Builds My first '40 and the venture (7 Viewers)

[OlYellr]

I didn't show my manifold gasket (OEM) that was on the rig when I found a leak by squirting starter fluid around. Engine reved up around this area. I simply pulled this off and took a picture - no rooting around and helping it open up. (Spoiler alert, new gasket = no leaks! but I still had/have no secondary engagement on the Carb - failed the paper clip test, again.)

 

[CBFJ]

Saw a couple unicorns in Wisconsin this morning - a 1962 & 1983. The 83 has 41k miles on it. It was purchased with the sole intention of snow plowing. Saw the window sticker from the when purchased from dealer. Was cool to touch the “Land Cruiser” stamped bezel on the 1962!

Well I got what I was after and a smidge more. Pushing it back home to make the Amateur Autopsy meeting at the Quonset tonight. It is ‘Open Mike Night’

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Wow that 62 is sexy! Backstory? And...for sale?

 

[OlYellr]

Got a power probe out to find switched power for that Bluetooth radio from @thecrazygreek. I don’t want to wear headphones driving.

Found it and looking at the wire diagrams/color – seems to be the radio connection anyway – the connector is brittle and crumbles to the touch – ordered some new connectors from @Coolerman

After shot –

 

[OlYellr]

Got the roof on - did a quick fix to get the visor attached to roof - long term is to rivet. Got #4 screws, lock nuts etc. Not the best but will hold while OL YELLR goes to the vet next weekend.

This is the lock nut from the inside....

Ended up using the new OEM packing - old was was too far gone.

 

[OlYellr]

Wow that 62 is sexy! Backstory? And...for sale?

I can't remember the backstory on the 62 at the moment - and their intent (two brothers) - One just got a Land Rover and is intrigued by it (though been a Cruiser person for the longest of times). The other brother is going to restore and keep the 83. (Lots of rust only being a plow rig in WI - lots of rust).

I digress - they want to get it running, fix up some parts (IE Seats) - keep the patina as is - and put it in some parades then sell it. Brad said about a year or so to maybe be on the market.

They also have a 78 that has been stored for a long time. Some LC parts person is leaving the business so they bought what he had. Said when it was parked the rear-end was foobared - so they said they have a rear for it and will eventually put it up with a new rear. I need to tell a local about it who is looking for his first Cruiser - I have not laid eyes on it - and I offered to come help inventory what they all got buying that person out.

 

[OlYellr]

Quick update before I hit the road later this am....

Got OL YELLR loaded up last night and celebrated with pizza and some Yuppie Brew. Two days ago, I notice some spots under it, yesterday a third and bigger spot under it - (been sitting still for weeks - such a good boy, stay). (One pic from Thursday, one Friday)

Thursday (two spots a) front diff, b) the back one I see is at the flywheel/bell housing).

Friday - WTF

Going to do one more thing in KC, which basically take a carb we know is good (working on friend's 40) and put it on and see. All it will do IMO is verify the engine rebuild was/is not right for reasons not understood yet. (was/is a great learning lesson - know way more about engines and carb vs getting a rig that just worked).

A couple weeks ago, I took to shop for some engine tests... they did compression and leak-down. Compression was not wet tested - engine was warm. Three cylinders were at 100, three at 115 (tested 3x and did average per cylinder).

Leak-down... (quoting notes from shop) "Removed valve cover and loosened all rockers to ensure all valves were seated, rechecked cylinder leakage on Cyl 1 and Cyl 6 at TDC and found Cyl 1 had 39% leakage and Cyl 6 had 29%. Stoped test. Installed smoke machine to Cyl 1 through leakage test hose and found smoke coming from crankcase. Leakage is past piston rings. Engine will need to be torn down for further diagnosis."

I did a wet test after since they didn't - helped anywhere from 0 to 10 psi over the cylinders. I kept it relative to my tester - tested dry, then wet etc.

Anymore of that Yuppie Brew?

Being a noob, part of me had been thinking well maybe the rings haven't set yet from the rebuild and why the big leakage - and having a carb without the secondary is not helping the engine break in - why I've been hell bent on the two carbs I have. And maybe the camshaft is off by a tooth. Hard to explain the low compression right now. Been in contact with the machine shop too, just in case.

So - given one leak is from the front pumpkin, I'm going to entertain the idea off pulling several more parts off and go over them so I know the condition of them vs guess what how the PO's drove while the engine is getting more TLC. Decided to pull out my favorite Ron Swanson Quote... "Don't half-ass it, whole-ass it."

Silver lining is I will get to spend more time in the hot tub with Yuppie Brew. For those not from the rural parts of prairie, that is a stock tank next to a camp fire.

Cheers..

 

[OlYellr]

Long day - back from Tornado Alley turf. Thankfully @Flatlanderfj40 extended an offer to cross over from a different thread the other day.

I will add some details later. Most successful part of the day was the end before the drive back.... This gem is not on the menu (need to walk about 12 miles tomorrow just looking at it - not to mention the sides too)

Ketchup and Mustard were re-united today... Just in time for the 4th...

 

[Flatlanderfj40]

Long day - back from Tornado Alley turf. Thankfully @Flatlanderfj40 extended an offer to cross over from a different thread the other day.

