So...This is a project I was forced to. We bought the 1985 FJ60 in 1990 as a family car with 90K miles for $6000. Family trips were two weeks in the wilderness doing off roads and camping in BLM and NF. In 1994 we took it to the Arctic Circle with a 9 years old boy, two girls 5 and 3, and an 8 months old baby. 9000 miles, 30 days camping. Photo with McKinley in the background.
It served us as a family car until we had our 4th child when we bought our 80 series. It became my DD. About 16 years ago I stumbles on a 13Bt/H55 in Canada and my mentor and good friend Gerog Esterer @orangefj45 in Valley Hybrids did the diesel conversion. It was re-registered in California as a diesel and was used as a daily driver and work horse. Performance was great and at best was getting 28 mpg (driving at 55 mph). I used it to tow vehicles across the west coast and bring lumber from Home Depot. A few months ago the engine started to age with 400K miles. It smokes, uses oil and have a hard time starting. Once it warms up it is just fine (except the smoke) and here in CA you should see the looks of the Tesla drivers when you are stopped at the light and the exhaust blows smoke into their window. (on a separate note... I am tempted to put a pump that injects diesel into the exhaust. We used to have it in the tanks to create clouds of smoke. Turn it on if someone is tail gating you.)
So the question was to rebuild the engine or put something that is running. My friend @AlbertoSD found 15BFTs that had about 100K miles that came from a Coaster bus. The price was less then a rebuild, so I figured that since I don't have anything better to do (traveling, building a troopy, woodworking, running a company, helping friends with their Landcruisers...) I'll take the project on. So it begins...
The engine arrived last week and I started working on it. Ordered from @Japan4X4 4 oil pans, pick up, dip sticks and turbo inlet and outlet. I can not say enough good things about Dave Stedman.
The valve cover was damaged with a hole and patched with some epoxy (you can see the patch). I removed it all and filled with aluminum epoxy that can sustain 500F and being powder coated. Next would be to replace the HUGE 24V alternator with a Terrain Tamer mated to a 1Hx, starter and AC compressor.
Stay tuned...
It served us as a family car until we had our 4th child when we bought our 80 series. It became my DD. About 16 years ago I stumbles on a 13Bt/H55 in Canada and my mentor and good friend Gerog Esterer @orangefj45 in Valley Hybrids did the diesel conversion. It was re-registered in California as a diesel and was used as a daily driver and work horse. Performance was great and at best was getting 28 mpg (driving at 55 mph). I used it to tow vehicles across the west coast and bring lumber from Home Depot. A few months ago the engine started to age with 400K miles. It smokes, uses oil and have a hard time starting. Once it warms up it is just fine (except the smoke) and here in CA you should see the looks of the Tesla drivers when you are stopped at the light and the exhaust blows smoke into their window. (on a separate note... I am tempted to put a pump that injects diesel into the exhaust. We used to have it in the tanks to create clouds of smoke. Turn it on if someone is tail gating you.)
So the question was to rebuild the engine or put something that is running. My friend @AlbertoSD found 15BFTs that had about 100K miles that came from a Coaster bus. The price was less then a rebuild, so I figured that since I don't have anything better to do (traveling, building a troopy, woodworking, running a company, helping friends with their Landcruisers...) I'll take the project on. So it begins...
The engine arrived last week and I started working on it. Ordered from @Japan4X4 4 oil pans, pick up, dip sticks and turbo inlet and outlet. I can not say enough good things about Dave Stedman.
The valve cover was damaged with a hole and patched with some epoxy (you can see the patch). I removed it all and filled with aluminum epoxy that can sustain 500F and being powder coated. Next would be to replace the HUGE 24V alternator with a Terrain Tamer mated to a 1Hx, starter and AC compressor.
Stay tuned...
