FJ40 upper rad hose... WTF, chuck?

[dogmantra]

Hi folks. New member, first post...

I recently acquired this 1970 FJ40 in trade. Seller had little to no real info on it so I'm starting the process of trying to sort things out. The engine has been swapped out for "a 350... or maybe a 327?" Having never really worked on Chevy V8s I can't ID by site.

It starts and drives. Fired it up for the first time yesterday and noticed a pin hole leak in the upper radiator hose. I removed it a few hours ago and noticed FUEL FILLER HOSE stamped on it. Huh. Ran the ASE number and it comes back as a marine fuel filler hose. 2" inner diameter. That seemed odd. Removing it only added to the WTF'ness as the radiator was spaced with more rubber UNDER the upper radiator hose:

This... I guess "spacer" had yet more rubber under IT:

The thermostat housing looks like its set up the same but I haven't cut off the "spacer" yet:

Has anyone seen anything like this before? Seems like a fair amount of effort to use the wrong 2" hose- unless it was intentional for some reason that I can't fathom.

Coincidentally I am going to the marine supply tomorrow to pick up some boat parts so I could easily replace the pinhole with another marine fuel supply line if there's some advantage to this?

Thanks in advance for any input or comments (helpful or comedic).

Drew

 

[diesellibrarian]

Can't say I've ever seen a radiator mounted sideways like that. I can't imagine how that would work??

I suspect this not the last piece of weirdness you will encounter on this rig.

 

[bhsdriller]

Could have been all they had at the time.

Use standard radiator hoses but finding one could be tricky as mentioned that's not a typical radiator mounting style.

Let see some more pics of the whole 40

 

[dogmantra]

Can't say I've ever seen a radiator mounted sideways like that. I can't imagine how that would work??

I suspect this not the last piece of weirdness you will encounter on this rig.

(take this with a spoonfull of salt)

 

[dogmantra]

(take this with a spoonfull of salt)

But it looks like it's at least mounted upright. There is a properly places filler on the passenger side at least. Lower hose connects bottom of passenger side as well. I just removed all the weird spacer rubber and see that the inner diameter of the upper radiator is 1.25" and the thermostat is 1.5".

Fun.

 

[pb4ugo]

It it appears your radiator is not stock. Most folks use the stk radiator, make or adapt a fan shroud, and position the fan properly in the shroud. We would like to see more pics your conversion. I’ve been running multiple sbc's and a bbc in multiple 40's for a really long time. You might try these gates hoses. Upper 20416 and lower 20573. Looking at your setup these still may work. Some trimming may be required.

 

[rlong]

Can't say I've ever seen a radiator mounted sideways like that. I can't imagine how that would work??

aka a "cross flow" or horizontal flow radiator, that looks like many of the older american car radiators (probably came with the engine).

 

[Chamba]

I believe that is the approved Budweiser Brigade cooling system for that application.

7 cans of beer, three bratwursts and a dirt yard and you'll see the design logic.

 

[dogmantra]

Could have been all they had at the time.

Use standard radiator hoses but finding one could be tricky as mentioned that's not a typical radiator mounting style.

Let see some more pics of the whole 40

Here's what I'm working with:

 

[dogmantra]

Here's what I'm working with:

View attachment 4214313

View attachment 4214314

View attachment 4214316

 

[Mark W]

Welcome to the FJ40 world. A world full of the dreaded Ignorant Previous Owners who seemingly hack stuff just to hack it. When they are not busy simply ignoring problems.

To answer the actual question that you have asked here... Whatever reason the PO had for doing that s*** to that poor '40, it was a bad one and it should not have been done.

I have seen some terrible looking modifications and work arounds. Sometimes that's okay. The way I put it... when you have one of the 4 vehicles in some little hole in the mud village on the lower Yukon River that only sees a barge once a year and even the planes only make it in every couple of weeks... when your rig breaks you fix it however you can. I once sold a POS station wagon in a town not quite that isolated which had a 3 gallon lawnmower fuel can duct taped to the roof for a gas tank after a few more years out there. No one in town saw a problem with that. When you have no real knowledge no experience and no skills... no one to turn to for advise (This particular example was well before the internet as well)... you do what ya gotta do to get by. I have always called it "Bush smart". It is only Bush smart however when you.... are in the bush.

BUT... when you are living pretty much anywhere else in the US... or any first world nation... you have the resources, support networks and access to information tools and parts that destroys that "do what ya gotta do" argument. A hack is a hack and ignorant garbage work is ignorant garbage work.

I will however allow one small exception to my normal harsh judgement... I have seen kids... sometimes teenagers, sometimes guys a *little* bit older but with no real examples to follow... no mentor to guide them... take off half cocked with some ideas that probably made sense to them in their ignorance and inexperience. These rigs can often be found languishing in barns backyards and fields long after the project was abandoned.

I *could* admit to a couple of those myself long long.... long long long ago. But I am not gonna.

Looks to me like you have taken the first steps on a grand adventure. Oh yeah... the correct definition of "Adventure"... is "A disaster survived".

BTW... a "Funny Story"... that's someone else's disaster.

So... good luck on your journey. If you hear laughter occasionally... well, it is *your* disaster after all. Eventually (hopefully) you will look back on your adventure. and the rest of us will tell the funny story.


Mark...

 

[thatcabledude]

My 40 (also swapped) came with an aluminum cross flow radiator. I swapped the engine and redid basically everything else but left the rad because it was fine.

OP’s radiator really does look like one turned on it side.

 

[Pighead]

Bezel.

 

[thatcabledude]

View attachment 4214319

Completely useless info, but I recognize that passenger seat as coming from a 92-95 Honda Civic lol

 

[pb4ugo]

Nice. Its an early sbc, it could be a 327. It has early style heads, short water pump and the alt mounted high on the drivers side.
There's a pad/block extention on the front of the engine on the passenger side where the head meets the block. On that pad/surface you should find letters and numbers on the pad. The 3 letters will help id the engine. My alt is in front of the pad, yours isnt, so it should be easy to read. I'd be curious as to what they are.