Builds Cayman Islands FZJ80 DIY build-up

[mmajsw]

A couple weeks ago, I was rotating my tires (last done about a year ago) and ran into some issues.
I am down to a floor jack and two jack stands (for various reasons) so I have to be creative in using them.
My solution was to use the jack on side of the axle housing to raise the truck so that the jack stand could be used to support the frame, remove the wheel and lower the axle until I could remove the jack.
With the new suspension, the axle was not allowing itself to just hang in space as normal but continued downwards to touch the ground. Not very good when the jack has to get back under the axles to lift things up.
A quick trip to the lumber bin, 6 lengths of 2x4 one foot long, a few screws and a couple of 1" dowel 6" long and I have a support that I can place under the hub/disk brake.

It allows me to have essentially 3.5, 4.5, 6 or 9" of support when needed. Cheap and easy to make.
Can also be used with the jack if needed. I usually place it under the lip of the brake disc - between the surface where the rim bolts against to the actual brake disc. Sorry for no in use pics as I was more interested in finishing the work than documenting it.

The two stacks

Alignment holes when stacking the blocks

EDIT ~3 months later. I finally got a picture of the blocks in use. They probably will not support the whole body (and I will not try it) but does fine for just the axle with a jack stand under the frame.

 

[mmajsw]

With maintenance over - wash, wax, polish, lube, check ,etc. done and the lure of some new items waiting, it was back to upgrading.
I had the stereo with amp sitting there so it became the target.
The first thing was to remove both front seats, the center console and the fascia around the shifters. Why?
The main amp was going under the drivers seat (and possible the sub-woofer amp too if there is space). I had to upgrade the fuse panel under the passenger seat from a 6 circuit to a 12 circuit unit to run the new accessories and lots of cables to run from the new deck to the amp then to speakers. I had decided to upgrade all the speaker wires to 16 gauge from the factory spider threads. Speaker upgrade was done about a year ago.
After the old unit was removed, the new unit was a direct bolt in. And its shorter than the factory length meant lots of room in the back for the connectors. I ran 6' RCA cables from the head to the amp.
Because the head unit and main amp were all Kenwood, it was mainly plug and play once the items were installed.

Main amp under drivers seat. The fuse is towards the door for easy access.

Head unit

After testing the units and confirming all was working fine, I tidied up the wiring, using zip-locks to gather all wires together and make running them easier. The whole process took about 6 hrs from start to finish.

The next step was to install the Kicker sub. And that is where problems began. I knew it was too deep for the factory woofer position so I intended to install it on the face of the draw box behind the rear seats. The problem began with the first measurement. My box is 9.5" high and the speakers were 10.5" high. OK I thought. Trim a bit off them and still install. The second issue came up. The speaker is 5.5" deep and I only have 3" to the drawers. Never thought about the depth. So, a quick trip to Amazon and the following was ordered.

Two Pioneer thin mount 8" woofers. They will fit without any issues. Not going after a deep vehicle vibrating sound. Just a pleasant bass for good old classical rock 'n roll!
So, this weekend is stereo upgrade Part 2. Already have a couple lengths of 1x2x8 for corner supports and plywood bracing for the draw box. The speakers need 0.3 cu.ft. I expect they will have around 2 -3 cu. ft. each from the empty space in each drawer. Of course, that will drop when going to trips.
The new amp arrived on island Wed and the speakers on Thurs.

 

[mmajsw]

Ah the weekend. And what a difference it made!
The front of the drawer box was removed, carpeting stripped off and the cutout diagram for the speakers was positioned. I cut out the holes for the woofer and did a test fit. Great. Next, 1.5" wide x 3/4 thick support rings were cut from plywood and used to support the woofer mount. Then, the whole panel was liberally reinforced with 3/4" plywood. Everything was glued (Titebond III) and screwed to ensure that nothing would vibrate loose.
Woofers were installed and wired for 4 ohm input as I did not need the maximum output from the amp - going for sound quality instead. The panel was reinstalled. When the seats are in the upright or just the top portion folded flat, the speakers are not visible to anyone outside.

The woofer amp was placed under the passenger seat as there was just not enough space to put it on top of the main amp under the driver's seat.

Everything was wired up and the testing began. All I can say is what a difference! I have never been a big stereo person - yep I have a couple big speakers in the garage but they are more for background music rather than sound quality.
But the woofers made a huge difference to how tunes sound in the truck. My initial thoughts when I first heard everything working was I have been missing the lower half of my music for way too long!
I am happy, happy with the installation and results and that's what matters in the end.

 

[mmajsw]

I did a bit of maintenance the other day. I had bought a silicone intake hose from HPS and replaced the stock rubber hose. A fairly straightforward job. 5 minutes work and all is done.

The old hose was showing cracks on the bottom flexible portion. It had not cracked all the way through but it would have given time. Overall not bad for a 18 year of piece of rubber.

The new hose fit perfectly. No problems at all. I did put a bit of Vaseline on both ends to help install the hose and prevent any chance of the two items bonding together. This is my first use of a silicone hose so I am probably just being pedantic. The throttle cable just sits on the top. No problems noted with it but I can easily use a long zip lock and clamp the two together if needed. Other hoses to be replaced at a later date.

 

[mmajsw]

The lure of DIY always wins over not needed right now maintenance all the time.
I wanted to install a switch for the flood light on the paint pole but could not find anything locally. So, I went hunting. These are the parts I ended up with the complete the project.
From left to right - a 1-1/4" PVC internal cap, a 1-1/4" PVC external cap, on/off marine switch, switch lock nut and on/off plate and finally a waterproof cover for the switch. Total cost, under $10.

The switch has to fit into the internal cap and the test said all was well.

At the bottom of the internal cap, I drilled two holes sized for the wires I would run. They had to run upwards to the interior to reduce the chance of water getting into the assembly.
Drill another hole in the outside cap center (1/2" dia.) so that the screw portion of the switch can be put through. I machined the top of the outside cap to be thinner on the lathe so that more of the switch thread could be exposed for use by the locking nut.

Solder terminals to the wires and screw them to the switch. Liberally coat everything with lithium grease and press the two caps together.
Install the waterproof cover on top of the switch and test fit. Nice and hidden when painted black. Will blend in well.

Remove the assembly and take apart. Drill a hole into the bottom of the PVC internal cap and fasten it to the metal with a screw. I threaded it and used a 4mm short bolt.
The final step was to paint everything in black and reinstall (still to be done). I used paintable silicone to seal all openings.
Still have to do a bit of soldering and running wires but it works.

 

[e9999]

that HPS hose, it is cruiser-specific or some straight hose you bend as needed?

 

[mmajsw]

It is Cruiser specific. The part number is HPS 57-1289-BLK. It is available through Amazon http://www.amazon.com/HPS-Reinforced-Silicone-Intake-Coolant/dp/B00WS6Q8CI as well as HPS at Toyota 92-98 Land Cruiser FJ80 4.5L I6 HPS Black High Temp Reinforced Silicone Air Intake Hose Kit

 

[e9999]

good to know, thx

 

[mmajsw]

I also wanted to upgrade the license plate light. The stock single bulb light that came with the cheap plate holder left a lot to be desired.
Off to eBay to order a FJ60 license plate light - a dual bulb unit.

The light was dismantled and anti corrosion spray was used on all the metal support bracket that is inside. Wires were re-soldered and heat shrink added for protection. This is a cheap Taiwan replacement, not a stock unit, so some work was expected.
The two incandescent bulbs were replaced with two LED bulbs and the unit reassembled.
A piece of 1/8 aluminum plate was found and the light and plate bolted to it. The whole thing was mounted and tested. All was well.

The next step is to mark the outline of the light and trim the backing plate. Then all metal will be spray painted black to match the going paint theme. I might try home anodizing as a new coating, if the mood strikes me. I know I have all the tools needed.
I would have like a plate light that said Toyota or Land Cruiser. Maybe in the future I will find one. Or get one of those cheap Toyota insignia stick-ons and use it. Hmmmm!!!

