First Repairs/replacements (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Nov 24, 2020
Threads
12
Messages
46
Location
Denver CO
Hey all, I just bought a 1987 FJ60, runs great but lots of little things to do to make it more reliable (I can post a pic of under the hood tomorrow when it is light out). I have been researching the best first steps to take to make it run smoother and lower the chances of future problems. I have heard a lot about replacing the hoses. Is this a good place to get hoses (Hoses, Radiator ~ FJ60 ~ 4 Hose Kit ~ w/AC ~ TOYOTA), also how big of a job is this? I am new to all of this but want to make sure I do it right and get a truck that will last. All help/advice is appreciated...
 
Was the truck maintained by the previous owner or has it been neglected for a while?
 
Was the truck maintained by the previous owner or has it been neglected for a while?
It was pretty well maintained. He used it regularly and took good care of it. I have had some antifreeze spraying (little specs all over the engine) problems but other than that I haven't noticed anything. I mostly just want to get it in really good condition to feel comfortable on road trips.
 
I'm local to you and would be more than happy to meet up and help you assess where to go from here. I'd definitely figure out where the spraying antifreeze is coming from first, though.
 
there are alot more than 4 hoses if you want to change them all.
on the heater hoses, what type of hose clamp is on the hose? if it is a 2 wire type oem clamp, there is a good chance they are original
oil cooler, heater hoses, plus the ones underneath, etc
 
I'm local to you and would be more than happy to meet up and help you assess where to go from here. I'd definitely figure out where the spraying antifreeze is coming from first, though.
That would be awesome! Would for sure appreciate the guidance. Here are pics of the truck...
1. just the car
2. Right Side of the hood
3. Center
4. Left side ( I need to reattach washer fluid (i know it is just laying there))

IMG_7772.jpeg
IMG_7764.jpeg
1606410673803.png
IMG_7769.jpeg


1606410662243.png
 
Wow.. I've never seen a engine look that clean with all the smog equip still in there.

If you have antifreeze spraying you'll want to do a pressure test, its probably spraying into the fan and going everywhere. If you end up draining the system, I'd replace the hoses underneath the cab that go to the rear heater to be safe- they get covered in mud immediately and rot out, Mine we're leaking pretty bad when I got my truck. It may be a pinhole in the rad, leak past a clamp, etc. I'd get a big box of assorted hose clamps, the old Toyota ones are a weird design and I don't fully trust reusing them.
(the hoses you linked are only the ones that go directly to the Rad and the thermostat housing, and the pics make them look pretty okay)



How are your knuckles looking? If they're grimy its time for their rebuild.

Is your PS pump or steering box leaking? that's pretty common for our 60's, the box can be rebuilt but the pump can't, most people either swap to a Saginaw pump or replace it.

If you have time, you can pull the carpet and seats out really easily to clean them and inspect the interior of the truck and make sure you don't have any hidden rust, the rear seat supports and the area below them are well known.

Other than that, keep an eye for oil leaks and just get to know it, That's a great looking 60 to start with!
 
from the green goo around the heater control valve, I'd suspect that location for coolant leakage
 
Nice catch by 3_puppies -- Also, those clamps on the hoses to the heater valve are original so those hoses are original (30 years old!). They need replace.

The Hoses along the back of the engine (driver's side) to pipes on the firewall are a PITA to replace, but must be done to avoid rupture and possible over-heat.

Use Gates hoses for the ones that are NLA from Toyota (most of those small ones are).
 
That looks better than mine *ever* has, including after doing major clean-up for my new carb and manifold gasket in 2011...

My general opinion is that it looks good enough that you can assume any leak/issue is just a local one, not a sign to, say, replace every single hose, etc., and it would be well worth your time to track each problem down specifically instead of just replacing everything as a shotgun approach.

