Builds Let's Baseline my new to me 1993 Land Cruiser (2 Viewers)

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Agree with @FMC80, thats a bit of a long time. It's always taken at least a week for me, but my enormous order got held up at customs because of its high dollar value. I'd say there is also no normal with shipping right now. All shipping services seem to still be recovering from the holiday madness, but that is specific to the carrier not the vendor.

Also using the VIN is key. Setup an account, save your rig in your "garage" and then you can easily navigate the parts diagrams with confidence.

 

[Dusten]

Agree with @FMC80, thats a bit of a long time. It's always taken at least a week for me, but my enormous order got held up at customs because of its high dollar value. I'd say there is also no normal with shipping right now. All shipping services seem to still be recovering from the holiday madness, but that is specific to the carrier not the vendor.

Also using the VIN is key. Setup an account, save your rig in your "garage" and then you can easily navigate the parts diagrams with confidence.

JDM rigs don't have vins. We have chassis numbers. I wonder if that matters.

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

JDM rigs don't have vins. We have chassis numbers. I wonder if that matters.

I would say yes until proven otherwise. That being said, I think the VIN is especially helpful in finding certain emissions equipment, and possibly some interior trim...not that any of that is really available.

 

[Dusten]

I would say yes until proven otherwise. That being said, I think the VIN is especially helpful in finding certain emissions equipment, and possibly some interior trim...not that any of that is really available.

I generally order parts off part number. But next time I order I'll input a Vin.

 

[Dusten]

I would say yes until proven otherwise. That being said, I think the VIN is especially helpful in finding certain emissions equipment, and possibly some interior trim...not that any of that is really available.

The answer is no it doesn't matter I entered in my chassis number instead of a VIN and it popped up my vehicle which I then added to my garage

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

The answer is no it doesn't matter I entered in my chassis number instead of a VIN and it popped up my vehicle which I then added to my garage

That’s good to know!

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Update:

I'm drinking a cup of coffee. I spent a bunch of time over the past two days moving forward on the Cruiser. I managed to accomplish the following:

• Attached the upper air intake after spending a ton of time cleaning out carbon deposits. Torqued all the fasteners...some of which require you to drop socket extensions on your face.
• Connected all the vacuum lines
• Finished cleaning the TB and all the vacuum lines. Bolted back on to the Upper intake. Reattached the heater hoses and vacuum lines.
• Installed the Alternator (required a bunch of cleaning)
• Changed the positive battery clamp the old one was corroded and broken.

I had a couple of frustrations:

1. I forgot to order the plug wires. How irritating. I have plug wires and a Toyota coil plus new bolts for the plastic covers that attache to the top of the VC. The screws are all stripped out, and the bolt heads are mangled from the PO. New bolts are nice.

2. I decided that I wanted to get after the u-joints while I wait on the parts to come from Toyota Parts Deal (winter snow etc will certainly make them slow to arrive). I am using a rental balljoint/ u-joint tool from AutoZone. Its is an OEM C-clamp style press. I found it very difficult to use given the sloped sides of the yoke of the DS. I also fond that the FSM isn't very helpful in this procedure as it seems to be very oriented to the use of a SST that I don't own, nor have I seen others use on the forum. I did some reading on this subject a while back as well as quite recently. I read the FAQ and the u-joint process there and had a go. It took a long while to monkey with the c-clamp style press so that would sit correctly and not interfere with the press body. Anyhow I followed the FAQ advice to press the cap until the "bottom" cap falls out, which I did. Then I realized that the "top" cap is pressed through....and there isn't enough clearance to get it out. This is extra frustrating. Had I know that you CANNOT press both caps out in this way I would have taken a different approach. I pressed out the opposite sides of the u-joint using a combination of the u-joint tool (which I now kinda hate) and my bench vise and a socket. That was easier. The remaining cap is still on the journal ( I think im using that term correctly) and it still dosen't have the clearance to come out. I briefly tried to press it back through the hole, but it won't seat strait and I'm just marring the flange/ cap surface. At this point I believe I'll need to cut the spider to free it since I have no clearance. I have an angle grinder, but I'll start with a hack say and a sharp blade since I'm nervous to damage the DS components.

Everything is sitting on my bench from last night. I started getting impatient and thats when I noticed I was causing damage to the surfaces the u-joint caps rest in. I also notice that the press at one point was misaligned and deformed the edge of the hole the cap will be pressed into. I'll get a photo later. I'll certainly need to file this out, but hopefully it can still be used. Obviously, I need to make sure the cap will press into the hole and not spin.

I hate it how learning how to do something new feels like a setback. I know its a problem that can be solved with new DS components and a trip to a driveline shop for balancing, but I always feel disappointed when I damage parts from my own inexperience. I know that not all learning is hugs and rainbows, but honestly it was challenging to have a day of hight productivity on the cruiser grind to a halt. Makes you feel like a poser...

Anyhow photos from the process:

Back together at last

old, nasty and broken

Shiny and new. That should stay on better.

The Front. This photo taken before I learned that pressing out old u-joints is difficult. I really hope that this isn't going to become a spare DS....

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

I’ll post some photos of the ujoint process soonish…need to get back out there, but might not be today…

 

[FMC80]

Good work, G!!

We’ve all experienced similar setbacks.

Except me of course. Every time I work on the cruiser, it’s always rainbows, hugs, and beautiful naked cherubs complimenting how handsome and charismatic I am.

Sorry you don’t have the same experience and keep jacking your cruiser up. Are you sure it isn’t a defense mechanism? What’s really keeping you from fixing and driving your cruiser? Remember, it probably is your fault.

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Good work, G!!

We’ve all experienced similar setbacks.

Except me of course. Every time I work on the cruiser, it’s always rainbows, hugs, and beautiful naked cherubs complimenting how handsome and charismatic I am.

Sorry you don’t have the same experience and keep jacking your cruiser up. Are you sure it isn’t a defense mechanism? What’s really keeping you from fixing and driving your cruiser? Remember, it probably is your fault.

I’m definitely working though a bunch of s***…no doubt.

I’ll get there….I’m pretty close at this point. But I think unsaid that in early December too…so let’s check back in when it’s March…

 

[FMC80]

You’ll get it. And when you do, it’ll feel sooooo good! (Same thing I told my wife when we began dating. She’s still waiting).

Have you done a thorough inventory now of things you may have potentially overlooked? Plugs, wires, bolts for the VC cover…how about clamps, fluids (oil, Toyota red), grounds, dielectric grease, washers, etc, loctite red/blue, heat wrap, zip ties metal/plastic, etc. I can’t think of anymore things, some of which are “gotchas”.

I’m excited for you to get this bad boy going. I have a thread started in “chat” and all the mudders are taking bets on when you’ll get your cruiser running again. I’m betting before 31 Jan. Baldilocks is betting sometime in 2024, and others are scattered in between. No pressure but there’s a lot riding on it so get to wrenching.

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

We discussed a 40/60 split on winnings right?

 

[Spdstr280Z]

I’m definitely working though a bunch of s***…no doubt.

I’ll get there….I’m pretty close at this point. But I think unsaid that in early December too…so let’s check back in when it’s March…

Dude, I took a week off at Memorial day last year thinking I was going to drive mine..... Now I'm hoping for this weekend, Everything takes longer than it does. 2022 is our year, for sure. I can feel it !

Jason

 

[TYM4FUN]

Dude, I took a week off at Memorial day last year thinking I was going to drive mine..... Now I'm hoping for this weekend, Everything takes longer than it does. 2022 is our year, for sure. I can feel it !

Jason

For realz....

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Crisis nearly over....CTFD Greg.

Alright, I cut the spindle of the old joint and freed everything up. It wasn't as dramatic as I thought it would be to cut. No drama. I feel 100% ****ing better now. I spent 30 minutes cleaning then deburring the machined holes the caps press into. I was concerned that the marring from the press and the marring from my attempt to press the cup back out would impact the install of the new cups. I used a micro file to fix the marring and then followed up with some 1000 grit wet/ dry. to polish up the surfaces. I didn't remove very much material. I'm happy to report that things pressed in easily, but not too easily. I'm pausing here to wait until I have a big block of time, since rushing is my enemy in all things.

Ok I need to make dinner for the family. Grilling up some salmon on some planks...
Pics to prove it:

cut it out...

Damage

Smoothed out, but notice the marring at towards the inside edge.

Mostly pressed in...feeling much better now TYVM.

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

Front U-joint is all all pressed in and happy. I even have a new zerk fitting installed for the DS. I was making good progress with the C-clamp style press on the rear U-joint and then I broke my bench vise.

I was using it to grab the exposed cup I had pressed out. I tightened it really hard to grip the cup and the vise failed. Not particularly dramatic, and I caught the DS before it fell or got dinged.

So that kinda sucks. I'm contacting Irwin and seeing if they will warranty it. Unfortunately these cast vises apparently fail in this spot enough to find lots of photos of this particular failure on the inter webs. I'll hopefully get a replacement, but I'll be keeping my eyes open at the used tool store and on CL for an old wilton or record vise and now I'll happily pay some cash for an ugly functional one. I'm open to recommendations.

You don't miss your bench vise until it s***s the bed.

 

[FMC80]

Can’t catch a break huh? See what I did there?

 

[ppc]

. I'm contacting Irwin and seeing if they will warranty it.

I have what seems to be the same vice that I purchased from Costco many (20+) years ago. If that is where you purchased yours its time to exercise the Costco customer satisfaction guarantee.

 

[TomH]

You need to cast that Irwin in the trash and head over to the vise thread for some ideas on a replacement.

Any Vise Collectors Here?

Here is my bench currently. Wilton 800S, Reed 108R 106R and 105R with an older Craftsman and a Reed 4C and Colombian 206M3. I spend time fixing and restoring these when my Cruiser projects stall or get done.

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[PNWTreeOctopus]

I have what seems to be the same vice that I purchased from Costco many (20+) years ago. If that is where you purchased yours its time to exercise the Costco customer satisfaction guarantee.

I can't complain. The vise was part of a huge lot of reloading tools that was given to me by a friend. So I have used it up. I've been researching vises all evening. Looks like a new wilton that is USA made is even more than an ARB locker....a Chinese made wilton (which is going to be a very high quality vise compared to Harbor freight) is $300-500. This undependable vise I just broke is about $100 at Lowes. I have an old 3 1/2" Craftsman vise that was on my dad's workbench, but its up in my garage attic..hard to get to above the cruise at the moment.

You need to cast that Irwin in the trash and head over to the vise thread for some ideas on a replacement.

Any Vise Collectors Here?

Here is my bench currently. Wilton 800S, Reed 108R 106R and 105R with an older Craftsman and a Reed 4C and Colombian 206M3. I spend time fixing and restoring these when my Cruiser projects stall or get done.

forum.ih8mud.com

^^This. I'm a tool scrounger. I've been snapping up all the higher quality metric tools at the thrift stores for a while now. I rarely see vises, but occasionally I do. They are usually expensive items compared to my $.10 snap on sockets and $1 SK wrenches. But I will certainly snap up the next 5-6" vise I find that isn't a neglected Chinese made Irwin....