My 1975 2F Holley Sniper Install…. (4 Viewers)

[knuckle47]

Made good progress today until…I had to break the rhythm and stop. But, here is a picture anyway. These was no way these were coming off whole. I was a set to put the new spring in place, new bushing in and lubed.

A-fib…first and only time I’d ever felt it and the worse case I ever had. I’d spent the afternoon in the hospital heart rate peaked at 220. The hospital gave me IV cardizem. In 30 seconds my heart rate was 82. They wanted an over night but when I explained the FJ40 was almost finished, doc said ..”Oh”. “ then get the hell outta here”. (yeah, right)

Took a lot of waiting, convincing and a call to my regular cardiologist to get out. I’ll try again tomorrow .

Surprised the hell out of me too…came on light switching on a light

 

[charliemeyer007]

220 is voltage for your welder, not a heart rate. Stress is the biggest killer as it works on you even in your sleep. Take care of yourself - Rome wasn't built or burned in a day

 

[knuckle47]

Thanks Charlie… as of now it feel like it never even happened… I did have a major fight with a clothes dryer earlier. After a few taps with my shoe, it actually worked… like the old days when my grand father slapped the side of the tv to stop the rolling….

Great advice though…

 

[charliemeyer007]

Percussion therapy is a good tool in the box - I have 3 sizes lead hammers 1# 3# and 6#. I can wail on cast aluminium and not mare it. Beat directly on threads and not damage them or knock the chrome off the wrenches.

 

[MAR FJ40]

Made good progress today until…I had to break the rhythm and stop. But, here is a picture anyway. These was no way these were coming off whole. I was a set to put the new spring in place, new bushing in and lubed.

A-fib…first and only time I’d ever felt it and the worse case I ever had. I’d spent the afternoon in the hospital heart rate peaked at 220. The hospital gave me IV cardizem. In 30 seconds my heart rate was 82. They wanted an over night but when I explained the FJ40 was almost finished, doc said ..”Oh”. “ then get the hell outta here”. (yeah, right)

Took a lot of waiting, convincing and a call to my regular cardiologist to get out. I’ll try again tomorrow .

Surprised the hell out of me too…came on light switching on a light
View attachment 3994981

Hope all is well and this was just a blip. Also hope you can take it easy for a bit!

 

[knuckle47]

Thanks all…. Slowed me down on the slowest spring install in history. Beyond this and a few other nutty issues, I still plan on driving this 40 until I’m older and greyer. And I may just show up on one of these great trail trips to annoy everyone !!

That clothes dryer has a bad timer .. to turn it on you push the dial in, select time to dry and pull out to start. No problem, I pull the schematic, get the part number and internet the heck for a decent price. This dryer is 25+ yrs old and part is discontinued by Maytag. Cross-referenced to a different number and ordered it. Instead of $65.00 it’s $135.00 and I saw one for $575. By some over zealous seller. @charliemeyer007 ” percussion therapy “has so much merit when properly applied... I have used it a lot just never had a great term for it

A new cheap dryer, I certainly don’t need one that might last another 25, is around $675. My life has been filled with restorations so,
“F” this…I’m restoring. I have resurrected Edison cylinder record player, RCA Victrolas, motorcycles, guitars, electrical stuff from the 50’-60’s. It’s a special satisfaction knowing I did it. We’ll see

But, Today, I am finishing the Land Cruiser springs and new seats. Thanks for the support

 

[knuckle47]

Here’s another small step…
I know it’s nothing but I enjoy seeing your all post pictures of stuff..so here is my last corner

 

[Jdc1]

Here’s another small step…
I know it’s nothing but I enjoy seeing your all post pictures of stuff..so here is my last corner

View attachment 3995099

Ready for a test run this afternoon?

 

[knuckle47]

Ready for a test run this afternoon?

I am sure hoping …. I am inside hanging out for a bit as the time flies by..so, I better get ready-motivated.

 

[knuckle47]

I feel like Howard Cosell with a play by play so here another hour gone by

Just drawing the spring pin slowly closing the gap to the perch

 

[knuckle47]

Finished the job ! Went around the truck to make sure everything is properly torqued. Had 65 lbs on the u-bolt nuts. I read that Terrain Tamer suggests 80 lbs. I dialed in 80lbs on the torque wrench but after 2 more cranks on the wrench I let it sit until I can get a few easy miles under my belt and I’ll go back and re-torque them. Greased all of the zerks …12 more currently

The most frustrating part for me was getting the rear wheels back on. I couldn’t lift them so I tried to align them with the studs and push them in place.
Took a while raising and lowering the axle height. Took about 20 minutes but to my surprise the last weakened push did it

Test Ride; Sniper EFI starts right up immediately. I start out down my dirt road which has been rutted enough over last winter, this spring and summer without being graded. Easy to aim for the holes. There is a huge e difference just in the ability to”float” thru these bumps rather than bang thru them. It looks like the springs move more. My old ones are quite rigid. The shocks provided with the springs are gas charged but do compress easier and release smoother and more slowly. So far, a really nice change. The street was recently paved in the last 4 weeks so it’s smooth went to the next few block, u-turned and back up my dirt driveway. It about 1800ft long so not much of an off road test but I will seriously record a video for the bounce test. The rattles are less so it got to be a smoother attack.