So, along with @BaristaBoy's excellent advice, I'd say...find every leak, loose bushing, etc., and research what the 'best' fix is for it. If you don't find an obvious answer, come back and pester the forum about it. You'll either get an annoyed reference to something obvious you somehow missed (small price to pay for a flashing arrow pointing right at your solution!), or it's something in need of an expert dropping some lore, or arguing with other experts about what the best solution to a given problem is *now* vs. in 2004 when the 'conventional wisdom' answer is based in, and some key bit just isn't sold any more.

I've done the 'okay' fix for enough things and had to redo it once or twice enough times in ten years with my truck that I'm firmly in the 'let it get worse and worse until you can actually fix it the right way, so long as it still drives' camp. My budget's been going up, so my standards for 'good enough to drive' have been going up, but I also got a daily driver, so it's getting easier to choose 'wait until I can afford the best solution' vs. 'what will keep me on the road for the least money?' That changed my philosophy a lot, as has approaching the ~10 year mark of ownership.

So, assuming you don't need the truck driving every single day, and can get it towed home if it has a minor, out-of-the-blue breakdown, but you don't want to have to repeat repairs/deal with substandard results/have to spend money on a bad part over and over/etc., here's how I'd do things:

1.) Things like big oil/coolant/brake/clutch leaks, failure to steer straight or brake properly are 'right now' items. Take the truck off the road until you have those fixed, and do the
fix, and do what you need to make sure it's done properly (and, ideally, safely/conveniently for you, whenever possible...no muddy gravel driveway jackstand adventures, folks!). Same goes for engine/fuel delivery issues which are bad enough to seriously affect reliability, IMO, but I'd at least drive around town while diagnosing a pretty bad carb or exhaust problem, unlike, say, broken steering....

2.) Slow leaks, slop/squeaks in the suspension which don't scare you or the passengers, and problems with fuel delivery/engine/etc. which just make it annoying/slower than it has to be/smell horrible/etc. all go on the 'let it get worse so it's easier to diagnose' list if you're not able to just carpet-bomb all the obvious issues when you're going after stuff on the 'do now' list.

3.) Aesthetic/offroad performance/future-proofing fixes/upgrades all go on the 'once 100% of #1 and #2 are done' list, unless it's *also* the Best fix to a #1/#2 item, like, say, putting an OME suspension to deal with a completely worn out stock suspension and getting a lift as a fun side benefit to replacing a worn out suspension. Same goes for 4.11 FJ62 axles and a new H55f in my case, which solved tons of problems associated with a knuckle/brake rebuild, a worn out clutch and H42, and lack of a good workspace for long-term axle work, but a concrete slab I'm welcome to for a weekend (fresh, clean, and shiny!) axle and suspension swap here and there, while I do all the finicky knuckle work on the donor axles in my dry, well-lit shed.

Final note:
For the coolant leak, rinse everything off really well with fresh water, then get a UV light, and take the cruiser for a long enough drive to fully warm up after dark, but just a short drive, ideally. The coolant already has a UV dye in it, so the fresh leakage should be a lot easier to spot than months/years of slow spatter getting flung around under there. I'd bet one hose is either a little rotted/loose, or the hose clamp just needs to be tightened, probably on the thermostat housing, if the spatter is all over (making me think 'fan-spatter'). If it's not that, the heater valve would be my next guess.

Hope all of that helps! Congrats on the cool new ride!

EDIT: looked at the pictures again, and I think I *see* the dried coolant around the leak on the heater valve. Definitely check those fitting first thing.
 
I’d also flush/bleed the brakes a s clutch with fresh fluid.
 
You're missing the air inlet hose from the air cleaner to below the headlight washer. Water pump leaks will splatter. Looks like the engine bay has had a paint re-spray. Has the engine been out? Mystery truck!
 
I forgot to add, get a wing nut and seal on the post of the carb, it is sucking in unfiltered air currently.
 
Wow.. I've never seen a engine look that clean with all the smog equip still in there.

