Builds “It’s only a motor swap and an axle swap” FJ55, 2UZ, 5 speed, 80 axle build (1 Viewer)

[TachedOutOffRoad]

It’s has some old something sprayed/painted under the body. The only way it could be this well done is with the body off some time in the past. Maybe with the old 350 swap? Zero rust found.

I ripped out what was flaking, acetoned the whole underside, painted a rustoleum primer layer with this sound deading stuff, then a another black rustoleum layer with the sound deading stuff. It’s supposed to be super bad ass, drop temps, and reduce sound. Well see! It’s almost a powered/tiny sand mix. The whole bottom side of the truck, inside fenders, firewall, inside and outside, every nook and cranny got two coats. Will do the inside later.

Welcome to [Hy-Tech Thermal Solutions] - We Make Paint......Insulate!

 

[TachedOutOffRoad]

I really wanted the body to be bolted down for the last time at the end of the week of the 4th, but just didn’t make it. Got a lot done and really trying to finish anything that makes sense to do with body in the air.

it’s hot as hell in Alabama and going out on the boat with the kids is a top priority. We go 4+ days a week. Good decompression from sweating in shop.

to have the “body swap/frame swap” complete:
-Front cross member
-touch up under-paint
-very front, double body mount
-then bolt body down for the last time in a long time I hope
-bolt in tank

 

[TachedOutOffRoad]

After thinking it was finally going in the last time, I ended up fighting the tank some more the welded in nuts in the body broke lose. Will have to cut and weld something later. Had to throw in the towel for the night.....


Have to move the bacon outside while I’m going out of town for a while. Decided to tackle the steering.

I had three different steering column parts and fabbercobbeled them into one that would fit.
I kept playing with this weird ribbed middle piece. It looked like rubber almost, but was metal, but felt lite. As I was just about to bolt it in, just gave it a little tiny wack on the front cross member and it fell into two pieces.

I would like to think that the little tiny wack saved my life in the future. That s*** would have come apart at the first sign of any stress and would have zero input from the steering wheel to the steering box hauling ass down the road.

as I wondered around the shop I found some unused steering parts off of a new Mercedes SUV. It was pretty close in size. Welded up the ends and put a pin in as well for extra goodness.

Now steering!! Got my teenage helpers to help me push it outside of the shop and there she sits as beautiful as ever.
going to try to sneak home, throw tank in, and get it to the exhaust shop while I’m gone, but not very hopeful on that.

 

[TachedOutOffRoad]

 

[Broski]

Lot of work this week. Not many cool pics though.

fought this ridiculous tank for hours and hours. The bracket that came with it had to be cut to fit ANY 55. There are only so many was your can flip 2 brackets around to try to make them fit, but I damn sure tried each way a minimum of 4 times each. After cutting them, had to drill new holes to push it backwards some for my 80 chassis. I nearly broke my hand only 7 times fighting this thing.

but it’s in....

it is huge. It will get a skid plate. Will look better with a bumper coving a lot of it

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Wow That must be a huge disappointment , after custom ordering the tank. It's really going to kill the departure angle.
I been really enjoying the build thanks for sharing, keep the posts coming!!!!

 

[05CTD]

Nice build. I saw a 55 for sale today but no where as nice as the one you started with.

Can't wait to see it finished.

 

[TachedOutOffRoad]

Wow That must be a huge disappointment , after custom ordering the tank. It's really going to kill the departure angle.
I been really enjoying the build thanks for sharing, keep the posts coming!!!!

Thanks.
I think it’ll be fine, but if I did it again, I’d get a different one for sure. 20ish gallons is too little, but 55 is too much. It would be better with a 55 frame, but it’s still not just

Nice build. I saw a 55 for sale today but no where as nice as the one you started with.

Can't wait to see it finished.

Man I seriously looked for months and months for this one. Got a steal on it too. They are weird and funny trucks. Love em. I passed on one at $12k that a guy is now trying to flip for $21.5. Can’t buy from the middle man and get a deal.

this is my ‘69 I’ll be selling when this one is done.

 

[gonzopancho]

Can’t buy from the middle man and get a deal.
View attachment 2368152

Sometimes it works out if the middle fella is honest.

 

[TachedOutOffRoad]

Sometimes it works out if the middle fella is honest.

The Pig that went from me to you was a $0 (really a -$ with labor hours) middle man transaction. Just passing through. The dude using the same pics from the other ad and is straight flipping it for a $8-9k increase in price gets rough for an inpatient buyer.

I almost bought three others over the 6+ month wait but am glad they never worked out.

Im day 20 into a 26 day work streak. Hope to fry some bacon soon.

 

[gonzopancho]

The Pig that went from me to you was a $0 (really a -$ with labor hours) middle man transaction. Just passing through.
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Yeah, IJS I appreciate it! LMK if I can return a favor.

 

[TachedOutOffRoad]

Well...

Summer time! Boats, helicopters, $5.99 beer for the crew chiefs, college kid car maintenance, moving a son off to college, damn virus, and virtual schooling! Worked 27 days in July woohoo!

