Old Nick
GOLD Star
Dang, you’re going for it. Are you coming up to Choccoloco in the Spring? I’d like to see that rig.
Build Anyone recognize this 80
- Thread starter Godwin
- Start date
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- Thread starter
- #203
Rolling again but need to tweak a couple of things. Rear sway bar installed today using Moog sway bar frame brackets. Good enough but the downside is the 13mm nut that's included with the brackets. Brakes bled using a pressure bleeder. They're ok for now but seem to have a little air in a line so I'll re-bleed later this week. I use this BA10 cap and a garden sprayer, this system works great. Add a quart of fluid to the sprayer and tighten the plunger mechanism, tighten down the cap for the master cylinder, crack open a bleeder and add pressure. Relay rod needs a minor adjustment also.
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- #204
Several weeks back the alternator on my 80 quit. While swapping out the alternator I discovered a coolant leak where the hard pipe is bolted to the head. The PO had the head gasket replaced by a shop in Colorado, Nomad Cruisers based on paperwork I've seen. This was just one more example of crappy work because when the head was reassembled this coolant pipe was reattached to the head. This pipe is to be secured to the head with two studs and nuts, not one stud and nut and a bolt that bottoms out and fails to securely clamp the pipe and gasket to the head. Fixed that yesterday. Couple of photos of crusty coolant on the base of the coolant pipe and where it had accumulated on the upper alternator mount. Alternator and mount had to be removed to access the lower stud (bolt). With only 1/2 clampage on this mount resulted in coolant leakage.
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- #205
The alternator I swapped in following the OEM alternator quittage was one from Auto Zone. I had previously replaced the brushes in the OEM alternator and decided to replace the voltage regulator and toss in back in instead of the AZ alternator. Too often installing an alternator is an exercise in frustration in trying to work it back into the mount. A trick I recently learned is to use a bolt, nut and washers, or maybe a socket to press the bushing outward to facilitate installing the alternator. This bushing slides in the ear of the alternator bracked and when the upper bolt is tightened presses against the alternator ear. Set up the cobbled together tool and repress the bushing outward to give more room between the ears of the bracket.
I installed a new regulator in the OEM unit, and hooked everything up. Cranked up the enging and voltage was under 12v. Renstalled the AZ alternator and I'll take the OEM unit to a shop to be checked out.
I installed a new regulator in the OEM unit, and hooked everything up. Cranked up the enging and voltage was under 12v. Renstalled the AZ alternator and I'll take the OEM unit to a shop to be checked out.
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- #206
With the cooling system open to fix the leak at the coolant pipe/head interface I decided to flush the heater core with muriatic acid. I first flushed the core with fresh water, then added a few Jarrito bottles of acid. I couldn't tell how much acid was actually getting down into the guts of the core because as I would add fluid in one hose, fluid would drain from the other. The flush the acid I gave the core another good flushing with water. This simple flushing has made a huge difference in heat in the cab and just in time with the crash in temps we've had in the southeast.
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- #207
Replaced shocks today. This would have been easier a few weeks ago when I was swapping out axles, but at the time didn't know how worn the old shocks were. This 80 is sitting on some OME springs, my best guess since they're yellow, that provides a mild lift. The old shocks were Iron Man. Fronts were easy, rears were more challenging.
I went with Bilstein because I didn't want to spend a lot of $$. Found a set 4 with shipping for just over $400 on ebay. Done.
Under the Cruiser I noted that the posterior nut on the passenger side of the front control arm was missing. I replaced this a few weeks and this bolt is the most difficult to torque due to a tight area around the front differential. I had an extra nut and I used that, along with red loctite this time. My technique for tightening the bolt was to use a small hydraulic jack and a 22 mm open end wrench. This procedure was tedious and I went through this more than a few times resetting everything. Black Sharpie mark on the nut was to see if it was moving as the bolt was tightened. It did not move.
I went with Bilstein because I didn't want to spend a lot of $$. Found a set 4 with shipping for just over $400 on ebay. Done.
Under the Cruiser I noted that the posterior nut on the passenger side of the front control arm was missing. I replaced this a few weeks and this bolt is the most difficult to torque due to a tight area around the front differential. I had an extra nut and I used that, along with red loctite this time. My technique for tightening the bolt was to use a small hydraulic jack and a 22 mm open end wrench. This procedure was tedious and I went through this more than a few times resetting everything. Black Sharpie mark on the nut was to see if it was moving as the bolt was tightened. It did not move.
