Builds Mail Order Ride - My HDJ81

[bmwjnky]

I'd like to, sure would mean a lot less work for now, but the top of the broken stud is pretty twisted and mangled. Is a tough spot to get to so i don't have room to spin my die to clean the threads with that. I could try cutting just a sliver off the top with the dremel and then try a new nut before taking everything apart. Last thing i need is more studs breaking while I'm taking off the manifold.

How about hitting the studs with a little heat and penetrating oil a couple times and then trying to remove the studs. Then you could just use bolts in the threaded holes the studs used to be in. If it was me I'd just try and fix/use those two holes or studs that are there vs. dealing with all the studs & nuts that hold the exhaust manifold on. If you don't have one it might be worth it to buy or borrow a proper stud remover to try and make the job easier.

 

[Dork]

Predictably, I suppose, I ended up giving up pretty quick.

In a decision to avoid a longer period of work at current point in time, I cut the mangled bits of stud off with the dremel, then tapered/cleaned up the last thread and bought some nuts. I'm trying to do all my work on the vehicle after kids are fully in bed, and before having to go to sleep myself due to the responsible requirement of being active part of the work force in the morning.

Those studs are a M10-1.25 if anyone else doing this is wondering.

Bought a small scrap piece of 1/4" plate, used the gaskets as templates and cut these up. Used a grinder to round the corners a bit, drilled some holes and ended up with something that looks like it would do the trick. I know they're not the 1/2" thick fancy CNC'd 6061 aluminum that all the big truck shops like to sell, but I think they'll be strong/stiff enough for the pressures they are going to be seeing.

Yes, I still ended up putting the temperature probe in there so I can faithfully keep an eye on #6. It was just really easy to do it this way right now, and it still gives me a pretty good idea of what the truck is doing, within an acceptable margin of error.

I used some ultra copper RTV for the intake blanks, but I re-used the original gasket on the manifold side for now.

As part of the delete job, I just took the vac line from the solenoids to the doohicky and tied the two solenoids together. Since there is no ODB on this vehicle to worry about, I'm assuming I can completely remove the solenoids/wiring and plug the vac line to clean up the area even more? Anyone anticipate any issues doing so?

I also included a close up picture of my sloppy/lazy work, e.g. the stud being about 1 thread too short for the nut. I think it will hold OK. If not, I can always resign myself to spending more time doing the job right.

Now once the spare tranny union shows up (Thanks, @IanB ), I can get the trans temp part of the gauge working, and that project is all finished.

 

[Dork]

I can finally say that the gauge install is COMPLETELY finished.

Got the tranny union in the mail from @IanB. Started looking at drilling it so I could keep both parts, but the sender that was provided is pretty long, not the flush button type that the factory one is. Looking at the 90 degree bend in the union, the hole gets REALLY small in there, so I didn't want to impede the flow any more than it already was. Ended up grabbing a M16x1.5 plug, and drilling that out to replace the factory temperature switch. It seems to fit pretty much perfectly, with the end of the sensor just entering the fluidspace in the union.

Installation was a BITCH, to put it simply. Looking up there, I figured that union is in a pretty accessible location, and shouldn't be a problem. Actually trying to do it was a different story. The JIC/Compression (I don't know which it is) fitting on the hardline going to the rad was CRAZY tight, and in a spot where a wrench can only turn about 5 degrees before hitting everything else in the area. Spray the whole thing with PB, smack it with a hammer, and grunt like hell. Then, once its loose, the hardline is so difficult to move out of the way because of the awkward position. Once that's figured out, you can't turn the union out of the tranny because of that wierd useless looking mounting bung beside it, so you have to take the factory sendor out first. And do it all in an area that's been having grease from the driveshaft slung all over it for the last 20 years. Then reverse of everything to put it back in there. Wasn't much fun.

Routed the cable from inside the engine compartment down the shock tower to the frame, and followed the frame over.

The factory sensor must be N/O, because I'm not showing the error light at all, and I figure having the temperature right there should be a bit more informative than the error light anyway. And, it's a Japan vehicle, so no OBD to worry about throwing a code by removing it. So, I just tye wrapped the plug there and will leave it alone.

First couple drives around town show me I'm running around 150-155F when it's up to temperature, which seems reasonable, haven't had it on the highway or in any hills yet.

Oh yeah, and just now, a month after I got the thing, I got a bill in the mail from Fedex for $60 for customs. So, my total bill was closer to $290 for the thing. Not the end of the world, but still a piss off.

