Builds Cayman Islands FZJ80 DIY build-up
- Thread starter mmajsw
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
- Thread starter
- #222
Haven't posted anything in a while but that does not mean I have stopped working on the truck. Over Christmas, I noted that a small bump in the paint on the hood was getting larger. As I had some time, I decided why not treat it to stop the rust from expanding. I scratched away at the paint only to find body filler underneath and below that a rust hole. 
I had checked the fender and door panels for any repair work with a magnet when I bought the truck but never checked the hood. My error.
Well, that was it and I got a new to me but used hood online. It was in great condition - no dents or rust and it was repainted to match my paint code and installed yesterday. I had the painter add a black flat anti-glare piece in the middle. And I think it looks great! I will not be installing the hood scoop that was on the old hood but might add the Z24 hood vents I have in hand.
I also installed the Toyocom OBD1 scan tool and bought a Samsung Tab E to act as a dedicated display. More to follow on this installation.
I had checked the fender and door panels for any repair work with a magnet when I bought the truck but never checked the hood. My error.
Well, that was it and I got a new to me but used hood online. It was in great condition - no dents or rust and it was repainted to match my paint code and installed yesterday. I had the painter add a black flat anti-glare piece in the middle. And I think it looks great! I will not be installing the hood scoop that was on the old hood but might add the Z24 hood vents I have in hand.
I also installed the Toyocom OBD1 scan tool and bought a Samsung Tab E to act as a dedicated display. More to follow on this installation.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #223
I had recently tried to eliminate hitch rattle by using a metal shim made from piece of hurricane strap. It worked when the trailer was empty, but one I added some load to it, the rattling began again. Plus the shims made it difficult to insert the ball as it was a tight fit. sometomes I have to use a hammer to insert and remove the ball portion. I remember seeing a home made device online using a couple pieces of round bar and couple bolts with associated nuts and washers, but could not find it again. But I understood the concept and decided to make one for myself using the idea.
Some people use flat bar and others are using small steel channel bars, but this design eliminates the need to possibly drill oversized holes in the bar or holes at an angle to compensate for the displacement between the top and bottom bars.
The design uses 5 easy to get parts and a little bit of work.
A is four 3/8 flat washers that have been filed so that they fit close to the milled portion on C.
B is two 3/8 x4.5" long bolts.
C is two pieces of 3/4" dia. solid steel bar that have been milled to produce a flat area. I should have stopped when I had removed about 1/4 the bar diameter but was having too much fun on the mill! After creating the flats, drill 3/8" diameter holes in the bar ends for the bolts.
D is two 3/8 lock washers and E are two 3/8 nuts.
And when it all comes together, it looks like this...
When being used, I will place the nuts on the bottom of the hitch to allow easy access. But for testing purposes, it worked great.
I will be making a second one and leave much more metal at the 3/4" rod ends where the washers fit and will also increase the bolts to 7/16 diameter. This one can be used as is but it is a fun and an easy to make project.
Some people use flat bar and others are using small steel channel bars, but this design eliminates the need to possibly drill oversized holes in the bar or holes at an angle to compensate for the displacement between the top and bottom bars.
The design uses 5 easy to get parts and a little bit of work.
A is four 3/8 flat washers that have been filed so that they fit close to the milled portion on C.
B is two 3/8 x4.5" long bolts.
C is two pieces of 3/4" dia. solid steel bar that have been milled to produce a flat area. I should have stopped when I had removed about 1/4 the bar diameter but was having too much fun on the mill! After creating the flats, drill 3/8" diameter holes in the bar ends for the bolts.
D is two 3/8 lock washers and E are two 3/8 nuts.
And when it all comes together, it looks like this...
When being used, I will place the nuts on the bottom of the hitch to allow easy access. But for testing purposes, it worked great.
I will be making a second one and leave much more metal at the 3/4" rod ends where the washers fit and will also increase the bolts to 7/16 diameter. This one can be used as is but it is a fun and an easy to make project.
Last edited:
Coming along nicely, Mike. I'll be on the Island in about 9 days to check out your rig
For real
Ken
For real
Ken
- Thread starter
- #225
While I haven't posted, it does not mean that improvements are not taking place. My changes have been related to minor upgrades like cleaning up wiring, repositioning items so that I find then more readily and lots and lots of color coding and labeling.
The latest big change was the installation of a used LRA 160 liter replacement main tank that I managed to score from the classified section from "92cruiser".
After shipping it to Cayman, I proceeded to clean up some very minor surface rust dust , passed some 100 grit sand paper over the existing paint and coated the tank with two coats of Hammerite gloss black paint. This would offer great protection from the brackish and salt water that would be sprayed on the tank during driving around. After arranging a date to install the tank with my mechanic friend, we drained the old tank of the final 8 gallons of gas and removed it. There was rust on the top of the old tank that was mainly pitting, but none had created any holes into the fuel area.
But it was removed and using the vague instructions along with some common sense, the replacement tank was installed without any major issues.
The 8 gallons were put back into the new tank and a trip was made to the gas station to fill 'er up! The result was this...
