Builds MM40-The Adventure Continues

[65swb45]

As promised, here's a pic next to the schoolbus:

 

[65swb45]

Well, fast forward 3 and a half years, and the MM40 is back in Burbank for round 2. Not much of anything was done with the truck once it got out to the desert, but a lot happened to the owner, including surgery, chemo and radiation treatments that left using the truck out of the question. Now, as she gets ready to celebrate 50 years of camping and living in Death Valley, as well as surviving cancer, she wants me to continue trying to make the behemoth off- road worthy.

 

[65swb45]

And of course MY shop has changed since 3.5 years ago.

First up was SUPPOSED to be installation of a REAL rear tank. The P.O. had simply taken the stock tank that had been under the passenger seat and ratchet strapped it under the back of the truck!

 

[scrapdaddy]

Congrats to the owner for beating cancer and still wanting to explore in a Cruiser, that's tough!

Look forward to seeing more of this.

 

[sproggy]

...Just as I suspected from afar, VW Bug lights on the fenders. Nice touch, truly.

 

[sproggy]

Does that VW Bug now sport FJ40 lights on its fenders???

 

[65swb45]

Tow truck dumped the motorhome in my driveway on Wednesday. Fresh battery, but it wouldn’t start. Primed it long enough with starter fluid for this:

 

[scrapdaddy]

That's not a good sign of things to come.

 

[65swb45]

That's not a good sign of things to come.

Nope. Rodents. Chewed through the oil pressure capillary tube. I will have to replumb. For now, I just capped off the fitting on the back of the block so I could continue diagnostics on the fuel issue.

Fuel comes to the carb. No fuel filter in the 2Jet. No fuel coming out of accel pump. Truck will start if I pour fuel into the bowl via the vent. Conclusion: stuck needle valve. Ordered 2Jet rebuild kit.

 

[65swb45]

There’s a carb in there somewhere

 

[peesalot]

It's like mummification, it preserves them beautifully.

 

[bikersmurf]

Looks a lot like a lot like the 350 out of the ‘72 fleetside donor for my rig. It looked like it had been leaking through every gasket for 45 years.

After you clean off a layer of filth, you’ll find you’re not to the metal... there’s another baked on layer of filth beneath it. Hopefully it won’t be as bad since you’d worked on it 3.5 years ago.

 

[65swb45]

Well, as much as I hate to say it, @peesalot was right: there was a fairly pristine 2Jet under that gunk. I finished rebuilding it last night and installed this morning. In the process of the rebuild I discovered one of the vacuum ports on the back of the carb was open; I’m sure that didn’t help.

 

[65swb45]

If you look directly behind the carb in the pic, you’ll notice that the number one spark plug wire is only six inches long! Next up is a full tuneup.

 

[65swb45]

Tomorrow is a big day. Driving the MM40 down to my favorite muffler shop 35 miles from here to have a new tailpipe installed that will not be in the way of the -as-yet-to-be installed aux tank, as well as clear the Boss Airbags I ordered from @SLOCRUISER yesterday on a tip from @Solace in Solitude .

 

[65swb45]

 

[65swb45]

I was curious what the well for the stock tank was being used for. I found out!

 

[65swb45]

Gave the old girl a minor face lift Monday. I took the rattiest wall-art only bezel out of the pile and spent 10 minutes beating it out until it was straight enough to mount. Looks like it was always there!

 

[drnekFJ40]

This is a really cool looking cruiser!!

 

[drnekFJ40]

This is a really cool looking cruiser!!