FJ40 3 Speed to 4 Speed Conversion with SBC (1 Viewer)

[SC Forester]

When the slave is at rest, Is the piston bottomed out in the cylinder? Does your return spring still have tension on it at rest?

There is a ton of free play in the pedal before it even starts to build up hydraulic pressure. I think it needs adjustment between the pedal and the master cylinder?

 

[pb4ugo]

Here ya go. I'd get tension on the return spring. It will help seat the piston to the back of the cylinder. You need all the stroke you can get with a sbc. You might be fighting some air too, with the cylinder mounted sideways.

 

[SC Forester]

There is a ton of free play in the pedal before it even starts to build up hydraulic pressure. I think it needs adjustment between the pedal and the master cylinder?

Well, I feel like an idiot now. I just needed to adjust the nut to the very end of the pushrod on the slave cylinder. The pedal is perfect now. Looking into the transmission, I can see it’s getting plenty of throw too. I don’t like how far out I had to unscrew that nut but it’s working great now.

 

[SC Forester]

Here ya go. I'd get tension on the return spring. It will help seat the piston to the back of the cylinder. You need all the stroke you can get with a sbc. You might be fighting some air too, with the cylinder mounted sideways.
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Thanks! I’m going to save this very useful info!

 

[pb4ugo]

That's pretty far out. You might consider moving the cylinder closer to the fork.

 

[SC Forester]

So I’ve been posting this stuff showing what I’ve done and asking for help on things. This board is awesome and I couldn’t have done any of this without the content on here and the help of members answering my dumb questions. I’m a very amateur mechanic but I’ve gained a lot of confidence doing work myself. I’m also posting this stuff hoping it helps other folks that are going to be doing this later. With that said, if you are using the Toyota FJ40 slave cylinder mounted on the Downey bellhousing (or maybe any of them), make it so your slave cylinder is farther up than how mine is in this thread. I had to adjust the nut at the end of the pushrod out as far as it would go. If I had mounted the slave cylinder up closer to the clutch fork on the bracket, I wouldn’t have had to do that. Just a heads up on that.

 

[SC Forester]

That's pretty far out. You might consider moving the cylinder closer to the fork.

Yeah, I need to do that. I don’t like how long it is. It could bend or break or the nut could fall off.

 

[SC Forester]

I’m so close but it’s always one step forward, three steps back. Fired her up and noticed the carb has fuel dripping out fast. So now the carb is off awaiting a rebuild.

 

[SC Forester]

Rebuilding the 600 cfm Holley carb…

 

[SC Forester]

Finished rebuilding the carb and put it back on the 350. It fired right and ran the best it has since I bought it in 2018. The 4 speed went through all the gears and 4wd worked great. The 4 speed case definitely does not have the low gear that the 3 speed has but it still tractored along. It passed the driving test so now I’m going to put the transmission hump back in and get a section of exhaust pipe welded in where I had to cut a section out.

 

[Vandal FJ]

I replaced gaskets and the seals I could get to in my 1977 4 speed transmission and transfer case. Hooked the Downey bellhousing up, attached the new throwout bearing and hub to the clutch fork.
Next step is making my slave cylinder bracket to attach to the bellhousing. Getting a lot closer to finally putting in a transmission that isn’t the 3 speed!

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AA sells a bracket for the slave, as well. I have one on order for mine! I know you are done with yours, but for others... LOL

 

[pbgbottle]

Hey! cool to see ya winning. Congrats great work. Nice drive shafts.
That sm465 battle you had going on is all in the past now.

 

[SC Forester]

Hey! cool to see ya winning. Congrats great work. Nice drive shafts.
That sm465 battle you had going on is all in the past now.

Thanks man! I appreciate all the advice. You helped me a lot on this.