I will add some details later. Most successful part of the day was the end before the drive back.... This gem is not on the menu (need to walk about 12 miles tomorrow just looking at it - not to mention the sides too)

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Ketchup and Mustard were re-united today... Just in time for the 4th...
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Sandwich looks great. Holler next time your in town.

 

[OlYellr]

Sandwich looks great. Holler next time your in town.

Will do - Wrenching is in Leawood - Totally in your neck of the woods.

 

[OlYellr]

A high-level recap from yesterday – put another carb on from a running 40… no secondary. That makes three carbs – zero secondary.

I read on MUD somewhere and someone said basically “Is the Carb the victim or the cause?” Victim. An engine should be a giant suction machine. I digress…

Found the timing was way off – set that back, no difference in power/performance. Also, the HEI that came with the rig when I got it didn’t have stoppers or whatever they are called in the dizzy when we opened that up. So we transplanted the dizzy, igniter, coil from the red 40 in the picture above – no change in power etc. Didn't expect it - but throwing the kitchen sink at it to justify the beer on a hot day.

My friend called a few other 40 people in the area to have them try the paper-clip test. See if anybody has it working on theirs.

Then more or less called it a day.

Next steps… timing cover will be removed to make sure the cam was lined up right (IE not a tooth off) – and the the valve timing is correct, tentatively engine will come out maybe June 28 and back to the machine shop.

 

[OlYellr]

So I said - reunited with Ketchup - it was almost a year ago (July 2022) I first got there (KC) for the engine rebuild

This is all historical bla bla of 2022.

First 40 - engine not good when I got it. Got friend in KC to help out & got a donor engine to get in the queue of the long wait time at machine shop. All that bla bla - put together. Problem was with main bearings when assembling

Engine Rebuild - NLA parts and the best parts - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/engine-rebuild-nla-parts-and-the-best-parts.1278577/post-14430814 (here was one of my post about 2 months trying to get the correct main bearings.)

Had to deck the manifolds too once assembled - found big gap - then in Sept 2022 - issue with Harmonic Balancer - Thought speedi sleeve - ended up get new Powerbond balancer.

Also tossed the weber carb going back to original.

some old pics from last year...

 

[OlYellr]

Decided to see what some elbow grease & clr can do. I have a spare meter, so thought I'd see how this cleans up... Takes a while - and I guess took decades to get that way. Might powder it after all that.

 

[OlYellr]

The lesson of the day, as per Ol Yellr, .... "nobody owns the truth."

By that - 3 different compression tests, three different "truths".

compression test video Here is last nights compression results (dry) there in KC -

And they started the leak down after the compression - basically 40% loss - not good. Guessing - maybe 20% loss around the cam/timing (guessing amount) alone.

The problem to understand is decent compression, horrible leak/loss - why? Plan is the engine comes out Sunday - and the detective work begins - maybe as simple and rings installed wrong or maybe something wasn't done at the machine shop - everything is on the table. Drop to machine shop will be next week sometime.

Worst case - start over. Don't know.

 

[OlYellr]

Odd and ends really - before taking things completely apart - My friend in KC is trying to find all the various leaks and understand what all went/is sideways on it before it goes to the machine shop ...

Basically $11 in baby powder spread all over the engine to find leaks. First up - the galley plug - the machine shop last year was told to address it the galley plug - and clearly it leaks - when the head is in the shop soon - going to have it tap/die and a plug put in - saw a thread ( Oil galley head plug - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/oil-galley-head-plug.191622/ ) vs some JB Weld fix or whatever. While not the best news with the "address it" last year - could be worse - could have squirted all oil out and completely seized the engine.

the leak presented itself earlier in the spring as leaking from the valve cover gasket - or had me thinking that must be it - Score 1 for baby powder.

 

[OlYellr]

More baby powder experiment - this is without starting the engine and just waiting over time... (yeah - noticed the missing bolt as well).

This is first applied...

Then over some time - this evolved by doing nothing

 

[OlYellr]

Another experiment to find leaks in KC - This time what happens when you dump trans fluid down the carb to make it smoke...

The smoke is coming out where the shaft is going through the manifold. TLC needed for the manifold when taken apart.

 

[OlYellr]

I leave a question/request for those following.... Have you ever done the paper clip test on your secondary? If so, mind posting a pic? Want to see the test working. Two FJ40's, 3 carb, zero success with the 6 permutations. I just want to know it is a good test.

 

[OlYellr]

Made a trip to MN and a threat to @sogncab to stop by his neck of the woods as I was going to a Twins game Sunday with my son. Well, dropped Karl like a bad habit even though MN got their ass handed to them and left game early.

Why did I do that? Temporary insanity? ... oh no, nothing temporary about that.

Engine teardown and eventual removal in KC part duh/deux. Removed the head & can see & feel cylinder walls are scored. Decided to pull it all out late last night vs doing it today as there was plenty of horse power and gas in the tank (aka beer). All going to the machine shop. Nice part is I get closer to front of line status vs wait 8 months.

 

[sogncab]

Jeez, I'm dejected over being rejected!
IIt's like my dating life all over again.

 

[OlYellr]

Jeez, I'm dejected over being rejected!
IIt's like my dating life all over again.

I'd offer you moral support to help you over it, but.... I have questionable morals.