My Bolt Stuff On An LX450 "Build" Thread (1 Viewer)

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First off I'd like to say I'm not trying to flame anybody, but I've got to comment on the photo you posted of that shim that was supposed to of been surface ground. I've ground many parts on surface grinders in my 40 plus year carrier as a machinist, and i can tell you the finish you get on a part from using a surface grinder never looks like that. That part looks like it's been ground on a belt sander, not a surface grinder. If you like i can provide you with a photo of a surface of a part that's been ground on a surface grinder, and it looks nothing like your photo.

I appreciate the info, honestly I assumed they would've used a surface grinder but I'm not sure exactly what they used. Regardless with or without a surface grinder, this is not the way I would've fix it. I definitely plan on revising this at a later time, however as of now I just want to drive and enjoy the thing. It has spent months just sitting because I didn't want to drive it how it was before.
 
I appreciate the info, honestly I assumed they would've used a surface grinder but I'm not sure exactly what they used. Regardless with or without a surface grinder, this is not the way I would've fix it. I definitely plan on revising this at a later time, however as of now I just want to drive and enjoy the thing. It has spent months just sitting because I didn't want to drive it how it was before.

I've got a few questions for you, did both sides of the shim you showed in your photo have that same surface finish, or did they only grind on one side of the shim? If it only had that surface finish on one side i hope you put that side down towards the spring bucket, NOT towards the cam lobe. Even if you did install them facing the bucket, that surface finish may still present problems. It may catch on the spring bucket, and prevent the shim from rotating.

Another reason for my concern is this, that course surface finish of that shim running against the can lobe would not be an idea situation. This is due to the fact that that ruff surface finish on those shims could cause abnormal wear to each cam lobe they are in contact with.

All factory shims are harden, ground, and lapped on both sides, that way the cam lobes ride on a smooth, polished, harden surface. Since both sides of the factory shims are smooth, and polished, that aids the shim in being able to rotate in the spring bucket spreading the wear over the entire surface of the shim. Factory shims are ground on both sides, they are flat, and parallel to each other, to within one ten thousands (.0001) of an inch.

Keeping those two surfaces flat and parallel to those tolerances can not be achieved using a belt sander. If it turns out that they used a belt sander to grind your shims, i highly recommend you remove, and REPLACE those shims.
 
I've got a few questions for you, did both sides of the shim you showed in your photo have that same surface finish, or did they only grind on one side of the shim? If it only had that surface finish on one side i hope you put that side down towards the spring bucket, NOT towards the cam lobe. Even if you did install them facing the bucket, that surface finish may still present problems. It may catch on the spring bucket, and prevent the shim from rotating.

Another reason for my concern is this, that course surface finish of that shim running against the can lobe would not be an idea situation. This is due to the fact that that ruff surface finish on those shims could cause abnormal wear to each cam lobe they are in contact with.

All factory shims are harden, ground, and lapped on both sides, that way the cam lobes ride on a smooth, polished, harden surface. Since both sides of the factory shims are smooth, and polished, that aids the shim in being able to rotate in the spring bucket spreading the wear over the entire surface of the shim. Factory shims are ground on both sides, they are flat, and parallel to each other, to within one ten thousands (.0001) of an inch.

Keeping those two surfaces flat and parallel to those tolerances can not be achieved using a belt sander. If it turns out that they used a belt sander to grind your shims, i highly recommend you remove, and REPLACE those shims.

They were only ground on one side. The side that was ground was put towards the spring bucket, aka away from the cam lobe (I actually asked the same thing and that's what I was told). I assumed the machine shop that did this modification would've done it with the right equipment, but yet again they messed up the first time so what's to say they didn't mess it up again.

I really appreciate the advice, like I said I planned on revisiting this at a later time but maybe I need to do it more urgently. I've honestly ran out of patience since the end of the rebuild/the beginning of the idle issue. I visited the shop 3 different times, each time taking close to or more than a month. First time I was told it was a bad injector connection, second time that the sparkplugs weren't gapped correctly. After fixing those things, none of it made the idle issue any better so I took things into my own hands and discovered the valve clearance issue. Not to mention I replaced a ton of parts trying to resolve this issue. The idle does feel significantly better, but that's not to say it may have issues later on. I know of a good local mechanic that deals with only imports (his specialty being Toyota), he's not a Land Cruiser expert but I'm sure he understands the valve shimming procedure since it was the same on many other Toyotas of the same era. I will stop by his shop later this week and ask him if he would feel comfortable replacing said shims. I would try it myself but I'm simply not confident/experienced enough to do so.
 
It's been a long time since I've updated this, however there's plenty I've done to the 80 and even took it on it's first trip.

Prepare for a looong update...

