Builds Fugly's Yota

[FuglyYota]

I was actually looking at those same springs, searching for a set of very low lift springs but with upgraded features. May just pull the trigger on that and swap leaves out as needed to make height. I used to build my own front spring packs with rears up front on the mini-trucks, same basic idea. Thanks for the input!

I couldn't find a good set of used rear 60 springs for my 40, and the fronts were pretty saggy like you said. I ended up ordering a set of rear OME 2.5" lifted rears and pulled one spring out(I think it was the 3rd one down from the top) and I shortened it a little and put it in the front stack. I have just recently set the weight on it and put some sand bags in the rear to mimic tire carrier and tire. I think that combo is going to work out perfect. Just a thought for you. Keep up the good work!

 

[FuglyYota]

Rear mounts are all tacked in place, axle hung, and then down on it’s own weight for last figment checks before welding spring and shackle mounts in for good. Wheelbase is 102.5”, wheel openings will need some work but will not need to be comp cut even with over 12” total stretch. Even with the new dual cases, rear driveshaft will be right around 23”. Axle perches will stay loose/tacked to let final pinion angle get set when the new drivetrain is installed. I love the stance, and the little extra width that the FJ60 axles give to it

I also got a dedicated 30 amp breaker and outlet installed in the garage for the welder. Had one more space in the old 100 amp house panel after I pullled the main cover. I’ve got a Hobart 135, little thing punches well above it’s weight class, will melt 1/4” to 1/4”all day long with the right wire and speed. Before I could only get a few tacks in before tripping the 15 amp garage breaker, now it’s back where it belongs and ready for final weld of the Ruff Stuff rear frame reinforcements and rear suspension.

Side question: Does anyone make a proper rear diff cover for a 9.5” anymore? Ruff Stuff used to, but they’re gone now. I need to ether find something or carefully start reinforcing the stock cover.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Now that I've seen it in person - I've got to follow along. Very cool rig! That 465/203/split case is wild.

 

[FuglyYota]

Thanks! Great to meet you and thanks for helping clean out the garage

Spent a few hours last night welding up the Ruff Stuff frame strengthening kit in the rear and the rear suspension mounts. Ran myself out of shielding gas at about 11:15 PM, but almost done. Dad’s got more in the garage but should be able to pick some up today and finish over the weekend. Then rear suspension goes back in and down on the ground so we can pick up the front and pull the motor.

Now that I've seen it in person - I've got to follow along. Very cool rig! That 465/203/split case is wild.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Got a chance to read through this - I see you were pretty involved with KOH when you were out west. Any chance you know any of the pit crew/engineer folks for Erik Miller's truck (Miller Motorsports). My buddy Colin, the guy who did a bunch of the more structural welding on my truck (and actually sold me his old Hobart) is pretty involved with Erik's KOH trucks. He heads out to KOH annually and serves on his pit crew.

 

[FuglyYota]

Little progress, but got some parts in to finish the axles. Ready to grind a little, paint, and hang the rear springs for good.

Next step I think is install all new brakes, hard lines, and FJ80 master cylinder. Then on to the engine, trans, new clutch, and transfer case install. Then can measure driveshafts, modify the cage to cover the YJ seat for the kids, and wheel it.

ar axle

 

[FuglyYota]

Still alive. Rear is done for now. Still need shock mounts and a few small details. Spring perches are loose so the pinion angle can be set when the new drivetrain lineup is in.

I stripped the interior as well to get to the trans tunnel and make access to the tranny and cases easier. When I pulled the passenger seats I found the mess of welds that someone before me had done to mounts the seats. I’ve seen some junk welds and done some myself when I was learning years ago, but this really sucks. You’ve heard the term “booger weld”, this is the best example I’ve seen in person of that. Obviously this will all get redone and heavily reinforced.

 

[FuglyYota]

On to the next step

 

[FuglyYota]

Few more pics.

Did some checking on the motor with what we can see without tearing in to it. What we know so far (This is as much for my records as anything)

* Block casting: 3892657 - Stamping VI0I3EA - Best I can see from searching is Flint engine plant, 10-13 date code, ‘67 327 block, from a Chevelle with a manual trans, 275hp original rating.