 

[musthave]

And according to your license plate it is a fuel efficient and "economy" vehicle

 

[e9999]

didn't read through all pages but I got to ask: where are you going that needs all those goodies in what I thought is a 10mix10mi island? (do not answer if you already explained)

 

[mmajsw]

My ultimate dream (depending on what the world economy does) is finish the truck as an expedition worthy vehicle and to build a copy of the Canadian M101A/US M416 trailer. I would then ship the whole combo to Miami and tour the US/Canada for 6 months of the year. When it begins to get cold, ship everything back and prepare for the next year's trip. In the meantime, I test things out locally with overnight or weekend camping on the beach, seeing what needs improvement or changed.
It can also be used as a place to live / survive in case any hurricanes hit Cayman(which can visit anytime).
Although the hurricane use might take place a lot sooner than the US/Canada trip!
Finally, it keeps me busy spending money so the wife can't!

 

[Oscar Witte]

Next step need to be to remove that plate border please.

 

[e9999]

MM, all right! My kind of plans! Would love to do that.

 

[mmajsw]

Its rainy today so any work on the Cruiser has to be done inside. I was going to continue with the license plate holder but such is life.
I turned to a little project that is outstanding for a couple months - additional switch positions.
I have been blessed/cursed with a truck that has no sunroof nor roof light right by the windshield, hence I can use that position for switches.
The first thing was to purchase a sunroof control console from eBay and see what could be done.
Three options were reviewed.

The first option is to keep the front light and add three switches. The switch labels seem to be painted on so will test on their removal later.

The second was for 5 switches. I did some measurements, designed and printed out a template to see how things would fit. The template is back lit. Ample clearance all around. I really only needed 3 additional spots, I thought that 5 would be suitable for me.

I also tried to do a 6 switch option but did not pursue it any further. But it is doable but presents a tighter tolerance job. I was also not too sure about the strength of the Kydex in the thinner strips between the switches.

The template was glued to 1/8 Kydex and a plate cover was created. The switches positions were then again tested for positioning.

Finally, I used the milling machine to cut out the switch holes and inserted a Sea Choice switch I had (same dimensions as Blue Sea and Carling switches). This step could have been done by hand if needed.

Next is to either bevel the edges of the Kydex or mill a relief cut around the outside so that the edges would project outward less from the face of the console. To be continued...

 

[mmajsw]

I recently went to Canada and decided to try an idea - building a good first aid kit for under $100 - including taxes.
I have a small $25 kit with some band-aids, etc. but it really cannot take care of anything major.
The first stop was Princess Auto where I got a military surplus medical box for $23. It would be the kit holder. Dimensions were 9" wide, 10" long and 8" deep. It's all plastic so it won't rust. Nice clip locks with a rubber seal in the lid so it is moisture resistant if not splash proof.

Then I decided to fill it by visiting the various dollar stores that are around. I managed to get instant ice packs, instant heat packs, spray rubbing alcohol, spray hydrogen peroxide, petroleum jelly, about 8 each of gauze bandages in 2 and 3" rolls, cotton balls and cotton pads, q-tips, medical tape,acetaminophen and assorted odds and ends for grand total of about $60.
After that, I gave up and went to a drug store to get triple antibiotic ointment, smelling salts and a couple of 2" ad 4" elastic bandages, bringing my total to $85.
I still have to find some sterilized water for wound cleaning but I am sure that will be readily and cheaply found.
While I hope that I will never use it, it sure will be useful when needed.
I will need up doing some research online to see what else is needed to be added. Alcohol swabs readily come to mind.

 

[mmajsw]

Continuing with the truck upgrade, I have received the extra switches needed to complete the new switch panel.
I also realized that I would need more fuse locations from the engine compartment mounted fuse panel that is run off the starting battery, so I upgraded it to a 12 circuit unit. It was a simple removal of the old unit, drill two new holes to mount the longer new unit (two of the old holes were used) and screw the whole thing to the panel. The next step was to transfer the wires and fuses to the new unit. Here, I was able to place two circuits I had doubled up on one fuse (the battery voltage monitor and switch power - both running from a 5A fuse) on separate fuses - not that they needed it.
I now have space to add more accessories, especially with the new panel providing power.

