FJ40 Priorities

[airon23]

So I just bought a 76 FJ40 mostly all stock. Original motor and "appears to have been" well taken care, but has been sitting for probably over a year. I figure the cosmetic stuff can and will get fixed in time, but what really should be my priority for ensuring it is and will remain mechanically sound?

I don't have endless money and I'm trying to get sort of a priority To-Do list. My short term goal is to make sure it is mechanically sound and reliable, and my long term goal would be to get it looking nice and back to as stock as I can make it, but not a fully body off restoration.

Where should I start?
What I've done so far:
Clean it up from the inside
Added a aftermarket passenger side seat belt.
Changed the air filter
Bought an oil filter to change the oil
Flipped the bezel
Removed roof rack to fit into garage
Filled reservoir with coolant
Replaced brake/clutch pedal rubber pads
Checked the oil level

What I know is wrong:
Driver tail light not working
Passenger blinker light not working
Passenger headlight not working

What I'm concerned about:
Possible exhaust leak
Compression
General state of engine(seems like it starts right up every time though)
Spark Plugs/Wires
Wipers
Motor and/or transmission seems to be leaking from somewhere
I know nothing about the diff


If this were your fj40 where do you think you would start? Where would you go next? How would you prioritize what needs to be done? Maybe there's already a post about this kind of thing so if you know of one please feel free to point me in the right direction.

 

[airon23]

I might have jumped the gun and ordered some of Racer65 City Racer weather stripping for doors and hard top to body. But I don't know if I should put that on now or wait until any paint is done. Problem is I don't see that happening for some time. Also a couple odds and ends from CCOT like hood rubber pieces, bezel spacers, and some tail light lenses to replace the broken one.

 

[honk]

Before you start (well, you already started) spending what seems like easy to take amounts for things you don't much need at this point, you need to find out what's working and what's not as far as mechanical systems and fix or get fixed those that aren't right.

Do stuff one thing at a time. If you try to solve all things quickly you'll be overwhelmed.

Because you had to fill the coolant reservoir you have an important area of focus. See, having to fill the coolant reservoir could mean it's all been neglected, but it also can and often does mean that coolant is leaking somewhere. A good tight cooling system doesn't need reservoir filling. The level in it rises as the engine heats and drops when it cools (there should be visible marks) but is never empty.

Have you removed the radiator cap? Do you see any coolant when the engine is cold? If not top it up, get a new cap, fill that reservoir to the cool line and keep an eye on it all until you get a pressure test done. A pressure test? That's to have some shop put a cooling system pressure tester onto your radiator. Leave it on there, pumped up, for several minutes while you and whoever crawl around looking for coolant coming out anywhere. If it's not leaking anywhere then service the cooling system. That's a good flush, and all new coolant.

(you can buy a tester at HF. I can't say anything about them never having tried one - a good pro level tester will cost these days) Either way this needs doing soon because the cooling system is critical. It can kill your engine if something is wrong. Make sure it's good before anything else.

 

[honk]

Oh, you said that you don't have endless money? Maybe getting endless money should be your first order of business...

 

[phils40]

Oh, you said that you don't have endless money? Maybe getting endless money should be your first order of business...

+1

 

[awynne56]

First thing for me was getting my electrical straight, make sure stuff that not working electrically is because it is broken not because it shorted. I have a 76 but with a SBC350. All new stuff electrically I put in I connected to a aux fuse box, , I didn't want to too overload 40 year old wiring. I also did get a new fuse box, OP got overspray on the old one.. you can get a new fuse box from racer65. I know in my 76 the bottom fuse would get when running the head lights, if the PO changed the head lights to higher powered ones, chances are yours is running hot too.. I forget his name, but i'm using a set up for the light that redistributes power to new wiring but still uses old light switch.. plug and play ...... also please make sure your grounds are good...
good luck... and as honk mentioned, I hope your money tree is in season...


Andy

 

[airon23]

I agree with your idea @honk of conquer one thing at a time. I will definitely keep an eye on the radiator and levels. When I opened the cap it was full but that could have been the PO filling just before selling so I know you can't really trust the PO on anything they say no matter how nice or truthful they sound. Trust but verify.

Electrical stuff seemed like a priority too @awynne56. Mostly because I need to make sure not to get pulled over or given a ticket if I take it out for anything. So that might be where I start, while at the same time I keeping an eye on the level of coolant.