If you have antifreeze spraying you'll want to do a pressure test, its probably spraying into the fan and going everywhere. If you end up draining the system, I'd replace the hoses underneath the cab that go to the rear heater to be safe- they get covered in mud immediately and rot out, Mine we're leaking pretty bad when I got my truck. It may be a pinhole in the rad, leak past a clamp, etc. I'd get a big box of assorted hose clamps, the old Toyota ones are a weird design and I don't fully trust reusing them.
(the hoses you linked are only the ones that go directly to the Rad and the thermostat housing, and the pics make them look pretty okay)



How are your knuckles looking? If they're grimy its time for their rebuild.

Is your PS pump or steering box leaking? that's pretty common for our 60's, the box can be rebuilt but the pump can't, most people either swap to a Saginaw pump or replace it.

If you have time, you can pull the carpet and seats out really easily to clean them and inspect the interior of the truck and make sure you don't have any hidden rust, the rear seat supports and the area below them are well known.

Other than that, keep an eye for oil leaks and just get to know it, That's a great looking 60 to start with!

Thanks for the advice. Any recommendations on where to purchase the "box of assorted clamps". Like I said, really new to this... Knuckles??? I will for sure do a deeper rust check under the seats.
As far as I am aware there are no problems with the steering box.
 
Nice catch by 3_puppies -- Also, those clamps on the hoses to the heater valve are original so those hoses are original (30 years old!). They need replace.

The Hoses along the back of the engine (driver's side) to pipes on the firewall are a PITA to replace, but must be done to avoid rupture and possible over-heat.

Use Gates hoses for the ones that are NLA from Toyota (most of those small ones are).
Okay, it sounds like clamps should be #1 on the to-do list.
 
"Any recommendations on where to purchase the "box of assorted clamps". Like I said, really new to this... Knuckles???"


Harbor freight, Home depot, anywhere really. you're just looking for a thing of assorted automotive hose clamps, I think mine range from quarter inch to inch and a half and I've had every size I needed in that box save for the big radiator hoses.

Knuckles are the things on our solid axles that let the wheels turn side to side and whatnot! its a little scary but its a job you can definitely do yourself. Check out the FAQ in this forum- There's a few really good threads on it, I think I read through Jim C's thread then followed a few links in there for a thread with pictures.
the guys who made the rebuild kit I used (which was like 5/10, works but I wouldn't highly recommend it) made this youtube series and its a great visual for how to do it:

Don't be afraid to get into this truck dude. I've had mine less than a year and my only mechanical experience before it was oil and belt changes. Its old and simple for the most part, you're not gonna break anything that can't be fixed.

Read through the FAQ, It really does answer a ton of the questions us new guys have.
Have fun!
 
Last edited:
"Any recommendations on where to purchase the "box of assorted clamps". Like I said, really new to this... Knuckles???"


Harbor freight, Home depot, anywhere really. you're just looking for a thing of assorted automotive hose clamps, I think mine range from quarter inch to inch and a half and I've had every size I needed in that box save for the big radiator hoses.

Knuckles are the things on our solid axles that let the wheels turn side to side and whatnot! its a little scary but its a job you can definitely do yourself. Check out the FAQ in this forum- There's a few really good threads on it, I think I read through Jim C's thread then followed a few links in there for a thread with pictures.
the guys who made the rebuild kit I used (which was like 5/10, works but I wouldn't highly recommend it) made this youtube series and its a great visual for how to do it:

Don't be afraid to get into this truck dude. I've had mine less than a year and my only mechanical experience before it was oil and belt changes. Its old and simple for the most part, you're not gonna break anything that can't be fixed.

Read through the FAQ, It really does answer a ton of the questions us new guys have.
Have fun!

This is great thank you. I will take a trip to one of those stores soon. Yeah still nervous about touching everything without experience, but I will build up some confidence to mess around under the hood.

thanks. This Forum is amazing
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom