In the words of Ron Burgandy - “Boy, that escalated quickly’”
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- #42
I’ll run the 33x9.5x15’s I like still and keep that nice stock look. The wife is restoring the stock heater and blower which is cool.
The plan was to remove the wiring in one piece. That was the plan.
Cal just wants his bed back. Sorry buddy.
The plan was to remove the wiring in one piece. That was the plan.
Cal just wants his bed back. Sorry buddy.
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- #43
That’s fricken hilarious!
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- #44
I still plan on getting the engine back in running order. The F.5 is a great engine. Either I’ll keep it or pass it on to someone who needs it.
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- #45
Well, we’re in ‘balls deep’ as they say. Tub off the frame, fixing a little surface rust on the firewall from a leaky clutch/ brake MC. I’m amazed that there is relatively no rust on this thing. A little on the rear sill, some in the seam behind the driver’s door and that’s it. Stripped it all down and applying POR-15. Even the frame has zero rust. I had replaced the body mounts 15 years ago with new urethane ones and other than the mount pads on the frame being shiny steel it was all In beautiful shape. I imagine the oil leaks over the past 57 years have kept it lubed up and rust free.
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- #46
Even found that 12mm wrench i lost 10 years ago. Amazing the collection of hardware that ends up in the frame.
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- #47
Frame and heater painted today.
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- #48
I took a chance on ordering some tintable bedliner for the tub from TCP Global. I sprayed my Landcruiser Dune Beige 416 back in about 2007, and the interior with Durabak at the same time. The bedliner looked good for a couple years then began to fade. The Nason’s linear polyurethane still looks great.
I knew the TCP product was a different hue than the Dune Beige, but it actually looks pretty close. The color is Shoreline Beige.
I won’t get to it for a few weeks but I’m curious to see how it comes out. I like the fact that the TCP kit comes with 4 individual bottles of the bedliner, tint and hardener respectively. Even came with a gun. Should be pretty simple with little cleanup.
I may even use what’s left to spray my M100 trailer. It could use a makeover too.
I knew the TCP product was a different hue than the Dune Beige, but it actually looks pretty close. The color is Shoreline Beige.
I won’t get to it for a few weeks but I’m curious to see how it comes out. I like the fact that the TCP kit comes with 4 individual bottles of the bedliner, tint and hardener respectively. Even came with a gun. Should be pretty simple with little cleanup.
I may even use what’s left to spray my M100 trailer. It could use a makeover too.
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- #49
GM 5.3L LM7 Vortec and 4L60e overdrive tranny. The pieces are starting to come together.
Poor little tractor was struggling.
Poor little tractor was struggling.
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- #50
Sprayed the tub yesterday. Used QTips and blue tape to plug the threaded holes. The color is substantially lighter but gives a nice contrast. It shouldn’t look like such a dark cave inside anymore.
The lower sill was treated with POR 15 then primed, shot with bedliner for abrasion resistance, then shot with Dune Beige 416 in a rattle can.
The lower sill was treated with POR 15 then primed, shot with bedliner for abrasion resistance, then shot with Dune Beige 416 in a rattle can.
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- #51
Been plugging away at this thing since January. The 5.3 / 4L60e swap has a ton of little details that have to be addressed but people have been doing it for over 20 years so there is a lot of info out there. If you are contemplating it, don't limit yourself to the info just from FJ40s. People have stuffed them in everything you can think of and the information is universal to swaps. Google 'LS Swap' and you'll find what you need.
Here's where I'm at now......
Engine and Tcase mounts in. The original plan was to take it to Valley Hybrids and have them get the motor and trans (5 speed) in with driveshafts. I'd do the rest. I got a text a month before I was to trailer it up to Stockton saying they didn't have room for it and that we'd look at it again sometime this summer, also wait times were 3 to 4 years....... screw that. That was all the motivation I needed to do it myself (and my wife suggested I just do it myself). So thank you Georg for the motivation. I've got to say that it really has been a fun challenge.
I went with the 'propeller mount' on the t-case after trying the FJ60 mount Advance Adapters had suggested. The '60 mount that straddles the frame below the AA adapter would extend about 6" below the frame and be the lowest point of the drivetrain. This option gave me more clearance.
Saginaw power steering conversion is in. I was able to bend the stock Suburban power steering pressure line that was still on the 5.3 to work. That surprised the hell out of me actually. The original line was bent up to look like a pretzel. I'm not running a cooler on it just yet; it won't be turning anything bigger than 33's.
Hooker manifolds that dump between the 3 and 4 hole and inside the frame were a good option. Options are limited where I live so this was a good fit. Still waiting on manifold gaskets to get them on.
I've never liked the stock fuel tank inside the passenger compartment. I had a seem split on the original tank that I repaired about 15 years ago but never really trusted. So I installed a Downey tank I bought from Mark. I installed a submerged LS Swap fuel pump from Speedway Engineering and the fuel level indicator from Dakota Digital. Still waiting on some AN6 fittings that will fit under the tub. I'll run a single line up to the engine, the filter / regulator in the top right of the picture has a return line that circulates back to the tank.
Next up is driveshafts and an exhaust system then the tub will go back on and I can start on the wiring.
The sensors that are needed for the LS swap include the VSS sensor and a second circuit from the brake light switch for the torque converter. The VSS is housed in the AA coupling between the 4L60e and the T-case and the brake switch is from BP Automotive. I ended up using their stand alone gen III harness that will get installed once the tub is on.
Here's where I'm at now......