To convert that to the US equivalent, that is US$150 and 32 US gallons. Be thankful for your gas prices!!
In addition, I was able to get a new dual neck gas tank filler and a sub tank switch from the ih8mud classified from "fatboy", which now motivates me to get the 16 gallon aux tank completed and installed.
Some innovation will be needed as I intend to use the original fuel level indicator in my aux tank as well as wire it into the main tank fuel level gauge. More to follow.
The latest big change was the installation of a used LRA 160 liter replacement main tank that I managed to score from the classified section from "92cruiser".
After shipping it to Cayman, I proceeded to clean up some very minor surface rust dust , passed some 100 grit sand paper over the existing paint and coated the tank with two coats of Hammerite gloss black paint. This would offer great protection from the brackish and salt water that would be sprayed on the tank during driving around. After arranging a date to install the tank with my mechanic friend, we drained the old tank of the final 8 gallons of gas and removed it. There was rust on the top of the old tank that was mainly pitting, but none had created any holes into the fuel area.
But it was removed and using the vague instructions along with some common sense, the replacement tank was installed without any major issues.
The 8 gallons were put back into the new tank and a trip was made to the gas station to fill 'er up! The result was this...
To convert that to the US equivalent, that is US$150 and 32 US gallons. Be thankful for your gas prices!!
In addition, I was able to get a new dual neck gas tank filler and a sub tank switch from the ih8mud classified from "fatboy", which now motivates me to get the 16 gallon aux tank completed and installed.
Some innovation will be needed as I intend to use the original fuel level indicator in my aux tank as well as wire it into the main tank fuel level gauge. More to follow.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #226
One question that I had trouble finding out was how close to the driveshaft does the LRA tank come? The best I could get in my research was about 1/2" or so. So this morning, I went down to take a couple measurements so that a definitive answer is now available to others who are contemplating this conversion. We made sure that the tank was as close to the frame as possible during installation because the initial fit was close to 1/2" and I was not comfortable with that. While I do not intend to use my truck as a rock rig, accidents and mishaps do happen.
So, the end result is this. At the driveshaft close to the transfer case, you get between 1-7/8" to 2"., depending on how one guesses what part of the driveshaft is square to the tank.
At the back of the driveshaft at the differential is where things are close. My readings are between 1" and 1-1/8". What this means is that attention and frequent maintenance should be made to the u-joints and other items.
So, the end result is this. At the driveshaft close to the transfer case, you get between 1-7/8" to 2"., depending on how one guesses what part of the driveshaft is square to the tank.
At the back of the driveshaft at the differential is where things are close. My readings are between 1" and 1-1/8". What this means is that attention and frequent maintenance should be made to the u-joints and other items.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #227
A couple projects are nearing completion.
The first is the replacement of the factory transmission support with a Hudd Expo GIS skid plate. Got the DIY version shipped to Cayman and welded it up. The top that is against the transmission has been painted and it is ready for installation. I have a A440F transmission and an HF1A part time transfer case in my 97, but my preliminary measurements say that it will fit. The true test is coming up but there is nothing a little plasma can't fix!
The second project has been waiting for about 3 years, but I decided to get it done. It is the installation of a Racor 110 fuel filter between the fuel tank and the factory fuel filter. Probably a huge bit of overkill but I cannot think of any other project where I will use the filter. So it's going on!
More details and images to follow on both items.
The first is the replacement of the factory transmission support with a Hudd Expo GIS skid plate. Got the DIY version shipped to Cayman and welded it up. The top that is against the transmission has been painted and it is ready for installation. I have a A440F transmission and an HF1A part time transfer case in my 97, but my preliminary measurements say that it will fit. The true test is coming up but there is nothing a little plasma can't fix!
The second project has been waiting for about 3 years, but I decided to get it done. It is the installation of a Racor 110 fuel filter between the fuel tank and the factory fuel filter. Probably a huge bit of overkill but I cannot think of any other project where I will use the filter. So it's going on!
More details and images to follow on both items.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #228
I decided to do some welding today and the target of choice was upgrading the lower control arms to the rear axle. The process is fully described in his forum but I wanted to show what I did differently.
I used the same material as everyone else 1.75 x .188 (1.36ID) Dom tubing seamless, and created 12 weld rosettes per arm along with welding the end of the tubing to the arms.
In order to ensure that the factory length was maintained, I machined two pieces of aluminum that were 0.708 in diameter (0.010 undersized of the factor bolt holes) and use that to hold the length. The pictures say it all.
The first thing was to lay the cut arm beside the uncut arm on the welding table. The aluminum pins were inserted and the DOM sleeve was centered between the two bushing ends.
One side was welded and both arms were clamped in position, with the pin being used to control the length.
At the other end, the second pin was inserted into both arms and the welding continued. The result is the overall length of the factory arm is maintained.
I still have to clean and paint the arms but the length is cleanly controlled. Removes the need to make measurements.
One result of the welding is that the metal on the rubber bushings has loosened up. They will be replaced before the arm is used.
I used the same material as everyone else 1.75 x .188 (1.36ID) Dom tubing seamless, and created 12 weld rosettes per arm along with welding the end of the tubing to the arms.
In order to ensure that the factory length was maintained, I machined two pieces of aluminum that were 0.708 in diameter (0.010 undersized of the factor bolt holes) and use that to hold the length. The pictures say it all.
The first thing was to lay the cut arm beside the uncut arm on the welding table. The aluminum pins were inserted and the DOM sleeve was centered between the two bushing ends.
One side was welded and both arms were clamped in position, with the pin being used to control the length.
At the other end, the second pin was inserted into both arms and the welding continued. The result is the overall length of the factory arm is maintained.
I still have to clean and paint the arms but the length is cleanly controlled. Removes the need to make measurements.
One result of the welding is that the metal on the rubber bushings has loosened up. They will be replaced before the arm is used.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #229
With the arms welded up, I decided to go for esthetics and fill all the rosette welds so that the tube was smooth. So this morning, I did just that.
The next thing was to remove the old bushings. I decided to forego trying to press them out and used a 1 3/4" hole saw to remove the center bushing and most of the rubber. I did not drill all the way through in one go. Went half way, then started from the other side. Be careful when the cuts meet in the center and slow the drill speed down to about a revolution per second. The hole saw grabs suddenly when the cuts meet and will surprise you with the torque. With the center and most of the rubber gone, you have easy access to the outer bushing.
Then, using a reciprocating saw, I made two parallel cuts about 1/2 -3/4" apart. Take care not to cut into the control arm. Using a small chisel, you can readily bend that small portion inwards. The rest of the bushing will almost drop out. I was able to remove the first two bushings in about 5 minutes each. I tried using 1 cut on the third bushing, but it was not as easy or as quick as the two cut method.
Then after everything was ground smooth, I painted the arms with Rustoleum Gloss Black. They looked pretty good to my eyes.
Two coats of paint and 6 hrs later, they were dry enough to put the new Toyota bushings in.
I followed the new pattern and applied a little lithium grease to the eye to allow the bushings to slide in easier. Found a suitable piece of aluminum tube cutoff that would cover the outer metal bushing and pressed them home.
Installation is the final step.
I had purchased two spare arms so that I could do the upgrade without leaving the Cruiser handicapped. So later this week, I will do the swap.
The next thing was to remove the old bushings. I decided to forego trying to press them out and used a 1 3/4" hole saw to remove the center bushing and most of the rubber. I did not drill all the way through in one go. Went half way, then started from the other side. Be careful when the cuts meet in the center and slow the drill speed down to about a revolution per second. The hole saw grabs suddenly when the cuts meet and will surprise you with the torque. With the center and most of the rubber gone, you have easy access to the outer bushing.
Then, using a reciprocating saw, I made two parallel cuts about 1/2 -3/4" apart. Take care not to cut into the control arm. Using a small chisel, you can readily bend that small portion inwards. The rest of the bushing will almost drop out. I was able to remove the first two bushings in about 5 minutes each. I tried using 1 cut on the third bushing, but it was not as easy or as quick as the two cut method.
Then after everything was ground smooth, I painted the arms with Rustoleum Gloss Black. They looked pretty good to my eyes.
Two coats of paint and 6 hrs later, they were dry enough to put the new Toyota bushings in.
I followed the new pattern and applied a little lithium grease to the eye to allow the bushings to slide in easier. Found a suitable piece of aluminum tube cutoff that would cover the outer metal bushing and pressed them home.
Installation is the final step.
I had purchased two spare arms so that I could do the upgrade without leaving the Cruiser handicapped. So later this week, I will do the swap.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #230
Good Friday was good to me. Took the Cruiser out of storage and decided to install two items. The first was the lower control arms above.
And I have to admit, it took about 15 mins for the driver's side and 10 minutes for the passenger side. Simply loosen the two bolts with an impact wrench and slide the bolts out. I had to loosen the lower shock bolt to pry the shock a bit forward to allow the bolt to retract enough to allow the control arm to slide off. Thankfully, there was absolutely no corrosion on either bolt where it inserts into the bushing.
Dropped the old arms out and slid the new ones in. The measurement precautions taken above worked. Did the driver's side first then the passengers. I wish all upgrades were this easy.
The second item was a Hudd Expo GIS skidplate. I had bought the weld it together kit , welded it up and painted it but never got around to installing it. Well, today I did.
It is a well thought out piece of equipment and everything fits together well. You cannot make any mistakes once you know what side the parts fit on. I can now confirm that it fits a 97 4.5L with the A442F trans and the H1FA part time transfer case. There are enough details in ih8mud so I do not need to repeat anything here.
Well, it's Easter and we have been in lock down since March 24th. Spent the first two weeks organizing the garage and fixing outstanding projects. This long weekend and next week is work on the truck. Perhaps the Wit's end power steering cooler is next!
Also have a factory auto trans cooler sitting on the garage floor to install.
