Cheap Tricks! (innovative affordable solutions for common FJ40 problems)

[overton]

I thought this would be a good thread where people could post some creative and affordable solutions to problems we encounter with FJ40's. Here's the first entry:

I've had a lot of 1976-1983 FJ40's that had ambulance doors where the paddle handle was broken or missing. The handle is not sold separately so the solution was always to buy the whole assembly which is $39. Recently I bought a Cruiser and saw this easy and functional 10¢ fix. Take a piece of rubber hose with a 1/2" interior diameter and cut a length 3" long. Slide it over the remaining metal handle and enjoy.

 

[FishTacos]

Zddp additive.

 

[Irish11]

I did something similar to the handle trick on my tire carrier handle. I put a few layers of heat shrink over it (heating in between layers) and covers it all up with a longer piece. It looks factory and no rubbing, all for free.

 

[FJsnoozer]

Camper insulation and garage door insulation for inexpensive solution to mount the hard top

see signature for details.

 

[DSRTRDR]

MacDonald's straw to keep the horn/spring/brush from slipping off the horn contact ring in an early - '72 horn button

 

[peteinjp]

Non retractor lap belts are stock for my bj46.

Small magnetic hook that just happens to match the stock paint.

 

[HoundDog]

These work great for attaching the Toyota emblem on the front grill. A few cents each at Ace Hardware:

 

[tls3601]

Ace is the place, also you can find School Bus Yellow spray paint that many of us guys doing restoration agree is the best color match for your jack parts. Good thread!

 

[edwjmcgrath]

Golf tees for plugging vacuum lines, either for plugging the vac advance/retard lines during timing, or just plugging unused lines.
They can also be used to plug unused ports by plugging a 1" section of hose with a tee and cutting it off flush with the end of the hose.

 

[nuclearlemon]

60s-early 70s horn button bushing=55 spring bushing

+dremel.

 

[ducktapeguy]

I happened to find out that Subaru valve cover sealing washers are almost identical replacement for the FJ40 air filter sealing washers. I don't think they're any cheaper if you have to buy them new, but now I have a lifetime supply.

 

[new45]

anyone got a cheap fix for leaking roof gutters?

Im trying to avoid silicon!

 

[peteinjp]

I used a marine sealer on mine. I picked out the remaining original sealer, cleaned it all as well as I could and then resealed it and painted over the new sealant sikaflex. I would avoid silicone based seals. That said it started to leak again in a couple of years. I've come to the unfortunate conclusion that the only good way to do it is to remove and replace the rusted metal bits.

Pete

I wanted to add that a year or so before I did the sealer I simply soaked the gutter with a lanolin based oil spray ang that actually kept the thing from leaking for a good while. One could possibly just regrease the gutter periodically to keep it at bay until you can get around to the big job of fixing it proper.

P

 

[nuclearlemon]

on my first cruiser, i found that it just needed to be taken apart, the rubber seal scrubbed up like crazy with water and a stiff nylon brush until it was pliable again. that ended the waterfalls down the corner window

 

[DSRTRDR]

60s-early 70s horn button bushing=55 spring bushingView attachment 914266 View attachment 914267 +dremel.

I used a large rubber washer from the hardware store to insulate the horn plate from the contact plate

 

[BIG RENO AL]

Check this thread for a cheap and very easy way to replace your cowl vent tubes!

https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/cowl-vent-tube-replacement.796235/

 

[Living in the Past]

Surprised no one mentioned the two penny trick for taking up the gap in for a worn spring in the draglink in the steering.

In the first post the ambulance door handle is the same as the side hard door handle on the 63-74 40 series. Personally I would try the rubberize insulating dip before I used a piece of rubber hose. Something about the thread in the hose I don't like. I have a very early set of soft top doors that a PO used clear plastic tubing to cover the inside handles. Over the years it has yellowed to match age of the door and doesn't look that bad.

 

[edwjmcgrath]

anyone got a cheap fix for leaking roof gutters?

Im trying to avoid silicon!

3m 5200 marine sealant. Not cheap but it's worth it. Have used it on boats for years.

 

[65swb45]

There’s a bigger thread that I don’t have the patience to track down right now: best cheap mods.

Before I toss warped F engine valve covers, I punch out the grommets to reuse on the air cleaner. A quick trim with a blade

 

[pbgbottle]

I like to slit a piece of rubber fuel line and set it on the cowl lip under the hood hinges to stop the hood rattle.