Engine and Tcase mounts in. The original plan was to take it to Valley Hybrids and have them get the motor and trans (5 speed) in with driveshafts. I'd do the rest. I got a text a month before I was to trailer it up to Stockton saying they didn't have room for it and that we'd look at it again sometime this summer, also wait times were 3 to 4 years....... screw that. That was all the motivation I needed to do it myself (and my wife suggested I just do it myself). So thank you Georg for the motivation. I've got to say that it really has been a fun challenge.
I went with the 'propeller mount' on the t-case after trying the FJ60 mount Advance Adapters had suggested. The '60 mount that straddles the frame below the AA adapter would extend about 6" below the frame and be the lowest point of the drivetrain. This option gave me more clearance.
Saginaw power steering conversion is in. I was able to bend the stock Suburban power steering pressure line that was still on the 5.3 to work. That surprised the hell out of me actually. The original line was bent up to look like a pretzel. I'm not running a cooler on it just yet; it won't be turning anything bigger than 33's.
Hooker manifolds that dump between the 3 and 4 hole and inside the frame were a good option. Options are limited where I live so this was a good fit. Still waiting on manifold gaskets to get them on.
I've never liked the stock fuel tank inside the passenger compartment. I had a seem split on the original tank that I repaired about 15 years ago but never really trusted. So I installed a Downey tank I bought from Mark. I installed a submerged LS Swap fuel pump from Speedway Engineering and the fuel level indicator from Dakota Digital. Still waiting on some AN6 fittings that will fit under the tub. I'll run a single line up to the engine, the filter / regulator in the top right of the picture has a return line that circulates back to the tank.
Next up is driveshafts and an exhaust system then the tub will go back on and I can start on the wiring.
The sensors that are needed for the LS swap include the VSS sensor and a second circuit from the brake light switch for the torque converter. The VSS is housed in the AA coupling between the 4L60e and the T-case and the brake switch is from BP Automotive. I ended up using their stand alone gen III harness that will get installed once the tub is on.
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mattressking
10 digits to freedom
Great to see you decided to keep! V8 will be a party.
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- #53
Here's some pictures of the brake light switch. It required making a bracket to the side of the pedal that would engage the plunger. I didn't want to tap new threads where the original brake light switch was so it required some mods. The new GM column, that would allow a new smaller diameter steering wheel and tie into the Saginaw box also required modifications. New mounts were purchased from BTB and I had to shim the pedal a 1/4" towards the gas pedal to clear the 2" diameter column. Easy stuff but it shows how one little mod affects everything around it.
Looking from underneath. To the left of the bolt you can see the shim or thick washer I used. It required grinding that much off the opposite side. That flat piece is aluminum I cut and JB Welded to the side of the brake pedal to give an area the brake switch could engage.
Looking from underneath. To the left of the bolt you can see the shim or thick washer I used. It required grinding that much off the opposite side. That flat piece is aluminum I cut and JB Welded to the side of the brake pedal to give an area the brake switch could engage.
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- Thread starter
- #54
Cutting the output shaft on the 4L60e was sobering. The only thing I had that would cut the steel shaft was a grinder with a cut off blade. I had to come at it from 4 sides to get thru it. Second pic is with the AA shaft and support bearing.
That toothed surface just this side of the adapter is what the VSS picks up with the sensor AA supplies.
That toothed surface just this side of the adapter is what the VSS picks up with the sensor AA supplies.
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- #55
Column is a 32" keyed / shift / tilt column Speedway sells. I opted for a blemished unpainted one and saved $75. I was painting it anyways so it really didn't matter. The shift indicator was broken but they sent a new one free of charge. They have been great to deal with.
The 15" steering wheel is for a '47 to '52 Chevy truck and works with the column. All of the horn pieces I had from the FJ40 fit inside the wheel and I was able to use the stock horn button. The wheel has a flat surface at the top but the hole is thankfully round. It all looks correct and even the wheel itself looks right. I was getting tired of that old cracked wheel from 1967.
Even the Homey and Hula Girl seem to approve.
The 15" steering wheel is for a '47 to '52 Chevy truck and works with the column. All of the horn pieces I had from the FJ40 fit inside the wheel and I was able to use the stock horn button. The wheel has a flat surface at the top but the hole is thankfully round. It all looks correct and even the wheel itself looks right. I was getting tired of that old cracked wheel from 1967.
Even the Homey and Hula Girl seem to approve.
i have a very similar tractor. i walked a sbc across my yard pretty much on my front tires because i don’t have any rear balast like you do. its amazing how the hydraulics on these little guys will out lift the weight of the tractor!!
nice work on the 40 too!!
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- #57
I’ve been trying to come up with a solution for the transfer case linkage and the 5.3 solved it for me yesterday. There’s a little ’L’ shaped bracket on the head to protect the fuel injection rail on the driver’s side that wasn’t needed so I made a bracket out of the pivot on the F engine mount. It even had a little triangle support welded on.
I had to add 7” to the shift rod so I bought a piece of 3/8” rod and welded it in.
This originally had a 3 speed on the column and it was nice to have a clean floor. The 4 speed changed that and 3 people across the front got difficult. With the column shift for the auto and retaining the original vacuum shift we should be good.
Hopefully the firewall linkage has room with the LS…..
I had to add 7” to the shift rod so I bought a piece of 3/8” rod and welded it in.
This originally had a 3 speed on the column and it was nice to have a clean floor. The 4 speed changed that and 3 people across the front got difficult. With the column shift for the auto and retaining the original vacuum shift we should be good.
Hopefully the firewall linkage has room with the LS…..
It’s tight. I think I have a finger width between the passenger side head and firewall. Not hitting but close. I have it pretty far forward as well. My electric fan barely fits between the radiator (stock& stick location) and pulleys. It’s worth it tho, the ls is sweeeeeet.
