Joining the Cruiser Club with my new FJ40 (2 Viewers)

[4Cruisers]

@cowgirl40 and @SipLife finished the wiring this evening. Went to fire it up and the water pump pulley seemed frozen. Up on closer inspection the shorter bolts we used for the pulley were still too long and was contacting the water pump housing. !!!

Have to make a trip to Ace to get some shorter bolts.

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What about that big bucket you scored from @cruiserjunktion?

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

Sadly, few SAE bolts . This is a Chevy 350.

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

It’s 19F. No way barn time is happening. Cold snap rollin in.

 

[POTATO LAUNCHER]

Yessir, shop is closed here for the next few days also.

 

[4Cruisers]

One to two feet of snow predicted here this weekend, low of 5 degrees Sunday night. I'll be at my workbench refurbishing distributors, or maybe snowshoeing?

 

[CenTXFJ60]

Y’all are a bunch of wimps . Insulated carhartts went in the wash to clean off the years of dirt and dust from hanging on the wall of my barn. And the propane heater is coming out.

 

[1911]

Y’all are a bunch of wimps . Insulated carhartts went in the wash to clean off the years of dirt and dust from hanging on the wall of my barn. And the propane heater is coming out.

I still have some insulated Carhartts from when I worked on the North Slope in 1978-'79, the zippers finally gave out and I had to buy some new. A life-saver when it gets cold!

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

We have been busy consolidating our life. Sold the country house and got a place closer to DFW that got us a new home and barn in one place. It took a while to move all our projects and get the new place in order:

A journey with my boys- The Elf Barn as I call it.

Been on Mud for a while. Have the addiction. Done a few projects in my driveway and on my back. Have a few Cruisers. My boys are at an age that is right to get them confident in many things in life thru wrenching. My dad taught me so much. Watching and doing alongside. Not to fear much. Dive...

forum.ih8mud.com

Finally able to get to things after getting the elves work. Sandy needed a disc brake conversion. Got it on the lift and started the tear down. Noticed a conflict with the relay rod and the shock. May need to get creative with shocks. Maybe flip top to bottom to get thinner shaft near relay rod.

Needs all new tie rods. Center sector shaft may need to be rebuilt. Sandy is getting disc brake conversion bits from a FJ60.

 

[POTATO LAUNCHER]

Bilstien is the answer to your shock issue.

 

[JAG666]

Here are the specs:

1974 fj40 with a SBC 350 engine and a 4 speed manual transmission which I am hoping to convert to an automatic at our own @POTATO LAUNCHER shop. Got power steering, which I am excited about but no air conditioning! Let’s see how that works out with Texas summers. A project for another day I suppose. One thing I have grown to realize, there will always be a project in the horizon.

Hey Cowgirl.. I'm across the Trinity from y'all and just south on I-35W in Johnson County.. I, also, have a '74 FJ40.. I bought mine back in Dec 1973. Anywho.. On fitting the A/C.. I'm hear to tell you.. you WILL need the A/C.. The cabin of an FJ40 gets rather toasty during our North Texas Summers.. Even WITH A/C, it might not be all that cool.. The bunch that installed my A/C unit is, fortunately, no longer in business.. they only installed ONE A/C Vent.. dead center in the "heater dash" area.. I'll say this, it did keep my right knee cap cool!!
The point to all this is" TALK to your A/C Installer (husband?) and find-out exactly how he's going to "route" the A/C plumbing and vents..
The HUGE upside is you have the SBC V-8 (I have a 429cid Cadillac V-8 w/TH400 in my FJ40).. so a "must fit" A/C Item is the huge Delco Air Compressor (found in '60's/'70's Cadillacs and other GM V-8's). Given I'm running dual exhausts, I plan on fitting, and strongly suggest you fit, as well, a GOOD anti-heat barrier in the floor (and roof) of the FJ40.. It NEEDS it in our DFW Area!!
Charles 1974 FJ40.

 

[1911]

... you WILL need the A/C.. The cabin of an FJ40 gets rather toasty during our North Texas Summers..

The top comes off!

 

[JAG666]

The top comes off!

".45Cal" ( ) Just 'cause you live west of Tarrant County don't make that Texas Sun any cooler!! A 100 Degree day in the DFW Metromess is STILL HOT.. Top on or Top Off!! ;-} I'd rather have the top on (and better insulated) WITH a high BTU A/C Running Full Tilt! ;-}
How you coming on your "pile of Landcruiser"??
Charles 1974 FJ40.

 

[1911]

".45Cal" ( ) Just 'cause you live west of Tarrant County don't make that Texas Sun any cooler!! A 100 Degree day in the DFW Metromess is STILL HOT.. Top on or Top Off!! ;-} I'd rather have the top on (and better insulated) WITH a high BTU A/C Running Full Tilt! ;-}
How you coming on your "pile of Landcruiser"??
Charles 1974 FJ40.

I know, I just had to razz you. I do still drive mine in the summer (with no A/C), to me it's just part of the experience along with no power steering, etc. I'm old, and I like old machinery.

 

[4Cruisers]

I know, I just had to razz you. I do still drive mine in the summer (with no A/C), to me it's just part of the experience along with no power steering, etc. I'm old, and I like old machinery.

You need to move up into the mountains - it's never been over 95 degrees up here in my neck of the woods.

 

[1911]

You need to move up into the mountains - it's never been over 95 degrees up here in my neck of the woods.

I actually own 20 acres just below Oro Quay Peak in the San Pedro Range; access via state highway 344, about 5 miles (?) east of Golden. We were going to build our forever house there, we started the process in 2008 then the financial melt down killed it; banks wouldn't give me a mortgage even though I own the land outright. I even belonged to High Desert Cruisers back then (still have some t-shirts). By the time the financial crisis was over, my life had taken an unexpected turn and we decided to remain here in Tejas, bought a bigger piece of land, building a house here, etc. But I still own that land in the East Mountains. I do love the mountain climate - I grew up in Colorado.

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

Got both sides disassembled. No previous owner f’ups. Good thing. All stock. Had to use the Michigan Wrench that @dogfishlake taught me to get the tie rods off. No broken bolts. No birf soup.

@cowgirl40 cleaned up the 60 series knuckle bits so install should be simpler.

Great drum components that I will be putting up for sale for those doing factory original restore.

I need to buy stock at Cruiser Outfitters

 

[JAG666]

I know, I just had to razz you. I do still drive mine in the summer (with no A/C), to me it's just part of the experience along with no power steering, etc. I'm old, and I like old machinery.

I'm old, as well.. and as I got "older" (over eighteen) it got to where I couldn't stand the heat OR the humidity.. and North Texas has WAY too much of both!! Gots-ta-have-my-A/C!!
Charles 1974 FJ40.

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

Done. Did one side twice. DS was assembled only to realize PO who sold me the 60 series knuckles had stripped the caliper bolt. Luckily I had a spare 60 series axle to scavenge parts from. Three projects going on at the same time. Boys need support. This project is being done at fill in times.

 

[Engineer8000]

I enjoyed reading this thread very much, thanks for this. Neither of my kids ever showed any interest in wrenching on cars. @POTATO LAUNCHER , that shop is awesome.
I have to say though, I lost an hour of my life looking at those Walmart pictures. LMAO at this one

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

I enjoyed reading this thread very much, thanks for this. Neither of my kids ever showed any interest in wrenching on cars. @POTATO LAUNCHER , that shop is awesome.
I have to say though, I lost an hour of my life looking at those Walmart pictures. LMAO at this one

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Your a welcome. No pink on this one. Only exception is the Ford blue on the calipers. Sandy is back on 4 wheels.