And I have to admit, it took about 15 mins for the driver's side and 10 minutes for the passenger side. Simply loosen the two bolts with an impact wrench and slide the bolts out. I had to loosen the lower shock bolt to pry the shock a bit forward to allow the bolt to retract enough to allow the control arm to slide off. Thankfully, there was absolutely no corrosion on either bolt where it inserts into the bushing.
Dropped the old arms out and slid the new ones in. The measurement precautions taken above worked. Did the driver's side first then the passengers. I wish all upgrades were this easy.
The second item was a Hudd Expo GIS skidplate. I had bought the weld it together kit , welded it up and painted it but never got around to installing it. Well, today I did.
It is a well thought out piece of equipment and everything fits together well. You cannot make any mistakes once you know what side the parts fit on. I can now confirm that it fits a 97 4.5L with the A442F trans and the H1FA part time transfer case. There are enough details in ih8mud so I do not need to repeat anything here.
Well, it's Easter and we have been in lock down since March 24th. Spent the first two weeks organizing the garage and fixing outstanding projects. This long weekend and next week is work on the truck. Perhaps the Wit's end power steering cooler is next!
Also have a factory auto trans cooler sitting on the garage floor to install.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #231
The latest addition was the installation of a Wits End power steering cooler kit. Removal of the paper clip was more of a destructive process as other additions made it difficult to remove. Tubes and hoses were cut (once identified as being the correct ones) and pulled out in little bits. My cooler was covered in undercoating, hence probably had a minimal effect on cooling anything. A hint to remove the power steering box hoses. Use crowfoot flare wrenches. They allow you to safely apply enough torque to both loosen and tighten the hose ends from above the engine while saving your knuckles and also stops you from rounding the corners of the nuts.
Installation was straight forward as long as you follow the instructions on the web site. One issue I had was bolting in the passenger side of the cooler. I did not have enough space.
The second issue was the lengths of the bolts. Being on you back trying to see where to thread the bolts was difficult. I ended up using some M6x20mm bolts, which allowed me to have to cooler off the frame to see where each hole was. Finally, I added some flat and lock washers to the bolt to finish the deal.
The red air hose mess was cleaned up before I finished the job.
The space between the winch and the cooler is about 1/8" as shown by the red arrow. The initial open space was not enough space to put a drill in. I ended up removing the steering damper and drilling through the whole frame crosspiece, running longer bolts from the back to the front. The nut is shown at the yellow arrow.
The result was the cooler is completely bolted in.
As my able bodied assistant was available, I decided to install a new front bumper hoop. The installation of the big HID lights meant that the old hoop was too short and a new, taller one was needed. I had bent it a few months ago but the issue was making the final angle cuts for a level installation was more than a one man job. But with assistance, we leveled it, marked the angles and made the cuts and then welded it in. All went well.
Support braces were added to the back. Additional ones will be welded to the front of the tubes then to the front of the bumper. The welds below still have slag and splatter on them so it looks messy. The pic was taken while things were cooling off. They are solid.
Installation was straight forward as long as you follow the instructions on the web site. One issue I had was bolting in the passenger side of the cooler. I did not have enough space.
The second issue was the lengths of the bolts. Being on you back trying to see where to thread the bolts was difficult. I ended up using some M6x20mm bolts, which allowed me to have to cooler off the frame to see where each hole was. Finally, I added some flat and lock washers to the bolt to finish the deal.
The red air hose mess was cleaned up before I finished the job.
The space between the winch and the cooler is about 1/8" as shown by the red arrow. The initial open space was not enough space to put a drill in. I ended up removing the steering damper and drilling through the whole frame crosspiece, running longer bolts from the back to the front. The nut is shown at the yellow arrow.
The result was the cooler is completely bolted in.
As my able bodied assistant was available, I decided to install a new front bumper hoop. The installation of the big HID lights meant that the old hoop was too short and a new, taller one was needed. I had bent it a few months ago but the issue was making the final angle cuts for a level installation was more than a one man job. But with assistance, we leveled it, marked the angles and made the cuts and then welded it in. All went well.
Support braces were added to the back. Additional ones will be welded to the front of the tubes then to the front of the bumper. The welds below still have slag and splatter on them so it looks messy. The pic was taken while things were cooling off. They are solid.
- Thread starter
- #232
Continuing on with upgrades as the Cayman Islands continues with its Covid19 lock down, we are now at the 25th day and counting. The hard curfew at nights (7PM-5AM) and the soft curfew in the day (5AM - 7PM) will continue for at least another 2 weeks until May 1.
Today was used to install the Wit's End 2.5" caster correction plates. I have had them for over a year, but thought the installation would be a difficult one. It turns out I was wrong. The is a short video on YouTube by OTRAMM that shows it is a fairly straight forward job.
So this morning, I decided to tackle it. Lots of hints are given in the video, and I was able to complete the job in about three hours.
The result is this on the driver's side ...
.... and the passenger's side
I still have to use a wire brush to remove the slag and dirt and then spray it with some paint or undercoating. The rubber bushings in both arms were in good shape. No cracks or tears and the rubber is still somewhat pliable. But it is an easy matter to replace them down the road. Anti-seize was applied to the nuts and threads.