First was the window runs. They were hard/cracking, and made my windows super slow. I wanted to replace them before getting my windows tinted.
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Next was window tinting. I used SunTek HP Bronze to try to match the OEM glass. Used 40% on the rear and 15% on the front windows. The match is pretty close but not perfect, but you can only tell if you look square onto the windows. If you look at an angle it looks like an exact match.
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Around the same time I installed an ARB bumper. I also installed a small LED bar and turn signal lights/DRLs from Australia.
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I used these rubber grommets from Lowes to mount the LED bar on the top of the ARB. They fit perfectly in the holes and made it easier to mount the LED bar.
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Also ordered some Trail Tailor recovery points to install with the ARB.
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It stayed like this for awhile. Just enjoyed driving it around.
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Then I got a new job and moved to Atlanta. Of course the old lady helped with the move.
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Next came the biggest change; lift and tires. I went with a variable rate 1.75" Dobinsons lift/shocks. I have to say I'm very happy with this lift, it rides great and looks great! Highly recommended. Forgot to take before pictures, but we all know how 22 year old suspension looks on an 80.
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I had to do something about those tiny tires so I upgraded to 285 BFGoodrich K02s. Really happy with these as well, they do great for daily driving and mild trails. These are also snow rated so they'll do good on any snow/mountain trips.
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These are some other small modifications/additions I did around this time.
- Landtank modified fan clutch (no pictures)
- Ford 90 degree oil filter adapter...
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- HuddExpo ground strap...
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- Added USB port in place of the cigarette lighter, and also USB port for my head unit..
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- I designed/3D printed an adapter to install this LED light in the dome light...
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I continued to have issues with the idle and also EGR codes. Even though the shop that done the head gasket had "fixed" the valve clearance issue (shown in previous post), they did a half ass job and the valve clearances were still off when I checked them. I was fed up a this point so it was time to fix the issue correctly and decided to do it myself. Also contrary to what the shop had told me, I was able to order brand new shims in all the sizes I needed. They were still all available from Toyota.

@Rifleman I feel a lot better after taking the "ground" shims out. There wasn't any visible damage to the cams or buckets, but replacing them with brand new shims has given me peace of mind. Also after replacing the shims and correcting the valve clearances, my EGR code went away. I'm guessing since the clearances were off on cylinder #6 (the one the EGR is connected to) it was affecting EGR flow and causing my CEL. Big shout out to Otramm's YouTube videos for guiding me through the cam removal process. I managed to get all this done literally the night before leaving for Overland Expo East. I drove more than 2000 miles with no problems at all!
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I drove to Overland Expo East, DC, and then to an island off the NC coast for the 80s first real trip. I bought this AirBedz which fit perfectly in the back of the 80. Slept like a king on the beach. Here's plenty of beach pics...
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Here's some other random pictures from different trips...
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Early 2020 I decided to tackle my leaking roof/roof rack. I removed the rack, treated the rust, and temporarily patched the holes. No more leaks. I'll eventually get the metal patched and repainted.
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The latest modification was a Landtank MAF. Took awhile to get it but I'm very happy with the new found throttle response. Definitely makes the 80 feel more peppy.
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I have a WV trip planned for August and have a few things I want to do to the 80 before then. Will try to keep this updated.
 
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that's a really great thread. glad you are back on it. any more intel on the huddexpo ground strap? i guess this is for added grounding basically. the oil filter part is from off the shelf from napa or? landtank maf is from joey and sounds like a definite thumbs up. oh and i guess you also went with the blue fan clutch? i never did wrap my head around what it would do for me. i guess i could slap it in instead of R&R'ng mine with heavier weight oil for texas or something?
oh. can i also please ask if you have part numbers for the dobinsons variable rate 1.75" Dobinsons lift/shocks. seems like this gives you something on the order of 1.75" lift? did you consider keeping it straight stock height? or are these in fact stock height? THANKS
 
that's a really great thread. glad you are back on it. any more intel on the huddexpo ground strap? i guess this is for added grounding basically. the oil filter part is from off the shelf from napa or? landtank maf is from joey and sounds like a definite thumbs up. oh and i guess you also went with the blue fan clutch? i never did wrap my head around what it would do for me. i guess i could slap it in instead of R&R'ng mine with heavier weight oil for texas or something?
oh. can i also please ask if you have part numbers for the dobinsons variable rate 1.75" Dobinsons lift/shocks. seems like this gives you something on the order of 1.75" lift? did you consider keeping it straight stock height? or are these in fact stock height? THANKS

- HuddExpo ground strap; my original one needed to be replaced so I just bought this instead of OEM. Figured thicker is always better for ground straps.
- Oil filter adapter; Installation of 90 degree oil filter adapter on 1FZFE
- Blue fan clutch; I did it to keep the temps as low as possible in the summer. You could definitely just change the fluid in yours. I just figured after 20ish year a brand new one wouldn't hurt.
- Dobinsons; Front C59-220V, Rear C59-269V. Yes, it's a 1.75" lift (more if you're using old sagging suspension as your baseline). I originally wanted stock height, but after talking with Mike at Dobinsons I decided that wasn't a good option since I had an ARB front bumper and I eventually want to get a rear bumper. So I went with this setup instead and I'm happier than I would've been with the stock height. It just feels right on an 80.
 
That’s a nice rig and great job on the repair . I’m in the process of replacing my engine . I’m very surprised that the hg blew so early . I’m wondering is there any indication if the hg is already replaced or in need of replacing . I read in your post that there was no overheating or loss of coolant so this question might be hard for anyone to answer beside proof it was already done .
 

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