Dads 1971 FJ40 Swap (1 Viewer)

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Well charging the battery for the last few days helped out a lot. Also sitting in it for a bit made me remember that we had installed a kill switch previously. Funny how you forget these things when you work on a vehicle for 7 years and forget the little things.

Turned the key and almost had it running at 9:15 this evening. It backfired when some of the unburnt fuel went off from the previous tries. Luckily my closest neighbors can’t hear very well and I live in Perry County, so people are used to gun shots in the middle of the night.

Going to pull the kill switch setup out to get back to baseline and give it a go again this weekend. With any luck, my next post will be with a video of it running.
 
So close. Want to verify what I have going on at the ignition switch and starter since when I turn the key to “ON” the starter engages and does not stop. As soon as I turn the key back it stops and the starter dies like it should. Basically the starter is running in the on position without making it to the crank position.

Ignition switch is a 4 pole universal with a black wire with red stripe going to the battery terminal. Black wire with yellow stripe on the ignition terminal. Black wire with white stripe on starter terminal.

At the starter, the black wire with white stripe goes to the large power lug that has power from the battery and the black wire with yellow stripe goes to the small terminal on top associated with the solinoid. There is also a large all white wire in this area that is simply cut and not connected to anything.

Based on how the above wires are hooked up, I am thinking that I have the starter wires hooked up backwards.

Can you guys confirm that I should switch the wires at the starter and if I need to do anything with the larger all white wire?
 
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The big lug on the starter should have 12v at all times. The small spade type connector should only have 12v when you turn to the start position. The large lug usually goes to the battery. Without seeing a diagram hard to say what goes where, but whatever wire gets 12v only when in the start position is the one that should be hooked to the small connector on the starter solenoid.
 
Looking at a wiring diagram for a late 1971 from here Cruiser Wiring the black wire with red stripe comes from the alternator solenoid, and brings power to the ignition switch.

The black wire with white stripe should go to the starter lug on the ignition switch, which it does currently, and then go to the starter solinoid, which it currently does not, have it hooked to the power lug on the starter, which also has a cable to the battery.

The black wire with yellow stripe simply gets terminated since it used to go to the coil, which I am no longer using.

If I do the above, I should have only power to the starter in the start position. The way I currently have it hooked up, it would appear that I am back feeding the ignition switch off the power lug on the starter, cashing it to run in the on position.
 
jtaco1 said:
Looking at a wiring diagram for a late 1971 from here Cruiser Wiring the black wire with red stripe comes from the alternator solenoid, and brings power to the ignition switch.

The black wire with white stripe should go to the starter lug on the ignition switch, which it does currently, and then go to the starter solinoid, which it currently does not, have it hooked to the power lug on the starter, which also has a cable to the battery.

The black wire with yellow stripe simply gets terminated since it used to go to the coil, which I am no longer using.

If I do the above, I should have only power to the starter in the start position. The way I currently have it hooked up, it would appear that I am back feeding the ignition switch off the power lug on the starter, cashing it to run in the on position.
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This sounds more bettererer!

Keep that black wire with a yellow stripe and e as you always need the ignition switched source for accessories.
 
Well YouTube is being a prick and won't upload from my iPhone, so no video to watch, but it's alive!!! Idles and revs nice with a nice rumble at idle.
 
Only you would catch that. All my kids do it too :)
 
Worked on wiring a bit more last night. Everything electrical is working again with the exception of the headlights. I either have a bad ground or both bulbs went out. Took the two wires for the headlights, red with yellow and red with green, and put 12 volts to then and they didn’t light. Power is making it to them from the fuse block, light switch, and to the pig tails.

Going to pick up new bulbs today since they are cheap and clean the ground connections up tonight and see what happens.

Top off fluids, a few minor maintenance items, and we will see if it moves and how it drives :)
 
jtaco1 said:
Worked on wiring a bit more last night. Everything electrical is working again with the exception of the headlights. I either have a bad ground or both bulbs went out. Took the two wires for the headlights, red with yellow and red with green, and put 12 volts to then and they didn’t light. Power is making it to them from the fuse block, light switch, and to the pig tails.

Going to pick up new bulbs today since they are cheap and clean the ground connections up tonight and see what happens.

Top off fluids, a few minor maintenance items, and we will see if it moves and how it drives :)
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Positive ground for fj40 headlights?
 
Pacer said:
Positive ground for fj40 headlights?
Click to expand...

Not sure, but I have it hooked up like factory as shown in the wiring diagram. With the headlight switch pulled 1 notch I get the gauge cluster backlight, but no power at the headlights like it should. Pull the switch out all the way and and I have power to not wires going to the headlights, as well as the third wire at the headlight plug. Test light lights up on all three prongs of the headlight with the switch all the way out.

Also cleaned the grounds on the fender aprons for the marker lights thinking that was a common ground, but no change.

What am I missing?
 
I ask because the fj62 uses a positive ground for the headlights, something about how it lights up the high beam indicator in the cluster, this is a finicky system.
 
All set now. I was able to get the headlights working. Apparently there is a ground associated with the headlights that used to plug into the back of the alternator. Once I found that wire and ground it, all was good.

Fluid check and ready to roll out.
 
Seeing that you got this already. I'm just throwing this out as info for everyone.

I don't know how far it goes back or when/if it stops but Toyota uses a switched ground with a constant power setup. Most other companies intend for a constant ground and switched power. This can make hooking up things from other vehicles tricky if you use oem controls.
 
jtaco1 said:
All set now. I was able to get the headlights working. Apparently there is a ground associated with the headlights that used to plug into the back of the alternator. Once I found that wire and ground it, all was good.

Fluid check and ready to roll out.
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Been a long time coming! Gonna be an entertaining weekend?
 
Took the 40 for a spin around the yard for the first time. 10 years since it has moved under its own power.

Unfortunately it is filthy and no video yet.
CAF64EE1-CBA1-48DF-ACBA-674AEC693A6E.jpeg
 
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