The next thing is the rocker cover gasket and the distributor O-ring.
Today was used to install the Wit's End 2.5" caster correction plates. I have had them for over a year, but thought the installation would be a difficult one. It turns out I was wrong. The is a short video on YouTube by OTRAMM that shows it is a fairly straight forward job.
So this morning, I decided to tackle it. Lots of hints are given in the video, and I was able to complete the job in about three hours.
The result is this on the driver's side ...
.... and the passenger's side
I still have to use a wire brush to remove the slag and dirt and then spray it with some paint or undercoating. The rubber bushings in both arms were in good shape. No cracks or tears and the rubber is still somewhat pliable. But it is an easy matter to replace them down the road. Anti-seize was applied to the nuts and threads.
The next thing is the rocker cover gasket and the distributor O-ring.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #233
Got up this morning, knowing it would be a hot day and decided to do the rocker cover gasket.
There are enough examples on mud so I will just give the highlights.
I had previously purchased a cover off eBay a while back and had cleaned and painted it. Then it sat on he shelf until I was ready.
The process started by siliconing the gasket to the rocker cover, so that it would not fall out when installing the cover. And it sat overnight as shown . This morning, new spark plug seals were installed and it was ready to go. I was going to use this...
...to replace this old and leaking one.
Although the bolts were tight, the seal just was not working
It took a short while to get to this point.
Then it was cleaning the cylinder head perimeter where the rocker gasket will sit, clean oil residue from the spark plug tubes, reseal the front half-moons, then reverse the whole process.
The new cover was installed and bolts tightened to 10 ft.lb. at which point they seem to have gotten quite tight. The factory manual says 15 ft.lb. but as others have said, it feels like too much. I might try for the factory spec when I re-tighten the bolts at a later date.
There are enough examples on mud so I will just give the highlights.
I had previously purchased a cover off eBay a while back and had cleaned and painted it. Then it sat on he shelf until I was ready.
The process started by siliconing the gasket to the rocker cover, so that it would not fall out when installing the cover. And it sat overnight as shown . This morning, new spark plug seals were installed and it was ready to go. I was going to use this...
...to replace this old and leaking one.
Although the bolts were tight, the seal just was not working
It took a short while to get to this point.
Then it was cleaning the cylinder head perimeter where the rocker gasket will sit, clean oil residue from the spark plug tubes, reseal the front half-moons, then reverse the whole process.
The new cover was installed and bolts tightened to 10 ft.lb. at which point they seem to have gotten quite tight. The factory manual says 15 ft.lb. but as others have said, it feels like too much. I might try for the factory spec when I re-tighten the bolts at a later date.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #234
I initially had planned on stopping at the replacement of the rocker cover, but as the top end was apart, I decided to do the distributor O ring. It can be done with the battery in place, as long as you remove the distributor cap and wires first..
The distributor was reinserted to fit my marks and tightened, as I did not turn it engine to TDC.
And with the cap off the distributor, I replaced the rotor, cap, ignition wires and spark plugs (with anti-sieze on the threads) at the same time.
Finally, I cleaned and put back on the ignition wire covers. The rear was just cleaned, but the front got a bit of "enhancement".
I had the Toyota logo just sitting there and used polyurethane sealer on it. Don't know how long it will last but it did not cost me anything. A dab of paint on the Toyota logo and it is ready to install.
The old spark plugs were just fine. Colors ranged from light to dark tan and are acceptable.
The one thing that came to light is as the leaks are sealed off, I will need to clean the engine compartment and degrease the engine.
The distributor was reinserted to fit my marks and tightened, as I did not turn it engine to TDC.
And with the cap off the distributor, I replaced the rotor, cap, ignition wires and spark plugs (with anti-sieze on the threads) at the same time.
Finally, I cleaned and put back on the ignition wire covers. The rear was just cleaned, but the front got a bit of "enhancement".
I had the Toyota logo just sitting there and used polyurethane sealer on it. Don't know how long it will last but it did not cost me anything. A dab of paint on the Toyota logo and it is ready to install.
The old spark plugs were just fine. Colors ranged from light to dark tan and are acceptable.
The one thing that came to light is as the leaks are sealed off, I will need to clean the engine compartment and degrease the engine.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #235
Before staring the engine, I refilled the power steering reservoir with Dexron VI full synthetic ATF fluid. It took about a quart and with the bleeding of the air out of the system and waiting 1 hr between each time I turned the wheels meant that it took the better part of the morning to finish. But in the end, I started the truck and there was minimal bubbling as the steering self bled the last few little bubbles. There were no noises and thankfully no leaks (so far).
The next step was a little project that I wanted to do but had it on the bottom of my to do list - build a rear ladder to get to the roof rack. With the ladder installed, it opens up a host of options one can use to hang things off - including the existing rear tray. Some options are high-lift jack, shovel, fuel and water cans, etc.
