Mike's 1978 FJ40 Build (2 Viewers)

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My wife made this sketch of the 40 for me.


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Just plain NASTY!

Good thing you took and posted this, because in a few days these photos will be a long ago remembrance of images that will soon be forgotten..........I expect to see it looking like the photo below very soon:


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Nice work, my friend!


Rick, like I said before it's a real turd.
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Took some pics for you. First two pictures are of some of the parts I have been refinishing. Everything is getting disassembled, cleaned and painted inside and out. I have been trying to use stock finishes whenever possible. I know it doesn't look like much, but those parts were mostly red when I started. I spent an hour tonight getting the windshield washer motor running. It was rusted solid, but the Kroil oil saved it.

The last picture is of all the body parts waiting for the sand blaster. It hasn't rained much at all the last two months......until I got the body ready to clean. My sandblaster guy has a mobile unit and only works on the weekends. It has rained the last three weekends. He does soda, walnut shell, and sand. The frame is at the powder coater and should be ready next week.

I dropped the engine off to be built yesterday. It is going to be built all stock.No smog, and a trolhole carb and dizzy. I am curious to see what he says about the condition of the motor. Fingers crossed., as I never heard it run.

I would like to have the chassis built with the suspension and driveline by Thanksgiving.

You got the bigger HF parts washer. The one you see in the background is the $49 one. Years ago, I flipped the switch on a parts washer and the switch shorted, sparked, and the parts cleaner caught on fire. Burnt all the hair off of my arms, and about caught the shop on fire. No more flammable cleaners for me.

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That's a nice collection of parts, look forward to your build. Have you started a build thread yet?

Glad your tub is Freeborn red, that's the color of the fastest 40s.
 
Wow!! Krista has a lot of talent Mike!! Hope she's feeling good by now!!

Please thank her for the drawing of 44 :cool:

Thanks Danny! I'll be sure to tell her.:hillbilly:
 
what type of solution is best for cleaning parts?

Dave, that's the $64000 question, I've tried the following:

1. Gasoline but it destroys rubber works great on grease, etc. (fast acting)
upload_2015-10-4_12-28-18.png

2. HF degreaser works OK if parts are submerge for about a week (slow)
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3. Acetone works OK
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4. Mineral spirits work OK
5. Dish washing soap works great with 180* degree F water with brush
6. For heavy petrified soil grime the wire wheel works great
7. A $5,000 commercial automatic parts washer works great but I don't have one yet.

I'm sure there are commercial degreasers available that work great but I haven't spent much time researching the topic, I just use what I have around my shop. Perhaps one of the professional automotive techs here on MUD will chime in with their recommendations.

I've heard the Cuda brand is one of the top parts washers but not sure of the cost. They operate with a high GPM pumps and high temp water and a degreasing solution that lasts about a month of everyday heavy duty useage.
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Cuda 7248 Series Front Load Parts Washers
The Cuda 7248 is the largest front-load parts washer in our entire product lineup. It features a turntable diameter of 72-inches, working height of 48-inches, and load capacity of 5000 lbs. The 7248 series is equipped with a 7.5 HP vertical seal-less pump producing 160 GPM at 45 PSI, and has a 200-gallon sump capacity.
 
I've used oven cleaner before. Spray on heavy, wrap in foil.
 
I just cleaned my hubs yesterday. I would have taken some pictures but my entire body was covered in grease! I started with the HF degreaser. No luck. Then I soaked them in Diesel in a 5 gal bucket. Better. Added some gas, and that really loosened it up. Hit it with the pressure washer, and finished with a brass wheel on the bench grinder. They really came clean. Mine were just as nasty as yours, maybe worse.

Call me non green, or whatever, but nothing I have ever used will cut grease/clean like gas.
 
What are you using?
Dave, I use a combination of everything that I listed above and a lot of paper towels and I mean a lot.
 
I found it easier to put the hubs in a bucket and scrub and dunk them. Parts washer just made a mess on me, but my parts washer is pretty cheap and flimsy.

If I were doing it again, I would dissasemble, pressure wash, and soak them in a 5 gal bucket with enough gas to cover them good. Clean them and pressure wash again. Brass wire wheel helped a lot to finish them up.
 
Some progress pics

Painted passenger side knuckle and brake parts

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Reassembly

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Passenger side is now complete
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