Builds Buster Brown-Slow maintenance, slow owner, slowing my roll way down.

[Comet]

Last night was a monumental success. Replaced the vacuum hoses on the carb, broke a one way vacuum part (superglue to the rescue), set full choke, pumped the skinny pedal a few times, one solid push to set the vacuum choke, vrrrr.., vrrr..., vroom. Started under his own power without starting fluid. Choke at 1/2 and idled around 1100 according to the (once again ubr accurate) tachometer on the dash. PO was kind enough to help pump up the tires with his compressor and mentioned a test drive. Why not! Drive around the block with mushy brakes and no power steering. Tried to release the choke and it stalled out twice. Actually, very mushy brakes. Mityvac on order (thank you Discover cashback) for next to nothing. Dash gauge showed 10 volts so I have to figure out if it is the alternator or just a flaky gauge.

No power to the wipers, cb's, hvac, or cigarette lighter. Dead stick on lights too. I am loving this adventure.

Brakes will be tackled next week. I didn't bring enough tools with me because I didn't believe I would be this far along so quickly. Testament to Toyota over-engineered design for harsh environmental conditions.

 

[mwebfj60]

Last night was a monumental success. Replaced the vacuum hoses on the carb, broke a one way vacuum part (superglue to the rescue), set full choke, pumped the skinny pedal a few times, one solid push to set the vacuum choke, vrrrr.., vrrr..., vroom. Started under her own power without starting fluid. Choke at 1/2 and idled around 1100 according to the (once again ubr accurate) tachometer on the dash. PO was kind enough to help pump up the tires with his compressor and mentioned a test drive. Why not! Drive around the block with mushy brakes and no power steering. Tried to release the choke and it stalled out twice. Actually, very mushy brakes. Mityvac on order (thank you Discover cashback) for next to nothing. Dash gauge showed 10 volts so I have to figure out if it is the alternator or just a flaky gauge.

No power to the wipers, cb's, hvac, or cigarette lighter. Dead stick on lights too. I am loving this adventure.

Brakes will be tackled next week. I didn't bring enough tools with me because I didn't believe I would be this far along so quickly. Testament to Toyota over-engineered design for harsh environmental conditions.

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Looks like that might be the wrong belt for the alternator...the adjustment is all the way as far as it will go.

 

[Comet]

Great catch on the belt. It is absolutely the wrong belt. It is hard to believe that a 35 year old truck would be cobbled together with nothing but a box of parts at least a decade old. (Insert really sarcastic sly winking emoji here)

I tried to use everything on hand at the recovery site to get him running. I spent about $50 bucks in fluids and misc. parts to get Buster running and moving to his temporary site. The alternator doesn't seem to be charging so you are definitely on to something. Smog was removed, the smog pump is gone (replacement in a box in the back), and when I looked under the hood there was no belt or routing diagram to show me what to do. That particular belt was the first to "kind of fit".

 

[Comet]

Hi, my name is Travis and I am a Land Cruiser addict. "Hi Travis." says the Mud collective. Last night was, I am sure, one of many white knuckle rides into the unknown with Buster. I could not wait for the MityVac so I bought a cheapo $8 one man bleeder kit from a parts store. Brakes bled and they worked. No air in the system but definitely needing a full flush once he is home. Front rotors are metal on metal. Slowed me down enough to stop. At 10 pm, drive Buster from the PO's home to my work apartment. Seven or so miles of wondering if it would stay running, stop, or just not kill me. All 5 gears work, the one front light that worked stayed mostly lit (alternator on the way out), and the brakes stopped me as long as I gave advance notice. Parked in the driveway.

 

[Comet]

Today, washed Buster for the first time. Removed all but one window tint and called it a weekend. Happy 4th to all.

 

[Ian Crawford]

Dude, you have a H55 5 speed?!?

Looks like it's cleaning up well!

 

[Comet]

yup. Man-a-fre heavy duty rebuild installed in California with resized drive shafts. First gear is LOW and you really have to wind it out to catch second. Cleaned up surprisingly well. Thanks.

 

[NMfjCruiser]

Congrats on getting her home. Looks like it cleaned up pretty well.
Man-a fre has a smog pump eliminator (now on sale!) that you can use so can go back to the original belt routing.
It's basically just an adjustable pulley. I like the the run of the belt and adjustment better that way.

 

[Comet]

Waiting on parts.....
Removed all door cards, each time I touch Buster Brown I need more things for him.
Waiting on parts.....
Rough install of stereo into tuffy center console box. Got a nice cut on my finger from the metal shavings. blood letting!
Waiting on parts.....

