Build fj62 gets a lift

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looks like the project is going to be a two stage process due to timing. I'm getting the engine installed and mechanical stuff all figured out this year but he won't be able to get the body done before the snow flies due to other customers in line before me. I need it as my winter driver so I'll get it back for the winter and then he'll take it again next spring for the body work. I'm ok with this as I really just want it to run well. I'll pretty it up a little later. this way also frees of some funds from this years budget so maybe I'll get him to do his turbo upgrade and intercooler while he's at it! performance above beauty right!! he has a way of boring out the turmo housing I guess to get a bigger turbine wheel inside. I'm so new to all this stuff I'm going to be doing a lot of reading and learning so I can be somewhat educated on how it all works. in any case it'll increase my performance even more. I'm also maybe switching gears here litterally in terms of transmission. when I bought the engine I thought it was coming with an a442 auto which I was just going to use. ryan thinks it just the engine so I may have to get a tranny too. if I'm buying a new tranny on top of the engine I think I might just do the 5 speed manual. it'll be better for towing from my understanding. I'll see when the engine gets here next week. it's all so much fun thinking about all the possibilities here. now I just have to figure out if I want to stick with my original budget or adjust it to get a little crazy. I'm not going to go nuts here like the 140k bj40 he had sitting in the shop!! it was beautiful and absolutely perfect but that's nuts!! I just really want some good performance for function.
 
engine showed up. it has no tranny so i guess ill have to go with an h55 and convert to a standard!! poor me!!!
also likely doing a turbo upgrade and intercool with it! this thing is going to rock. i'll have to wait till next year to pretty it up but this fall it'll be running well which matters most as it is my daily driver
 
so part of my build is to give me a rig I can tow a small camping trailer with hence the turbo/intercooler upgrade. here's my question.... with the 1hdt , h55 tranny 4.56 gears what would you think the towning capacity will be. trailer will have brakes and j have a 4 plus bumper which has the hitch receiver. I also have OME heavy springs. any suggestions
 
Talk to the guys that do the diesel swaps with the 1HDT on a regular basis like Georg (@orangefj45) or Torfab or ACC or Redline. They can probably give you a better idea... Also in the meantime you can look at the vehicle weight and towing capacity of what the 1HDT normally comes out of for a "GENERAL" idea.
 
Officially, towing capacity is dictated by the weight rating tags on the vehicle.
 
Not safe on 60 brakes.
 
franklin40 said:
just looking at present so weight will play into what size I buy. the one I want is roughly 4500-5000 lbs including gear etc
Click to expand...

This is too much IMHO for a stock 60, or even a 60 with an upgraded motor, to tow. You'd need larger brakes for sure, along with trailer brakes.

When I think about this stuff, I think about emergency situations I'd have to deal with out on the road, not whether or not I'd be able to accelerate or stop a trailer like that under normal circumstances.

That said, a friend has a stock FJ80 (not FZJ80) that he tows a 4000# pop-up camper with and he says that while slow, it's fine. His pop-up has trailer brakes.

My rig weighs ~6000#, has an upgraded motor, significantly upgraded axles and brakes as well as the (rear) suspension out of a 3/4t GM pickup. Even with all of that, towing 5000# isn't a walk in the park.
 
yeah maybe I'll have to go smaller. I agree that a vehicle may be capable of towing huge loads but I guess my definition is what is it capable of safely ie emergency situations. I've never been in one of those situations and have not pulled anything more than a boat with it. that was no trouble except for lack of power. I just want to be safe and know where the limits for this truck should be set. I'm not into risking my family or others on the road just to say I can pull something big. I've pulled lots of small trailers and the boat which is around 3000lbs but nothing heavier. I understand the principles of towning and loading but never done it with a camper trailer. I don't want to buy something I regret.
 
it's been a while since I've posted. not too much tech here this post but more of an update. the 1htd is cleaned up. a h55 out of an 86 bj74 is being used I believe and the bell housing is in. I understand he's using an Isuzu fly wheel and a heavy duty clutch. it's the only flywheel with a large enough diameter to accept the large clutch that allows for the h55 fine splines. I don't know all the details as it was just over a phone conversation. the transfer case is all cleaned up and ready to be mated to the tranny. likely next week the driveline will be mocked up. I also had a webasto thermo top c installed. that'll help for those areas where I can't plug in in the cold months of the year. I can't believe it's all coming together finally. 5 months without a landcruiser has been tough on me!! maybe I'll be picking it up in about a month.
 
here are a few pictures from hilltop cruisers garage of the parts getting ready for install

engine is all cleaned up, transmission rebuilt and transfercase cleaned up and all new seals. clutch bell housing and flywheel all arrived and are actually now installed. hopefully the install will start this week. turbo is done with having the compressor housing enlarged and ceramic coated.

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so I got an update on things tonight. the tranny is in. the clutch and shifter out of a bj60 are in. the drive shafts have been sent out for rebuild to proper length. the input shaft for the h55 is one inch too long though. I believe the bell housing is for an 1hz and this uses a smaller clutch than is being used. I'm not sure all the exact parts yet but ryan is going to machine a 1 inch spacer between the bell housing and the transmission. then he'll be able to properly set the engine in and get the motor mounts built. he's got a 12 volt starter and alternator out of Australia so I can keep everything 12 v. the turbo should be back any time, he's got the webasto ready to go in once the engine is in (he wants to know what space he has to work with)

it's all coming together but there have been little hickups. this is apparently his first time putting this exact combination together but it should be pretty awesome when done. probably another month before I get it back though. it's turning into a bigger job than either of us thought but he's actually been super reasonable on price and giving me as many breaks as he can. I cant say enough about what he's done. this would have taken me many years to put together and it would have cost me way more on my own I'm sure.
 
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