First Vehicle to work on - FJ40 (3 Viewers)

[PidgeonGuggolo]

Hi All

I've been a silent observer on this forum for a while and have gained a lot of insights from all of you. I finally took the plunge and purchased an FJ40, with the primary goal of diving into car repairs and learning welding.

Only thing i done before was the 50cc mopeds in my youth. So i am eager to learn and do what it takes to get this car back on the road.

The Model FJ40:
Year 1980-81 2F Engine
66k Milage

Status
It starts when connected to a starter and idles smoothly with the choke in. Shifting gears hasn't been an issue, but I haven't taken it to high speeds or on main roads due to missing parts.

What i know of its past
Used from '81-'89 primarily for snow plowing, which possibly explains the salt damage. It was then retired to a shed.

Current Condition observed

• The exhaust is missing, and a significant portion of the body has been patched up with bitumen.
• There are hydraulic lines all over because of the plow
• Looks like there was some additional wiring because of the headlamps on the plow.
• Cooleant seems to be leaking out of the valve cover. There is a pink buildup.
• Squeky sound from the belts probably
• Leaking Carb?

My Goals
Get it back on the road here in Switzerland. First and foremost with more or less original parts. I want to do a restoration where its necessary. For instance the engine. If everything is fine i would just leave it as is, clean it, change the head gasket and paint it.
I want to disasseble the whole thing sandblast, weld and paint body and frame. Also redo the interior.

So over all its a good chunk of work. Exactly what i wanted.

So far
I have removed the Plow and some of the metal work supporting the plow. I flushed the engine with a motoroil cleaning kit. And i took out some parts from the interior.


Now i have a few questions where im not to sure how to go about. I saw a video of a guy restoring an F motor and after doing hours of work he saw the compression of two cylinders were off. So i was thinking of doing a compression test first. And then see the valve clearance and if there is any rust buildup inside.

What would you guys do first? How to troubleshoot whats the next step.

 

[45Dougal]

Looks like it's in great shape.
I'd give it a service, fluids, filters, grease all the nipples etc etc. And try and get everything working while it's all in one piece. Drive it around for a while and see what falls off. Quick way to find the big issues.

Coolant leak and belt squeal could be the same problem.

 

[charliemeyer007]

+1 for change all the fluids and filters - look at the fluid for glitter, feel for grit, check the magnets on the drain plugs; cut open the filter.

Check/set the valve clearance. On the loose side is better than burning a valve because it was on the tight side. A leaking brake booster will make #5 run lean.

Yes on a compression check - first dry, then wet if necessary. Look at the plugs, they can tell you a lot. So can a leak down tester. A bore scope would be a good tool to look in the cylinders and other places.

 

[dazerb]

Coolerman is your new best friend. As in his vehicle threads and info on complete rebuild of a rusty Scandinavian rig. Just search his handle.
Nice find.

 

[aging fleet]

It looks a lot better than I expected given its history as a plow truck. Coolant leak appears to be from the thermostat housing.

 

[PidgeonGuggolo]

Thanks for all the answers!

Sounds really good that you guys think its in a good shape. Unfortunately i cant drive around with it. In Switzerland i need to undergo a car inspection which is very strict. So all the rusty parts need to get fixed first. Which leads me to the plan of taking it apart. I need to do a lot of work on the body. You can see it bit better in the videos i attached.

So im a bit unsure about the sequence of actions i should undertake.

Currently there is no oil in the car as i just flushed it. I wonder if i first should de-rust the pan floor and then fill it back up and do the testing or if i should fill it up and then drain it once again when i need to do all the work on the rusty parts. What i want to see also is inside the engine to check the valves and so on so im not yet sure if i should let it sit there empty or if i should fill it up.

When doing a compression check, i couldn't find the specific mention on the fuel line for the fj. but i would think i need to detach it right? or else i get fuel sucked in there.

I have created a Youtube channel so i can share some visuals. Says more than thousand words i think.

Overall Condition


Running the Engine

 

[pb4ugo]

If you want to do a compression have at it. To me, the engine seems to run great. There's no need to disconnect the fuel line. Remove all the plugs, open the throttle wide open and test each cyldr. The dried up coolant around the valve cover looks like it's from the thermostat housing. It probably leaked and the liquid was blown back on the valve cover then dried up. It looks like it's was an old leak.

