Thats the only thing stopping me and of course having to deal with Dustin again to get an adapter. I have a spare HF2AV sitting in the LX
Build Bunny: 40th Anniversary FZJ80 / 6BT / NV4500 build
- Thread starter thegogglesdonothing
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if it were me, i'd at least get the adapter so you have the option when your ready to do the job.
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- #123
Good and bad lately.
The good: new Labrak cutting board tailgate, new BFG KO2s. I hated the MTRs that I had previously, and the immediate impression after moving onto KO2s is just now much smoother and quieter those tires are, to say nothing of the traction. They're fantastic on dirt, and don't wander all over the place like the MTRs. Great success.
Labrak's tailgate / cutting board is super cool, too. Functionally, it's going to dramatically improve the camping experience - I couldn't take how gross the 216k-mile old carpet was on the tailgate, especially while making food in camp or cleaning up. Nasty. One thing I didn't expect is that a bit more exhaust noise comes into the cabin now, given that there's no sound deadening under the cutting board any more. I like it, but down the road I might install a layer of Dynamat under the board to quiet it back down again. Maybe. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the ruckus of the Cummins back there.
The bad: I had the motor's injection pump fail ON THE WAY HOME FROM FITTING NEW TIRES. I ended up buying a new (used) p1700 pump and a rebuild kit, so all is good now but man, I am getting tired of the used parts from this swap failing. Not sure yet what the cause of the failure was, but the donor truck had 180k miles on it, so maybe it was just old and tired. During the re-install of the rebuilt injection pump, I also went back to a stock fuel plate, replacing the #6 plate that was on the donor unit. The truck runs really, really smoothly now and while power and acceleration are down just a hair, I'm hoping the combination of injection pump, KO2s and the tune we put on it creeps my MPGs up toward the 20 mark. We'll see.
Fingers crossed for a future lack of drama...
The good: new Labrak cutting board tailgate, new BFG KO2s. I hated the MTRs that I had previously, and the immediate impression after moving onto KO2s is just now much smoother and quieter those tires are, to say nothing of the traction. They're fantastic on dirt, and don't wander all over the place like the MTRs. Great success.
Labrak's tailgate / cutting board is super cool, too. Functionally, it's going to dramatically improve the camping experience - I couldn't take how gross the 216k-mile old carpet was on the tailgate, especially while making food in camp or cleaning up. Nasty. One thing I didn't expect is that a bit more exhaust noise comes into the cabin now, given that there's no sound deadening under the cutting board any more. I like it, but down the road I might install a layer of Dynamat under the board to quiet it back down again. Maybe. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the ruckus of the Cummins back there.
The bad: I had the motor's injection pump fail ON THE WAY HOME FROM FITTING NEW TIRES. I ended up buying a new (used) p1700 pump and a rebuild kit, so all is good now but man, I am getting tired of the used parts from this swap failing. Not sure yet what the cause of the failure was, but the donor truck had 180k miles on it, so maybe it was just old and tired. During the re-install of the rebuilt injection pump, I also went back to a stock fuel plate, replacing the #6 plate that was on the donor unit. The truck runs really, really smoothly now and while power and acceleration are down just a hair, I'm hoping the combination of injection pump, KO2s and the tune we put on it creeps my MPGs up toward the 20 mark. We'll see.
Fingers crossed for a future lack of drama...
I have the same tailgate cutting board and I put a layer of dynamat under it, no noticeable increase in sound over carpet.
I'm suprised the injection pump went on you, that is a very unusual failure on a 2nd gen engine. Only issue I know of to with the p7100 pump is the earlier 160hp pumps had an issue with the rack binding and getting stuck when they got hot. A bucket of cold water on the pump is usually enough to get it running again.
Any idea what failed on the pump?
I have been quite suprised by your low fuel millage. I wonder it'll it was due to the pump and fuel plate? Mine is the same every tank about 13L/100kms. My last trip with 200 kms of low range 1st and 2nd gear travel was 16.8L/100kms. So quite good overall.
Any idea what failed on the pump?
I have been quite suprised by your low fuel millage. I wonder it'll it was due to the pump and fuel plate? Mine is the same every tank about 13L/100kms. My last trip with 200 kms of low range 1st and 2nd gear travel was 16.8L/100kms. So quite good overall.
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- #126
Not sure on what caused the failure yet, but it's being torn apart this week to see if it's salvageable or whether it's now a paperweight. My hope is that the stock fuel plate, a reconditioned injection pump and the new tires help it along a bit. I can feel just doing a coast-down that there's less rolling resistance on the KO2s relative to the MTRs, so hopefully that helps. We shall see. Regardless of whether economy goes up or not, I am massively happy about the overall feel of those tires though.
Provided things are going to calm down, failures-wise, I'm ***gasp*** all done with mods for a while. I feel like the truck's at a great baseline now, and I just want to use the thing as it is before I tackle more of the list. Drawers, a new carpet kit, 2nd battery / internal electronics / stereo, gauges and some external lighting are what I've got on my mind now - but if all of that gets done in the next year, I'll be pretty happy.
Provided things are going to calm down, failures-wise, I'm ***gasp*** all done with mods for a while. I feel like the truck's at a great baseline now, and I just want to use the thing as it is before I tackle more of the list. Drawers, a new carpet kit, 2nd battery / internal electronics / stereo, gauges and some external lighting are what I've got on my mind now - but if all of that gets done in the next year, I'll be pretty happy.
I'm just starting the exact same build. I am just curious if you have/have thought about and exhaust brake? Mine is starting out as the ultimate mommy-mobile (it will be my wife's DD)/family right. Being such I will use it for everything and plan on taking advantage of towing capabilities. I planning on putting in brake controller but I figure an exhaust brake would great too.
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- #128
Haven't got the need for an exhaust brake, beyond the ability to freak out other drivers and pedestrians with strategic downshifts. I don't tow anything, so no need a trailer brake either, but I'm sure with the extra weight of a 6BT and a trailer you'll be happy to have one.
- Thread starter
- #129
Mercifully, things have quieted down on the mechanical front for me, and I recently surpassed 10,000 miles on my rebuilt motor, and have done a third motor oil change to get through the break-in period. Removing the #6 fuel plate - which means I'm now back to a circa-1994 stock tune on the Cummins - has reduced the peak power a bit, but I'm in the 16-18mpg range now with more than enough pull to pass comfortably. The torque between 65-80mph is addictive, and a lot of fun to employ. I do a ton of Interstate driving and almost all of that is on a stretch of road that's got a 75mph speed limit, so I'm definitely using more fuel to keep that speed than if I were to tone it down a bit. Noticeably, when I've done long weekends on dirt roads or smaller, lower-speed highways, the economy picks up a bit. Now I'm planning to either re-gear to 3.55 diff gears (maybe in the spring?) or transfer case gears, as some of the other diesel swap guys on Mud have done, and I'll eventually go up to 37s. All in good time, but for now I'm loving what I've got. For now, it's a lot of fun to blast down dirt roads and have everything in front of me pull over so I can get past. For the life of me, I'll never understand why dudes in F250s and Ram 2500s poke along at 15mph on dirt - are they afraid of getting their rigs dirty?
My lovely wife bought me an ARB 2500 awning for my birthday, and I got it fitted with (very cool) Four Trek modular awning mounts. Also, I finally fit the Gobi ladder I'd had sitting around, and am waiting on a Hi-Lift attachment from Gobi as well. The ladder in particular makes a huge difference to access our rooftop tent - it's way easier to just step up the bumper and climb the solid ladder into the back of the tent rather than use the somewhat cheesy telescoping aluminum unit that came with the tent. And, I love the way it looks.
Just around the corner, I've got a 5-day solo trip planned to chase after some spawning brown trout, at which point I'll be using every last widget and knick-knack on the truck... hopefully not the fire extinguisher.
My lovely wife bought me an ARB 2500 awning for my birthday, and I got it fitted with (very cool) Four Trek modular awning mounts. Also, I finally fit the Gobi ladder I'd had sitting around, and am waiting on a Hi-Lift attachment from Gobi as well. The ladder in particular makes a huge difference to access our rooftop tent - it's way easier to just step up the bumper and climb the solid ladder into the back of the tent rather than use the somewhat cheesy telescoping aluminum unit that came with the tent. And, I love the way it looks.
Just around the corner, I've got a 5-day solo trip planned to chase after some spawning brown trout, at which point I'll be using every last widget and knick-knack on the truck... hopefully not the fire extinguisher.
Great job man, very happy to hear your past all you mechanical issues.
Your getting dead on what myself and others are getting for millage. Some are getting better but they all seems to have 37" tires or gearing changes.
The power in 4th and 5th gear is crazy in these things. I never thought I would be passing on the hey with ease. I would really like to lower my cruise RPM by 200-300rpm mainly for comfort and economy.
Your getting dead on what myself and others are getting for millage. Some are getting better but they all seems to have 37" tires or gearing changes.
The power in 4th and 5th gear is crazy in these things. I never thought I would be passing on the hey with ease. I would really like to lower my cruise RPM by 200-300rpm mainly for comfort and economy.
Nice dude, and the awning looks great. I need to secure are RTT and awning between now and March. the mileage is getting pretty good. with gears and 37's you will probably break into the 20's.
I am missing driving my 80, for the past couple weeks it's been down with a boost leak, I haven't had a chance to track it down yet.
I am missing driving my 80, for the past couple weeks it's been down with a boost leak, I haven't had a chance to track it down yet.
- Thread starter
- #133
I'm happy to report that I just successfully concluded a 3-day, ~500 mile solo trip to do some fishing and drive a bunch of New Mexico forest roads. I found a sweet, silent camp spot the first night in the middle of a huge ponderosa grove, and am quite impressed with the amount of grunt from the Cummins in low range. I had to / got to use low range to get up a muddy track to the campsite, but the Cruiser just walked it without trying. It's a weird feeling to have to use the gas to go downhill, but there's so much traction from the Cruiser's drivetrain and so much torque from the motor... it's addictive.
All in all, a flawless trip and with each of these under my belt, I'm getting closer to being ready to do something ambitious with the truck. Baby steps! We're planning a 7-day overland trip through SE Utah next spring, so that looks to be the first major expedition with the Cruiser. Between now and then, a few more weekend trips and some experiments in the snow to see how she handles.
I'm loving the combination of the rooftop tent, awning, Pfran LED interior lights and Labrak cutting board tailgate. With a simple folding aluminum table to cook on, I've got a full-on kitchen in my truck now and it makes for some seriously comfortable camping. This thing's officially a dream come true. Still, new seats, a drawer system, dual battery / interior electrical / stereo upgrade, 3.55 diff gears, new wheels and some aesthetic / paint work to be done. That said, the Cruiser is out there cruising the land, not failing and turning heads from confused hunters and gas station customers every day!
View attachment 1342786 View attachment 1342786
All in all, a flawless trip and with each of these under my belt, I'm getting closer to being ready to do something ambitious with the truck. Baby steps! We're planning a 7-day overland trip through SE Utah next spring, so that looks to be the first major expedition with the Cruiser. Between now and then, a few more weekend trips and some experiments in the snow to see how she handles.
I'm loving the combination of the rooftop tent, awning, Pfran LED interior lights and Labrak cutting board tailgate. With a simple folding aluminum table to cook on, I've got a full-on kitchen in my truck now and it makes for some seriously comfortable camping. This thing's officially a dream come true. Still, new seats, a drawer system, dual battery / interior electrical / stereo upgrade, 3.55 diff gears, new wheels and some aesthetic / paint work to be done. That said, the Cruiser is out there cruising the land, not failing and turning heads from confused hunters and gas station customers every day!
