Build Klip's FJ62 revival

[klip]

That sucks! These are brand new flanges??

It sure does suck. Gotta make it right though. I have to remove the dust shields, remove studs, de burr, and reassemble. Yea, brand spanking new. Aftermarket, not Toyota.

 

[klip]

Got the t case flanges back together and burr free. Installed drive shafts. Installed brake lines, new master cylinder, and bled the brakes.

I only removed the lower caliper mounting tabs from the knuckles. The top cleared everything and I used it to mount the brake hose tab.

I had a friend bend some hoops for me. Started installing those.

Also found out I need new wheels. They hit the new brake calipers. They are 17’s but just don’t work with these calipers.

 

[CruiserTrash]

After replacing my shocks in February and doing a ton of research into how to size them ... hoops or extended towers is the way. At least for articulation and shock choices - more performance oriented applications.

Also, it looks like you're keeping Rustoleum in business. Looks good!

 

[klip]

Thank you. I'm trying to get it driveable by my birthday coming up on the 20th. It'll be close but I'm gonna try like heck.

 

[klip]

When I installed the new brake master cylinder I started looking for the correct connector for the fluid reservoir. About the second or third page of my google search I found cruisermatt’s website and he makes a short adapter harness specifically for this! Super stoked and relieved to find a solution for that.

 

[klip]

Finished the shock hoops. The frame mounts are from Barnes4WD. I also made some wheel spacers out of 3/8” steel. This is temporary, just so I can put my tires on and get it out of the garage for some testing.

With the wheel spacers there’s still about .5” thread engagement on the studs.
Got it outside, started and topped off all fluids. Had to fix a couple leaks, all easy. I need to adjust my trans shifter linkage and black box linkage. Hopefully I’ll be able to drive down the street to put some fresh gas in it next weekend.

 

[klip]

Last night I adjusted my shifters and went for a short drive to the gas station. Put some fresh gas in it and drive it straight back home. Rebuilt trans shifts good. It doesn’t drive any worse than it did before, and it stops great! The big brakes and rear disc is a great upgrade. Also drove it to breakfast this morning. I plan on just short trips around town to break it in, and I’m currently looking for new wheels.

 

[klip]

I finally got a temp gauge for the black box. I’m planning on putting the gauge where the unused transfer case switch is. The sender that came with it is the correct thread for my adapter but it would not fit due to the length of the temp probe. I found an 1/8” npt extension, but not enough details on the dimensions led me to not buy it and make my own.

This will get installed next weekend.

 

[klip]

@CruiserTrash, my door locks and driver window work so much better with the FLRK! The first time I pushed the door lock switch I noticed it immediately, same with the window. I got the circuit boards from @jonnyd42 to bring the other windows back to life.

 

[CruiserTrash]

@CruiserTrash, my door locks and driver window work so much better with the FLRK! The first time I pushed the door lock switch I noticed it immediately, same with the window. I got the circuit boards from @jonnyd42 to bring the other windows back to life.

Glad to hear it!

 

[klip]

Installed my ARB switches.

I was slightly nervous about this operation but it turned out good.

I have the ARB harness routed into the cab, just need to run the power and ground circuits. Hopefully I’ll get that done this weekend.

 

[klip]

Switches are installed and arb air lockers front and rear are fully functional! I’m still doing some wiring for auxiliary circuits and the black box temp gauge.

I’ve been driving it around town and to work. Work is 17 miles from home. Down hill there, uphill back home. I’ve been checking the black box tank temp and the highest I’ve seen it is 150F, and that was after I got home from work. Ambient temp was 94F. For such a short drive that doesn’t say much but, that does tell me oil is circulating from the BB to the tank. So that’s good.

 

[klip]

I got the black box temp sender installed. Checked to see if it was grounded and it was not. So I soldered a blade connector to it.

 

[klip]

The H4 switch location is a pretty good place to put the gauge. There’s switched power, a ground, and an illumination wire there. I had to sand the tabs down to get the gauge to fit.

This was another nerve racking operation.

Nerve racking because I really really did not want to screw this piece up. And getting the hole in the right spot. Which, it could be higher. I just didn’t want to cover up the letters.

This will definitely work for now but I’m going to get another panel from the rust farmer when they’re available and try again.

