Looks great. I want to know the MPGs when you switch out the ring and pinion gears!
Build Bunny: 40th Anniversary FZJ80 / 6BT / NV4500 build
- Thread starter thegogglesdonothing
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Please post up pictures of your truck when you get the comp coils in. I'm trying to decide if I want the 4" or the 5" trying to stay low (er) and fit 37-38" tires.
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- #43
Will do. The truck is in the shop today getting its front comp coils fitted, 4k limiter springs in the injection pump, a rebuilt turbo and ample dynamat! For now, I'm doing 4" coils on the front only to de-stink bug the truck, and depending on how level that makes it, I may do different coils or maybe spacers in the rear. There's definitely plenty of weight up front with the motor, bumper and winch. The transmission tunnel had to be reshaped a bit to accommodate the NV4500, which made it pretty loud inside, so a few layers of dynamat should help out a bit. I get it back late today and am taking it on its first fishing / camping trip tomorrow. Life's good!
Do you have any pics of the trans tunnel modifications you made. Also, I may have missed it, but which transfer case did you use? 60 series split case of the HF2AV with Dustin's adapter? If the latter, I would love to see what you did to mount the xfer case shifter to the trans.
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- #45
Sadly, I don't think there are too many photos of the transmission tunnel "naked." It was really only air-hammered out in one place, which is just next to the driver's right foot, to accommodate the slightly different shape of the NV4500. It was also cut a bit more to create more of an opening toward the firewall for the transmission, then welded back into as small a hole as possible. Altering all of that has had only two real effects that I can tell: more noise from the engine (solved by Dynamat) and a slightly misshapen footwell for the driver. Which means my WeatherTech digital fits don't actually fit in the driver's footwell! Small price to pay.
We sourced an OEM pedal box and assembly from Australia, then used the clutch and gas pedal from that assembly. The placement of the pedals still needs a bit of work, but it's all just little tweaks - the brake pedal stayed in the original spot, but with the transmission tunnel differently shaped, the gas pedal sat at a bit of a weird angle. Working to tweak it to Goldilocks configuration soon.
As for the t-case, we retained the original Toyota version. My goal was just to swap the motor and transmission in a stock configuration, and keep the full-time AWD the Cruiser had to begin with - 175hp and 410nm of torque is plenty for me, and the traction is unreal with AWD. This is where my technical knowledge runs out - Diesel Adapters neglected to include a not-insignificant number of parts across their "kit" and clearly rushed to get something trackable out to UPS to stave off PayPal removing funds from their account during our dispute - so my builder ended up doing a lot of custom fabrication himself. He fabricated a transmission mount for the chassis cross member and a few others. I'll see if I can get it on a lift to take photos when I get it back today.
Very nice indeed, you might be the first one that I know of who swapped the 6bt + NV 5speed and kept the stock Toyota case for AWD.
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Dustin adapter for NV4500 to HF2AV (I have the original prototype) does not have a mount to bolt the transfer case shifter to. That is on us to figure out our selves. I have an idea of how to do it, but it sounds like your builder has already figured this out. Would be great to get some shots or details if possible.
This is my trans rebuilt with the custom mainshaft, adapter for the HF2AV and an upgraded southbend input shaft.
This is my trans rebuilt with the custom mainshaft, adapter for the HF2AV and an upgraded southbend input shaft.
I'm pretty excited to get mine going. I found a v10 nv4500 from block to tail shaft with all the hydraulics and pieces for $1300. Sadly that's going in my uncles M37. I drove it before the guy pulled it and that is a smooth, drive able tranny. From all the stuff id read I expected to shift like our road rangers at work or something. But it's as smooth as my Tacoma was.
A local guy up here has been driving his with the HF2A for a month or two now. Seems to really like it.
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- #50
Got my first real camping / fishing trip under my belt with the truck now. So much freaking power and I'm a bit blissed out by how much internal space there is to use. This thing is cold blooded, however - needs several good hits of the grid heater to fire up after sitting overnight in 0 degree (fahrenheit) temps. The battery can handle it, thankfully. All of which reminds me I need to get a dual battery system together with a disconnect system. The rooftop tent is so comfy too - warm, dry, out of the wind and critically, I'm not sleeping in a snow drift, on a pinecone or with a stone poking me in the back.
4" OME Comp Coils on the front for photo reference - I parked slightly less than level so it made the rear squat down a little bit. However, the new coils make it ride so, so much better. 14.8mpg on this tank, loaded down on 4.88 diff gears and with a roof rack and rooftop tent. Not amazing, but also not that bad.
Back in the shop tomorrow for 4.10 diff gears and a few more small adjustments.