 

[IanB]

Ya, the removal/replacement of that union is a PITA, I found that by removing the bolt for the bracket on the hardline I was able to gain a bit of wiggle room in there. NOT a fun install either way. The dummy light isn't monitored by any systems, it's a simple threshold reading from the sensor triggers the dash light setup, and a gauge is far more useful as the dummy light comes on at a temp widely believed to be too hot and your fluid is cooked before you'd see the warning (I think 250F, but I can't remember anymore).

 

[Dork]

From what I read the Toyota light turns on at 305, and turns off again at 285.

From other stuff I've read in general, 85C/185F is about the magic number to try to keep the transmission at, and if you can do that, fluid will nearly last indefinitely. Once you start pushing it over 125C/250F for prolonged periods of time, that's when things begin breaking down in the fluid.

There will be a dedicated tranny cooler going into this jalopy one day, but today is not that day.

 

[Douglas S]

If your gauge has programmable outputs you can use one to turn on the cluster temp light at the temperature of your choosing.

Tranny cooler is a must for these vehicles, it baffles me that they did not come with them from the factory.

 

[IanB]

I added an OEM FZJ80 trans cooler, and didn't see my temps exceed 200F on our trip through the mountains. As long as the torque convertor was locked it barely registered on the gauge, I think the lowest marks were at 125F.

 

[gnarlynick2072]

I see there's a cold air intake on that motor... don't do any river crossings with that installed. lol

 

[Dork]

Douglas - no output relay unfortunately. I'll just have to keep my eye on it.

Ian - Yeah, I'll be keeping my eyes open for a wrecker with a stock cooler off a US gasser, probably cheapest route overall.

Gnarlynick - You mean the "cold" air intake that efficiently draws in warm engine air? That little K&N has so very little surface area on it, and it's the crappy oiled type, I'm sure it's actually making the engine breathe worse. Yeah, that will need to go too. Been reading up about air boxes, while keeping the upgrade route to a snorkel open sometime in the future. Stock air boxes are soooooooi pricey.

So many plans/ideas, only so much time/money.

 

[IanB]

I grabbed my ATF cooler from one of the many part-out threads here on MUD, that's a part that pretty well nobody asks for, make sure to the all the hoses from the lower rad, to the funky hardline cluster, and the hardware. FYI, if you have a factory winch, getting that hardline cluster into position where the lines pass through to behind the bumper involves moving the winch solenoid? (I'm blanking on the name of the component that's in the way).

 

[gnarlynick2072]

I know a source where you can get a used intake box. Granted, you would probably have to sandblast/re-paint.

 

[Geert]

Just wanted to add that it's not normal that you car is so sluggish. I have a 1HD-T without intercooler. I replaced the injection pump last year with a new one and that was a huge difference. I drive 120km/h easily. 140 is easily reached. What also made a difference was the Marks 4WD speedo correction unit. Your speedo sends the speed to the transfer case that will decide when to shift. Running 35s messes up the shifting points. By correction you speed to the 35's also shifting is back normal.
Just wanted to give this info. Maybe usefull

 

[Dork]

Interesting about the injection pump, I'll have to spend some time going over all the different systems feeding the engine to see what kind of shape they are in.

I'm pretty sure that the speedo was corrected before; it had 35s put on it in Japan, and I think the speedo needs to be corrected for them to pass their Shakken tests every couple years to keep it on the road. As well, any time I come across one of those "slow down you jerk, you're going XXX KM/H" signs on the side of the road, it's within 1 or 2 km of what I think I should be doing. I know the acceleration off the line sucks because of the gear ratio, but I also have no reference point for any other part of how it runs, not having owned one of these vehicles before, or having driven another one.

I don't need to be a rocket ship everywhere, but being able to hold 120-125km/h on the big highways for 3 or 4 hours while I get -anywhere- would be nice.

Gnarlynick - PM sent regarding the intake. Who knows, maybe it can't breathe and that's a big part of my problem?

 

[IanB]

If you have a GPS you can easily check your real speed vs. your speedo reading. Now that you've got a EGT and boost gauges, what does it show for boost and EGT when running down the road at 100km/h? And at 120km/h?

 

[Dork]

Boost is 8-11 psi at highway speeds, but generally holds steady at 10psi. Haven't driven terribly far, but EGT was sitting around 800F at 100km/h. Wasn't anywhere where I would try to get it up to 120 though. Aggressive acceleration followed by a hill climb, maxxing out at about 110km/h, then dropping in speed on the hill with the skinny pedal still pushed I topped it out very briefly at around 1050-1100F.

 

[IanB]

Boost is 8-11 psi at highway speeds, but generally holds steady at 10psi. Haven't driven terribly far, but EGT was sitting around 800F at 100km/h. Wasn't anywhere where I would try to get it up to 120 though. Aggressive acceleration followed by a hill climb, maxxing out at about 110km/h, then dropping in speed on the hill with the skinny pedal still pushed I topped it out very briefly at around 1050-1100F.

Based on that, I wouldn't say your air filter is STARVING the engine of air, nothing obvious anyways.

 

[Dork]

Did the dome light mod, as illustrated perfectly by @thedoughboy on page 2 of this thread:

Dome light operation

Feels so much better. This will be especially handy as it's been kinda stupid having the middle light off while buckling the boys into the kiddo-seats, lighting them only from the back.

 

[Dork]

Did things recently, some brought up in other threads, and other stuff not entered in here yet.

Got a stock airbox installed. No more dirty little K&N Oiled grossness.

Yanked out the remaining chunks of those rear heater lines. These were in all sorts of places that are a serious PITA to get out, requiring them to be cut or snapped multiple times. Remarkably unassuming job that ends up becoming an ordeal pretty quick. Things not fun: those bolts that hold the lines to the firewall that are BEHIND the engine, and only let you have a couple degrees of motion out of a box end wrench.

Replaced a section of exhaust that was still old. This resonator/pre-muffler/giantdiscountedduetodamagesoupcan hangs down quite a bit so I got rid of it. This little bit of dumpy work is a temporary fix until I decide what I want to do with the whole exhaust, and do it all better then. Right now it's 3" steel, but the flange is just made to fit the 2 3/4" outlet from the turbo, which still leaves that as a choke point. As recommended in another thread in the Diesel section, that will need to be changed to a full 3" (at least) by making a custom dump pipe, then running the exhaust all the way back inside the frame rail. After what I built so far, that all feels like its going to be a HECKUVA LOT of work, so it's going to wait for a while. Besides, I got rid of it in the first place to make room for....

... These! I'm going slow on them and taking a short break. Getting sidetracked into changing the exhaust and all the work that involved meant a lot of late nights and it's a busy enough time of year right now. Do a couple small easy fixes in the meantime to avoid feeling idle.

 

[Dork]

On another thread somewhere in the far reaches of the internet, while in the middle of a quest for knowledge regarding a glow plug light that stayed on occasionally (while not often enough to be a immediate concern), I saw a suggested explanation: When removing the EGR pipe that connects the intake to the exhaust, you now break the path to ground that the intake heater makes use of, so the intake should be grounded to the engine. It was even claimed that it ends up shorting inside the injection pump, which sounds like a bad thing.

So, I took a look. The intake heater is just a one-wire feed, so the electronic wizardry that tells the dash indicator to turn on must be connected somehow, and once the ground is gone, it thinks something's up, then that gizmo turns the light on. With the intake hose from the turbo being rubber, the next point that the heater gets a chance to ground out is going to be where the injection manifold attaches to the engine. If you look closely at the bolts, however, there is a rubber/plastic gasket type material that is in between the intake and the engine block, which even appears to isolate the bolts that hold it there. If there is good enough isolation, I suppose the next path I can guess is that the diesel inside the injection lines would be acting as the conductor.

I haven't pulled a multi-meter out to check this theory out further, but it makes sense to me, and was an easy fix: I tossed a ground strap on it. Could maybe use a smaller gauge wire and make something neater one day later, but for now, I want to test the theory. If I never see the pre-ignition heater light turn on, it worked. If the light does still come on again, does better grounding hurt anything? Probably not.

Maybe anyone with the 1HDFT and a removed EGR system should take a look at theirs? Does the EGR coming out of the gasser engines have a similar effect?

The isolated looking bolts in question:

The ground strap

We shall see how this works.

 

[bricat]

I will add with what Geert stated. I have the 1 HDT and it flies. But mine is manual and I have WtoA intercooler with the boost increased via "T" piece. Still have factory turbo so boost is restricted. Your engine should easily hold 120 km/h all day long up hill and down dale. A run on the dyno will sort that out very quickly. Diesels don't like over fuelling.
You seem to be a man on a mission and have ended up with a nice rig. Keep up the good work. cheers cobber