Builds Cruisermatt's FJ62 Build-up (8 Viewers)

[White Stripe]

WHAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT (And how I plan to make it happen)

Overdrive - I've wanted this for awhile and the NV4500 should be a good fix.

Lower Low range. The 203 (which should get here sometime this week) plus the NV4500's lower first than my H41 will do this for sure.

Tire rub - it's bad. Cutting to commence soon as I don't want to raise it up any more then it is. Possible 1" body lift?

Underbelly protection - I have none. Usually I can get by with good spotting but it worries me.
When I build the cross members for the NV4500/203 I will definitely incorporate some under armor.

More departure angle - cutting rear quarters soon as both sides are now bashed after this weekend. I want to remove the trailer hitch and incorporate it into a wraparound tube bumper.

Selectable front locker/hydro assist - I have a front Lockright now, since I never use 4WD on the street anyways thinking about putting a mini-spool in the front with hydro-assist OR a front selectable locker. Just want to make it easier to steer with the front locked or make front locks or unlocks quicker. Going to a Saginaw pump regardless. not sure if it's worth it to invest in Cruiser axles.

And bigger tires of course, but that's always a given. Thinking about skipping 37's and going straight to 40's, though it seems 37 is about the limit of cruiser axles. My 35's are brand new though and for what they cost I'm going to get my money out of them for sure.

If your going to do a body lift, I would go for 2". 1 inch is not enough for the work entailed-although its not a ton of work. If you are doing bumpers and sliders a body lift is easy to hide with a little thought to it. Plus it keeps the cog low where as suspension lift raises cog more. I love my body lift, its wayyy easier to pull the tranny, and it helps keep the body away from the rocks. With that low of gearing your planning, if you bind stuff up something is going to break no matter what axles you have. Just be careful and put a good traction bar on and the axles should hold up within reason I would think. If you put aftermarket u-joints in the rear shaft it should make a good fuse in case you get bound up. Factory u-joint are bomb proof and will cause something more serious to break. Also keep in mind that pinion and axle shafts wear after a while and get brittle, they need to be replaced every so often if your wheeling them hard.

 

[cruisermatt]

I agree with one of @GLTHFJ60 's earlier posts about how the body and frame are critical components and should be kept at the OE-distance.

 

[cruisermatt]

203 doubler with splitcase adapter out of @Lil'John 's FJ55 with showed up. Gaskets for the splitcase showed up from Georg @orangefj45 . Just need to buy an NV4500 mainshaft, a shifter, a few more small parts for the transfer case from Toyota, and metal for the crossmember. And a
twin-stick kit from Georg. And an FJ62 floor cover. And a 10.5" Chevy clutch disk along with conversion pilot bearing and input bearing retainer sleeve. $$$$$$

Goal is to begin disassembley April 1st. Bigger goal is to drive it to GSMTR with the new drivetrain. And keep my straight A's in school..... And job lol

 

[cruisermatt]

 

[cruisermatt]

Also picked up my NV4500, machine shop pulled the fifth gear off. Need to find out wether the GM 5th gear is compatible with the Dodge 23 spline mainshaft.

 

[cruisermatt]

And I need to order parts to build the new exhaust....

 

[cruisermatt]

And I still need to make my custom shoulder bots for bolting the Nv4500 to the AA adapter. 1/2" shoulder with 7/16" threads.

 

[cruisermatt]

The holes in the NV4500 main case are 1/2". The bolts and holes in the AA adapter are 7/16", which is fine because the input bearing retainer indexes into the plate. However I'd still like a bit of extra "centering" force, so a 7/16" bolt with a 1/2" shoulder will work great. I have access to a lathe so it's no big deal.

The other idea was to drill out the holes in the main case to 9/16" and press a 1/8" wall sleeve in, making the holes 7/16".

 

[White Stripe]

I agree with one of @GLTHFJ60 's earlier posts about how the body and frame are critical components and should be kept at the OE-distance.

I have never heard that anywhere on any forum. I have heard people ragg on body lifts because they think they look ugly but thats it.

 

[crashmonk]

The other idea was to drill out the holes in the main case to 9/16" and press a 1/16" wall sleeve in, making the holes 7/16".

Fixed

As for you looking for a more concentric method of fastening, are you just missing dowel pin sleeves? I found mine at my local hardware store. I think I had to "machine" my sleeves down on the OD but they fit and did the job.

 

[cruisermatt]

Apparently Euro mirrors are pretty expensive? I found these on my parts shelf, turns out they aren't regular FJ60 mirrors!

 

[cruisermatt]

 

[cruisermatt]

 

[cruisermatt]

 

[cruisermatt]

 

[cruisermatt]

 

[cruisermatt]

 

[cruisermatt]

 

[cruisermatt]

On the bright side, at least all the nuts and bolts were hoses were fresh. Motor came out in 3.5 hours compared to last time in over 8.

Putting this head (Pending further inspection) on old block. Only costs should be engine gaskets, and time. Going to swap the NV4500 and 203 now too.

This is the last 3FE this truck gets by the way, not because of reliability (this is a freak breakage for a Cruiser motor) but becuase of future parts availability.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I want to know where the oil went.

A few things I'm thinking on the rod breakage (possible scenarios):

1. The rod broke due to bad rod bolts and caused the motor to consume all of it's oil in a hurry
2. The oil was consumed due to to improper ring installation or something else (missed major oil leak), which caused extreme wear in that rod cap, causing enough stress for it to break
3. The engine was somehow over-revved.
4. The rod bolts weren't properly torqued

I just pulled a 2F out of a truck that was run for ~20 miles with zero oil and the rod didn't break, so I don't think that oil starvation caused the rod cap to come off in your scenario. It had to have been something else.