It was build from 1x3 rectangular tubing with 1" black pipe rungs.
The side rails were first cut to follow the bend in the back of the truck. Then holes were drilled for the rungs at pre-measured locations, after which the rungs were welded into position.
I am making this a bolt-on, just in case I change my mind or think of something later. All it needs is paint, then to remove the existing tray from the bumper swing-out arm.
I still have to cap the ends but that is a minor issue.
The second item was bolt on lower shock protectors. Thanks to the instructions from bhmmapping, a pair were readily made. I might never need them but they stand by, ready to protect if needed. Plus it was a fun job.
Lots of splatter and slag to remove from the stick welding, as well as enlarge the center hole to the shock bolt size before painting.
Both the ladder and the lower shock protectors were too hot to do anything else with, so I took the pics. After cooling, the finishing work will begin.
The next step was a little project that I wanted to do but had it on the bottom of my to do list - build a rear ladder to get to the roof rack. With the ladder installed, it opens up a host of options one can use to hang things off - including the existing rear tray. Some options are high-lift jack, shovel, fuel and water cans, etc.
It was build from 1x3 rectangular tubing with 1" black pipe rungs.
The side rails were first cut to follow the bend in the back of the truck. Then holes were drilled for the rungs at pre-measured locations, after which the rungs were welded into position.
I am making this a bolt-on, just in case I change my mind or think of something later. All it needs is paint, then to remove the existing tray from the bumper swing-out arm.
I still have to cap the ends but that is a minor issue.
The second item was bolt on lower shock protectors. Thanks to the instructions from bhmmapping, a pair were readily made. I might never need them but they stand by, ready to protect if needed. Plus it was a fun job.
Lots of splatter and slag to remove from the stick welding, as well as enlarge the center hole to the shock bolt size before painting.
Both the ladder and the lower shock protectors were too hot to do anything else with, so I took the pics. After cooling, the finishing work will begin.
- Thread starter
- #236
I cleaned up the shock protectors and did a test fit before painting them, only to find out that I had to do some modifications due to running larger than factory size OME shocks. A couple minutes in the milling machine and they now fit. I had to cut down the top of the of the top as seen in the image below.
And installed. As I was putting them on, I realized it would not be too difficult to create a small skid plate between the protector and the shock mount along the red line. But that will be addressed when and if needed.
The next thing accomplished was the water temp gauge upgrade. I had been gifted the two required resistors by ih8mud member AndrewS, who also paid for shipping to Cayman. I really appreciated his offer and promised to do the installation. So here it is.
Instructions are readily available on ih8mud so I will just post a couple photos and my one tip.
The first is replacing the 75 ohm resistor with the 110 ohm unit. There was a mention of making the bend radius as smooth as possible to reduce vibration breaks. I would also like to add that keeping the legs as short as possible will also help in strengthening the wire to reduce vibration effects.
The same concept was carried over to the zener diode replacement. And yes, the resistor wire is not touching the ignition post. In hindsight, I should have positioned it the opposide way.
And the parts that were replaced.
I now look forward to accurate engine temp measurements!
And installed. As I was putting them on, I realized it would not be too difficult to create a small skid plate between the protector and the shock mount along the red line. But that will be addressed when and if needed.
The next thing accomplished was the water temp gauge upgrade. I had been gifted the two required resistors by ih8mud member AndrewS, who also paid for shipping to Cayman. I really appreciated his offer and promised to do the installation. So here it is.
Instructions are readily available on ih8mud so I will just post a couple photos and my one tip.
The first is replacing the 75 ohm resistor with the 110 ohm unit. There was a mention of making the bend radius as smooth as possible to reduce vibration breaks. I would also like to add that keeping the legs as short as possible will also help in strengthening the wire to reduce vibration effects.
The same concept was carried over to the zener diode replacement. And yes, the resistor wire is not touching the ignition post. In hindsight, I should have positioned it the opposide way.
And the parts that were replaced.
I now look forward to accurate engine temp measurements!
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #237
With the paint dry on the ladder, it was installed after I removed the fuel can tray. Lots of cutting the old welds and grinding everything smooth, but in the end I was able to bolt the ladder in with 4 3/8" diameter bolts. It is firm and I can rock the truck without the swing arm moving. And I can readily climb up onto the roof rack. I will have to wait for the stores to reopen to get some anti-skid tape for each rung.
Finally, I have moved on to an auxiliary fuel tank. I had obtained one Chevy Tracker (Suzuki Vitara) 16 gallon fuel tank and it has been sitting on the side for a while. Time to get it installed. Most of the parts are in hand, from the tank to the diverter fuel filler nozzle and pipes. Still missing main fuel and vent hoses but if I get the main tank installed, the rest can be obtained when I can.
The first thing was to make the fuel tank gauge compatible with the Land Cruiser tank gauge.
My Toyota gauge measured from about 4 ohms at full to around 120 ohms at empty (I forget the actual figures) while the Chevy one ranged from about 3 ohms at full - 2K ohms empty. Not remotely compatible at all.
