Builds Doc's 1978 FJ40 Rebuild (1 Viewer)

[TractorDoc]

Took advantage of mid-70's temps last Wednesday to spray another coat of color -- spent the prior weekend sanding the exterior portions with 220 then 400 grit and masked off the firewall/dash underside. Forgot my camera on paint day but managed to get everything done without any weather incidents. I was too irritated last time to take pictures after the paint was compromised -- took one of the paint this time in the event anyone is interested in what I am using.

I typically use a harbor freight gun for primer -- it has always done a decent job and I know if it gets too gooed up I can replace it easily. I try to use a better gun for the color coat -- this one is a Devilbiss HVLP gravity feed gun. In the past I have had good success with it but I may not have had the air pressure up high enough in the beginning as I still ended up with a good amount of orange peel on the finish. I had the correct ratio of paint/activator/reducer and the correct nozzle diameter -- that just leaves operator error in this case .

Normally Id be ok with a little orange peel -- this looks more like toad skin to me! I keep telling myself that the truck does not need to be perfect -- but I felt I had to do something to try and improve the finish.
I started by sanding the exterior surfaces again with 1000 grit sandpaper. As I moved along you could see the areas where the paint had flattened out (dull color) and where it was still low (darker).

I basically used a spray bottle to wet the surface as I moved along with the paper -- once I was happy that the 1000 grit had flattened everything out I moved onto a 2000 grit paper over the entire surface and then finished everything off with 3000 grit. From there I went over the sanded surfaces with Meguiar's 105 Ultra-Cut Compound and then 205 Ultra-Finishing Polish.

In the end I was very happy with the result. . . I did not completely get all the orange peel out and if you look close enough you can still see some of the fine sanding lines -- but it is night and day compared to what I started with.

Please excuse the rough looking area that hides under the windshield hinge/weatherstrip seal.
There will still be a bit more polishing and waxing to be done later down the road -- but for now the cowl will be stashed in the back of the shop and wait for its turn to be mounted back on the frame. Anyone reading or following this thread will be excited to see me move onto something different!
Finishing the frame comes next as well as axle rebuilds. A big thank you to Steve Cramer (Poser) at LCR4WD for his rear disc brake conversion parts -- an upgrade I will put on the back axle as I rebuild everything.

 

[TractorDoc]

Another nice weather day allowed me to roll the frame outside and finish the last of the welding, grinding, etc. that it needed to clean everything up. On a side note, the little garden cart that I borrowed after I took the axles off to move the frame around works quite well -- I can pick up the front bumper mounts and easily roll the frame anywhere I need to. I sprayed the frame down with POR-15 metal prep; the whitish color is a zinc phosphate coating that is left behind. Once it is dry and I have the axle housings in the same condition it will be ready for paint.

I also started digging into the rear axle. When I was driving the truck around the farm I noticed there was very little to no brake/stopping power. It did not bother me too much as much of the machinery I worked on and used over the years has brakes as optional equipment. When I took off the rear drums I could see why I felt no effect from the back axle anyway -- whatever brake shoe material was once there went missing a long time ago.

I drained the swamp ooze from the differential -- not the best looking gear oil but at least it still coated the important parts and the pinion/ring gear teeth look to be in good shape. Pulled the axle shafts, brake parts, etc. I have new pinion and axle seals as well as axle bearings to be installed from Cruiser Outfitters -- I will go over the axle housing with the wire wheel first to get the heavy rust off and give it a coat of the POR-15 before putting everything back together. A disc brake conversion will replace the drums -- hope to show that addition in the next post.

 

[FJ40Jim]

Seeing the drum brake pics reminded me of what the carb looked like off this gem.
Here's an after and before pic of carb that was ready to test and Doc's original core.

Close up of the alien infestation, not to mention 40 years of Ohio rust.

Disassembly goes about as well as expected. 3 outta 4 break off in the diaphragm housing.

No worries, Vee haff veys to make you qvooperate. 4 holes extracted & rethreaded.

Disassembly & desmog is done. Now to spend several days cleaning, blasting, washing, cleaning...

