CharlestonG8R's FJ40 Build Thread

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

I see people recommend EZ-Outs (or bolt extractors) frequently, but my personal experience with them is very poor; a success rate of maybe 5%.

And the thing is, when you try the EZ-Out route and it breaks, you have significantly compounded the problem because instead of a relatively soft bolt (easily drill-able) you now have a much harder EZ-Out (non-drillable) to remove. Your options now are very limited.

My first suggestion would be to weld a nut onto the broken bolt. I would then use penetrating oil (and be patient and let it penetrate - that may mean multiple applications over a few days).

Then when you're ready put a wrench on the welded-on nut. I would recommend trying to loosen it first, but if it doesn't cooperate, you might try tightening it and then trying back and forth as you slowly work the bolt out. If you break the weld, not a problem, get another nut and try again. You can combine the welded-nut technique with heating the area around the broken bolt.

If after multiple attempts the bolt just won't come out, you can still drill out the bolt and hopefully chase the threads. Failing that, you can drill out the bolt oversize and put in a Heli-Coil.
 
Well, I'll give a vote for the easy out way, but you need good ones. These, are the cats ass;


0543838_1


One end is a reverse drill, that fits the easy out on the other end perfectly. I have a set and they have saved me many a headache. Of course heating the busted bolts up with an oxy acetylene torch helps heaps as well, but the ez-outs shown above really do work. I've had a few others and they just didn't cut it. Not sure if you can find these south of the border, but they are worth the search...
 
Your wife has good taste in colors.;)IMG_0419.webp
 
MrMoMo said:
Well, I'll give a vote for the easy out way, but you need good ones. These, are the cats ass;


0543838_1


One end is a reverse drill, that fits the easy out on the other end perfectly. I have a set and they have saved me many a headache. Of course heating the busted bolts up with an oxy acetylene torch helps heaps as well, but the ez-outs shown above really do work. I've had a few others and they just didn't cut it. Not sure if you can find these south of the border, but they are worth the search...
Click to expand...

What's the brand name of these? I couldn't find anything that looked like them on Amazon...

Wasatch Jay said:
If after multiple attempts the bolt just won't come out, you can still drill out the bolt and hopefully chase the threads. Failing that, you can drill out the bolt oversize and put in a Heli-Coil.
Click to expand...

I've never tried using one before - heck, I've never even seen one! The problem with welding is that the bolt broke subflush... Not sure if an EZ Out would work, but as long as it doesn't break, wouldn't it just be creating a hole to drill the bolt out?

TheHardWay said:
Your wife has good taste in colors.;)View attachment 1009616
Click to expand...

Oh, yes indeed, she knows a good looking color on a Land Cruiser when she sees one! She was beyond thrilled when I agreed to go with Olive Brown. Of course, the budget for the paint job was depleted after I blew the front differential on my 100 in Uwharrie... But man, we were having a blast up until that last hill climb!
 
Like I said, might not see them south of the border, they are MasterCraft, the "house brand" of Canadian Tire, sort of like Craftsman is to Sears... I have had other easy outs and they were total crap. These things actually work, despite the noted few cases of idiots using them in the reviews below; (probably in an impact driver) Sometimes the bolt even comes out while using the left hand drill to prep for the easy out!

http://reviews.canadiantire.ca/9045...ximum-grab-it-4-piece-set-reviews/reviews.htm

I have had to re-drill on a few occasions when I got over excited with the drill speed, but they have saved my ass way more times than not. Most recently, 100% successfully removing the 5 snapped fender bolts from my '77 40 frame, with a little heat added.
 
Mix up some ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) and Acetone in a 50/50 mix. spray that on the broken bolt - regardless of how you try to have it removed. It'll penetrate and start to break the bolt free from the bracket. If you can, drill into and try to use the EZ out. You can get them locally - hardware store (Lowes, Home depot), Northern Tools, Sears, etc. After the mix sets for a bit - 4 hrs, maybe - you should have excellent penetration and it should work out.

All of the above options are viable. The option to weld onto the remnant of the bolt, and try to 'unscrew' it..... not sure how that will work.

If you can dremel into the center of the old bolt and drill it out - i have a complete metric tap set you can use to re-tap it. Youve got several options. Let me know if you need hand.
 
Actually, welding a nut is a great way to get snapped studs out, as it dumps a bunch of heat into the area as well as giving you a new hex surface to grab. PB Blaster is another great penetrant, as well as simple diesel fuel.
 
Tried soaking in PB Blaster (since I had it in the garage)... Saturated it several times. Then applied heat and attempted (2) different styles of EZ out. Not a chance, this thing was welded in pretty good. So I drilled straight through and tapped a smaller hole through the middle of the old bolt. Looks pretty ghetto, but it works... Since I have a helicoil kit, I'll probably drill it out later and install the correct bolt.
 
The radiator seemed like it would be a straight forward job, and for the most part it was... I just didn't expect to have to cut all of the hoses off - but none of them would let go without a fight. Turns out that getting under the car makes for super easy access to the hose in to the oil cooler... Once I figured that out, everything came out pretty easily. Getting new parts was slightly frustrating as many of the hoses that I received weren't correct (they were for a 40 with AC - too short to work). So I ordered some more. As was suggested earlier by @Ambrew I went ahead and replaced the water pump, hoses, thermostat, and gaskets in addition to the radiator.

The only surprise that I got was that the old stuff had a LOT of RTV. Turns out one of the (4) bolts that connect the upper to the lower radiator housing was sealed in. There were no threads. Meh, no problem, I'll order a new housing. :doh: Toyota doesn't make them anymore. So I drilled it out, tapped it, and installed a helicoil. Worked like a champ! I burped the system a couple times, cranked it up, and drove it around.

Next up: Starter Motor, Shocks, Dizzy, Plugs and Wires.
 
Does anyone know if this is a stock suspension setup? If not, do you know what it is? I need new shocks and poly bushings for the springs...

image.webp
image.webp
image.webp
 
No, definitely not stock, both hangers and shackles are a PO hack.

Looks like an attempt at a shackle reversal - fixed end should be under the firewall.

Only way to check the bushings would be to remove and measure ID and OD.

Dan
 
While I would agree that this is not a stock set-up, I would have to disagree with dancar that it is a hack job. This looks like an OME suspension set-up to me. The shocks are OME and the anti-reversing shackles are the same as what I have seen on several OME suspensions. You also have greasable pins, which is good. The truck has been fitted with a shackle reversal. That can be a good thing. However, the weld pictured looks a little weak and I don't see any bead along the top. If I were you I would pull the bumper brackets and look behind them to see beyond a reasonable doubt that the shackle reversal brackets are welded securely. If you don't feel good about what you see, have somebody to put some more weld on the brackets. If it were mine, I'd run the crap out of what you've got. If you need bushings, replace them and keep on truckin'. You could do much worse than what you have got here.

This truck continues to impress me the more I see of it. Clearly one of the PO's was a cruiserhead and did alot of high-end mods back in the day. The aftermarket intake, header, carb, shackle reversal and suspension are testimony to that. Somebody spent a ton of money on this old rig years ago and used top shelf stuff...the best available at the time. Sadly, alot of it is no longer available. I do believe that most of this stuff is still very servicable and will outperform stock if a little time is spent on freshening things up.
 
Last edited:
Thanks, Dave! Your optimism is very reassuring! :cheers: You can only imagine what the wife has been saying ever since the 40 arrived!

I think the shackles are OME, the vehicle arrived with a bunch of extra OME shackles and greasable pins... But I wasn't sure if the drop bracket was made at home or was part of a lift kit. It wouldn't matter, normally, but I was trying to figure out if I could/should install aftermarket leaf springs that provide extra lift. I think @dancar is right that I will need to remove the springs to measure the bushing ID and OD. Most of the bushings have dry rotted nearly to oblivion... It's probably not an immediate concern, but it's near the top of the list. I will probably grease them up, drive around, and see if something else breaks next.

Engine runs very well, brakes work very well, and I still haven't spotted any rust on the frame. The seats are in rough shape, so I may get some SOR covers (or something less pricey) until it's time to reupholster them.
 
the shackle reversal is MAF ... the bad part is that the frame number is under the welded front bracket
 
Cut the bolts off. Re-drill the mount for a new grade 8 bolt. Weld the new bolt in place. Sorry dude...
 
Thanks, Dave! Yeah, as soon as I posted the pictures I was thinking I'd have to cut it off and drill it out. I don't know how to weld, perhaps that is something I should learn :bang: It's a shame that it's on the axle housing, I would have preferred to take a small part inside and center the hole on the drill press. Removing the axle is probably a little overkill, though. So… Cut it off with a sawzall? I have an angle grinder, would that be better? (sparks flying up in the engine compartment would kinda suck) Also, do the bolts need to be welded, or can I secure them with nuts/locknuts?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom