Jzilla's FJ60 to BJ60 conversion

kim · Nov 11, 2011

Almost ready for the mud.

sityslkrbj70 · Nov 11, 2011

I hope it will see some mud! I need to take my truck out finally!.... I wait patiently!

jzilla · Nov 30, 2011

Time for an update…
Front clip now installed and driver’s side inner and outer fenders are now in. The inner and outer fender did not want to bolt together very nicely though! When I originally removed them I noticed that there were several bolts not in place because some of the holes were not lined up. It looks like it may have been in a fender bender at some point as the inner fender had the Toyota part number sticker on it still.
Anyways! I wanted to bolt the outer fender to the inner fender (as well as the body) with all the bolts! Someone had previously already enlarged a few holes to try and make it fit but they must have given up. No giving up here! After taking the outer fender on and off several times and with the help of a die grinder I got all the bolts on properly, I then painted wherever I had grinded. The outer fender was sprayed with fluid film all over the inside before being installed (this will be done to the passenger side as well).

Received the 3 inch flex pipe I ordered from ebay (was about 20 bucks!), seems like a good piece, time will tell… It has now been welded into the downpipe from the flange on the turbo, I had a previous crack there from the vibration.

Heater valve and hood release latch have been sandblasted, painted and installed. Hood support rod installed (painted black) with a new rubber grommet.

Fan installed on water pump

Alternator installed with a new lower bolt

All A/C brackets installed with new bolts

Front door panels installed with speakers from other truck using stainless screws, stock speaker wiring gone, new wiring for speakers

Inside of front doors sprayed with fluid film

Wiring harness on drivers side has been plugged into everything now except the battery (radiator has to go in first which I am waiting for). I used the original plastic straps that snap into the fender (they still work well, have some new ones if needed) to hold the harness in place on the inner fender.
Pictures to follow soon!

kim · Nov 30, 2011

jzilla said:
Wiring harness on drivers side has been plugged into everything now except the battery (radiator has to go in first which I am waiting for). I used the original plastic straps that snap into the fender (they still work well, have some new ones if needed) to hold the harness in place on the inner fender.
Pictures to follow soon!

Where did you find new plastic straps?

jzilla · Nov 30, 2011

From the dealer, the old ones are all good as long as you push them out from the other side carefully.

sityslkrbj70 · Dec 13, 2011

Are we doing a first start on Saturday!?? Ha!

jzilla · Dec 14, 2011

Maybe! haha

sityslkrbj70 · Dec 14, 2011

jzilla said:
Maybe! haha

Work till early afternoon.. Keep me posted!!! Mb.

jzilla · Dec 28, 2011

Well it has been almost a month since an update and no pics! I should be ashamed! There will be some soon though, plenty!

Good news is that everything is done under the hood! Had the battery trays rhinolined after having them sandblasted and powder coated a few months back (dang they look good)!

Turbo is all hooked up with new fittings and lines.

All the holes in the fenders that are there for gas specific stuff I plugged with stainless bolts, washers and nylocks.

Stock air cleaner is now in, (had a big one from a Hino cab forward truck installed for years) it looks way better with stock and the hose goes from it to the turbo in a much more eye pleasing way.

Fluid filmed everything that I could get to, including inside the frame.

I had posted about exhaust routing (I hated how my exhaust hung so low) and decided to do a side exit exhaust, so much easier and clean looking than what I had before! Had to do some custom brackets and mounting with steel rod, turned out pretty good I think.

Also managed to swap over my Belton lift from the 81BJ60, (thanks to my father-in-laws help when he was in town visiting, as well as roalco’s, made the job much faster, speaking of fast, with no rust on the FJ60 everything came off super easy!), the truck sits way higher now…can’t believe it, those springs are almost ten years old and it seems like they are new. Also put in new OME shocks and steering stabilizer. The old shocks were toast, they did not even move when they were removed.

Going to run the FJ stock tires for a while to see how it performs with the turbo, before I had 33’s and 4.1 gearing (which are still in BJ axles).

Installed the dash with a gauge console that I made up a few months ago, think it turned out nicely! I was tired of looking down at the gauges, also I can keep my eyes on the road easier! I wanted to keep the wiring as neat as possible so I made up a mini wiring harness to power the lights of all the gauges using some stock connectors.

Got an idea from KingSpence about the oil pressure line, I hated the flimsy plastic line, also thought of doing the copper, but I liked the idea of braided line and AN fittings best.

Relocated my 4wd indicator light to the driver’s side (used an LED), also alarm and wiring has been transferred over to FJ from the BJ. (made sure to install it nice and clean unlike the company that installed it originally.)

Installed carpet! For the first time I have stock carpet, looks great! (Installed the plastic carpet holders that screw into the rocker with stainless screws as those screws always rust out.) I got it from my parts truck and scored a spare set for $30 bucks off craigslist! Steam cleaned both and that made a huge difference! (I got a full dustpan of dirt out of one of them.)

Before steamcleaning I removed the factory foam from under the carpet, dries way faster this way (dried the carpet on stepladders in August), also if something gets spilled it will dry easy. I have quietcrap (from cruisercrap.com) installed on floor, chipped off factory sound deadener first. If I need more sound deadening I can always do what alpinecowboy did (https://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wagons/325893-sound-deadener-install-w-pics-diesel-wow.html)

So when I went to check if the electrical worked the other day I was a bit worried!
All the lights worked except that the highbeams would go on when I turned on the low beams and the low beams would not go on. I ended up taking the combination switch off the BJ and trying that, it worked! Not sure if it was because I had installed the BJ ignition or if it is due to the BJ wiring harness. Tried the wipers and blower, everything worked! When I had the ducting out I put new weatherstripping on wherever I could, seems to have made a difference!

Also put some diesel in the tank already

Things to do still?
Remove the homemade bumper from the BJ and install it on the FJ.

Paint plastic kick panels black (the backs are lined with quietcrap as well).
They will match metal dash support that I painted black when I had it out.

Install FJ62 grab handle I had shipped to me by another mudder.

I need to bleed the clutch and hope that the clutch line I made up does not leak.
Get longer brake hoses made up for front and rear because of the lift.

Install front brake line across axle as the other one was damaged. (received one in mail today from another mudder, so hopefully that works!) .

Bleed brakes.

Fill with oil.

Fill with coolant.

Have to run it properly on the first start to break in the redone camshaft.

Install front seats then it will be driveable!

jzilla · Dec 30, 2011

Had some custom length brake lines made up at greenline hose yesterday, installed those and the hardline across the front axle that I was waiting for from California (thanks cruiserfj45!). Also installed two new hoses from axle to caliper (short ones). Bled the brakes...and no leaks!

Bled the clutch, had one leak on the line I had made myself, just required some more tightening, no more leaks there either

Both diff breathers extended.

More fluid film sprayed

slowandsteady BJ · Dec 30, 2011

Getting close!

As per your PM :

I had a look for a picture of my truck's Cold Weather Blind brackets and I dont have any.

Now I'm heading to the garage to fix yet another rear semi float axle problem... :bang:

jzilla · Dec 30, 2011

Thanks for looking! I will have to post a pic of the blind brackets from a non A/C cruiser and you can tell me if yours look the same...
Yeah, as far as being able to start it goes I just have to fill it with oil and coolant now!

baxter650 · Dec 30, 2011

Martin are you looking for cold weather blind mounting brackets?
If you are i have two sets, you are welcome to a pair if you want them.
Vince

jzilla · Dec 30, 2011

Hi Vince, yes I am! I have one bracket, don't know where the other went though...Please save for me.
(I am John, Martin is the fellow with the 62...)
I hope to get my truck going in the next week or so, I can then swing by to pick those up if all goes well