I think I may have had a 2” lift in the rear when I acquired this truck so it’s still a little chore for me to climb up and in…proCar seats are next

If it gives me the on road / off road changes I was hoping for, I would be pleased with the outcome. More to come

 

[knuckle47]

Went back in the garage to size up what the ProCar seats is going to involve and starting to get the welder setup. I decided despite my own fabrication I would order one of these brackets to see what it looks like and how it was made for the application on the FJ 40.

it looked pretty decent and actually looked very nicely made, and seemed to follow the exact lines of what I have been planning to Weld together.
I unbolted all of my welding pieces from the seat frame and swapped the pro car seat bracket for the Land Cruiser in place.

Within 45 minutes the seat was fully installed and looks terrific so I parked my ass on it and quite frankly it’s about an inch and a half higher, which is exactly what I was looking for. Firm enough to support you comfortably and exactly as @1911 did say it’s much more comfortable than that 50 year-old dead foam.

I ordered the drivers side bracket a few minutes ago. That’s how well it fit.. plus they do recline,

something that would have been a benefit 50 years ago.

@1911. They must have heard you wherever their fabricator is because they made a very nice bracket as I looked at it. I will send you some photos within a day or so when I get back out to the pole barn, but this is a preliminary look.

 

[JKIII FJ40]

Knuckle47, I have the same seats (color and all). Really do like them and can definitely tell the difference in the tail end after a ride. Cant wait to hear more about the parabolic springs once you get some miles on them.

 

[knuckle47]

@JKIII FJ40 i tend to think the springs are a very nice upgrade. I don’t have a lot of drive time yet. Once you “finish” the job you then go back and double check each nut and fitting. The new u-bolts have to be cut twice. During initial tightening, my deep sockets were not deep enough to close the gaps fully so cutting 2” off of each gave me the next step to draw the springs up fully. They are still hanging below the u-bolt plates. Then you’ve gotta grease all the 12 new fittings for the bushings with the recommended molybdenum disulfide grease

One other development in my case is the Saginaw power steering. The Terrain Tamer steering stabilizer fits the stock pitman arm since it is equipped with the required hole for the stock mounted unit. Once you change the arm to accommodate the splines of the steering gearbox, it’s only a straight piece and has no mount.

So the required stabilizer is now a pin to pin mount with the mounting hardware bolted to the axle and the tie road. Many of the older cruiser add on stabilizers used this method. I think my ‘74 was one of them.

When I discussed this with @orangefj45 , he’d suggested selling the one I have and using something like the rough country types that do mount this way.
I did not care for that option… and here’s why. When I took the TT stabilizer out of the box it was a bigger and heftier monster stabilizer…I did not want to give it up.

I ordered the rough country one and took the hardware out to modify it to accommodate the Terrain Tamer stabilizer and here is my starting point

I just need to remember to mount the grease zero to the side with the most clearance for lube time.

@orangefj45. Do you or anyone else see any problems doing it this way…something crazy like geometry and outside forces impacting steering control…physics just ain’t my thing. Welding this up today

 

[knuckle47]

I should add: when I say it is bigger and tougher feeling… by comparison, the new rough country stabilizer looks to be about 20% thinner than the TT model

 

[knuckle47]

I found out today the drivers side seat adapter for the Pro-Car seat won’t be shipped until October 19. The passenger side is in and works perfectly and it would be nice to get it all done.

Enter 1/4” flat bar stock. Took the measurements and realized the bends in the original seat mounts accommodate the rise that the seat has naturally. I found a few angles that will allow me to re-create that same effect without adding spacers to the rear of the mounts. Cut, bent, leveled and welded the bars. This worked out very well.m so tomorrow I can finish up the mounts and get the seat installed. Here are a few midway photos.

It will need a major cleaning and vacuuming when it’s finished…it looks horrible in there now

 

[knuckle47]

Question for real welders…. In order to work the steel with two 45* bends for that flat bar, I cut a groove across the flat with a cut-off wheel but only 1/2 way in depth. Once I get the bends I need, I will weld up that gap as you can see in these pictures to restore the “strength” back in.

How does this actually affect the metal?

I am also adding a gusset above and below each bend

 

[charliemeyer007]

What steel flat bar, what rod determines final strength. Gussets are a good plan, that will add strength

 

[knuckle47]

MIG…. .030 carbon steel wire probably run of the mill, 1/4 x 2” flat bar… cold roll 1018 . it was left over from my junk pile

 

[knuckle47]

Wanted to finish the seat mounts for the driver side… After my battle with the clothes dryer the other day, the new one was delivered and needed a custom install for the dryer vent. This 1 hour job took me 5 hours to finish so I could only get the main section of the brackets welded with the gussets so it’s off still until tomorrow to grind the rest

Here’s some pictures

.

.