Builds "Falcor" the 1984 FJ60 (3 Viewers)

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Land Shark Outfitters rear drawer system. Pre finish.
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I’m going to use this stuff, furniture folks will recognize it.
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Nice thing is that not only is this drawer system made in the USA… it’s even made in Bend Oregon.
 
Changed the oil today, the weather is very warm so I moved over to 15w/40 Rotella. I also checked the timing and adjusted it down from 18 degrees to 12 degrees. I took it for a spin and didn't really notice much of a difference, but I have a long drive ahead of me where I may notice something.

I also picked up some 70 series wheels and Cooper ST Maxx tires in a 255/85/16" size. I installed them at 35psi but just bumped it up to 40psi.

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I drove a bit more today and didn't care for the timing being turned down so low. I put it back to 16 degrees and it feels better. More of a reminder for me than anything else as I continue to work towards timing nirvana. My vac advance is hooked up to the outer port (HAC) and I have blue MSD springs installed with a piece of vac cap used as a stop pin bushing.

The original reason for my timing adjustment was my recent drive to Leavenworth caused a hot condition (gauge close to the red zone) which made me curious if timing was the culprit as everything else felt spot on.

I am getting 4:10 gears put in on Monday so that may remedy the whole situation but experimenting none the less.
 
Changed vacuum location from HAC to the normal vacuum advance and obtained the best mileage ever with zero pinging at 16 degrees. 13.9 MPG, Then, 13.7 and 13.6 so I know it’s repeatable and consistent.

The main concern now, during a very warm drive from Bend to Seattle where the ambient temps were 100 on the average and 109 at the highest. My temp gauge stayed at the top just before the red zone during most climbs. I didn’t love that. Maybe I need an auxillary electric cooling fan in front of the radiator?

I may be remedying the problem because I’m getting 4.10s installed.

The current thoughts on the overheating issue are as follows:

  • Large lights causing decreased air flow through radiator
  • Timing is up too high
  • Toasted rear pinion bearing causing increased load on engine
  • Final gearing and ambient temps just too much for climbing passes at 60mph
 
Changed vacuum location from HAC to the normal vacuum advance and obtained the best mileage ever with zero pinging at 16 degrees. 13.9 MPG, Then, 13.7 and 13.6 so I know it’s repeatable and consistent.
I'd kill for nearly 14MPG - work to do there on my end.

Re: temp diagnosis, I've considered what @HemiAlex did here to get accurate reading before messing with parts.

Builds - The 60 known as Mamabear: a tale of rust and good times. - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/the-60-known-as-mamabear-a-tale-of-rust-and-good-times.904068/post-11141347

A small pusher-fan with switch could help in stop-and-go, but would be counterproductive at cruising speeds.
 
I'd kill for nearly 14MPG - work to do there on my end.

Re: temp diagnosis, I've considered what @HemiAlex did here to get accurate reading before messing with parts.

Builds - The 60 known as Mamabear: a tale of rust and good times. - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/the-60-known-as-mamabear-a-tale-of-rust-and-good-times.904068/post-11141347

A small pusher-fan with switch could help in stop-and-go, but would be counterproductive at cruising speeds.

That's super good info, yeah I think what I'm going to do is drive it up to Leavenworth once it's back from having the 4.10's put in and see how it is. I like the KISS principal as it relates to diagnosis like this. It's likely just the crazy ambient temps combined with the gearing. However the lights on the front might impact airflow over the radiator.... All of the important things have been replaced (water pump, t-stat, radiator) so I think getting accurate temp readings is a must if it gets hot again. :cool:
 
I received my oil report back from Blackstone, looks good! Stoked that what I saw when I removed the oil pan and valve cover reflects what they see in their oil inspection wizardry. The oil change did happen early at around 2,000 miles but if there were going to be something major going on I'd expect it to show up here.

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The above is 5w-20 Chevron dino oil with no additives.

I spoke with NW Differential and it turns out they'll need Falcor until Tuesday to finish up the 4.10 install as one of the install kits didn't have the crush sleeve in it. They're also replacing the rear wheel bearings/seals while they're at it because I had a set sitting in the garage. I'm looking forward to driving it with the new gears!!
 
Nice results, looking good! Interesting that they say that in their experience there's no need to supplement the zinc levels. I feel like I see people really go back and forth on that, on MUD.
 
Nice results, looking good! Interesting that they say that in their experience there's no need to supplement the zinc levels. I feel like I see people really go back and forth on that, on MUD.

Yeah, there are those who are pretty adamant that adding zinc is super important. I know that too much zinc is possibly harmful. I plan on simply using high quality oil and high quality filters and changing it often. 950 is just fine based on what I’ve learned.

I also know that the majority of the miles put on Falcor were from about 2010 to current and the prior owner didn’t use any additives.

The inside of the engine is so clean it looks new and the compression numbers are strong.
 
I used the same gauge as Alex as well, but I put it in the upper radiator hose using a 38mm adaptor. I don't even bother guessing with the factory gauge, but it never reads as high as what you are describing. I also have a fresh thermostat, WP, and FCT-049 clutch.

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I think I got mine straight from Tuffy. It’s a caramel color that doesn’t exactly match the interior, but it’s better than the other options. I really don’t know how I drove the truck without one. I also got an extra set of cup holders and attached them to the back for passengers. When you stow the rear seat it barely clears.

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Did you get the 8” tuffy? Looking to pull the trigger on a grey one!
 

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