Thanks for the pointers. I will try to divide and conquer. I'd like to make like a spreadsheet checklist of things I know need to be fixed and keep some order and track of it that way. I saw a thread earlier of someone traveling cross country in his 40 and making a similar checklist of things that needed to be replaced, inspected, etc.

 

[airon23]

and trust me getting that money tree planted is first on my list.

 

[romey]

congrats on the purchase! what's the deal with that extra fan next to the rad? manual switch to run say in traffic/hot weather? could have something to do with potential cooling issues?

looks like a good 40 to start with!

 

[romey]

congrats on the purchase! what's the deal with that extra fan next to the rad? manual switch to run say in traffic/hot weather? could have something to do with potential cooling issues?

looks like a good 40 to start with!

 

[romey]

I might have jumped the gun and ordered some of Racer65 City Racer weather stripping for doors and hard top to body. But I don't know if I should put that on now or wait until any paint is done. Problem is I don't see that happening for some time. Also a couple odds and ends from CCOT like hood rubber pieces, bezel spacers, and some tail light lenses to replace the broken one.

that's totally NOT prioritizing, lol. i'd say make sure that motor is running tight (check plugs/etc) in addition to electricals (it not, more important than electricals) and that the leak isn't a major one underneath. could be a simple output seal?

 

[65swb45]

Priorities ?

Steering and brakes. Your motor blows up, oh well. Your steering or brakes sub-par? You are a danger to other people.

This is not meant as an accusation; it is my mantra. When I got my 48 YEAR OLD cruiser 31 years ago, it didn't run. We had no extra money (just got our first house, still in school, had first kid) I spent several months and several hundred dollars rebuilding the steering and brakes.

My wife asked why I was fixing the steering and brakes on a truck that didn't run?

Priorities.

Best

Mark

www.marksoffroad.net

 

[airon23]

congrats on the purchase! what's the deal with that extra fan next to the rad? manual switch to run say in traffic/hot weather? could have something to do with potential cooling issues?

looks like a good 40 to start with!

That is actually a stock carb cooling fan installed on CA cruisers, at least that is what the owners manual stated. It's funny it says it might stay on up to 20mins after the motor shuts off.

 

[airon23]

that's totally NOT prioritizing, lol. i'd say make sure that motor is running tight (check plugs/etc) in addition to electricals (it not, more important than electricals) and that the leak isn't a major one underneath. could be a simple output seal?

I know that's why I sort of pumped the brakes on that and decided to start a thread to get me set straight.

 

[JohnnyC]

prioritize....

get that hardtop and doors off... its giving me college flashbacks to design class... Rietveld and Piet Mondrien? (spelling)

its summer weather anyway

great looking cruiser ... looks like somebody had a jerry can holder on the cowl... and cb mounted

 

[awynne56]

I agree with @65swb45 brakes and steering should be priority, next maybe electrical. keep yourself and others safe and then your investment.

best of luck

 

[Huroneymoose]

Start with a cold beer. And when you get overwhelmed/frustrated.... Have another.

 

[4Cruisers]

Chasing down the electrical can be tedious, but also rewarding when everything's working on an older vehicle. Many times all it takes is repairing a few wires, replacing bulbs, and cleaning the grounds. That turned out to be the case when I bought my '76 FJ40 16 years ago. I was able to buy it for $500 because it wouldn't start (and the PO really wanted a Jeep). As soon as I got it home I cleaned the connections at the ignition coil and it fired right up. I had all of the lights working shortly thereafter. Fast forward until today and all the electrical are still working! All I've had to do in the meantime is clean the fuse block (to get the fuel gauge to work again) and replace the turn signal flasher.

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

Start with a cold beer. And when you get overwhelmed/frustrated.... Have another.

Sounds like how I tackle all my work on the 40.

 

[73fj40lc]

As already stated one thing at a time but sometimes it is cheaper to do more than one thing at a time. if you have to remove the same parts to get to something that affects another problem. I sat down and made a list of all the problems that I knew about and separated them into order of importance. I also looked at the parts needed and the cost. What would benefit me most to do first in relation to the money on hand. A lot of times what you do hinges on the money that you have at the time. Don't get in a hurry and try to do too many things too fast. The absolute best advice I can give is to search and read before doing anything because you often can do something a lot cheaper with the same or better result by just looking at what others have done. Look at what vendors people have used and the reviews and reputation on them. I made several mistakes and could have done some things better. I ended up going back and re-doing some things. These Cruisers are money pits so any money that you can save by doing it right with the right parts the first time is a big bonus. There are some shady vendors on the web that sell crappy products so beware.