All in I'm still significantly under the cost of a complete original set and around half the cost of the reproductions.

All moving parts were completely gummed up with old oil, so I soaked everything in mineral spirits for a while and got it all freed up and lubricated with light machine oil. The reproduction dies are very nicely made and work perfectly, the set works on tubing from 1/4" to 1" OD, can probably go a little larger on thin wall if necessary.

Test run on the intercooler coolant line, very pleased with the results.

I wasn't particularly happy with the combination of hump connector and elbow on the turbo intake, it was too stiff to get the air filter lid off easily. I found a long leg 2.75" to 2.5" silicone elbow and trimmed it to length, it is still pretty stiff but definitely much better.

 

[AirheadNut]

Over the weekend I put together a list of all the tasks that needed to be completed before I'm ready to turn the key, when I finished I had 42 items on the list. Then I spent most of the weekend working on my Mercedes W116, installing a rebuilt steering box, new power steering filter and and performing an oil change.

When I got around to working on the Prado I ended up doing a bunch of stuff that wasn't even on the list, but important nonetheless. I tore out the whole intake piping system between the intercooler and intake manifold to access a bunch of hose clamps that hadn't been installed. The oil feed line for the turbo got a couple of hose clamps to tie it in place and a length of rubber hose put over it to prevent it from rubbing on parts of the wiring harness.

Then I started in on my action items. The engine wiring is pretty much finished but none of the vehicle grounds were in yet, so that was next. Got the battery to fuse panel and the fuse panel to chassis ground cables made, still need to do a body ground and an engine ground. I also terminated the intercooler pump harness.

One of my goals for this swap is to make things easy to service and not bury routine maintenance items. Unfortunately I failed that goal with the serpentine belt, the BEW tensioner doesn't have a hex shaped boss like the BHW one, and the 16mm square tab on it is almost entirely inaccessible when the intake system is installed. I plan to make a special tool for that but since I had the intake and upper radiator hose off I went ahead and installed the belt.

Next up was the exhaust. I've MIG welded lots of stainless before, but never TIG welded any so I was only going to tack together a downpipe, then do some practice welds on scrap 304 from work. However, the tacks went so well I decided to run a short bead and before I knew it I had a full weld on the turbo outlet flange.

Not the prettiest but it will work. I discovered that the flex joint I purchased is the wrong size, so I'll have to wait to build any more of the downpipe until a new one arrives. Very pleased with how it looks in terms of space, there should be ample room for some heat shields on the vacuum hose and starter.

Seven items marked off the list, one new one added. 36 items to go.

 

[jblueridge]

I am very jealous of the bead tools.

 

[JDM Journeys]

Dude that's some solid progress right there. At this point I don't think pics are sufficient for the key turn. Video is almost a requirement. But you can cheat and run it first - just don't tell us and ruin the suspense.

Except... Just in time for W#NTER (censored).

 

[AirheadNut]

Dude that's some solid progress right there. At this point I don't think pics are sufficient for the key turn. Video is almost a requirement. But you can cheat and run it first - just don't tell us and ruin the suspense.

Except... Just in time for W#NTER (censored).

Picking away at it! Will definitely have cameras running for the first (official) start. I suspect the fuel system will take some bleeding to get everything working, I've had the tandem pump off the engine and the fuel rails in the cylinder head are probably mostly empty.

Not really looking forward to winter road grime, though if it's anything like last winter there won't be any at all really. I think we only had about half a dozen days with snow on the ground.

 

[AirheadNut]

A little more progress on the downpipe. I got in touch with the company I ordered the exhaust parts from, they confirmed the flex coupling I bought was the correct size and probably just needed some light massaging to make it fit. Got the downpipe tacked together, it exits in the RH wheel well right now. Thinking I'll put a v-band clamp on it there before it runs behind the RH rocker panel.

Put together a bracket for the lower coolant pipe, it bolts to the frame and supports the pipe with a cushioned p-clamp.

Picked up a #6 JIC hydraulic fitting at the local hardware store, it worked just right to hook up the high pressure power steering line at the pump. I need to get a couple of new crush washers for the banjo bolt.

Two more items marked off the list today, and progress on a couple more. 34 items to go.

 

[pafu]

Very nice. +1 Following the progress now.
Are you more in Whitefish or Bozeman?

 

[AirheadNut]

Very nice. +1 Following the progress now.
Are you more in Whitefish or Bozeman?

Thanks! Based in Bozeman at this point, still get back to Whitefish on a semi-regular basis though.

 

[AirheadNut]

Mostly electrical progress today, I had to make up a new cable for the starter since the original Toyota one was a few inches too short with the engine in a new location. I actually really enjoy this kind of electrical work, especially building larger cables and harnesses. The starter cable is 2AWG, my chassis ground is 4AWG but I'm thinking the engine ground should be 2AWG to match the starter cable. Also thinking of upgrading the chassis ground to 2AWG for the winch.

A couple more photos of the downpipe so far. I was planning on putting a v-band connection on the end of the lower 90º bend in the wheel well, but I'm reconsidering that and thinking it should go between that 90º and the straight section just below the flex coupling. It will be better protected from mud, gravel and dust there and should make the exhaust easier to disassemble in the future.

Other tasks completed today: the original Toyota fusible links have been removed and the harness is wired to MIDI slow-blow fuses in the BlueSea panel. The high pressure power steering line has been connected to the pump with new copper washers on the banjo bolt. Engine and starter harnesses are tidied up and zip-tied in place.

Three more items marked off the list, several that weren't on it completed. 31 tasks to go.