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- Thread starter
- #208
Rear shocks. Knowing that the upper mounts for the rear shocks were a glob of rust and the mounting brackets did not look great I ordered a pair of clean upper rear shock brackets and bolts from @slow95z. The bolts I pulled out were not OEM. Three had 16 mm heads and one 19 mm, for that one the mounting hole had been drilled out and tapped. This hole was inboard and I was able to drop a stock bolt through and add a nut to secure that side of the bracket. The old shocks.
I think it was @Malleus that posted about the benefits of an induction heater and I bought one in anticipation of dealing with these four bolts. I dreaded having one snap off then needing to be drilled out. I also wanted to avoid using a torch near the fuel tank. Because of the limited access to the bolts getting rust penetrant on them sufficient to work did not seem possible. The induction heater worked. Bolts came out cleanly but not without a fight, but still cleanly. I hit each bolt for probably 5 plus minutes once the heating coil began glowing orange, and most of them at least a couple of times. Old crusty junk out, new shocks and stuff in.
I think it was @Malleus that posted about the benefits of an induction heater and I bought one in anticipation of dealing with these four bolts. I dreaded having one snap off then needing to be drilled out. I also wanted to avoid using a torch near the fuel tank. Because of the limited access to the bolts getting rust penetrant on them sufficient to work did not seem possible. The induction heater worked. Bolts came out cleanly but not without a fight, but still cleanly. I hit each bolt for probably 5 plus minutes once the heating coil began glowing orange, and most of them at least a couple of times. Old crusty junk out, new shocks and stuff in.
I love that thing. I use it, and a small spray bottle with water in it. Heat until red, spray until the steam is gone, rinse and repeat. Hasn't failed me yet. Scraping rust off the ends of the bolts before removing the nuts helps a lot, too.
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- #210
Cargo area cooking while doing a little field work this week. Field work is nothing more than driving around rural north Alabama and collecting a few roadside water samples and staying in a cheap motel. I prefer to cook my own breakfast on these trips instead of taking advantage of the free breakfast often offered by the motels, prepackaged globs of fat and sugar, and weak nasty coffee.
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- #212
I'm making progress on wiring up the lockers. While I have the OEM wiring harnesses that I could plug in I decided to go with an approach that will allow independent use of the lockers whether in high or low range, t-case locked or unlocked. A pair of relays are being used for each axle, one relay to lock the other to unlock. With the cruise control mass removed from the engine bay I decided to use the CC mount as the relay mount, plus there is a switched 12v plug nearby. Relays mounted up and bolted in. Wiring will be next.
Good call
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- #214
@ChaserFJ60 sells switch panels for 60 series and I purchased one that fits the radio spot (5 blanks) and another that fits the cubby in the 60 dash (4 blanks) thinking one would work in the 80 somehow. The spot I had in mind is below the stereo and with some test fitting decided the 5 blank fits best, the 4 was loose. The 5 blank actually fits well with minor edge trimming, and is secured behind the dash surround once the surround is plugged and screwed back in.
I had some small salvaged brackets from something that I thought I could use to mount the switch panel. I used a 4 mm nutsert in the bracket end and attached the brackets to the lower screw holes. The stereo bracketry has holes and the lateral switch panel brackets could be bolted to the stereo bracketry but I found that just having the brackets on sides of the switch panel helped to align and hold the panel in place and that's enough to position it until the dash surround is firmly set.
Two rotary Carling switches wil be used for the lockers, one front, one rear with an LED light to indicate lockage. Swiths will be wired such that clockwise locks and counterclockwise unlocks. I'm using this setup for the rear 80 series locked axle in my FJ60.
I had some small salvaged brackets from something that I thought I could use to mount the switch panel. I used a 4 mm nutsert in the bracket end and attached the brackets to the lower screw holes. The stereo bracketry has holes and the lateral switch panel brackets could be bolted to the stereo bracketry but I found that just having the brackets on sides of the switch panel helped to align and hold the panel in place and that's enough to position it until the dash surround is firmly set.
Two rotary Carling switches wil be used for the lockers, one front, one rear with an LED light to indicate lockage. Swiths will be wired such that clockwise locks and counterclockwise unlocks. I'm using this setup for the rear 80 series locked axle in my FJ60.
I really like the idea of being able to lock front or rear independently in hi or low.
Welp, can't see any weak nasty coffee, but looks like you screwed up the globs of fat and sugar
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- #220
Been rolling on the newish axles for about a month racking up a few thousand miles and this past week the 80 felt a little twitchy. I did a tire rotation and checked alignment. Alignment was off with the tires having some toe out. I corrected that by resetting back to what I had had a few weeks ago and also made sure the clamps were tight plus added paint marks for a quick visual check in the future. The TMR alignment plates have more than paid for themselves.