Oh crap, @beno is now available again . Ordered a bunch of crap from NAPA before realizing he would be available this soon. Catch you on round 2-10 brother.
BTW....still waiting on parts.....

 

[srogers]

Congrats and great work - cleaning up nicely

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

Congrats on getting her home. Looks like it cleaned up pretty well.
Man-a fre has a smog pump eliminator (now on sale!) that you can use so can go back to the original belt routing.
It's basically just an adjustable pulley. I like the the run of the belt and adjustment better that way.

If memory serves that MAF idler pulley has some quirks... @CaptClose was that the one you bought which you needed to modify to make work?

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

Looks like a great truck. Way fing lucky to the 5 speed. Congrats!

 

[Comet]

The Yota spirits are strong with this one. It has great bones and plenty of deferred maintenance. Pictures to follow next week. Brake parts are in, cruiser outfitters stuff due by Tuesday, jap carb due in Tuesday also. When it rains it pours parts all at once.

 

[CaptClose]

If memory serves that MAF idler pulley has some quirks... @CaptClose was that the one you bought which you needed to modify to make work?

The quirks were mostly me an my OCD. The replacement adjusting bolt that comes with it is SAE and not metric. I tried to use my OEM bolt before I realized the thread pitch was different (one of the pitches that are very close, but not quite the same and you only realize it after you Strip the bolt and twist the head off.... or is that just me?)

Anyway, I drilled it out and re-tapped it to fit the original OEM bolt and it worked just fine. I would just go ahead and use the bolt that ships with it, if I had to do it again.... but I just hate having mixed SAE/metric bolts on a vehicle. Keep it pure and carry one set of tools. Why did you do that MAF?

 

[NMfjCruiser]

Why did you do that MAF?

Great question.
Probably an ease and cost thing .
For another car I ordered some custom suspension parts, beautifully made but came with SAE hardware $%#@
I had to machine all new bushings so I could use metric hardware. I too hate to mix .

 

[Comet]

So I don't see the need for the smog pump eliminator bracket if I run a different size belt for the alternator. Am I missing an obvious reason for it like turning the alternator at the right speed?

 

[bhk]

On the stock setup, the same belt drives both the smog (air) and water pumps. The AP serves as the tensioner for the belt. it's common on desmogged engines to either gut the AP or replace it with a pulley to act as the tensioner. Looks like yours is set up with the AC compressor and water pump sharing a belt.

 

[Comet]

I believe the ac is not native to this truck. Thank you for the diagram. I will be studying the belts and routing in the next few weeks.

 

[Comet]

WoW! I know I have issues when the only description I have for a non-emissions carb is "sexy". THis little beauty came VIA UPS this morning. Guess parts are going to start rolling in after all. Now if I didn't have to be at work...

 

[Comet]

To address the radio situation I decided to start from scratch. All the wires in my dash are going nowhere and are attached to nothing. The front doors have wires for the speakers but the insulation is degraded. I had a CB installed in the radio slot and a CB installed in the Tuffy center console (purchased by the PO). I have elected to put the marine grade stereo in the Tuffy Center Console and reinstall one of the functioning CB radios in the dash with an exterior speaker mounted in the dash on the passenger side. I'm going to have to research an antenna that does the radio, CB, and VHF/UHF (realizing that it won't work as well as independent antenna's). Eventually I would like to include a HAM radio.

I will be running new wires (4 16 gauge wires enclosed in a weather proof sheath) from the Tuffy center console to each door. Front doors will have component speakers (separate tweeter and larger speaker lower on the door) and the rear doors will each have one large speaker (6 1/2 two way). There will be no speakers or audio equipment in the rear of the truck; however, I am still up in the air about what power options to include back there (air compressor, solar controller, inverter, power pole for rear winch).

In addition to the speakers, my goal is to also attach a courtesy light shining down in each door, activated through all the door switches (hence more than just the two speaker wires in the four wire sheath). The wires used are exterior home speaker wires that I have in bulk.

Power to the Tuffy console for the radio will come from the interior fuse box already set up for the radio and the illumination wire will trip from the parking light fuse (shamelessly stolen from @4Cruisers). The amp, which will reside under the passenger seat (after the rear heater delete) will get power directly from the battery from a fused 10 gauge wire and triggered from the radio.

The speaker install will include new door cards cut to fit a 6 1/2 speaker with baffle behind for better sound. I am hoping to use marine grade vinyl on the door cards that closely matches the original brown interior. In reading too much on MUD, I seem to remember someone was working on the interior door window felt that was separate from the door cards. I like the idea of showing off as much of the metal as possible. Any ideas who has that at a reasonable price......?