4" OME Comp Coils on the front for photo reference - I parked slightly less than level so it made the rear squat down a little bit. However, the new coils make it ride so, so much better. 14.8mpg on this tank, loaded down on 4.88 diff gears and with a roof rack and rooftop tent. Not amazing, but also not that bad.
Back in the shop tomorrow for 4.10 diff gears and a few more small adjustments.
Looks great!
How big of a difference did the gov spring make.
I think you will see a large improvement in Economy with the 4.11 gears. Still impressive since my truck with no rtt and the same size tires with the gas engine got a best all hwy tank of 12.3mpg in winter.
How big of a difference did the gov spring make.
I think you will see a large improvement in Economy with the 4.11 gears. Still impressive since my truck with no rtt and the same size tires with the gas engine got a best all hwy tank of 12.3mpg in winter.
That looks fantastic! I'm really leaning towards this tranny but I'm still not convinced about placement. You said that the shifter is pretty close to the dash in 5th. Would you be able to take some more pictures of that and post them please? I'd like to see it from a few different angles if you could. Thanks so much!
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- #53
The governor springs in the motor make a big difference, like I've got the leash off now. Limited to 2600rpm with the 4.88s, the thing just never had the ability to stretch its legs. It still feels pretty neutered with 4.88s and a ~3500rpm redline, like it just runs out of steam, but I managed to do 84mph on flat ground yesterday!
Dropped at the shop again this morning for diff gears, and I officially can't wait to have it back with proper gears!
So the Governor springs made a big difference then I'm still back and forth on them, I'm worried combined with the 215hp motor it maybe to much...... Never thought I would ever say that.
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- #55
Well, the governor springs we put in are 4k limited, but I still keep the rpms low because the torque curve of the motor makes it pretty obvious where how fast it likes to spin. So far, I haven't wrapped it out past ~3400rpm. Part of that is diff gears, and it'll like to be in a lower rpm range even better after the 4.10s, but if you're considering using new limiter springs, I say go for it. In my truck at least, 2600rpms (which I think was the stock governed limit) came on way, way too quickly and beyond limiting overall top speed, it felt like an artificial restriction. Doing the 4k springs, even if I never go past 3200rpm, feels like it lets the motor off the leash. As they say, with great newton meters come great responsibility!
But yeah, with so much torque, 215hp feels like a heck of a lot! I don't need to do tractor pulls or win drag races - the stock torque and horsepower from the Cummins is more than enough for how I'm going to use it. It's an interesting idea to have 800hp or something, but I'll let someone else incur the rebuild costs on every piece they sequentially break as they ratchet up the power.
Wonder if this 93.5 p-pump wasn't an odd ball 2600 rpm governed set up. The 94+ had 3k and even 3200rpm springs.
Do you have a picture of the engine I'd plate?
Even then as mentioned a lot of the needed rpm is coming from 4.88 gears. I was pushing 90mph a few nights ago testing a new turbo and still only at about 2700 rpm. And starting to push 1300F on the pyro and about 35 lbs of boost.
Do you have a picture of the engine I'd plate?
Even then as mentioned a lot of the needed rpm is coming from 4.88 gears. I was pushing 90mph a few nights ago testing a new turbo and still only at about 2700 rpm. And starting to push 1300F on the pyro and about 35 lbs of boost.
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- #57
It's really a snug fit, but it feels really good. I'm 6'0" and the top of the reach of the shift lever is comfortable ergonomically, and importantly the action and throw are easy for me and my 5'4" wife as well.
I'm sure someone with more talent than me could machine or weld a shift lever that had a custom bend in it down low, but the only thing that gets impeded in my setup is the factory 12v plug. I plan to add more powered locations throughout the truck anyhow, so I just found a low-profile charger for my phone and it's not even wasted space. For sure though, the plug my ARB fridge's 12v is too long to use out of that spot due to the shift lever.
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I like the oem shifter console, I may need to get one myself...already have the paint to make it the right color. Were you able to get any pics of how the xfer case shifter is mounted to the trans?
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- #59
I tried today, but I caked the whole underside in about 4" of New Mexico's finest slimy mud a couple of weeks ago and need to powerwash it to so much as be able to see the transfer case! I'll make it happen in the next couple days. As for the p-pump and the governor springs, you're probably right - it definitely wasn't 3200rpm.
I picked the truck up today with its new 4.10s installed, and my initial reaction was "well, that feels normal!" Like, the gears are matched to the motor and now it feels like it's trying a lot less hard to get moving. We're doing a camping trip on the weekend so I'll have some time to acquaint myself and stretch its legs a bit.
Thanks for the pics. It looks damn near OEM!