 

[TachedOutOffRoad]

Taking a week off and getting this mofo running!!


DONE yesterday
-bolts down instead of holes up for gas tank
-slot gas tank brackets
-tank bolted in !!!!
-Slee radius arms Install
-clearance steering shaft
-giant front shocks Install
-radiator in
-replaced hood bolts
-new rad hoses in
-measure for PS lines

 

[TachedOutOffRoad]

Double drilled flanges and sent off drive shafts.

the front has smaller bolt holes and a slightly different pattern.

 

[TachedOutOffRoad]

These are not the Slee arms I have.....

I bought Ben’s, who works at Slee, old style so he could put the new style on his 80. They correct about 3-4* of castor.

racebuggy clutch pedal since mine was MIA

 

[TachedOutOffRoad]

This is my overly detailed list to keep me on track in the shop all week. Have a real mechanic helper coming Wednesday and hopefully one sat/sun to get this bacon cranked!! Want it to drive onto trailer to take to exhaust shop Monday afternoon.


breaking this list down makes it more manageable and see what tools/parts I’m missing.

Daily updates almost all this week.


AK2AL Build TO DO LIST

-pickup bolts from Toyota
-Northport auto
—lines
—coolant
--pedal Hydraulic fitting


—-order—
-skid plastic (McM)
-trans tunnel metal (Cain)
-order rear coil spacers (slee)

—pickup—
-fuel lines Orileys
-brake lines
-fuel tank filler hose
-intake parts/MAF bracket

—do—
-install electric fan
-install clutch pedal
-bleed clutch/fitting
-triple stick install
-PS reservoir mounting
-wiring install
-evap canister mount
-swap to 80 booster?
-drive shafts (getting back Wednesday)
-DS in
-run brake lines
-run fuel lines
-bleed brakes
-fill trans, Tcase, diffs
-locking hubs on
-gas in tank
-rear shocks
-rear coil spacers
-new headlights?
-New TRE(s)
-Tie Rod and Dragline (slee)
-trans tunnel metal
-buy battery (Location?)
-exhaust shop
-O2 sensors?


—later
-paint interior with sound deading
-axle rebuild
-build bumpers
-winch Install 8274?
-AC
-radio/speakers


DONE
-slot tank brackets
-bolts for tank
-tank in (nylon washers Anders)
-Slee radius arms Install
-clearance steering shaft
-front shocks Install
-radiator in
-new rad hoses in
-measure for PS lines
-grill/hood/hood latch

 

[TachedOutOffRoad]

Completed today:
-picked up Toyota hardware (30 min each way)
-coolant
-PS lines made
-PS lines installed
-LX470 PS reservoir mounted
-picked up clutch hard line
-mount fan
-tripe stick install
-original battery tray works
-ordered rear coil spacers

Link for the fan. BLACK MAGIC! It covers about 95% of the radiator and pulls 3300 fpm. This isn’t the stock pig radiator

Flex-A-Lite 180: Black Magic X-Treme Electric Puller Fan Includes adjustable thermostat controller - JEGS

Black Magic X-Treme Electric Puller Fan

www.jegs.com

 

[TachedOutOffRoad]

Playing with the triple sticks... moves them all forward to front case location to keep from having rear passenger shift for me.

Left to Right, forward to back
Low.... (double)Low.......2WD
High................ High .......4WD

Or something like that...

Had to bend shifters and short the threaded rods to make it all clear. Pretty cool overall though.

 

[TachedOutOffRoad]

Didn’t get started until 5:30pm when a real mechanic friend came over. It was really nice to have someone who deals with this all day everyday except he kept talking about how easy LS swaps are...

got the routing done, alternator re-wired, fuse box locations figured out, hole in firewall for plugs, and every plug has a home to connect to except one. I think they messed up and put a male connector where a female goes.

my automatic trans harness out of the LX470 is needed to trick the ECU with the manual transmission. Mine has two bad smushed plugs and I’ll need a new/used one ASAP. Won’t stop it from cranking, will just throw CELs. The resisters basically make it think I’m in neutral all the time.

spent an hour getting the clutch to mount in the original location before I realized it would be way to short... so get to re-do it all tomorrow! Woot woot!

not a lot of good pics, but have a real handle on the wiring now: plug in about 20 plugs and wire in about 6 and she’ll crank. The cruise control is about 10 more plugs that I’ll deal with later.

 

[TachedOutOffRoad]

My friend came up in the world with old Toyotas and Samurai buggies, now has a 600hp rock bouncer.

When all someone does is fix cars for a living, it’s amazing how fast they will just starting identifying issues, pulling parts, and making stuff happen. I needed that with the harness.

this is him in the very first part of the video. Nitrous solenoid was stuck on and flooded the motor.

 

[TachedOutOffRoad]

Off Road Solutions answered the phone right away, saw their goof, and going to help me figure out what to splice into the plug. I have the male plug that is needed!

Woot woot