Builds Custer’s Saggin’ Wagon Gets A Reboot

[FJ60Cam]

On my truck, I had cooling issues in extreme conditions with my stock 60 radiator. I had a local shop that makes radiators for everything from race applications to big rigs to ground support equipment fab one up, and it has worked flawless ever since.

For this truck, we made a few more changes - AN fittings for the trans cooler, a steam port fitting, and a few changes to the shroud.

I marked the fan center location on a core 60 radiator, took the engine location measurements, and drove my truck with their radiator over to have a new one made.

 

[FJ60Cam]

I made some hose routing templates and went to the parts store to dig through the hoses and found a couple that looked like possible candidates.

 

[FJ60Cam]

Sheldon cleaned up and painted a 62/80 air cleaner combo and sent it to me. It fit right in with a few couplings:

Also note the shiny new stainless battery tray and a brand new radiator overflow bottle & cap from @beno:

 

[FJ60Cam]

The AC system is getting replaced while we’re in there. I get 41 degree vent temps with the late 60 condenser (with 134a) in my truck, and it bolts in and looks clean, so that’s what we went with.

New loot:

Also went with the second biggest B&M transmission cooler:

 

[muddogbob]

I’d love to see a parts list for your AC system!

Looking great!

 

[Bonac FJ60]

Looks awesome! What price neighborhood do they get for a radiator set up like that? They could probably keep busy building those for all the vortec swaps going in around here.

 

[FJ60Cam]

Looks awesome! What price neighborhood do they get for a radiator set up like that? They could probably keep busy building those for all the vortec swaps going in around here.

Funny you should ask... FJ60/62 LS Radiator

There’s a few more changes that will go into future units to fine tune the fit and make finding hoses easier.

 

[FJ60Cam]

I’d love to see a parts list for your AC system!

Looking great!

Thanks!

Here you go:

(Denso) Find My Part

 

[cruisermatt]

Is that a 60 charcoal canister?
I used the cheap plastic GM one but would like to replace with an old-school steel unit. And don’t feel like paying for a 60 one.

 

[samc2447]

Great work. I love the attention to the small details.

Thanks for posting up the sources for some of the parts.

 

[FJ60Cam]

Is that a 60 charcoal canister?
I used the cheap plastic GM one but would like to replace with an old-school steel unit. And don’t feel like paying for a 60 one.

Yeah, this one was still breathing freely.

I bought the cheap GM for my own truck, but never put it in... is there a smaller steel one out there?

 

[cruisermatt]

Yeah, this one was still breathing freely.

I bought the cheap GM for my own truck, but never put it in... is there a smaller steel one out there?

I haven’t spent a ton of time searching, but the Suzuki Samurai can looks good.

They just don’t make cool metal charcoal canisters anymore. Now they’re all ugly rectangular things.

 

[FJ60Cam]

I haven’t spent a ton of time searching, but the Suzuki Samurai can looks good.

They just don’t make cool metal charcoal canisters anymore. Now they’re all ugly rectangular things.

I will look into those!

 

[77TLCFJ40]

Simply amazing attention to detail Cam.

I hope to own one of your FJ62 V8 builds some day!

 

[wngrog]

I got to ride and drive in this beauty today on Cam’s long shake down run.

All I can say is wow. Incredible. This is the first 5.3/Auto FJ60 I’ve ever driven.

Damn damn damn. Superb.

And to boot I got a little AFI tune from the master for my old pile

 

[FJ60Cam]

I forgot where we left off, but as Nolen pointed out, this story is lagging way behind real life...

 

[FJ60Cam]

Finishing the plumbing, I custom kinked some factory hardlines to route the trans fluid to the front of the motor...

At the front, I put a light flare on the ends to accept some good transmission hose, and clamped with Oetiker clamps (I love these things)...

...then routed that to the internal cooler on the radiator (warms it up to ideal temp in cooler weather) and then out to the auxiliary cooler.

I’ve been using the Earl’s Vapor Guard AN fittings w/Oetiker clamps for most of the fluid connections.

 

[FJ60Cam]

For the power steering hose, I called my good buddy Mike, the Zen Master Mobile Hose Fabricator, to come out and make a new line.

On my personal truck, I had a hydraulic shop make one with 90s on each end and it only lasted about two years before the line started cracking.

I had him redo mine earlier this year, and he basically mimicked that on this one.

He put a long piece of bent SS tube to clear the heat of the manifolds and keep the hose in a simple U-shape.

At the box end, we used an AN fitting & adapter. This will be easier to rebuild way down the road should it fail. Toyota ends aren’t found on every shelf like GM and AN fittings.

 

[FJ60Cam]

Mike made a really nice set of AC lines too, but instead of showing you those (since he only makes them for local builds), I’ll show some that I started fabricating...

I harvest the big condenser fitting, rebuild it into a new hose, then make the other ones from scratch.

I can also make stock lines if you need a fresh set for a factory setup.

 

[cruisermatt]

Do you have a part number or source for the M14 hose end on that hooks to the evaporator? I've only been able to source one or two but they are sketchy websites.