 

[70fj40]

If it were mine I would clean everything up under the hood. Then change belts and hoses. Look for any exhaust leaks and fix. Then I would drive it. No better way to find trouble spots than driving it. I would not throw anything away that you remove or replace. Keep everything. Even things you think have no value or you have no use for will be of importance later most likely.

 

[45Dougal]

Maybe you can't drive it around the roads, but just a few laps around the field or something perhaps?
At least you can tell that the gears, clutch, and transfer work as they should, differentials, brakes, 4x4 etc

Better to know now rather than laterwhen it's all reassembled.
No point leaving an engine dry unless you're taking the bottom end off. Sounds good enough that I wouldn't be rushing to take it apart just for the sake of it.

Are you determined to keep the body, or considering a replacement tub?

 

[kerplunk]

That last picture, in the first post, of the carburetor / intake manifold, that looks like gas leaking. You're gonna want to make sure you aren't leaking gas, that can be pretty dangerous, start a fire... You should start there, before running it any more.

Currently there is no oil in the car as i just flushed it. I wonder if i first should de-rust the pan floor and then fill it back up and do the testing or if i should fill it up and then drain it once again when i need to do all the work on the rusty parts. What i want to see also is inside the engine to check the valves and so on so im not yet sure if i should let it sit there empty or if i should fill it up.

I'm not sure if something's lost in translation, or... There shouldn't be rust in an oil pan. The oil in it is going to prevent that from happening on the inside.

If you see water in the oil, could be a problem (usually head gasket, I think), or it just sat too long and got a lot of condensation.... (oil usually gets milky, sometimes grey, you can get foam on the bottom of the oil fill cap and dipstick when there is water in it.)

Unless your really knowledgeable with engine building, or have a very serious issue (i.e. engine won't turn over) I can't imagine a good reason to pull the pan off to look inside. The valve cover does need to come off to adjust the valves, but if I remember, it's supposed to be done hot, and would recommend leaving that to a final step in a tune up process when everything else is working fine and can run for a while to heat up to operating temperature.

New oil, new filter, flush and fill coolant. Run it a bit and make sure there's no water in the oil, overheating or coolant appearing where it shouldn't.

If you have a place you can wash it, I like to use engine cleaner, i.e. GUNK® Engine Cleaners and Degreasers - https://gunk.com/product-category/engine-cleaners/ or similar, get all the old crud off the engine so if I so see dirt and oil I know it's not old. It also make it look nicer, and keeps my hands and tools cleaner when working on it.

 

[PidgeonGuggolo]

I just went down there after work and checked a few things.

Did oil change, the oil which came out was just used oil, black nothing special. Oil filter looked almost new. So my guess is this has just happened before i bought the car. Unfortunately no conclusions there but seems to be fine. As i was mentioning the oil there actually was something lost in translation. I meant the pan but on the outside from underneath the car. It looks like its soon going to rust away. Thats why i am worried.

@45Dougal​

Yes, im considering getting a replacement tub. The thing here is its very expensive. But it looks like i need a lot of parts to fix it. The whole flooring in the back, both sides and the flooring where the seats are in front is wrotten away. So i was thinking maybe getting only the Tub which is extending from the back to the inclination behind the clutch. But i will see better when i get the Body away from the whole thing.

As pb4ugo mentioned i now checked the old cooleant crust and i think you were spot on. Saw a new dropled just between the thermostat and the lower housing. So i guess thats an easy fix.

As Kerplunk mentioned i seem to have a leak where the carburator sits. Im not sure where it is coming from. But it looks like its all over the place next to these two bolts (not sure what they do or are . I attached some images. It did smell like gas and i think it came out during the last video. So this is the next thing i need to get done. Any advice what it could be? I saw on one of the bolts there is a stopper ring not really where it should be. Also visible in the picture.

And then as you can see in the other pictures there is absolutely no exhaust anymore. So im searching to get one. I need the whole thing.

So my plan:
- Fix the Carb leak
- Fix the Cooleant leak
- Steamcleaner, wash the whole thing with distilled water to get shiny again and see the leaks if there are any left. If i need heavier stuff i know where to get it. (thanks kerplunk)
- Try to get an Exhause
- Then i will drive around here next to my workshop. I figured on sunday no one is here around the place. So as you all mentioned i will test everything i can. After this is done i will draw a conclusion on what to do next.


But im pretty sure im talking the whole thing apart, besides of course the working parts.

Thank you all!