 

[klip]

Got the gauge installed and buttoned up the wiring. I think it turned out ok. Now I’ll be able to monitor that temp. The black box is sold as off highway use only. Though people do use it on highway and long distance trips but with an improved cooling system. Usually with pumps and a reservoir and maybe a filter of sorts. I’m very curious to see how this system will work.

 

[klip]

I’ve been driving it to work for the last 3 days. Black box temps have gotten up to about 155F. And that’s after about a 20 minute drive uphill, ambient temp in the low 90’s. I’m now halfway through breaking in my gears so after that I’ll be able to make some longer trips and some trips up to the mountains. But so far I’m feeling pretty good about my black box oil system.

Unfortunately my coolant temp gauge stopped working today so hopefully I’ll have time to work on that this weekend. It’s been spiking with my fuel level gauge ever since I’ve owned it but now it just doesn’t even work, the needle stays on cold.

 

[klip]

Temp gauge fixed! Easy fix, just had to reconnect the wire. I was using a blade connector for that circuit and it must’ve come undone when I was in there doing the other wiring. I ditched the blade connectors and installed a deutsch connector for the engine temp and tach wires. Also a single pin deutsch connector for the 12 gauge switched power wire. This is the connector under the dash on the passenger side, right behind the glove box.

 

[klip]

It’s been my daily driver all week. Pretty hot here, over 100 everyday. Wednesday when I got home it was acting like it was overheated. With the engine off, coolant filled the expansion tank all the way and started pushing coolant out of it and onto the ground. I could hear it bubbling and gurgling in the rad/engine also, like it was boiling. After it cooled down I removed the rad cap and found a big chunk of the seal was gone. Put a new cap on and drove it yesterday. It was leaking coolant, this time at the radiator core. It’s the original radiator. Hopefully I’ll get it pulled this weekend and off to the radiator shop next week. I’ve had this one cleaned and repaired before, but that shop closed. I know of another good one that’s still around though. I’ve tried the aluminum replacements and it lasted just about 2 years before it started leaking. So I really don’t want to go that route again, I’d rather get this one repaired.

 

[CruiserTrash]

It’s been my daily driver all week. Pretty hot here, over 100 everyday. Wednesday when I got home it was acting like it was overheated. With the engine off, coolant filled the expansion tank all the way and started pushing coolant out of it and onto the ground. I could hear it bubbling and gurgling in the rad/engine also, like it was boiling. After it cooled down I removed the rad cap and found a big chunk of the seal was gone. Put a new cap on and drove it yesterday. It was leaking coolant, this time at the radiator core. It’s the original radiator. Hopefully I’ll get it pulled this weekend and off to the radiator shop next week. I’ve had this one cleaned and repaired before, but that shop closed. I know of another good one that’s still around though. I’ve tried the aluminum replacements and it lasted just about 2 years before it started leaking. So I really don’t want to go that route again, I’d rather get this one repaired.

That happened to me twice this week - never had it happen before. Shut the truck down, coolant filled the bottle and then started puking on the ground. It was hot both days, but both of my temp gauges were reading nicely: 2/3 on the dummy gauge and 190*F on my real gauge. Water pump, fan clutch, and all hoses replaced three years ago, radiator replaced with a Performance brand 4-row brass unit and new Toyota radiator cap last year. Runs at 185-195 no matter what I’m driving over and no matter the weather. It could be -5*F or 105*F. I could be in 4low climbing big loose hills all day, or pushing a loaded down rig over the Continental Divide on the highway … or just driving through the city to work.

Hopefully a new radiator sorts you out, and hopefully I don’t have a radiator problem!

 

[klip]

Hopefully. I’ve never had any overheating issues before. Even through hot summers climbing hills. My gauge was reading just over the halfway mark. I shot the temp at the rad in and out with an ir thermometer. 200 in and 170 out. The only thing I changed in the cooling system was the thermostat. I installed a “fail safe” thermostat which is supposed to fail open if it ever fails. I was kind of iffy about it when I got it. Now I just don’t really feel good about it and I’m going to put a standard thermostat back in it. This radiator has definitely seen better days, looking perty rough. We’ll see what the shop says.

The leak is at the top left corner.