Builds Grey Gardens FJ62LG-PNEA: An idiots guide to resurrecting a high mileage FJ62

[plink01]

Hey mate I just read your build from start to finish. Thanks heaps for taking the time and posting it up. What a beauty, your doing an awesome job!

 

[plink01]

Delete

 

[HemiAlex]

Hey mate I just read your build from start to finish. Thanks heaps for taking the time and posting it up. What a beauty, your doing an awesome job!

Thanks. I just want to make it easier for others than it was for me.

 

[HemiAlex]

Things left to do:

Bilstein 4600 and leaf spring bushings
Front axle rebuild, new studs and new rotors.
Coolant flush for the last time.

That’s the important stuff, it will be back to wife daily status at that point.

Then we will add another layer of insulation, carpet and put a great stereo in it.

 

[cruisermatt]

lets see the conversion wire harness

 

[HemiAlex]

lets see the conversion wire harness

Will do. You saved the day.

 

[EscapeWagon62]

@EscapeWagon62 can you confirm the mods to your t case range shifter? We need to shorten it, and I’ve got a good idea now.

I need to modify mine soon. I mostly want to document this to make it easier to find for everyone later.

View attachment 3259218

View attachment 3259219

Sorry for the delay in responding.
I ended up just buying a modified linkage from cruiserparts.

 

[HemiAlex]

Today, we drove it. It worked.

-OEM leaf spring bushings
-random greaseable shackles
-front sway bar end links
-Dobinsons steering stabilizer

Some things are still nagging:

I need to replace all the exhaust crush gaskets. Massive exhaust leaks. I knew this would happen after I had to pull the outboard catalytic converter off to weld the cross member up.

I need to pull the top cover off the trans, I don’t have 5th gear. I flipped the transmission and t case over so many times with the 4 times I split the case, that I’m sure the 5th gear lever is stuck.

The muffler threw a lot of rust out of it, I’m going to have to buy the oem rear section soon.



The positive:

The 3FE is running great despite consuming 8 month old fuel. It rips. The 5 speed and 4.11 with small tires is a very good combo.

The bilsteins and factory bushings mean that the ride is amazing. I can’t be more happy with it. My wife will love it.

 

[HemiAlex]

Random left overs.

Nurburgring tested parts on a tractor.

 

[gordista]

I feel like your truck needs one of these —
The Badges from
grateful-fred.com

 

[HemiAlex]

I feel like your truck needs one of these —
The Badges from
grateful-fred.com
View attachment 3286769

Funny; the friend I bought it from had originally named it Touch of Grey. It was renamed “Grey gardens” by my wife after the documentary.

 

[HemiAlex]

62 is home and mostly done thanks to @samc2447 None of this would have been possible without his shop and friendship.

I have some small things to go over, and this one will be done.

Polish up stock wheels, add 235/75r15 Michelins

Add @CruiserTrash panels for the rear

Rebuild front knuckles

Add new rotors and adjust brakes

Make 5th gear work. All the times I had it flipped as I tore into the case 4 times, must have locked out something. Paging @orangefj45

Pull intake manifold, reseal and make sure none of the harness wires are pinched.

Fix and exhaust leak at the outboard catalytic converter and adjust it all so it stops tapping the floor board

Remove air pump, and desmog properly. I was originally against the desmog but I don’t have the bandwidth to play with it any more.

Last step will be a full set of stock lead springs and maybe a regear to 3.70.

This is a boring build, not very involved. But some have to stay stock. I don’t even think I’ll put a front driveshaft in this one yet.

 

[cruisermatt]

If you had the transmission vertical when you put the t-case together the 5th gear slider can fall out of place. Let's put 10% OD high-range gears in it when it's back out, there's your 3.70 "regear". I've been doing this in all the FJ62 H55f swaps.

 

[orangefj45]

Call me …… you have my number.

Georg @ Valley Hybrids @ Cruiser Brothers

 

[HemiAlex]

Call me …… you have my number.

Georg @ Valley Hybrids @ Cruiser Brothers

Confidence rebuilt. Thanks for your time.

 

[HemiAlex]

If you had the transmission vertical when you put the t-case together the 5th gear slider can fall out of place. Let's put 10% OD high-range gears in it when it's back out, there's your 3.70 "regear". I've been doing this in all the FJ62 H55f swaps.

Not ruling it out. I want to drive it more first

 

[ToyotaMatt]

Looking very sharp Alex !


the overall nimble and quicker then quick factor in short bursts in 2nd and 3rd gears , and or shifting from 2nd to 3rd via the FJ60 Aluminum shift tower H42 in GHOST , is undeniably something i have never experienced an any 2F engine equipped Land Cruiser before . Her 3F-E in its current mechanical state is a major or equal factor here too obviously ....


.
the H55F topic will happen one day for me as well ....

.​

- where did you source these stock height rear heavy duty shackles below Alex ?

i need this set up to complete the whole rear axle issues i have had to deal with thus far ,,,,


.

 

[HemiAlex]

Normal night time rituals. I was up past my bedtime so I went for it.

I was able to remove the shifter, remove the bolt, twist the top plate and release the 5th gear shift fork. I torqued the bolts back down and it all looks good now.

I got all 5 gears to engage. I’ll try and drive it this week.

Small victory. I appreciate @orangefj45 motivating me.

 

[HemiAlex]

5th gear works, but I had to pull the top off again. The 5th gear hardware out of the back of the top wasnt engaged. It must have been bound before and off today. I made the tang and groove fit, placed the cover down and slowly criss crossed the bolts til it sat flat.

I was able to put it in 5th at idle and the truck moved.

Huge gains.

Learn from my repeated mistakes, please.

 

[cruisermatt]

glad you were able to fix it in the truck.