Build Goat. A 1967 survivor FJ-45 LWB

[wngrog]

Have you used a speedy sleeve already?

There are two seals. I’ve used Soeedy Sleeves. I even have one here for it.

I’ve had good luck with them but this leak is coming from the inner seal.

I’m down waiting for motor mounts. Better safe than sorry. Mudrak takes the speedo housing and machines it and puts in two new seals for around $100

 

[JackA]

I just did this mod with success on my daily driver 40. Got another housing getting machined now and will install on the wagon.
Never had luck with the Speedy Sleeves.

 

[FJ40Jim]

Hold on, I gotta catch up with you...

I think what Jim is saying is that if I don’t have the nails to hold the shoes then the only way the setup works is for both springs to be inside like I have them.

Correct.

In order to upgrade or update my shoes I can add nails and offset the springs.
I’m not sure how this will add to the equation BUT if I can harvest enough ramped adjusters from the old stuff I’ve got a good feeling about that helping.

With the 2 powerful return springs behind, it cocks the shoes in hard against the backing plate, while trying to pop them out at the wheel cylinders. This puts a lot of drag & weirdness into the brake system.
With the return springs balanced, one inside & one outside, there is a neutral return force, and the lightweight retainers hold the shoes flat against the backing plate, with relatively low mechanical drag. That's why all 'modern' drum brakes are set up that way.

I’ll get motivated one day to get rid of this one-pump brake system and when I do I’m going to add pins and new springs and see if somehow that helps.

It helps. If it didn't help, then dangerously cheap car companies (read: GMC) would not have added that extra part in the 1950s.

I cranked it up each corner and adjusted each one again.
It will now stop on the first push. It won’t lock up on the first push but it stops.
Huge.

Great. Drive it some more to burn in the shoes, then do one last, proper brake bleed & adjust.
Bleed all 4 corners in the following order: LR, RR, RF, LF

To adjust properly is a 2 man job.
Spin the wheel in the normal (forward) direction, then mash brake pedal to center up the shoes.
Adjust each adjuster in that drum to where there is just a little drag from that adjuster.
Spin wheel, whack pedal, readjust.
Lather, rinse, repeat until there is no more improvement.

If you'd just drive that thing up to OH, we'd have it working in no time.

 

[FJ40Jim]

Sending unit help.
I found a new old stock 67 sending unit for the goat.

This part is still available new from Mr.T, it fits E-1972. It requires minor modification to fit in a stock E-64 tank, because the hole & bolt circle are both slightly smaller on the early trucks. But the electrical values are the same.

The old one would get me from park position to empty when the tank was full.
The new one gets me to 1/3 tank.
Should I bend the float like a toilet bowl?

No, don't bend the brand new Toyota sender, it's not the problem.

Well bending it got me nowhere. Guess my old sending unit was fine. Must be the gauge.

The old sending unit was tired, because it would only bring the gauge up to E. But the gauge itself is also tired. Unfortunately, the E-72 gauge is long discontinued. So the fix for the gauge, which is garbage at this point, is to disassemble and bend it to read E when empty. You don't care as much about F accuracy, you really need to know when it's near E.

One thing though. When I put sending unit in when I redid the tank back in January I used RTV. That was a mistake. It was gummy. And would have caused a problem soon.

Instructions. Read them. The RTV package has some language on it not to use in carbs, intake manifolds or fuel contact.

I did not have the proper rubber gasket but lo and behold the early rubber thermostat gasket works great with a trim.

The tank gasket is readily available new, fits all 65-later tanks.

 

[wngrog]

Thanks Jim. I’ve got motor mounts (front and rear, you were correct of course, the rears are toast too) and a speedo housing with fresh seals ordered.

Once all that stuff gets here and installed I’ll whittle away on the brakes again

This truck is like the 1830 house I live in. All the simple stuff has a hidden surprise.

 

[FJ40Jim]

On the p-brake, are you saying you got a p-brake rebuild kit and a new rear seal, installed it, and now a couple hundred miles later the shoes are worn out and the new seal is pissing 90WT?

 

[wngrog]

No. I just now got around to doing the rebuild kit.

When I pulled the driveshaft it dumped 90wt on my belly. Quite a surprise.

Gary Kardum is sending me a refurb speedo housing with two pretty new seals. I had him do it for my Pig after I tried and failed with a speedy sleeve.

Safe than sorry.

 

[FJ40Jim]

Got it.

The 90Wt inside the drum should be corrected with a seal(s) from this century.

The 90Wt coming out the center of the drum is just working it's way out the splines.
You can fix that by using an off-book procedure upon p-brake reassembly.
Starting with clean, dry: drum brake splines, shaft splines, big washer, big nut.
Slide drum into place.
Using the plastic extension nozzle, squirt RTV into the end of the splines.
Push the big washer into position, should be touching the RTV.
Put RTV onto the thrust face of the big nut & install it.
The shaft/threads/splines are now sealed from migration of oil.

 

[wngrog]

Got it.

The 90Wt inside the drum should be corrected with a seal(s) from this century.

The 90Wt coming out the center of the drum is just working it's way out the splines.
You can fix that by using an off-book procedure upon p-brake reassembly.
Starting with clean, dry: drum brake splines, shaft splines, big washer, big nut.
Slide drum into place.
Using the plastic extension nozzle, squirt RTV into the end of the splines.
Push the big washer into position, should be touching the RTV.
Put RTV onto the thrust face of the big nut & install it.
The shaft/threads/splines are now sealed from migration of oil.

Hmmmm, there was no oil dripping from the drum. Only the surprise when I removed the shaft

So you think sealing the splines with RTV is a good first step before I invest in new seals?

Or are you suggesting both?

 

[FJ40Jim]

The shoes look pretty oily & worn, indicating that some amount of oil has been getting out at the seal. It would make sense to replace the 50 year old rubber seal to protect the new shoes.

The RTV in splines trick is just a good idea when servicing the t-case or differential flanges.

 

[wngrog]

Thanks. I’m certainly not wanting to do this twice like I did on the Pig when the speedy sleeve did not work.

 

[middlecalf]

If I understand the purpose of the speedy sleeve... it’s to cover the groove in the output shaft from wear by the seal(s). Are you having the TC output shaft replaced in the rebuild? Even with new seals you still might have a groove to deal with. The SS worked for me on my ‘65, with no new seals.

 

[wngrog]

If I understand the purpose of the speedy sleeve... it’s to cover the groove in the output shaft from wear by the seal(s). Are you having the TC output shaft replaced in the rebuild? Even with new seals you still might have a groove to deal with. The SS worked for me on my ‘65, with no new seals.

You are correct on the SS. That said, sometimes they don’t get the job done. The seals are just too old.


So, last time this happened I found out that my old friend Mudrak has a fix. He adds a second forward seal to the housing by machining a groove and pressing in a seal.

I’m down for other parts so I’m going to do this to be sure.

 

[wngrog]

Collected myself some new brake hardware and thought I would pop that on the Goat today.

Well, turns out the screw that holds the brake line union to the backing plate is right where the nail needs to go on the top brake shoe.

I’m done. Brake chapter is closed.



Now I wait for my new speedo housing from Mudrak so I can drive it again.

For the record that is the 3rd Cruiser project I’ve started in 24 hours that has been a fail.

I need a win bad here.

 

[DomSmith]

Just got to remind yourself that you’ve already won.

You hit the lotto when you got this truck!

 

[wngrog]

Just got to remind yourself that you’ve already won.

You hit the lotto when you got this truck!

Yes yes yes. Amen brother.

Tinkering with Cruisers keeps me sane. It can’t all go my way. That’s what keeps me learning.

 

[wngrog]

So, I’m a glutton for punishment.

This is another project I’ve been putting off because it just drives so good.

That said, the tie rod ends and stabilizer all looked like hammered ass.

Since none of my other projects planned out I dove into this one.

Some deadbeat ordered new tie rods from @beno and never paid him so I have a nice clean slate to start with

New 555 rod ends from @cruiseroutfit

And I can’t be looking like @c2dfj45 with that yellow ass shock under my truck like a good tooth

 

[wngrog]

So it’s entirely possible all of this was OEM considering condition and the low miles on the Goat.

They damn sure put up a fight.

I’m fully disassembled. Tomorrow I’ll see if it all goes back together.

This early center arm. Is there anything I can do to tighten it up? It’s got quite a bit of slack in it.

The amount of dirt that is still in my frame is pretty embarrassing

I bought a kit to bebuild this guy. I’ve actually never done it.

And finally. Man. This thing was yesterday’s news. Totally hammered.

 

[megolfer]

Where did u get the kit to rebuild the joint on steering box. Also are those tie rods still available.

So it’s entirely possible all of this was OEM considering condition and the low miles on the Goat.

They damn sure put up a fight.

I’m fully disassembled. Tomorrow I’ll see if it all goes back together.

View attachment 1714139

This early center arm. Is there anything I can do to tighten it up? It’s got quite a bit of slack in it.

View attachment 1714140

The amount of dirt that is still in my frame is pretty embarrassing

View attachment 1714141

I bought a kit to bebuild this guy. I’ve actually never done it.

View attachment 1714142

And finally. Man. This thing was yesterday’s news. Totally hammered.

 

[wngrog]

Yeah they are still available.

Rebuild kit. I think that was Cruiser Corps.