Builds Let's Baseline my new to me 1993 Land Cruiser

[PNWTreeOctopus]

You can now obtain a 95-97 steel, heater coolant return tube since you removed the PAIR valve. This will make it possible to attach a food warmer tray/basket to the head above the exhaust manifold.

And that would certainly add 5hp!

 

[FMC80]

The longer this baselining goes on, the more I think you have Munchausen’s syndrome for your cruiser.

 

[baldilocks]

And that would certainly add 5hp!

No but it would heat cans of soup, sandwiches, burritos, and such perfectly.

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Inching Along…

Carving out time here and there for work on the cruiser, but we’re getting close. Over the past few days I’ve done the following:

• Drained the Tranmission pan via the plug. 6.5 qts came out. I used a s***ty drain pan, but poured it into a bucket with graduations. Last time I did this I was monkeying around with pouring the used ATF into quarts and old galling jugs. Sloshed a bunch. So, I bought a bucket specially to measure my captured ATF which also makes it easy to dispose of.
• Filled with 6.5 quarts of M1 ATF. Will check cold level later and add a bit if it’s low. Then I can check it when it’s hot and make sure we’re on target.
• I drove to Foothills Toyota and picked up some parts including some Toyota red coolant.
• Installed missing radiator support bolt.
• Installed headlight’s
• Installed grill.
• Filled PS reservoir. Possibly overfilled it. Planning on flushing per FSM when I get thing running.
• Pressed out rear ujoint on the front DS. Required the angle grinder to remove.

Next up:

I’m waiting on a Burroughs type belt tension gauge I bought on e-bay to arrive to get the belts tensioned up.

I also decided (rather impulsively) to go with Toyota Red coolant. I’ve replaced most of the cooling system at this point, with the exception of the heater cores. The overflow tank is particularly gross so I may splurge and get a new one. Scrubbing the old one with a bottle brush has been fruitless so far. Plus it’s very yellow and discolored, what’s another $150 bucks at this point….

So I’m going to flush the system to remove the remnants of green coolant and any gunk stuck in the block and the heater cores. What I don’t want to do is flush a bunch of nasty particulate into my new Toyota radiator. I’ve been reading through some threads and seem some homemade kits for flushing.

I might even get to start the truck up by February!

 

[baldilocks]

Perhaps the best thing about following your thread is my appreciation for your details and high level of literacy. Has your addiction become tunnel vision? Mine did. I’ve reached 80 series burn out. She is completely assembled again and ready for the trailer ride down to KOH. I think I just need to drive her for a few months and maybe I’ll get hungry again to work on her. Im mulling over an idea for a new front bumper.

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Perhaps the best thing about following your thread is my appreciation for your details and high level of literacy. Has your addiction become tunnel vision? Mine did. I’ve reached 80 series burn out.

You’re generous sir! I’m oscillating between deep focus and burn out on the Cruiser. It’s nice to be in the project, because the only way out is through. it just takes me a while because I’m trying to learn how to do this right, but that, at least for me, involves making mistakes, breaking things, etc. This unfortunately means a pretty slow pace. I have no mentor, just you lot (which I am exceedingly grateful for) , so it’s all a personal journey into unknown territory.

Fortunately my wife is overall supportive and shared the same vision: an utterly bombproof backcountry family adventure vehicle that is stout, reliable, and fun. “Take your time and do it right.”

I think visioning the “perfect vehicle” is a good exercise, especially since I’m just starting to plan the build part, but I imagine the journey is different when all the critical running gear, armor and recovery components are all sorted. How far into restomod do you want to go? Or does it become a fantasy build like the Slee short bus or the dirty thrity that the Aussie 4wd action guy built.

Or maybe it’s the epic trip to Ushuaia. But for me it’s obviously become about the journey of automotive maintenance and self reliance. I want to have some semblance of hope that I can try and fix the problem and limp to town with a broken DS/birf/cooing system/ps pump/etc. So that’s why I’m creeping along through all this FFT learning for these 1FZ systems and general auto maintenance.

So yea, burnout, but still fired up. Each step feels like a puzzle, but now the work I’ve done seems straightforward, so next time around it should be easier.

 

[FMC80]

Good work G. I think there’s even more to taking your time than you just shared with us. I only speak for myself but in my case, even though I was methodical and didn’t cut any corners, I put myself on a relatively short suspense. Doing so, lit a fire under my ass but I crashed through my baselining in very short time and I didn’t truly get to savor the process. I like the way you’re doing it and the next time, I’m going to go slower just to savor it more.

Edit: As I reread your post, I think savoring the process is exactly what you’re writing about.

 

[Dusten]

Good work G. I think there’s even more to taking your time than you just shared with us. I only speak for myself but in my case, even though I was methodical and didn’t cut any corners, I put myself on a relatively short suspense. Doing so, lit a fire under my ass but I crashed through my baselining in very short time and I didn’t truly get to savor the process. I like the way you’re doing it and the next time, I’m going to go slower just to savor it more.

Edit: As I reread your post, I think savoring the process is exactly what you’re writing about.

Something is wrong with you people. I god damn despise routine maintenance.

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

If my circumstances were different, my pace would be too. This process is good for me. Slowing down, being methodical, learning as I go. The problems I face in the land cruiser project are both immediately solvable and totally low stakes—it’s a nice set of problems to have.

Something is wrong with you people. I god damn despise routine maintenance.

I absolutely love it. I like the process of keeping something working, or fixing up something that’s not.

But the stupid string trimmer/weed whacked that always needs fixing is exempt from this. I effing hate maintenance on lawn mowers too…no love.

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

As I reread your post, I think savoring the process is exactly what you’re writing about.

It is. My time puzzling over the FSM, learning how to understand, assess, repair and replace all these stay and components is a balm for this moment in my life. So yup, I’m sipping it.

But I really do need to get this finished up. I also want to regear and solve castor before May 1. But I’m not saying more until the parts are purchased.

 

[Dusten]

If my circumstances were different, my pace would be too. This process is good for me. Slowing down, being methodical, learning as I go. The problems I face in the land cruiser project are both immediately solvable and totally low stakes—it’s a nice set of problems to have.


I absolutely love it. I like the process of keeping something working, or fixing up something that’s not.

But the stupid string trimmer/weed whacked that always needs fixing is exempt from this. I effing hate maintenance on lawn mowers too…no love.

I like fixing things. I like making things better. I spent 20 years doing preventative maintenance. I just hate doing work that when I'm done has changed nothing

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

I like fixing things. I like making things better. I spent 20 years doing preventative maintenance. I just hate doing work that when I'm done has changed nothing

I’m with you. Hence my avoidance of string trimmer and mower maintenance…

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Insomnia…

Woke up at 4am and was puzzling over a multiple things running through my mind including the LC cooling system. So I ordered a new overflow tank assembly from foothills and started puzzling over a home brew cooling system flush utilizing my outdoor hose. I know a distilled water flush using the engine would be ideal, but my instinct is to not push all this crap through the new radiator.

 

[baldilocks]

Insomnia…

Woke up at 4am and was puzzling over a multiple things running through my mind including the LC cooling system. So I ordered a new overflow tank assembly from foothills and started puzzling over a home brew cooling system flush utilizing my outdoor hose. I know a distilled water flush using the engine would be ideal, but my instinct is to not push all this crap through the new radiator.

You sound like me with all the “puzzling” while you should be sleeping. What crap is in your engine? I got rid of rust with a product called Thermocure. You can flush the block and heater cores only by Teeing into that heater hose there where your PAIR reed valve used to be with a garden hose. Then disconnect the upper radiator hose. Then turn on the hose while you run the engine. When I did this I also removed the block drain plug. Eventually most of the stuff lodged in your engine should flow out.

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

You sound like me with all the “puzzling” while you should be sleeping. What crap is in your engine? I got rid of rust with a product called Thermocure. You can flush the block and heater cores only by Teeing into that heater hose there where your PAIR reed valve used to be with a garden hose. Then disconnect the upper radiator hose. Then turn on the hose while you run the engine. When I did this I also removed the block drain plug. Eventually most of the stuff lodged in your engine should flow out.

I actually dont think there is a ton of crap in the coolant. Ive drained it all before, but having never switched to a different type of coolant im trying to be extra through. It seems like hosing out the heater core and the the block should really clean things up, then filling with distilled h20, running and draining should properly clear out the remnents of coolant. Im probably over thinking this, but now that I own 4 gallons of Toyota Red, I'm going to be running Red for a while...Just want to do it well and move on to the next thing.

 

[baldilocks]

I actually dont think there is a ton of crap in the coolant. Ive drained it all before, but having never switched to a different type of coolant im trying to be extra through. It seems like hosing out the heater core and the the block should really clean things up, then filling with distilled h20, running and draining should properly clear out the remnents of coolant. Im probably over thinking this, but now that I own 4 gallons of Toyota Red, I'm going to be running Red for a while...Just want to do it well and move on to the next thing.

Sound plan indeed.

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Here’s what I’ve come up with:

L to R:

1. 5/8 id vinyl tubing with a brass barbed hose attachment coupled to a ball valve. Othe end has a 1/2” barbed coupler. This is my heater core flush inlet.
2. 2”x1” pvc reducer with ball valve and 3/4” female hose attacment. This is my block flush attachment I’ll utilize the factory hoses. I have a smaller 1 1/2” x 1” that wiill actually fit. This I think is too big for the inlet and outlet hoses on the block.
3. And a 5/8” id vinyl drain tube with a 1/2” coupling. I’ll use this to drain the heater core to a bucket. I have a dog. No need to accidentally poison her.

Hopefully this will keep the mess under control and let me flush throughly. With luck I can flush tomorrow.

Also had some new tools arrived:

Correct Belt tension is in my future.

I’m going after my LSPV soon. This should help. My brake fluid looks like brown piss. Time to change it up.

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Carved out an hour this afternoon: Front drive shaft is all back together with new u joints.

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Front drive shaft is back in and torqued.

and I finally got the rear DS off the rig.

It feels pretty good, the u joints are smooth. The front had a ujoint that was suffering. One cap and it’s needle bearing we’re not getting any grease. So it had sticking, jerking action when you rotated it. I’ll clean them up and see how things look.

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Update…still not cruising the land

…but I am getting close. Rear DS is full of new U-joints and back in place. That was a giant PITA. I firmly believe that the tool I used was not ideal. I was very happy to take my ball joint/u-joint press back to the Zone today. Maybe next time I’ll try a dedicated ujoint tool. But I’ll grease these religiously so they last 200k miles. No photos because I was against the clock a d trying not to drop the DS on my teeth.

I also did this today.