 

[PidgeonGuggolo]

Hi all

I have some new updates to share and some questions as well

First i tried to clean the whole thing with this steam washer. Well that didnt work as expected. Its all quite heavy sticking dirt. So i started with some heavier things which are still not enough. I think i need to do it mechanically mostly. But anyways so i cleaned the Carb and the Thermostat buildup. Dried everything and then went for a ride. I was driving around for about 20mins tested 2h, 4h and l4. Well the car was moving in all of them and l4 was pretty much a lot of gas minimal movement i guess all traction? Or am i seeing things the wrong way? But nonetheless it seems to run fine and i got to about 60km/h in gear 4 with a very short runway. So i think thats solid. Im yet to do a compression test i think it cant hurt.

After the drive i checked the cooleant leak and the carbs. I attached the first three pics of the result. Carb looks dry. So i suspect me leaving the choke open for too long last time? Anyways i will buy the kit and keep an eye on it.

The cooleant leak looks a bit strange. As there is some wet places visually observable next to the headcover. So i think it might seep out there still? Or it could be an oil cooleant mix which is very sticky and stuck on the top there. (Third Screenshot)

Then i was excited what i got a garage now so i cleaned it all up and brought in some stuff. I have this little crane thing now as well for lifting the cabine and the engine. So far i think things look good.

Now i have a question, my carb is 1981, March 16th. Could also be 1971 but the car was first put on the street in 1981 in June. So i think this might fit. So i go for 80-87 parts i think.

So now i try to get an exhaust. Im not sure but i think this is the thing i should be looking at (See screenshot 5). Im not sure im right because i see so many variants:

FJ40LV-K
FJ40L-KC?

Whats the difference and whats body V and body TP?


Anyways. Im now planning to get a better understanding of whats in this engine room so im sure what i disassemble. Then i will start to tear it all apart and get this body fixed. Painting the engine and so on will be done as well. Lots of plans. I was also looking at a new tub. 11k usd. Not cheap... not sure to be honest. Will see.


Cheers

 

[charliemeyer007]

Nice shop. IMHO FJ40's are good, down and dirty, easy to work on, fantastic off road working trucks for the money back in the day. Cosmetic's on an actual off road going vehicle is a waste of money.

$11,000 will buy a nice welder and some other metal working stuff.

Sometimes floats stick a little or a piece of crud gets stuck in the needle valve, from lack of use - running the unit can flush or dissolve the crud. A can of fuel treatment every so often can be a good investment.

Good plan to have carb kit on hand. Other parts too.

 

[ijonesinsp]

These are fun and easy to work on, HOWEVER, if it runs and drives I would not recommend taking it apart. Part of the joy of these vehicles is driving them. Since you have little experience with mechanical work or welding, much less frame-off restorations, it will likely end as a heap of partially finished assemblies and you may never get to enjoy it again. What you see on the surface is very rarely what needs to be repaired, so beware of that. I purchased my 40 100% disassembled from a guy who tried to do exactly what you are talking about. In the end, after 20 years of moving parts from house to house and losing some along the way, he had to sell it for a song because his wife finally had enough. Not a good situation.

Sorry if I went on a rant there and I am not saying you will fail, but I believe you will enjoy it more if you can see the fruits of your labor a little at a time along the way.

Best of luck and you have found the right community for support!

 

[tlaporte]

Whats the difference and whats body V and body TP?

Hardtop (V == “van”) and Soft top (TP == “tarpaulin”)

 

[45Dougal]

11k buys you a sand blaster, a welder, and a paint spray gun with plenty of change.
Depends what you want to spend your time doing - I'd keep it original and add some new steel but it certainly needs a good amount of work.
A bespoke stainless exhaust sometimes works out cheaper, although I imagine you'd need to look to the other side of the bodensee to be worthwhile

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Nice garage and nice score on your TLC.

The trouble owners have in some of these European countries is vehicles can not display “rust” or a “rusted through” portion of sheet metal. Now toss is the mid 70’s Japanese metallurgy issues and it’s a tuff situation to deal with from the perspective of a “hobbyist” in Switzerland.

I’m in Best of luck with this. There’s a wealth of knowledge here. I would very much encourage you to read through the “FAQ’s” Listed at the beginning of the “40 section”. That search button up in the right hand portion of the display is also a good source.

Spent some time in Lucerne and Interlaken. Beautiful Country. I nicknamed my Man Cave Winterthur.

