Builds Hi, My name is..……………….(yellow 76 FJ40)

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With the gauge cluster looking so nice and clean, I needed to give the dash knobs some attention.
Easy knob refresh

Much of the lettering had lost it

This Laquer stick product was recommended to me and it worked perfectly. Just smear it into the recessed lettering and wipe off the excess. Clean up with a smooth towel damp with laquer thinner

Results:

 

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Better living thru hydrolics.
JT Outfitters kit was not the best. Had to cut and weld their gear box pedestal to get the angle right and not over work the rag joint. Also had to grind material off the pump bracket due to interference with the valve cover.
Turned a 4 hour job into 12 hours. But still worth it for the end result.

While researching which route to go for powersteering, I read several comments that the mini truck PS didn’t provide enough assist. I can’t imaging how this would be the case. There’s plenary of assist without losing feel for the road. My PO did all the tie rod ends and steeeing components so I was driving straight and solid before the PS install and it’s just as good after the install, only easier!!! I highly recommend the mini truck power steering add on.

Before and after.

 

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I have a confession to make. I love the manual choke in my FJ40. It makes no sense. It’s not convenient, EFI is better by any measure, but I can’t bear the thought of losing the nostalgia of that simple, mechanical, tactile, manual choke. I bought an OEM cable off a rig that was being parted out and gave it the same refurb treatment as above. It makes me so happy to see the right parts in the right place.

 

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Picked up a Trollhole carb and have begun to collect parts for conversion back to stock style carb and air cleaner

and a riser/heat shield

 

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The 42 year old seatbelts in my cruiser functioned poorly and the webbing was sun damaged and fraying.
A seatbelt refurb was overdue, so here’s a couple pics and a link to the DIY thread. Lots of detail in the thread.
DIY seatbelt refurb

 

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Picked up some proper white spokes. Actually they were chrome, but sandblasting and powder coating took care of that.

I do wish that they were wider.

 

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Installed. OEM wagon wheels.

 

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Fuel pump started dripping fuel out the weep hole. I bought a new OEM replacement from Toyota, but then also ordered a diaphragm and reed valve kit from Indonesia eBay so I could rebuild the original pump to keep as a spare. (Not my photo). Rebuilt was super simple. Kit was $55. Pump from dealer was $180.
edit: city racer has them for $135!

 

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Ordered the proper connectors to repair my brake fluid pressure switch wiring and my oil pressure sender connector. Thanks coolerman!

'What is this connector?' https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/what-is-this-connector.1161295/post-12595786

 

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Spare tire holder latch was worn and rattleing badly. You can see where the latch has worn the hook. A little welding and grinding replaced the missing material and snugged everything up.

‘76 spare tire latch adjustment or modification - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/76-spare-tire-latch-adjustment-or-modification.1162172/

 

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Oct 2019
Stretched her legs a bit. 1.5 hour drive to an overnight camp and a plesant day of fishing. This wasn’t the biggest fish, but it did have the best backdrop.

 

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The whole time I’ve owned this, the handling when turning has been weird. Here’s a thead about that problem. Spoiler alert: adding some toe in totally solved the problem.

 

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Lost my brake master cylinder and booster, slowly over the last few weeks.
Ordered a new booster and brake sensors from cityracer. Master came from rock auto.
Ended up pulling the clutch master and the steering column so i could clean behind them and paint them black. Replaced the rag joint while the column was out and cleaned and greased the bearing and all the switches behind the steering wheel.
It was amazing what a big difference it made to clean the fire wall. Degreaser and nylon brush worked well. I only did the drivers side this time. In a couple weeks I’ll tackle the passeger side. Pull the battery and you other accessories, paint them black, clean & reinstall. Makes a huge difference
Here’s a before and after pic.

 

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Feb 2020
Snow day, I rear ended someone.
Here’s the damage to mine. Main roadways weren’t slick, but the turn lane certainly was. I slid for almost 100 feet before I popped the suburban in front of me right in the trailer ball. Lucky hit really. No sheet metal damage to either rig.

I’ll source an OEM bumper, and use this opportunity to rework how the 8274 is mounted.

 

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Back to stock on the front end. Warn 8274 mount fabrication coming soon.

 

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Took one of my daughters fly fishing in the Short Bus. It was her first time. If you’ll indulge me a few extra words, there is some significance to the second pic.

The rod she is using was hand made by my grandfather. It was a gift to my dad in 1980. My dad had a flood in his basement a year back and I found it in his basement. The hand tied tapered tippet still had knots that they tied. I had taken it out a few times, but never landed a fish. So what you see there is the first fish that rod has landed in decades and it was done in the hands of the great grand daughter of its maker on her first day fly fishing. All in all, a pretty cool day!

 

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Remounted my 8274.
Welded in a 3 1/2” square tube between the frame horns and a mounting plate to that. Just a little measure, cut cut cut, weld weld weld, paint paint paint.

This is the set up the PO built

I didn’t love the brush bar so I pulled it. And then rear ended someone on a snowy morning this winter.

Removed all the bent parts

Added a crossmember for winch support

Finished product.

 

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May 2020
Took my first off-roading trip with a crew from the boisecruiserheads.
First time airing down tires for traction
First water crossing with water over the hood
First time using the roof rack to its potential. Need to rework it a bit.
First time catching a red band led trout.
First time at the Jarbidge River
First time wishing I had I had larger tires for real functional reasons. lots of rocks clunking against my axles.

 

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First time seeing an overturned vehicle along the trail.

 

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My Copilot