I had an old Toyota fuel pump /level gauge and took the level gauge portion from it and tried to see if the assembly would fit into the hole for the aux tank gauge. It did with a bit of fiddling.
The second thing was to measure how far down the Tracker level gauge dropped. I measured 11" from the cover to the bottom of the float. The tank is 12" deep.
With the removal of one screw and a bit of unsoldering, the Chevy unit was apart leaving me a flat surface, just like the Toyota's. Taking the Toyota sender and placing it on my makeshift gauge measuring setup, I also went from 11" from the cover and marked where the Toyota sender was on the Chevy plate. A couple of 1/8" holes with two 1/8" steel rivets and the two are matched.
There are only two connectors on the Chevy gauge - one for positive and the other for ground. Chevy had soldered connections where Toyota had screwed on connectors. No problem. A 350 watt soldering iron, rosin core solder and rosin flux and one can solder anything together. The terminals were pre-tinned to make the soldering easier and more secure. Both are very secure as they would not pry off. There is a 3rd connection to some little sensor on the left side of the float above. Not sure what it is and although it is on right now, I believe I will cut the wire off unless someone knows otherwise.
Looking at the pictures, I will replace both terminals with wire tomorrow for a more secure connection.
A test fit shows that everything works so will so some cleaning up of the assembly and install tomorrow.
Finally, I have moved on to an auxiliary fuel tank. I had obtained one Chevy Tracker (Suzuki Vitara) 16 gallon fuel tank and it has been sitting on the side for a while. Time to get it installed. Most of the parts are in hand, from the tank to the diverter fuel filler nozzle and pipes. Still missing main fuel and vent hoses but if I get the main tank installed, the rest can be obtained when I can.
The first thing was to make the fuel tank gauge compatible with the Land Cruiser tank gauge.
My Toyota gauge measured from about 4 ohms at full to around 120 ohms at empty (I forget the actual figures) while the Chevy one ranged from about 3 ohms at full - 2K ohms empty. Not remotely compatible at all.
I had an old Toyota fuel pump /level gauge and took the level gauge portion from it and tried to see if the assembly would fit into the hole for the aux tank gauge. It did with a bit of fiddling.
The second thing was to measure how far down the Tracker level gauge dropped. I measured 11" from the cover to the bottom of the float. The tank is 12" deep.
With the removal of one screw and a bit of unsoldering, the Chevy unit was apart leaving me a flat surface, just like the Toyota's. Taking the Toyota sender and placing it on my makeshift gauge measuring setup, I also went from 11" from the cover and marked where the Toyota sender was on the Chevy plate. A couple of 1/8" holes with two 1/8" steel rivets and the two are matched.
There are only two connectors on the Chevy gauge - one for positive and the other for ground. Chevy had soldered connections where Toyota had screwed on connectors. No problem. A 350 watt soldering iron, rosin core solder and rosin flux and one can solder anything together. The terminals were pre-tinned to make the soldering easier and more secure. Both are very secure as they would not pry off. There is a 3rd connection to some little sensor on the left side of the float above. Not sure what it is and although it is on right now, I believe I will cut the wire off unless someone knows otherwise.
Looking at the pictures, I will replace both terminals with wire tomorrow for a more secure connection.
A test fit shows that everything works so will so some cleaning up of the assembly and install tomorrow.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #238
The gas tank is on hold as we decided that it would be better to have the filler hose and fuel pump line installed before putting the tank in. Plus I did not have enough metal strap to hols the tank in position and with all the auto parts and hardware stores closed until further notice, it is on to other projects.
The next one was the installation of a vacuum gauge and a transmission temp gauge from GlowShift. Enough instructions in this forum on how to do it, using a 94-01 Acura A pillar dual gauge pod. Details available on ih8mud.
The final result is this...
Why a vacuum gauge? It is old school but quite informative.
Normal Engine: On a good engine, accelerate to around 2000 RPM and then quickly release the throttle. The engine should snap right back to a steady 17- 21" hg vacuum.
Steady low between 5-10 " hg vacuum: This indicates that the engine's intake manifold or the intake gasket is leaking. This leak should be easy to find because it will be making a loud, hissing noise.
Steady low between 10-15 " hg vacuum: This reading indicates late valve timing. There is a good chance the vehicle has jumped timing. Check the timing belt or chain, depending on the application.
Steady low between 15-18 " hg vacuum: This just low reading indicates retarded ignition timing. Advance the timing on the distributor to correct this problem.
Fluctuating Needle: A fluctuating needle indicates there is a problem with a valve or a there is an engine misfire.
Needle drops during acceleration: If the needle drops steadily during acceleration, there is a restriction in the exhaust or intake. This is typically due to a clogged CAT or muffler.
Plus it also presents itself as a rudimentary fuel economy gauge. The higher the vacuum when driving, the better the fuel economy.
The next step was to add a turn signal to the front side markers light. However, the 4 headlight light is different from the 2 headlight unit as is seen below. 4 headlight unit on the left, one piece headlight on the right. Their overall size and the bulb used is different. A simple swap is not an option.