 

[TractorDoc]

Jim,
I am glad the carb is in good hands. I apologize if I sent it in too crusty; I do not even recall seeing the hitchhikers living on the side! I am excited to see your progress and hope I can make the rest of the truck look/perform as good as your work on the carburetor.

 

[TractorDoc]

Working on some rear axle re-assembly.
Started with new axle bearings and new seals in the axle/differential pinion.

I was a bit concerned after removing the pinion flange from the differential that I might have too much play in the pinion bearings -- it turned out I just needed to re-establish the preload by torquing down on the flange nut. I posted a seperate thread on the situation: "Rear Differential -- No Preload."

I am now working on mocking up the rear disc conversion. I am using Poser (Steve Cramer LCR4WD) Brackets and Rotors with his hardware and lines. I ordered the Monte Carlo Calipers from RockAuto. I know Steve likes to position the calipers in the front -- my stubborness (stupidity?) says calipers mount in the rear so that is how I currently have things setup. I can see how the spring may offer more protection with the caliper mounted in the front but this will probably not be a trail rig anyway; I am hoping the axle/wheel will offer enough protection.

Not sure why I have not put the rear axle cover on yet -- I have commitment issues and want to make sure I do not need to pull the axles again or check anything else on the inside before i close everything back up.

My next challenge/task before taking everything apart for painting is to determine where to mount the tombstone tabs for the junction with the steel lines. I am (hopefully) off to the parts store later today to see what they can offer in terms of steel brake line. The hose is a little longer that what I need on the passenger side but I know it is the correct fit for the caliper/thread pattern for the steel line and I will make it work. The junction block is not in the correct position in the picture -- it needs rotated 90 degrees so the big port for the "supply" hose points forward.
This is my first disc brake conversion attempt and if anyone sees any red flags please let me know if I am doing wrong. I appreciate any and all advice!

 

[TractorDoc]

Another hour here and there over the weekend and I think I have the brake plumbing on the rear axle set. I tried several different ways to work with the longer brake hoses but every configuration I came up with had some kind of loop in the circuit or the hose was hanging out in the open just asking for something to catch it. I ended up going with shorter Monte Carlo hoses (matched to the caliper) and they fit much better. A call over to the "big" tractor shop that I used to work at allowed me to borrow brake line flaring and bending tools -- much nicer than the old fashioned clamp and screw down type that is in the tool box.

It took me several minutes of reading the directions to make sure I had everything right -- you can make about any flare in any size line you'd like with this kit. Your line of choice is installed in the proper die and clamped in (at the right), you clip in the cylinder with the desired flare style, and give the handle a few squeezes. The power of hydraulics quickly and evenly produces the proper flare. (I am sure this is common knowledge to a lot of folks but this was my first time using such a kit and would really recommend it to anyone doing a lot of line fabricating).

My searches thru the archives led me to use 3/16" line (about equivalent to the metric option) and inverted flares on the end of the lines. The metric part of the kit had provisions for bubble flares but from what I read the FJ40s did not use that pattern. I went with copper/nickel alloy line that is a little easier to bend and work with than steel. I reused Toyota line nuts (10mm X 1.0) on the junction block but used SAE 3/8 X24 fittings to snug the lines up with the hoses. I do not want to make a habit of mixing SAE with Metric hardware but went this direction this time to make the shorter hoses work.
I welded on the tombstone hose mount tabs and cut/flared the Cu/Ni lines; I am happy with the shorter hoses as it cleans the line pattern up and leaves less hose/line exposed to get snagged on something.

I set the rear axle out of the way and moved the front axle out for its turn. It is really crusty and I will probably have twice as much work ahead of me to make it look like the rear!

 

[TractorDoc]

The weather has been too nice for late October/early November to be in the shop much. Ive had several other projects to attend to outside before the inevitable cold arrives. I did manage to move the sandblasting cabinet over to the shop from where I stashed it in the barn a few months back. I picked this unit up at an auction for a decent price; it is a little rough around the edges but should make cleanup work more efficient.

Before this cabinet I used to load the truck up with the parts I wanted to blast and Id make the hour drive to the old tractor shop I used to work at. There is an industrial sized cabinet there that would make cleaning the smaller parts super easy.
Another development to the workplace environment involves a new mascot. This little bugger came running up the driveway one day and made himself right at home.

He seems interested in the FJ40 Project so we will keep him around for awhile. Im working on a name -- right now its Shop Cat but that lacks imagination. . . I thought FJ or Cruiser might be too cheesy. Trying to come up with something that makes mention of his whiskers; they remind me if a large mustache.
As far as actual land cruiser progress I have disassembled one side of the front axle knuckle. Thought Id try one side at a time so I could reference the other side if I forgot proper location of parts.

Everyone describes what a nasty mess this project (knuckle rebuild) is and I agree. Went thru three or four pair of disposable gloves and lost count of the shop rags used to swab out dollops of grease. Ever notice how your tool pile gets bigger the further into a project you get? I started with the sockets and a couple wrenches and by the time everything was apart I have a small mountain of oily instruments.
I hope to be more productive over the next week -- the weather may be more seasonal and keep me inside!

 

[handcannon]

I'm jealous, I sure wish I had a sandblasting cabinet. But, it would take up a large part of the space I have, so I guess I will just have to dream.

If you see a mustache every time you look at the new mascot, then call him 'Stache (short for mustache). Friends have done that to one of their cats. We have about 10 cats hanging around the place, they are our daughters "babies". Seven are black with very small amounts of white. I have to look at their face to tell them apart.

Don

 

[davegonz]

Yeah, Stash or Tux would fit that little guy.

 

[FJ40Jim]

Wow, that's a cabinet! Skat blast is still in business and has service & repair parts available. I buy media, gloves, etc from them.

This looks like the current equivalent to that older cabinet.
USA 970 Detailer Abrasive Blast Cabinethttp://www.tptools.com/USA-970-Detailer-Abrasive-Blast-Cabinet,881.html?sku=970

 

[handcannon]

Hey Dave, I like Tux also. I forgot about this, but one of the cats we call Tucker because our daughter says he's wearing a tuxedo.

Don

 

[Jdc1]

Wow, that's a cabinet! Skat blast is still in business and has service & repair parts available. I buy media, gloves, etc from them.

This looks like the current equivalent to that older cabinet.
USA 970 Detailer Abrasive Blast Cabinet

Plus an OH based company. They are about 40 minutes from me and have a great resto. museum and showroom.

 

[FJ40Jim]

Yes, If anybody in OH is looking for something to do on Black Friday & saturday, TP Tools usually has an open house/warehouse sale/ manufacturer reps. Well worth the visit.

 

[TractorDoc]

I am also a fan of TP Tools. . . I make one or two trips there a year for various things. Its about a two hour drive (Ohio is bigger than most people think) but I spend on gas what Id probably pay for shipping on some of the heavier stuff.
Ive watched craigslist for the last couple years looking for a decent sandblast cabinet to have at the home shop. Any one that ever had potential sold before I could get there, was priced a little higher than I wanted, or was too small for my needs. This one is an older model and was used at a local business that manufactured buses. Sadly the company sold everything off this spring and closed its doors but I was able to bring the cabinet home for a fraction of the price of a new one. I would not say that Im cheap but I always try to avoid paying full price for something if I can help it.

As far as shop cat goes I think we are leaning towards Stache as Don suggested (the neighbor has a cat named Tux). It will be pronounced St-"ah"-che though to go along with our families certain ethnic heritage -- that reference may make more sense to the NE Ohio Polish folks!

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[TractorDoc]

Finished setting the blasting cabinet up -- I cannot overstate how nice it is having one in the home shop. I cleaned up the bucket seat bottoms (took a side by side of before blasting and after), painted them, and dropped them off to the seat man. I still need to blast/paint the rear jump seat frames but I felt the fronts were more of a priority.

After studying the service manual and instructions that came with the knuckle rebuild kit I felt comfortable taking the other side apart and prepped both axle housings for painting.

And then I painted them. . .

I could have sworn I picked up semi-gloss POR-15 but the can and finished product show otherwise. The finished product still looks far better than what I started with so I am happy. I will try to spend some time tomorrow finishing the cleanup of the rest of the knuckle parts. Depending on how the weather goes I may even try painting the frame.

