Build Bluebonnet - 5.3/H55 FJ40

[cruisermatt]

Per Dave Gore at 4plus, install of lower shock mount is correct. You must be thinking of 60 series where shocks are in front of axle?

you're right I forgot how far back the shock crossmember is relative to the axle on a 40.

 

[SipLife]

I’m working on my patina 71 right now. I can’t wait to see that blue pop with the CLR and fluid film treatment. It’s going to be amazing

your lower U-bolt plates with the shock mounts are on backwards though

Yep can’t wait to CLR and give it a a good wax and buff. For now getting this thing running before College starts up this fall is the priority.

 

[SipLife]

New hardware came in, shocks are in. Shaved the radiator core support to clear the fj60 box. Boxed it and burned it in.

 

[SipLife]

Needed to clearance the 60 box from the fender next. Made a cardboard template mounted flush to the frame rail and transferred it to the inside fender.

 

[SipLife]

Motor is back in for the last time! Engine is set at 3 degrees. Trans lands about 2 inches forward of the factory hole in the trans tunnel. Lucked out on minimal trans hump modifications.

 

[SipLife]

Dialed in the steering today. Ground down the steering shaft to a 3/4 DD and installed a column bearing from @cruiseroutfit .

Bolted the column in and used a 3/4” DD to 1” DD u-joint to a collapsable DD shaft. Then did a 3/4” DD to 30 spline u-joint to the 60 box.

 

[SipLife]

Picked up this 40 series h55 trans crossmember when we visited @Tank5 . Bolted it up and made some L brackets out of angle iron. Popped some washers in for spacing and stitch welded them to the frame. Will finish welding it up on the lift.

 

[SipLife]

Flaring tool came in, new hard-lines have been run from the booster to the front axle, clutch slave, and from the ps rear axle t fitting. Soft lines are in too, just waiting on a clutch soft line.

 

[SipLife]

While I had access to the t-case linkage I did the 2lo mod and ground out the trans hump to fit. Used stock hj60 5-speed and t-case boots with new captive nuts welded in to maintain a stock look.

 

[SipLife]

Decided to try my hand at building a shroud. Starting with this cardboard template. Fan is around 18.5” and ring is around 21” to account for frame and motor mount flex. Currently have the ring mounted flush. Thoughts on needing to run a 1” flange to offset the ring from the rad? I figured with a fan ring of this size I’m covering almost the entire rad anyway but could use a second opinion.

 

[thatcabledude]

Decided to try my hand at building a shroud. Starting with this cardboard template. Fan is around 18.5” and ring is around 21” to account for frame and motor mount flex. Currently have the ring mounted flush. Thoughts on needing to run a 1” flange to offset the ring from the rad? I figured with a fan ring of this size I’m covering almost the entire rad anyway but could use a second opinion.

View attachment 2738655

I'd definitely built it out away from the radiator some. Summit sells a kit that is a incredible deal and will save you some time also. What are the dimensions of the radiator core?

 

[thatcabledude]

Pardon Our Interruption

Scroll passed the electric fan kits and you'll see.the ones I'm talking about.

 

[Tank5]

Nice work.

I wish I would have know about those shroud kits when I did mine. They look like a nice option to start with.

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

Take 1 on template out of sheet metal.

 

[SipLife]

Pardon Our Interruption

Scroll passed the electric fan kits and you'll see.the ones I'm talking about.

Nice work.

I wish I would have know about those shroud kits when I did mine. They look like a nice option to start with.

Yep used a kit on my moms Chevy 350, worked out great. Will give the steel shroud a go and keep the aluminum in mind for a backup.

 

[cruisermatt]

Keep it up bro!!

 

[SipLife]

Scrapped take 1 because the opening was too large toward the ps and at the bottom. The rad fin surface area also doesn’t extend far enough to these points. Made a more conservative cut the second time around.

Then tack welded a 21” diameter ring in for fitment. Have about 1” of clearance, should be plenty for frame and motor flex.

Tack welded the inside of the ring to maintain a seamless appearance and to avoid warpage. Need to seal the edges with high temp seam sealer and drill a few more holes for support.

In the end decided to run no offset from the core support. Our thought process is that fan shroud offset is typically used to draw from your full rad fin surface area if your fan diameter is too small or you have your fan located in an offset position in relation to the core support. None of which are the case for this setup so we believe it should work. BTB products also sells a fan shroud for V8 conversions that has the same non offset design.

The 1” border from the core support clears the hood, but do we need to trim this to allow airflow under the hood into the engine bay?

 

[SipLife]

Took measurements of my pinon and t-case flanges and angles for a custom driveshaft order. Here’s what I came up with, all dimensions in mm.

Front Axle: 64 by 56 (10 Spline) , 10mm bolts
Rear Axle: 90 by 65 (27 Spline), 11mm bolts
Front T-Case: 60 by 68.5 (27 Spline) , 11mm bolts
Rear T-Case : 60 by 68.5 (27 Spline) , 11mm bolts

Tom Woods couldn’t match the pinon bolt pattern of the 70 series rear axle. Considered drilling new holes on the flange but decided to swap to a 27 spline 60 x 68.5 multi drill pinion flange and do the seal as well.

 

[SipLife]

Got back from Texas A&M orientation camp and had 2 days or so to work on the truck before SAS. Crossing small items off the list:

- Starter
-Tom Woods Driveshafts
-Final trans x-member burn in
-Rear Hatch Mechanism Refurb w new t-handle and outer handle
-Fan Shroud Epoxied
-New Rear Tire Carrier Hardware welded in

 

[Tank5]

Good job on the shroud, keep it up.