Enter two color led bulbs. 2 different ones were found on Amazon so I bought a package of each and tested them. I used the 12 LED unit on the right in my project.
I wanted to make the change was reversible, so no holes were drilled into the light housing. The LED was glued into the open hole (a perfect fit if I might add) using polyurethane glue and wait 24 hrs for it to cure.
The nut was removed before wiring the connectors.
Continued below....
The next one was the installation of a vacuum gauge and a transmission temp gauge from GlowShift. Enough instructions in this forum on how to do it, using a 94-01 Acura A pillar dual gauge pod. Details available on ih8mud.
The final result is this...
Why a vacuum gauge? It is old school but quite informative.
Normal Engine: On a good engine, accelerate to around 2000 RPM and then quickly release the throttle. The engine should snap right back to a steady 17- 21" hg vacuum.
Steady low between 5-10 " hg vacuum: This indicates that the engine's intake manifold or the intake gasket is leaking. This leak should be easy to find because it will be making a loud, hissing noise.
Steady low between 10-15 " hg vacuum: This reading indicates late valve timing. There is a good chance the vehicle has jumped timing. Check the timing belt or chain, depending on the application.
Steady low between 15-18 " hg vacuum: This just low reading indicates retarded ignition timing. Advance the timing on the distributor to correct this problem.
Fluctuating Needle: A fluctuating needle indicates there is a problem with a valve or a there is an engine misfire.
Needle drops during acceleration: If the needle drops steadily during acceleration, there is a restriction in the exhaust or intake. This is typically due to a clogged CAT or muffler.
Plus it also presents itself as a rudimentary fuel economy gauge. The higher the vacuum when driving, the better the fuel economy.
The next step was to add a turn signal to the front side markers light. However, the 4 headlight light is different from the 2 headlight unit as is seen below. 4 headlight unit on the left, one piece headlight on the right. Their overall size and the bulb used is different. A simple swap is not an option.
Enter two color led bulbs. 2 different ones were found on Amazon so I bought a package of each and tested them. I used the 12 LED unit on the right in my project.
I wanted to make the change was reversible, so no holes were drilled into the light housing. The LED was glued into the open hole (a perfect fit if I might add) using polyurethane glue and wait 24 hrs for it to cure.
The nut was removed before wiring the connectors.
Continued below....
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #239
With both LEDs lit in the daytime.
And in the dark. They are more visible then it looks in the images.
The orange led is readily visible in the daytime. Wire things up in accordance to instructions available in the 80's forum and you are done.
I might also use the same LEDs in the bumper as a combination DRL and turn signal as I bought 10 of each, but that is for later on if it gets done. Overall, I am very happy with the outcome.
And in the dark. They are more visible then it looks in the images.
The orange led is readily visible in the daytime. Wire things up in accordance to instructions available in the 80's forum and you are done.
I might also use the same LEDs in the bumper as a combination DRL and turn signal as I bought 10 of each, but that is for later on if it gets done. Overall, I am very happy with the outcome.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #240
About a year ago, while backing the truck into the garage, I managed to scrape the front passenger fender flare on the garage door wall. The fender stayed on, but it was obvious that the internal supports/mounts were broken. I decided this weekend to take it off only to find that it had been hit before. Only Tab E was in place. Tabs D, C and A were missing. Tab B was there but broken off.
Well, I happened to have a few pieces of 0.080" kydex lying around and proceeded to make the missing pieces. They were mounted with liberal amounts of plastic epoxy. The thicker plastic compensated for the factory molded bracing for each piece and needs to the thinned out where the retaining bolts slide into the slots.
I removed the front and rear bolts along with those for Tab A, B and C and began to bend, cut and finally cement in new mount points.
The replacement for Tab A. Tab C is similar.
And the replacement for Tab D. The factory tab has the slot from the bottom up. As I did not remove this bolt, I changed the mounting so that I could slide the bracket on to the bolt from the top. My choice.
Lots of careful measurements to ensure that the bolts will line up with the holes. And the test fit worked.
Finally, a bit of sanding and the fender was sprayed with Rustoleum bed liner spray.
Tomorrow, new gasket along the top and remount. I am happy with the look.
Well, I happened to have a few pieces of 0.080" kydex lying around and proceeded to make the missing pieces. They were mounted with liberal amounts of plastic epoxy. The thicker plastic compensated for the factory molded bracing for each piece and needs to the thinned out where the retaining bolts slide into the slots.
I removed the front and rear bolts along with those for Tab A, B and C and began to bend, cut and finally cement in new mount points.
The replacement for Tab A. Tab C is similar.
And the replacement for Tab D. The factory tab has the slot from the bottom up. As I did not remove this bolt, I changed the mounting so that I could slide the bracket on to the bolt from the top. My choice.
Lots of careful measurements to ensure that the bolts will line up with the holes. And the test fit worked.
Finally, a bit of sanding and the fender was sprayed with Rustoleum bed liner spray.
Tomorrow, new gasket along the top and remount. I am happy with the look.
Last edited:
