Let it Begin! 87 frame off, vortec, H55...

[M1A1cruiser]

Fxxx

SO,
When you think you can take a short cut, or "get by" without that right tool, let me be the f*cking fool for you and advertise not to do what I did.

If I hadn't already done the front locker at stock gearing I'd say this would be a prime time to upgrade (and there will only be worse times in the future I realize but I really don't feel like tearing the front back out again just now!!!).

But as it is I just get to spend an extra couple hundred on another stock ring and pinion. Oh well, can't do anything about it now...

Fxxx.

 

[scrapdaddy]

Travis,

Sorry to see that. Would you mind explaining what happened.

Also, is your stock gearing 3.70. I regeared to 4.11's and have the old gears sitting in the box. I don't know anything about them, but you can have them for the shipping, if needed.

 

[M1A1cruiser]

I should'a regeared - hindsight 20/20 and all that. I'm not gonna take apart the front diff again to change the ratio at this point. If 3.7 was good enough BEFORE I broke stuff it'll be good enough again. No need to ship your old gears. I appreciate the offer and I thought I could score some pretty easily, but if I have to replace, I might as well go new. It's a bit of coin but not engine or transmission big...

Long story on what happened. I started another post to see if there's a way to get the front bearing without taking the diff carrier all the way out 'cause that's basically the genesis of this.

When I did the front locker I followed the FSM and did the whole temporary adjustment of pinion preload: got good backlash and a good pattern. Then I took the diff carrier out again, pressed the pinion back out to the carrier side, put the crush sleeve in, pressed the pinion back in, put the locker back in, set pinion preload with the crush sleeve IN this time, set for backlash, set for good pattern and closed it up.

Note here - I don't have the (right?) SST to pull the front bearing off the pinion so that required that I take the locker and ring all the way back out to access the pinion again.

Well this time I was F'in lazy and tried to insert the crush sleeve by pressing the pinion off its' front bearing WITH the locker and ring gear still installed in the carrier. I figured (stupidly now that I've seen it....) that there would be enough room to press the pinion in just far enough for the front bearing to release and I could insert the crush sleeve from the front w/o taking the locker out again.

I pressed just a bit too far and broke a tooth off the ring. Incidentally the bearing did release and I could have inserted the crush sleeve from the front, but I had a look around and noticed the broken tooth.

So, now I either need to find SST 09556-30010 or some equivalent (anyone?) or just plan on setting it all temporarily and taking the diff back out again and again 'til it's all shimmed correctly and holds a good pattern.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. If anyone has actually read all this bull**** that I've written in this thread hopefully you learn from my mistakes. Or had a good laugh at my creative rebuild.

HA,
Trav.-

 

[scrapdaddy]

Everyone of us has their moments, it's called getting an education. Sometimes it's just more expensive.

I popped a brand new rotor, pressing in a stud. Not paying attention, lesson learned!

 

[M1A1cruiser]

Gears (again)

SO, I decided to stick with 3.70 gear ratios 'cause I just couldn't bring myself to open up the front diff again, go through all the ARB air seal stuff again to upgrade.

Problem is, 3.70's aren't being manufactured anymore - at least not by Sierra or Nitro (according to Kurt at cruiseroutfitters - probably there are some out there somewhere - but hunting and hunting became frustrating).

BUT, 'scrapdaddy' jumped in and graciously supplied me with his old 3.7s from his better-than-perfect 55 build (THANK YOU!!! I love IH8MUD!!!). So I've got a set bolted on and preloaded and backlashed and am checking a pattern.

The drive-side pattern looks good to me:

But the coast seems to far into the toe.

It's still pretty well centered from the root of the tooth to the top. And according to Sierra's site this MIGHT be acceptable.


But I'd like some input - before I start moving stuff and adding shims.

Thanks,
Travis.-

 

[scrapdaddy]

Travis,

I'm no expert, so I can't advise you. With the gears being used, it might be hard to get them set perfect. It would be nice to get that print up alittle. Now with that being said, better find somebody who knows more than me!

 

[M1A1cruiser]

I dropped another email to ZUK at GearInstalls and he advised to tighten up the backlash and that would bring the coast off the toe.

I didn't/don't have too much room to tighten up, but did some (right up to ~.006") and it's pretty good. Everything else (pinion preload, carrier preload) runs up just fine so I'm gonna run with it. Worst case scenario I burn up some bearings if the pattern is causing uneven wear and I have to replace it down the road.

Maybe I shouldn't have been so concerned about tearing back into the front differential (it surely is getting easier every time) and upgrading to all new gears. But if I did that now, what would be the fun later on?

 

[M1A1cruiser]

So I guess I'll do some wiring

Bottom line up front: Given that I don't need a carb cooling fan any more, and don't need to excite the Toyota alternator through the charge lamp - and relay - I can remove those systems entirely right?


I started trying to figure out how to 'excite' the 5.3 'swap' alternator and trying to figure out WHICH (if any) Toyota wires that I need to tie in to the new engine harness. The engine that I sourced is a "stand alone" engine; so all I have to provide is power, switched power, start solenoid signal and wires out to the fule pump.

Also I am finding more and more 'clip' connectors to tie in speakers, ARB turn signals, etc, etc, etc - all kinds of things that I think can be done better and cleaner ('righter') since I have the time.

That led to "this wire can go away", which led to "this relay can go away" (I think - charge light relay and carb fan realy I have no need for RIGHT?!?) which leads to me pulling the entire harness and finding a bunch of other stuff that I don't think I need. So advice is appreciated.

So here's a couple of questions that I still have:

1. What are these connectors - the orange ones with the caps in the first two pictures and the one with a metal "contact" that ties one side of itself into the other? They are/were taped down along the loom and don't attach to anything. I haven't traced them back yet, but I think I'll find that they're for some system I don't have (this is a late 87 FJ 60 so perhaps these are for BJ/HJ or already production harnesses for the 62?)

2. I figure I can take them out, yes?

I am sensitive to the fact that many systems share grounds, splice points, etc, etc so I am being very careful to only remove wires to/from relays or systems where I can ensure the overall ground circuit will still remain.

I may add one of these guys to the firewall.

As long as I've got this all the way out, this seems like a good way to make that transition cleaner.


Anything else you all would suggest. Thanks in advance for any guidance.

 

[M1A1cruiser]

Answered my own questions a little. The third picture above - with the little metal connector in the end of the plug just masses a bunch of grounds together, presumably to avoid having to route every single ground wire all the way to the ground point, or to redirect ground wires in different directions at different splice points.

Clearly I can't remove the connector entirely, but it seems like I can remove select wires of the systems/plugs/circuits that I am removing.

More in a while - I've removed probably 100 feet of wire already.

I've sure I'll have ended up screwing some linked system or another up - surely there is SOME little connection in the wiring diagram that I am misreading and will then have to trace it down forever, but

 

[cruiser enthuiser]

Travis, just wanted to offer a quick word of thanks.

I've been following your build with keen interest and recently used your transfer case documentation as refernece during my own TC rebuild. It proved invaluable.

Your doing a great job on your rig. I'm sure your thread will be excellent refernce again when i take on a similiar engine/drivetrain swap for my '82 60.

Good luck and keep it coming!


Ed

 

[cruzrob]

first let me say great build up. lots of great info. one thing i learned awhile ago about putting bearings on is to heat them up, when working on transmissions or diffs... before any one says any thing hear me out. take one of those kitchen electric frying pans(can find them for ten bucks at good will) turn it on high and put the bearing in there, wait about 15 to 20 min pull the bearing out and work quick and the bearing will almost fall on let it cool and your done. welding gloves work well for handling the hot metal.

 

[M1A1cruiser]

So I've done a little - well I feel like I've done a lot if you consider reworking the entire wiring harness, including tearing into the Vortec harness to find all those snipped wires that I actually want (EVAP, VSS, MAF, etc...) but I don't have much to show.

I decided to use Toyota buttons for the ARB lockers.

I like the look/style/whatever you want to call it of the landcruiser - and I enjoy modifying stuff even if it doesn't always show. Plus I don't have the creativity to come up with a mounting solution/position for the ARB switches that I've seen on some of the dash's here.

It's not in the truck but...

And put a few coats of zero rust on some of the under parts.

I feel like I've reached a tipping point and things are starting to go back together. Maybe my Christmas present will be a drive.

 

[M1A1cruiser]

PS:

If anyone has a pristine control panel (61 in the diagram) I'd like to buy it from you!!.

Mine's cracked in teh (seemingly) normal place - right above the HVAC controls - and I don't want to try to weld the plastic for fear of making it worse.

Thanks. Best, Travis.-

 

[Fourrunner]

Try this website...says they have them and honestly not terrible prices.

http://www.toyotapartsoverstock.com...H--CENTER-GRAY-GRAY/4144066/5541290A0213.html

Part number is 55412-90A0213 (think this is the number for the grey panel)

 

[djoneab]

thanks for the link fourrunner.

i like your engine start button M1. where did you get it?

 

[M1A1cruiser]

Yeah, tried ordering from the Toyota parts overstock. The order went in, but I got the 'no longer available' email a couple days later. Appreciate the assist tho.

The push button is from 'Advanced Keys'

I've got some more wires to troubleshoot and I'll see how it goes. There are lots of advanced (no pun intended) features that I won't use: power locks, shock sensors, etc) but I'll detail that install a little later.

TDC.-

 

[M1A1cruiser]

s*** works!!!

I still have a lot of work to do, but it is VERY F'ING gratifying to know that the fuel plumbing and wiring (you can see above that I've done some serious "damage" to the wiring harnesses) work at least!!

Elvis STARTS (that's a link...click it...I'm pretty f'in pumped!)

I didn't run it for long 'cause there's no cooling hooked up. I was a little startled when it actually started.

And yeah, it's a bad video from the phone - next time (now that I am confident I am not going to burn down the garage or grenade the transmission on the first bump) I'll let it run and look around.

Now to disconnect the 100 meters of slash wire that I have connecting all this, get the bottom of the body stripped to bare metal and coated and get this beast back together. And, oh yeah, mount the compressor, finish the dash, build a radiator shroud (the first attempt was NOT satisfactory), etc, etc

But for today I am happy and gonna spend some time with my son!

 

[OGBeno]

Most all interior trim components are long gone from Toyota.



Progress is looking great!

 

[scrapdaddy]

Travis,

Good News, I'm really happy for you. Give yourself a pat on the back. You guys that jump into the wiring and make it work, are amazing. It must be a great feeling to hear it run.

Good Job!

 

[M1A1cruiser]

Making progress

It's been feast or famine for L/C work.

Spent the better part of two days working on sheet metal modifications to the stock fan shroud (only to have it SUCK again - see earlier fiberglass attempt).

So for the time being I am doing the plug and play thing with a Griffin radiator. I've read all the debates about electric vs mechanical - and I still may go back to mechanical - but with a move looming next summer (military PCS) I only have so much time and there are lots of things still to be done.

So messed and messed and messed around with how to mount this and finally think I've got it - detail pics will have to follow later, if there's interest and I am not on to the next thing. .

I've wired up the fans like this:

It works great (I manually grounded the 'hi' and 'low' wires that will run to the ECM) and with the low wire both fans come on half speed; the hi wire they both come on full. I may add another relay to bring both on (not sure if hi or lo) with the A/C compressor but that's not a NOW project.

This weekend has been body work. I've chemical stripped, flap-disced and finally sand blasted the bottom of the body and finally gotten down to bare metal - I can't upload the starting point and in progress pics but suffice it to say it was a mess.

With two+ coats of zero rust as a primer

Two coats of lizard skin sound control

And there'll be a couple coats of ceramic insulation and monstaliner to top (bottom?) it all off.

Thanks for the inspiration and example 'scrapdaddy'!!

Installed the VSS from JTR. I've traced the (cut, of course) wires from the ECu and will tie them in as soon as I get some more 20ga wire.

That's where it's at right now. Goal is to finish the undercoating and drop the body back on before halloween and start attaching s***. I haven't mounted the ARB compressor, ECM, power distro blocks, etc cause I really want to have the firewall there (and the vacuum assist, brake, clutch master etc) before I plop everything on the fenders.

Now I've gotta get off the computer and back to it.

Happy fall.

TDC.-