Builds Isuzu 4BD1T Lexus LX450 (Land Cruiser) Build (4 Viewers)

[Dazed]

Both my AC and alt can be tensioned. I basically just have a rob that pushes out from the plate mounted to the engine block to tension the AC.

Also, I have the HJ60/FJ62 mount for my air box and its mounted to the fender with three legs too. As I recall, I cut the legs at about half way and then moved them and clamped the two top legs and then found the third leg underneath, clamping it in place. Checked fitament and then spot welded them back when I had it right and kept checking and fitting it as I welded it. It was one of the easier things for me.

 

[wrongway around]

Not sure should be easy picking up a dash cluster,but if you get skunked I probably have one that I will reluctantly give you. Looks close to being dialed in.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Thanks Dazed, I'll look into it.

Not sure should be easy picking up a dash cluster,but if you get skunked I probably have one that I will reluctantly give you. Looks close to being dialed in.

I'm working on getting a 3FE cluster now, what is the red line on the 1HD tach's? This Isuzu only revs out to 3500-4k at the most.

I'll let you know if I am unable to find a cluster.

Thanks,

 

[Greg_B]

starts at the 4300 for the 1HD-T tach.

Props on all your work!

gb

I'm working on getting a 3FE cluster now, what is the red line on the 1HD tach's? This Isuzu only revs out to 3500-4k at the most. Thanks,

 

[Wheelingnoob]

starts at the 4300 for the 1HD-T tach. Props on all your work! gb

Perfect! Thanks Greg.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

So todays progress was slow, I started by deciding that I needed to lower the engine by 1/2". Before i pulled the engine to do that I wanted to test a few things. One was the p/s lines. I had read in a few Isuzu swap threads that the stock FJ62 p/s line threaded right into the pump, so I got a FJ80 PS line with the hope that it would thread into the pump too (same engine FJ62/FJ80).

Line threaded right in..



Looking good so far...



Look at that bolts into the frame like its made to go there (it is) and is a perfect OEM adaption of the Isuzu power steering pump and toyota system.



Im still very impressed that every single fitting sensor and plug has been a direct swap with this engine.

I then moved onto playing with the york compressor to see if I can make it work somehow. Played wit a bunch of different ideas, none I really liked. I think the York is going to be sold. I may try and mount a smaller Sanden 508 beside the AC compressor at some point but for now that idea is dead.





Last thing I wanted to check before pulling the engine was the front driveshaft clearance. Just wanted to make sure at full bump I would not have any issues.

Lots of oil filter clearance.



Bell housing lots of room.



Oil pan lots of room.



After that was done the engine was pulled and the mounts where dropped 1/2". I then fully welded them and drilled the mounting holes. After that was done the engine was reinstalled and fitment was checked a gain. Dropping it that 1/2" was perfect gave me the room I wanted.

Im going to leave the engine in for a bit now and start my wiring first then fabricating for exhaust, waste gate, intercooler mounting and rad, intercooler and intake piping. Lastly fuel lines and in tank mods.

Should be a busy few weeks.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Another day spent working on the swap. Today was a slow day, lots of head scratching and testing as I am now truly into the fabrication stage of this swap. Today was mostly spent working on the cooling system.

I am using a Griffin rad off some sort of chevy maybe a Chevelle? I have had for years from a old project and its free so why not.

I'm moving the rad back to allow room for a intercooler between it and the condenser.

I started by re installing the battery boxes as well as my 1FZ clutch and fan on the engine (bolts on again amazing). Then set the rad on some 2x4's to get the height dialed in.



Its uses almost all the available space and fits snugly between the battery boxes.





I then bolted on the old rad mounts to see how they work in there. Unfortunately they limit where I can run intercooler pipes to the point its not worth it.






Do not think they are going to work as it stands but the part that bolts to the rad support and the insulator will be used.

Good room for the fan, just need to make a shroud.



Lastly the thermostat housing is about 2-3" higher than the rad cap so I will need to put some sort of bleeder on it.

I also got all the hoses needed to make the heater lines and get that taken care of as well as the rad hoses.

More tomorrow.

 

[wrongway around]

Nice with the motor low like that if only for the weight,let alone the piping. Are you going to make a steam box for PVC to mock up the piping before you make your shroud.

 

[Dazed]

Considered an electric fan?

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Nice with the motor low like that if only for the weight,let alone the piping. Are you going to make a steam box for PVC to mock up the piping before you make your shroud.

Yep its going to be about the same height as stock but the engine weight is about 8" further back so the weight is more towards the center of the truck. I plan to make a larger capacity PCV can as the stock one is very small. All the IC pipes will be made before the fan shroud. The shroud will be made so the fan can be removed from the top in case a stick makes its way in there as they frequently seem to do up here.

Considered an electric fan?

Not for a second. I have never ever had good luck with electric cooling fans, they seems to be ok in normal conditions but as soon as they are really needed there weakness comes out. I also want to minimize electronic devices with this swap.