 

[PidgeonGuggolo]

Thanks, the shop will get new tools on a regular basis I have a MIG welder as well so i have some tools to do the metal work. Sandblaster is probably the next thing i buy.

Unfortunately i cant get the car on the street in Switzerland with the rust. Its just not possible, so i have no other option than to go after the rust. So i need to still wager what i want to do. But unfortunately i need to basically replace almost the whole tub part by part because its so rusty. So i have the option of buying a lot of panels and redo the floor of the seats and the trunk as well as all the sides so i am thinking about getting the tub directly. I still have enough parts to work on with the welder

I have found a few Tubs but im not sure which one. I saw in other channels there is a few.

Currently since in Switzerland there is often salty roads in the winter im tending on getting an full tub made out of alluminum. But im actually not sure. Read about the corrosion of the alluminum beeing equally bad. So im really struggling here. I mean i could very well also just buy the steel and treat it well.

What are your thoughts on this one:

1978-1984 Land Cruiser Fj40 Hj40 Bj40 Full Rear Tub Body Assembly - Buy Land Cruiser Fj40 Rear Tub,Full Tub For Land Cruiser Fj40 Fj45 Hj40 Bj40,Land Cruiser 40 Tub Product on Alibaba.com

1978-1984 Land Cruiser Fj40 Hj40 Bj40 Full Rear Tub Body Assembly - Buy Land Cruiser Fj40 Rear Tub,Full Tub For Land Cruiser Fj40 Fj45 Hj40 Bj40,Land Cruiser 40 Tub Product on Alibaba.com

www.alibaba.com

And in general what company should i get the steel from when i dont order the aqualu?

On a general note, my goal is to have kids soon and i want to spend the next 30-40 years with this truck. So im in the mindset of now going for premium products to get the max out of it.

Really appreciating you guys helping me out. Already got great confidence from your messages. And this FAQ is amazing. What a great place i found here.

@Chungas Revenge, haha nice i like winterthur!

 

[PidgeonGuggolo]

So i was reading through all the full tub threads i could find. Many different opinions and pros and cons but for me there is only one option. Steel. I cant handle the interior of the Aluminium tub and since i own a boat and worked a lot with fiber and gelcoat i dont want this on my car also. I actually really dislike it.

So im now at the crossroad of suppliers.
- Relik: (read only bad things) so a no.
- Topnault: He is most likely importing the part directly from the alibaba supplier i just posted above. Because the pictures of the facility look almost identical. But who knows.
- TeSeven: French producer (lead time 1 year if it was different this would have been a no brainer)
- LEKMA: Closed shop
- CCOT: Has no full tub only 3/4 tubs.
- Jiangsu: Seems like they have what i need and the leadtime is apparently 10 days :O

1978-1984 Land Cruiser Fj40 Hj40 Bj40 Full Rear Tub Body Assembly - Buy Land Cruiser Fj40 Rear Tub,Full Tub For Land Cruiser Fj40 Fj45 Hj40 Bj40,Land Cruiser 40 Tub Product on Alibaba.com

1978-1984 Land Cruiser Fj40 Hj40 Bj40 Full Rear Tub Body Assembly - Buy Land Cruiser Fj40 Rear Tub,Full Tub For Land Cruiser Fj40 Fj45 Hj40 Bj40,Land Cruiser 40 Tub Product on Alibaba.com

www.alibaba.com

Am i missing an obvious one?

I have a friend wo says he might get some suppliers from the us. nonetheless. It will take me a lot of time to understand what all i am missing. but i think the tub takes long to be produced/delivered so i cant get it fast enough.


Yesterday i started to tear apart the cruiser. How should is store the bonnet (See image)? It will most likely be there for a year at least. Then i get some furniture and things to have place to chill and research. Thrifts shop things. My dog is comfy, very important.

I removed the ambulance doors and the both need some fixing as they are rusted on the bottom and also rusted through where there are the hinges...

Then i realized that i still want to do a compression test so i must let it yet in tact to start it. After this is done im starting full the full teardown.

So many things in my head about the car got to organize it better.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

We actually will present this whole cab on SEMA, instead of the whole tub. Sorry for the confusion. We believe we can show more such as how well the pieces go together.

If anyone want this unit, we sell it for $13,500.00. We have no intention to continue selling the painted whole cab in the known future, except this one.

See you guys in SEMA and thank you for your support!

Tim


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