 

[mmajsw]

Continuing with getting little stuff that is long overdue completed, I rewired the winch so that it will spool the cable over the top rather than from the bottom of the cable drum. Got to love the simple 3 wire system. Switch two wires and reverse the operation. I also wired the inside winch switch to the solenoids so it is now working. I have started to color code my wire protectors so that I can know what wiring is running in each. I chose red electrical tape for the winch - wrapped every 6" apart for the length of the wire protector run.
I had to pull the solenoid cover off, solder an additional 3 wires to parallel the original wiring to the trailer plug. A quick groove made in the plastic solenoid cover for the wires to run through then use a 4 pin flat plug trailer connector to make the quick release connectors in case I have to pull things apart at a later date. The winch was operating as I wanted at the end so I consider the exercise a success.
Tomorrow, I will find a large tree to use as a dead weight, protect it with a tree strap and properly wind the 150' of 5/16" steel cable on the drum. The 150' cable length is another reason why I chose the Ramsey winch. It held 50' more cable than comparable 8000lb winches which are usually around 100'. The only other 8000 lb winch I know of that holds 150' of cable is the Warn 8274. But it is a much bigger item and more difficult to install in a Cruiser.
This coming weekend, I hope to finish the license plate holder.

 

[mmajsw]

Life keeps getting in the way of playing with the truck. But I did get the license plate holder completed. The Toyota insignia was one I found and fitted the location.

A number of items have come in and installation is needed - 1999 Subaru WRX hood scoop and hood vents, 1994 Chev Lumina Hood vents, assorted parts for an on board air system -tank, regulators, air solenoids, manifolds and other little things just waiting in the shadows.

 

[mmajsw]

I made a trip to Canada last week and decided to visit the pick & pull yards to see what goodies I could find. The main goal was to find spare relays and fuses but a hazard switch or two would not hurt.
I find out that mid/late 90 Toyota's (trucks and cars) are very hard to find for two reasons. One has to do with the salt they place on the roads and the second is related to the almost nil value placed on them as a parts source. One yard told me that they only dealt with 2004 and later vehicles.
From two yards, I managed to get the following for CAD$45

The haul - 2 sets EFI, horn and light relays, 4 door switches - all with pigtails. 2 spare 50 and 3 60A fuses and assorted switches.

The rheostat switch at the front for the dash light replaced my stock unit. The factory one had the light diagram on as a decal while the replacement has it embossed. A little trimming of the outer diameter to reduce the thickness was needed and it became a 10 second changeover - with break!

I used a door switch to replace the passenger rear door unit that was very intermittent - more off than on. The units with the locating bolt being covered look a little more finished that the stock units with the exposed bolt - to me anyways. They are not a direct swap as connector ends are different and longer in the case of the units used in the Land Cruiser. But nothing a bit of wire cutting, soldering and heat shrinking cannot fix.

The switches will probably be used to replace some of the SeaChoice 12421 units I have used if they give issues. But for now, they are backup.

The PWR DOOR OFF, ECT, 115v and Hazard units are ON/OFF units. The back window unit is temporary on/off (came from a Sienna) - can be used a as a winch in/out switch. Not sure what to do with the seat heater switches (also from a Sienna) right now, but I am sure something will come up.

I spent some time making the cutout templates for Lumina hood vents. The process was quite simple. Trace the outline on the thin cardboard. Offset the outline 1/4" and cut the center out. A test fit shows that all is well.
I also did templates for the WRX hood scoop and the two hood vents that came with it.

What I am contemplating is this.
1. The Lumina hood vents are approx. 19 x 7 - big! The WRX are 10 x 6 - more manageable.
2. The Lumina vents have to fit on the outside of the hood due to needing a flat area. There is really only 1 place it can really fit without cutting hood reinforcements. The WRX has a two level vent and preliminary measurements say that it will match the curve in the hood.

WRX vents

Showing the change in elevation of the two vents.

I like the idea that the WRX vents can be placed further back on the hood due to their smaller size. In addition to a reversed facing hood scoop, heat buildup when driving will be the least of my worries. I am sure this will cause greater heat venting by the firewall when compared to the Lumina vent position about mid hood.
So a bit for measuring and contemplating before I make the first cut.

Finally, I started what is probably the most expensive mod I will make, short of a drive train upgrade.
I wanted to at least install a rear locker, if not front and rear units. The first thing was to source a switch (readily found on MUD).

This weekend, while perusing the classified ads, I saw that a front and rear ARB setup (4.56 ratio) came on and was sold before I even knew about it! It would have fit my needs perfectly! Ah,well. He who hesitates misses the good stuff!