 

[Dougal]

Not for a second. I have never ever had good luck with electric cooling fans, they seems to be ok in normal conditions but as soon as they are really needed there weakness comes out. I also want to minimize electronic devices with this swap.

Pretty much all the aftermarket electric fans are rubbish. I've been looking at a radiator and most of them come with two 80 watt fans with CFM ratings that are complete fiction.
You can go into the SPAL factory specs and even their slimline fans only acheive about 8 m/s air-speed. That's 30km/h. They do make gruntier fans, but they are literally twice as deep and are never seen aftermarket.

On my Isuzu I run two ex-toyota corolla/corona electric fans and they are about 150w each. This is IMO the minimum.
My Skoda tdi runs two fans, the larger is I think 250w, the smaller not much less.

Electric fans can be good, but good ones are very hard to find and hard to fit up correctly.

 

[Dazed]

The ford contour fan fits a 60-series radiator almost perfectly. I know of a few people using them, including myself. There is a thread somewhere on it.

I decided on that because it was pretty easy to do and I didn't have to deal with fabricating a fan shroud, which would have been much harder for me.

Edit:
Here is the thread

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=237250

 

[Wheelingnoob]

So today's progress was very slow, I decided my rad support was far to twisted and dented to build rad mounts off of. So I contacted Sheldon at G&S and got a rad support and also a PRND32L dash indicator and wire pig tail.

When I got home I started going over all the custom brackets I would need to make the hold the Aluminum rad. I really do not want anything custom that I may need to replace and service on the road. I cant imagine how hard it would be to get a new rad like this Griffin one and then find someone to weld on all the attachment points.

So I grabbed a 3 core HJ60 rad I had left from a parts truck and put it next to the Griffin. The core is slightly shorter but 1.5" wider with the top bottom tank layout the rad is actually narrower over all (a Good thing) and has more over all core area. Nice part is although narrower than the stock rad buy almost 5" its got the same mounting attachment points. This rad will be moved back as well but will make attaching to rad to the support much easier and repairs if ever needed on the road will be simple since its all OEM. Maintaining my goal of keeping every part used OEM or easily replaced at any parts store. Oh and to top it all off the HJ60 rad hoes are a direct swap and I mean perfect swap.

I dropped the rad off tonight to get boiled over and the top tank inlet and fill point swapped from side to side. Another benefit of this rad is that its only about 1" below the thermostat so no bleed port needed just need to fill with the nose up.

No pictures today as I did not really do anything picture worthy.

 

[doug720]

I also used the stock radiator, fan/clutch and even the shroud on my swap. This is great for any future parts that may be needed, especially on the road!

I have ac and even climbing 6% grades on Hwy 5 in 100f heat, have never had any cooling issues or problems!

It sounds like your set up will be close to mine in design, with the rad moved back and the inter cooler in space between the ac condenser and the rad. I bent up some steel to make a channel about 5.5" thick.

I then made mounts that attached to all the stock rad support points and used the stock rad rubber mounts also. I made all this work so the stock shroud fit also. It also left plenty of room for my inter cooler.

All stock, secure and relatively easy. Hope you don't mind the pictures.

As usual, yours is looking good and well thought out!

Doug

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Thanks Doug! Almost exactly what I plan to do. You thread and rad support mods has been my main form of ideas on this. What fan shroud did you use? Is it centered?

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I also used the stock radiator, fan/clutch and even the shroud on my swap. This is great for any future parts that may be needed, especially on the road!

I have ac and even climbing 6% grades on Hwy 5 in 100f heat, have never had any cooling issues or problems!

It sounds like your set up will be close to mine in design, with the rad moved back and the inter cooler in space between the ac condenser and the rad. I bent up some steel to make a channel about 5.5" thick.

I then made mounts that attached to all the stock rad support points and used the stock rad rubber mounts also. I made all this work so the stock shroud fit also. It also left plenty of room for my inter cooler.

All stock, secure and relatively easy. Hope you don't mind the pictures.

As usual, it all looks good and well thought out!

Doug

Damn that looks good.

 

[doug720]

The shroud is my stock 60 one mounted to rad as it was from Toyota. I positioned the mounts so both are very close to centered on the fan. The stock Toyota fan and clutch bolt to the Isuzu water pump aslo, so all my set up is basically Toyota.

I made the lower rad mounts risers with captured nuts inside so it;s easy to remove the rad if needed.

Doug

 

[doug720]

Here it is with finished. Leaving it all stock also allowed me to keep my dual battery mounts without modifications.

Best of all, the flat plate on top is a great place to place tools when working on things!

Pardon the hijack...

Doug

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Very nice! Thanks Doug!

Now I need to find a FJ60 shroud lol.

 

[mjosoba]

So the HJ60 rad is how different from the FJ60 rad?