JungleBiker's FJ45

[JungleBiker]

wow, nice bones on that 45 ... can't wait to see what it looks like with your rebuild ... I have OME i.e. Old Man Emu (heavy) springs on my truck ... rides a little rough, but I expected that ... its a nice package (springs, shocks, steering dampener, etc) but pricey ... I'm sure others have their views ...

BTW, where do you get OME springs? I've been to their website and they don't offer anything there for a 45, farthest they go back seem to be Series 70, but 7 out 10 people seem to prefer OME springs on their 40's and 45's (that's a random number I just made up on the spot, no science behind it--if you do a search on this forum for "best springs" most of the results contain "OME"), so they must be available from somewhere? I checcked CCOT, all they had was the HFS springs, though I admit that I really liked the idea of the "suspension correction" package they offer.

 

[JungleBiker]

P.S. It looks like the yard sold you a deisel- spec tranny.

You are right about that--thankfully the guy just gave it to me, didn't have to pay for it. What's the difference (other than the bellhousing)? Will any parts interchange?

 

[JungleBiker]

I got Belton springs on the front of my truck and use an extended shackle on the back to get a 2-3" lift. The Beltons have held up really well for 10 years or so now. They are made in Malaysia I think and Belton sells (sold) them out of Aus.

They were very reasonably priced at the time.

Thanks, I'll check out Belton, see what I can find.

 

[lostmarbles]

..... What's the difference (other than the bellhousing)? ....

Fine-spline (& longer) input shaft

 

[Solace in Solitude]

BTW, where do you get OME springs? I've been to their website and they don't offer anything there for a 45, farthest they go back seem to be Series 70, but 7 out 10 people seem to prefer OME springs on their 40's and 45's (that's a random number I just made up on the spot, no science behind it--if you do a search on this forum for "best springs" most of the results contain "OME"), so they must be available from somewhere? I checcked CCOT, all they had was the HFS springs, though I admit that I really liked the idea of the "suspension correction" package they offer.

For OME, contact Kurt at cruiseroutfitters.com - you can see them on the webpage - you can PM (start conversation) with @cruiseroutfit .

Welcome to MUD - your 45 looks great to me!! Well, the engine... Not so good right now... But, your attitude speaks volumes... You'll save it!!

 

[JungleBiker]

Fine-spline (& longer) input shaft

Hmmm, so far all of the 40 series transmissions I have seen here in PNG have 10 spline input shafts, and all the same length, too! Maybe the General Export gasoline and diesel models all used the same clutch?

 

[FF LC FREAK]

Hmmm, so far all of the 40 series transmissions I have seen here in PNG have 10 spline input shafts, and all the same length, too! Maybe the General Export gasoline and diesel models all used the same clutch?

The H series diesel and F series gas transmissions will interchange. The B series diesel will have a different input shaft (fine spline and different length). However, the input shafts will interchange as well, so if you get a B series transmission, you can swap out your F input shaft and everything will bolt up.

 

[lostmarbles]

Hmmm, so far all of the 40 series transmissions I have seen here in PNG have 10 spline input shafts, and all the same length, too! Maybe the General Export gasoline and diesel models all used the same clutch?

Yep. I was thinking that maybe you got a BJ (4 cylinder diesel) gearbox (with the fine spline input).

But if it's an HJ (6 cylinder diesel) gearbox then the input will also fit the F-series petrol engines as as FFLCFreak explains below.

The H series diesel and F series gas transmissions will interchange. The B series diesel will have a different input shaft (fine spline and different length). However, the input shafts will interchange as well, so if you get a B series transmission, you can swap out your F input shaft and everything will bolt up.

 

[andrews520]

ARB in Cairns might be a closer option for OME parts...

 

[JungleBiker]

Rolled my 45 into the shop tonight after work, taking tomorrow off to pull the 2F out and put the F-135 in. Out of curiosity, I tried rotating the crank by hand and wonder of wonders, it now turns over freely! Nice, but all it means to me at this point is that the bottom end might be alright after all. I guess the mix of old oil and gasoline I dumped into the crankcase must have finally penetrated everywhere it needed to penetrate.

Anyway it's still coming out tomorrow, and before my spare engine goes in I need to go over the frame carefully--it looks like there have been a number of "repairs" made over the years by somebody who had access to a welder and big pile of scrap steel. Most of them are going to come off so that I can see what's behind them and make better repairs and make everything look better.

Where can I get new spring hangers? On the front springs there are two bad spring hangers, one front one and one rear one. Is RuffStuff the best place to get these?

 

[JungleBiker]

Not doing too well on springs--ARB doesn't list springs in their catalog, though they do seem to list everything else you might want in that area. I've found a set of Ironman springs here at the workshop, NOS, I can have them for almost nothing, they are the right length and I think I can make up appropriate shackles and bushings, so I might just go ahead and do that for now, while I save up for something better.

Pulled the whole thing all to bits today. Now it's just a frame with axles and the main bulk of the body. I'll post some pics in a little while, still need to upload them to Photobucket.

My floor is in pretty awful shape. I have found replacement floor panels for a 1979, but they only repair the front half of the floor and I have holes running down both sides of the "hump" that goes over the fuel tank. I am thinking of relocating the fuel tank to the bed, so if it's not under the cab, will a 1978 and earlier floor fit in this cab? I like the idea of a flat floor and of possibly having underseat storage, and I've found a complete 1978 and earlier floor on the web.

 

[JungleBiker]

Got a bunch of work done today. I had originally planned to just swap out the engine today, but found a few issues that I'd like to address while the engine is out, so I changed plans a little and decided instead to focus on making the rig easier to roll, since it was really hard to push.

Got the fuel tank out. This tank looks pretty good, it was completely dry, not a drop of any sort of liquid in it. I haven't pulled the sender unit out yet, but there's no rust dust sliding around in there, so I'm guessing it's pretty clean inside. Almost a shame I'm not planning to use it:

Not sure what happened here!! Looks like the rear spring hanger split wide open somehow. There are no bushings in the front springs--not just worn out, but actually completely not there. I'm wondering if maybe there were "borrowed" for another truck? It's becoming more and more apparent that this was a bush truck and may even have spent its final years before being parked relegated to back roads where no policemen were around to ask difficult questions about registration and insurance.

More hideousness:

The way I left it tonight:

Pulled the brake drums off to see if I could figure out why it was so hard to push--as I suspected, in 5 or 6 cases, the brake friction material had separated from the steel shoes. Also the front wheels were badly toed out--it looks as though maybe somebody has put the incorrect tie-rod/track rod in--even adjusted to as short as it can go, the wheels are still pointing at opposite walls.

Anyway, pulled all the shoes off and threw them away.
Pulled the engine and transmission/transfer case out. I had not originally intended to pull the trans mission out, but since it was only held on by 4 bolts and since there was no crossmember to unbolt it from, I decided to just pull it out. I think this was a good idea, as it was leaking oil all over the place.

Once all of that was out and once the various fasteners had been loosened, it was a simple matter to remove the engine.

I admit that this frame is a bit worse than I was expecting. Tomorrow I'll focus on getting the steering sorted out (looks like somebody has maybe fitted a tie rod that is too long!! Maybe off of a later model LC?), and the front suspension. If I have time, I may also try to clean up some of the "repair" work that has been done over the years. I need to do something about the spring hangars.

 

[JungleBiker]

Shortened my tie rod, put a sleeve over it, fish mouthed the ends and welded it over the joint. Now at least the alignment is okay!

Cut off the rest of the ugly mess that was welded on to the end of the frame to mount the home-grown, water-pipe bullbar on.

Need to make up some shackles and find some good bolts so that I can mount those Isuzu springs I found. Found some new Nissan rubber bushings that look like they'll do the job. I'm a little worried about those springs, but even if they only stay on there long enough for me to get something better, that'll be okay.

Replaced a number of nuts and bolts that seem to have wandered away from the steering linkage over the years. Obviously I'll need to replace tie rod ends, etc. before I get a safety inspection and register it, but that's looking like it's still a ways off.

 

[JungleBiker]

Okay, so my frame has a few issues, basically it's been cracked in a couple of places and hasn't been repaired very well. I figured, no problem, I'm a good welder, I can fix that stuff. But then I noticed that the rear of the frame on the right is actually bent down a bit, and then I noticed a really dodgy repair on the tubular cross member that lives in the region of the transfer case, then a twist somewhere else, etc., but I Was still willing to make it all work for me. I'm really interested in trying to resurrect this truck with as many free, locally available parts as I can.

To that end, I wandered out to a local junk pile yesterday, hunting for rear hangers for my front springs. Lo! and behold! What I should I stumble upon but the remains of not 1, not 2, but 3 FJ45LV's!! One of them still had most of the body, (no glass, no doors, no interior, decent floor, though) and is sitting on its roof, with the frame right there in full view, and it is a very nice looking frame. No rust, straight, even the paint looks pretty good. I was really trying to figure out why that particular LV had ended up in the dump, found some crumpled front body parts, so maybe it was accident damaged in the front at some time when ti was much more difficult to get the parts to repair one of these in PNG?

Oh, and no spring hangers, I guess I'll have to get new ones after all.

Also found a pre-1979 FJ45 tub, also upside down, somewhat mangled, but with a very nice floor, so I think I will go ahead and put the older style floor in my FJ45 after all.

All in all a great visit to the dump, all this stuff is free to me!

(For those who are interested, there wa sothe rfun stuff int he junk pile, too--2 x WWII blitz trucks, one Ford and one Chevy, a CCKW cab, a WWII jeep tub and frame, a dozen Land Rover Series bulkheads, and more. )

 

[lostmarbles]

We do have a healthy appetite for photos of junk-yard parts-truck-finds you know...

 

[JungleBiker]

We do have a healthy appetite for photos of junk-yard parts-truck-finds you know...

Yeah, I do know that and I knew somebody was going to "suggest" that put some photos up. Truth is I forgot my camera, but I promise to bring it with me when i go out there next, possibly tomorrow, maybe over the weekend.

 

[JungleBiker]

In other news, I got my HEI distributor and wires today. Not a DUI, a DUI would almost undoubtedly be better. This one is (I assume) a chinese copy of the Davis Unified Ignition. It cost about 1/3 the price of a DUI. We shall see how it does.

 

[bikersmurf]

It sounds like the replacement frame is the way to go... good score.\

I wish we still had landcruiser parts trucks... haven't seen one at a yard in about 20 years... and few private ones.

 

[JungleBiker]

Okay, as promised, here's some pics from my local junk pile, any of this stuff is free to me.

Here's a Ford Canadian Military Pattern WWII era "Blitz" truck--I've talked to the man who put it here, says he drove it here in 1973 and it has been slowly sinking into the earth ever since--it actually still has a complete drivetrain (the flathead V8 engine has been pulled out, but is laying nearby), but you'd have to dig to get it out. There's also the cab of the Chevrolet version of this same truck lying out there, but I forgot to get a picture of it.

Here's the cab of a WWII GMC CCKW "deuce-and-a-half" 2.5 ton truck. This will eventually be used for a rat rod that I am slowly collecting parts to build:

FJ45LV #1, this is just the bottom of a FJ45LV body, but what you see here is incredibky solid, no holes, only surface rust:

FJ45LV #2, a little bit more left of this one, again what you see here is really really solid. I would love to know why these two LV's were cut up the way that they were:

FJ45LV #3, the most complete one. I toyed with the idea of trying to resurrect this one, but it's pretty rough--the rust isn't bad, but the dents are pretty bad, both sides are caved in for some reason, almost looks like somebody tried to lift it with a chain passing through where the rear windows were.

BY THE WAY: I remembered to take a tape measure with me this time, and found that the measurement from the centre of the spring hanger to the centre of the upper bolt on the rear shackle is exactly the same in my FJ45. So that's good to know. MORE TOMORROW.

 

[JungleBiker]

It was hard to tell much about this FJ45 tub, the firewall end of it was pretty beat up and I just didn't feel like digging the dirt out of it to see what the floor was like:

But the next best find (after the nice LV frame) was this FJ45 tub with a very nice floor:

Yeah, I'll have that. Loaded up on the faithful mule (this Land Rover is my daily driver, btw):

Now I have a new problem--that light blue tub is nicer than my red one in a lot of ways, but both need body work. I think ultimately it's going to come down to which one needs less work; that'll probably be the one I'll use.

I guess I've caught the Cruiser disease.