Little Stashe has been keeping an eye on things from afar. He stayed out of the paint this time but decided to step in the gear oil pan last week and track it all over the shop. I asked him why there are so many holes drilled into the top of the OEM Toyota front bumper but he could not give me a good answer -- did not really find anything in the archives either. There are more holes in the new bumper than the original one I took off the truck. . . my guess is they could be for fog lights, winch mount, license plate mount, etc. At first I thought mine was a factory second until I saw the same thing on other MUD member's trucks. I know I am a long way off from mounting it but its nice having the ability to order new parts for a 40ish year old truck!

 

[FJ40Jim]

The universal replacement bumper fits all years, so has accessory holes for all years, all markets.
License plate brackets, winch frame, fog lights, hand crank guide...

 

[TractorDoc]

Thanks Jim,
Makes sense considering the FJ40 is found throughout the world and probably has numerous options to mount on the front bumper.

Used a couple hours of the day to clean and paint some of the smaller pieces for the front and rear axles.
Step 1: Scrape and clean "heavies" off parts then wash them up in a solvent parts washer.
Step 2: Clean off rust/old paint in the Blasting Cabinet.
Step 3: Wipe down with solvent and blow dry with compressed air.
Step 4: Paint.

I started with a 2K Epoxy Primer -- a friend from the tractor restoration days is a sales representative for Spray Max and I acquire rattle cans of a two component primer from him. The can separates the two components until you push a button/break a seal between the two -- then rattle/shake/mix and spray. A really nice option for smaller parts when you do not want to bust out the spray gun/compressor. On top of that I use a variety of different rattle can formulas -- for black colors (gloss/flat) I have had good success with Rustoleum's "Professional" line of rattle cans. Puts on a nice finish and dries quickly. Has held up well on the other projects from years past.

I should have enough small parts painted that I can start on the front knuckle assembly later this week. I know most folks can knock out a knuckle rebuild in a weekend but my OCD has me cleaning/prepping everything to this extent. I did not manage to paint the frame today. . . as usual I ran out of hours and did not get everything done my mind thought I could (when planning today yesterday night)!

 

[Michael Hanson]

Hi, Nice work. I don't worry about speed either ,just the end result. Mike

 

[TheHardWay]

That's right - - THE ENDS JUSTIFY THE MANIA!

 

[TractorDoc]

Thanks Mike and LasCrucer.
Fridays are usually my day off and I try to dedicate some time to working on the FJ40 those days. . . today was a mid 70 degree temperature day in Mid-November though and there are still outdoor projects that need attention at home and on the farm. Tomorrow (and beyond) are supposed to be more seasonal though which may mean more shop time.
Some things I have accomplished include finishing the cleaning process on the front axle knuckle parts. Every last nut, bolt, washer gets cleaned up and blasted or wire wheeled. In case folks have not noticed from my other pictures a lot of boxes get shipped into my work/office and I try to use those as often as I can to keep the floor clean, parts organized, etc. Here is an example of keeping bolts organized:

I did start to re-assemble the driver side knuckle. Installed new seal and bearings. . .

Also managed to install the knuckle and end caps. Torqued everything down according to the handy instruction sheet provided by Cruiser Outfitters ( @cruiseroutfit ) (Thanks Guys!) I was not aware the rebuild kits included new plated felt covers -- nice!

Speaking of Cruiser Outfitters the Old Man Emu Springs arrived that I ordered from them. It is always exciting when something new arrives. . . but closer examination of the springs brought frustration. Somebody at UPS must have had a bad day or just did not like having to move the springs around because they beat the heck out of them. Nearly every plastic liner on the leaf guides was broken and one of the center bolts was even broken on one of the rear springs.

This was no fault of Cruiser Outfitters. . . it took me about 10 minutes per spring to unwrap the packing/shipping protection. Bryce (at CO) was great about everything and shipped a new bolt/guide liners out for me. Thanks again guys!
I did take advantage of the 70 degree temps to clean up and paint the springs today. I wanted them to have a clean look -- it covered over the OME name but Ive never been big on labels anyway. . . most of my shirts have nothing written on them either! I did make sure to label the appropriate ends with the (O) and (-) marks in white paint pencil.

I hope to have the front axle rebuilt in the next week. . .