View attachment 1342786 View attachment 1342786
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- #134
It's been good and fun lately, have done a couple of runs up southern Colorado's passes in wintertime and the Cruiser's been running well. I had a sudden issue where it wouldn't start easily, which got diagnosed as a failing fuel overflow valve. Not enough fuel was being retained up high in the injection pump so the motor would just try to crank air and spark. Ordered and installed a Tork Tek adjustable fuel valve, and pretty much immediately the problem went away. I like these $50 and under fixes!
I couldn't get the part delivered before my planned solo camping / fishing trip, so out of a sheer abundance of caution I took my Tacoma over Christmas itself, and while I missed my Cruiser, I have to say it is much easier to get in and out of the rooftop tent from the back end of the Taco. Didn't seem a good idea to me to head out alone into a winter storm with a truck that might act up. Also, the Tacoma, despite her age, has a raging heater, which came in handy thawing out my solid-frozen boots, waders and gloves in the single-digit morning temps. But, following a theme in my life, I went in search of solitude by going somewhere a little more difficult to access, spent 10% more effort than the next guy, and ended up completely alone but for the fish and critters. What a way to spend a camp trip.
I've got one more winter camp / fish trip with my wife coming up over the New Year, which I'm excited about. She got a new 3# fly rod and reel for Christmas and I got 3 straight days alone to fish over the holiday - she was working Christmas Day so I got a get-out-of-jail free card, which seems a fair trade to me. The plan is to rooftop camp on the Cruiser again, and we'll see just how much my wife still loves me if it gets below zero and she's the one that's got to wrestle on half-thawed fishing gear.
I also bought the LED reverse lights from @pfran42 but have a faulty switch I need to get to. I'm happy that I'm mostly into the "make minor upgrades" part of owning this truck.
I couldn't get the part delivered before my planned solo camping / fishing trip, so out of a sheer abundance of caution I took my Tacoma over Christmas itself, and while I missed my Cruiser, I have to say it is much easier to get in and out of the rooftop tent from the back end of the Taco. Didn't seem a good idea to me to head out alone into a winter storm with a truck that might act up. Also, the Tacoma, despite her age, has a raging heater, which came in handy thawing out my solid-frozen boots, waders and gloves in the single-digit morning temps. But, following a theme in my life, I went in search of solitude by going somewhere a little more difficult to access, spent 10% more effort than the next guy, and ended up completely alone but for the fish and critters. What a way to spend a camp trip.
I've got one more winter camp / fish trip with my wife coming up over the New Year, which I'm excited about. She got a new 3# fly rod and reel for Christmas and I got 3 straight days alone to fish over the holiday - she was working Christmas Day so I got a get-out-of-jail free card, which seems a fair trade to me. The plan is to rooftop camp on the Cruiser again, and we'll see just how much my wife still loves me if it gets below zero and she's the one that's got to wrestle on half-thawed fishing gear.
I also bought the LED reverse lights from @pfran42 but have a faulty switch I need to get to. I'm happy that I'm mostly into the "make minor upgrades" part of owning this truck.
- Thread starter
- #136
Played a little hooky from work today with a few buddies and hit our local offroad spot. I'd actually not done any technical trails with this truck previously so it was really fun to immediately realize how capable it is. The motor has so much torque just off-idle that climbing and grabbing traction is stupid simple. Low gear in the t-case, locked center and rear diff and I was blown away by what I could climb in 1st gear with almost no throttle. Turns out there IS a use for 1st gear in this truck after all!
- Thread starter
- #137
Couple of new upgrades the last month or so as the winter winds down. I've got a quick trip up to SE Utah happening next week, sort of a testing / proving trip ahead of a longer trip into the Maze District of Canyonlands. Getting fired up about some warm-weather camping.
First up, I got a 20" LED light bar - I ended up buying a Zero Dark bar because it was 1/3rd the price of a Rigid. I went with the flood/spot combo and can confirm it's really, really bright. If it lasts a few years, I'll be happy with the $250 I spent on it and the harness. Ended up going with a switch from OTRATTW to fit the factory knockout in the dash.
Then, I solved another problem that had been bugging me since I got the truck in the first place by replacing the worn-out seats. Since I bought the truck with 208k miles, the leather and padding was getting pretty tired - someone drove this thing for a long, long time with a giant Costanza wallet, so the right side of the seat had a huge dip in it and my right ass cheek and leg would go numb if I drove for more than 30 minutes. Even though the seat motors still worked, I understand it's just a matter of time until they'd stop working, and given my luck it'd probably be right after my 5'4" wife drove it, leaving the seat stuck in the forward position. So, I did my homework and found the Corbeau GTS II, then bought manual, cloth, double-locking sliders, added seat heaters and a lumbar support for the driver.
They couldn't have been easier to install or to wire; the seats came fully wired with a harness, so I just re-purposed the factory wiring from the power seats. All in all, this was a 1-hour swap, and I'm thrilled. One initial observation: they're pretty narrow seats with lots of thigh bolster, but they fit me perfectly. Larger gentlemen than myself might be a little squeezed, but they're great. My back and sciatic nerve are already thanking me. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to keep using the Wits End fire extinguisher mount I had on the passenger seat too - the Corbeau brackets match perfectly with the stock mounting holes, and they actually left so much room on the passenger side that I'm able to use the cargo liner space. Hooray, more space for crap in the truck!
So yeah, my interior is now a mish-mash of colors, with the two-tone look still left on the dash and doors, and my shift console is a different shade of grey than the seats, but I'm blissfully colorblind and couldn't really give a rip anyhow.
First up, I got a 20" LED light bar - I ended up buying a Zero Dark bar because it was 1/3rd the price of a Rigid. I went with the flood/spot combo and can confirm it's really, really bright. If it lasts a few years, I'll be happy with the $250 I spent on it and the harness. Ended up going with a switch from OTRATTW to fit the factory knockout in the dash.
Then, I solved another problem that had been bugging me since I got the truck in the first place by replacing the worn-out seats. Since I bought the truck with 208k miles, the leather and padding was getting pretty tired - someone drove this thing for a long, long time with a giant Costanza wallet, so the right side of the seat had a huge dip in it and my right ass cheek and leg would go numb if I drove for more than 30 minutes. Even though the seat motors still worked, I understand it's just a matter of time until they'd stop working, and given my luck it'd probably be right after my 5'4" wife drove it, leaving the seat stuck in the forward position. So, I did my homework and found the Corbeau GTS II, then bought manual, cloth, double-locking sliders, added seat heaters and a lumbar support for the driver.
They couldn't have been easier to install or to wire; the seats came fully wired with a harness, so I just re-purposed the factory wiring from the power seats. All in all, this was a 1-hour swap, and I'm thrilled. One initial observation: they're pretty narrow seats with lots of thigh bolster, but they fit me perfectly. Larger gentlemen than myself might be a little squeezed, but they're great. My back and sciatic nerve are already thanking me. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to keep using the Wits End fire extinguisher mount I had on the passenger seat too - the Corbeau brackets match perfectly with the stock mounting holes, and they actually left so much room on the passenger side that I'm able to use the cargo liner space. Hooray, more space for crap in the truck!
So yeah, my interior is now a mish-mash of colors, with the two-tone look still left on the dash and doors, and my shift console is a different shade of grey than the seats, but I'm blissfully colorblind and couldn't really give a rip anyhow.
Besides GTS II is there a model number? Where did you buy it??
- Thread starter
- #140
I bought directly from Corbeau, and the GTS II is the name of the seat itself. GTS II - Reclining Seats - Corbeau Racing Seats