* Head casting is 3890462: Sources say 1966 and 1967 302ci, 327ci and 350ci, 64cc chambers, 2.02/1.60-inch valves. But could be 1.94/1.50 valves, either way they are the “camel hump” heads and fairly good castings as far as original ‘60’s heads go.

*Intake is a Edelbrock Performer RPM.

*Carb is an Edelbrock 1403 500 cfm unit.

* No idea on engine internals. Its clearly been apart and i’m sure rebuilt. The head bolts are Mr. Gasket “8” bolts, and the cam seems healthy. Even with my compete lack of knowledge of carb tuning, it had some spunk and would pull hard from idle thru 4500+ RPM

* Flywheel is a 168 tooth unit probably from a passenger car with an 11” clutch. Need to look at the bellhousing closely when it comes out to see if we can up it to a 12” clutch and flywheel. But if not, the flywheel looks pretty decent with no big heat marks or cracks. May do a quick resurface and run it with a quality clutch.

When the headers came off, we could see that the front drivers cylinder had oil in it, probably from a leaky valve seal. Need to do a compression check on the motor, if that comes up good, then we’ll do new valve seals. The intake needs to come off as well, its got a leaky gasket on the drivers rear, oil would get on the starter after it warmed up. Hopefully compression turns out ok, it made good oil pressure and the rear main looked dry after the flywheel came off. I’d like to just button it back up with new gaskets and seals, put in a new clutch/flywheel, and bolt up the new trans & cases.

The carb is not staying.

 

[FuglyYota]

Lots of progress over the 4th weekend. Trans & t-cases out. All old brackets ground off, frame cleaned & stitch welded from front to back. Center crossmember removed, it'll be in the way of the doubler but will get replaced once the new drivetrain is in place. All in all, ready to bolt the engine to the new trans and cases, drop everything into place, and start fabbing new mounts.

Except.....we tore the motor al the way apart. Dad came over and one thing led to another. Every time we thought we saw the end, we found something that made us keep going. By the time we finished, it was a bare block and heads. Good thing too, the cam bearings were wasted and the main bearings show a good amount of wear. They were all clevite 77’s. Rod bearings were OK but everything is getting replaced. Cylinder walls on 2 bores look a bit corroded but should come out with a hone, not need an overbore. Ring ridge was nearly non-existant, pistons just dropped right out. Our thoughts were that the engine was built, run sparingly, then sat for a while (years) before it was run again. Amazingly, the crank, pistons, rings, rods, all the journal surfaces look very good. Bores are .030 over, main bearings are .010 over, rod bearings are factory. Machine shop will check them regardless. Block and heads will get hot tanked, new cam bearings, and cylinders honed. Then new bearings and seals all around. Keeping the cam and lifters, markings look like it’s a Comp Cams Xtreme Energy 262H. Pistons are TRW forged flat tops, with the 64cc heads that should yield a 9.6:1 compression ratio. It was a punchy little motor, even with the fuel and timing never quite right. Should be even better with the EFI and a proper tune up.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Reminds me of the 283 I pulled out of my 40 - top end was CLEAN, but I decided to keep digging and found cylinder scoring, worn main bearings, etc. It was running like a top when I pulled it, no smoke, no knocks - it's surprising how long they'll run in "sub-optimal" condition. The 283 was already bored .030 over, and it was a late 60's block (thinner) so in the end I couldn't rebuild it and run it - hence the new 350. I wish I could have kept the 283 - it was a great little engine for my 40's purposes.

Out of curiosity - why all the stitch welding on the frame? Obviously with all the reinforcement you're going for rigidity, just curious as to why - I've always heard the flexy/hot-riveted FJ40 frame was a good thing.

 

[FuglyYota]

I came up in race circles and was taught to make the frame & cage solid and the stuff bolted to it that may move get isolation. Make the suspension do the work, absorb the loads. Make the engine, trans, case crossmembers solid but with isolation to the frame. I’ll have to hard mount the exhaust in a few places but it will get flex couplings to allow movement and thermal expansion. Yeah, welding the frame is probably overkill and you need to make sure you’re not transferring stress to somewhere that isn’t set up to take it, but while it’s all apart and in front of me I figured i’d do it. My old rig also had the frame strengthened and tied all together with the cage, and it went all over the place chasing the KOH cars thru the desert and up trails as quick as a leaf sprung rig with good shocks should go. I wore out bushings and springs and bumpstops, but it handled great and was very controlled for what it was. A lot of that predictability i believe was knowing the chassis was solid and then years of tweaking the suspension to work.


I did weld in the RuffStuff frame plates and a new crossmember in the back so it’s fully boxed all the way down.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Gotchya - makes sense to me, just not an approach I often see taken. Keep plugging away at it!

I've got a non-US H41/3 speed case combo coming my way - nothing to this level but it'll at least double my gear ratio when I get it installed. Should help give my clutch a break!

 

[FuglyYota]

So engine is at the machine shop. Started working on the front with the engine out to clean up steering details and a few other things. Ended up tearing out the spring hangers at the frame end. If you look at the old pics, there wasn't enough there and instead of adding more I broke down and got the ruff stuff frame outriggers. A lot more beef and easy to install once the old was off. Steering also needed some work, was at the ragged edge of the u-joints and needed to be straightened out some. Got done welding it all back up this afternoon and fogged the frame and engine bay. Firewall still has a few holes to fill but I’ll get it back on the front axle and start running brakes while the engine gets done.

 

[FuglyYota]

Front axle rehung, 30 spline front RCV’s installed, steering box and links reinstalled, ready to start running all new brake master and lines. Good to finally start putting things back together again instead of tearing out.

Machine shop report - engine block and heads all good, were hot tanked and magnafluxed. 1977 vintage 262H comp cam being replaced by a Comp Xtreme 4x4 262/270. Full kit with lifters, springs, etc. Block is .030, going to try and go .040 and see if that cleans everything up. Should know next week.

 

[FuglyYota]

Engine still at machine shop, had to go .060 over, so new pistons, rings. Parts in their way, so that will be done soon.

In the mean time, i talked them into loaning me a core 350 vortex block for mock-up. Bolted the trans and transfer cases up, rewelded the motor mounts and threw it all in.

First impression - floor looks like it can stay. Need to check a whole bunch more stuff tomorrow and then start making crossmembers.

 

[FuglyYota]

October is a busy month. Anniversary in the beginning, wife’s birthday midway through, Halloween at the end and lots of activities for the girls in between. So not a terrible lot of progress. I plan on taking a few days off between now and the end of the year to help keep things moving.

Current focus has been on trans/transfer case crossmember. The mounting points are on the adapter between the 203 range box section and SM465. Shifter for the split case needed to be notched around, driveshaft mocked up, and the elevation of the drivetrain mocked up. I started fabricating with a RuffStuff crossmember kit, and then used 2”x2”x1/4” tube with some 2”x2”x1/4” angle and 1/4” plate for bracing and plating. It’s ugly and heavy, and took longer than I wanted, but strong. It hangs down no more than the split case itself, and will form the basis for a transfer case skidplate as well. I have another set of bushings and tubing for another skidplate crossmember, but that will get done after the driveshafts are in and I can see the full suspension cycling.

Mockup engine block and drivetrain are back out and on the garage floor. I need to bolt the trans to the cases so I can build shifters. Rebuilt engine and heads will be done next week from the machine shop. Dad and I have tentative plans to assemble it over thanksgiving weekend. I need to order the clutch so it can then go back in after that and really start bolting things together.

Question for those who have dealt with a split case: it looks like it has no provisions for it’s own mount. Part of me says the one mount at the Np203 is ok, other part says there should be another mount for the drivetrain to handle the torque and drivetrain stress when crawling. What says you? Anyone ever broken a split case like this?

 

[boots4]

My disclaimer is that I try not to beat on my rig but having the mounts under the 203 only has not caused any issues for my splitcase.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Your fabrication work is clean man - always impressed.

 

[FuglyYota]

Got a few things from the machine shop, had them resurface flywheel and bead blast the oil pan, intake, valve covers. Came out pretty good.

Started on shifters, twin stick with be for the split case, 203 will get a different rail built a little farther back.