My Latest Update (1 Viewer)

[Mark Jennings]

Hello all, it’s been a while since I’ve posted. Just wanted to share a bit on my latest upgrade to my 68 FJ40. We finished the frame up restoration of this rig in 2018 and it has been a daily driver for 3, going on 4 years. When I restored it, I rebuilt the original 3 speed and kept the 3 on the tree. However, there were linkage issues (not surprised). The first year we were driving it, the rig got stuck in first, assuming partial gear engagement, with the end result a very very noisy first and reverse. Below is a picture of the carnage.

As you can see, putting miles on a noisy box may not be the smartest, but FJ40 owners are sometimes not know for what makes sense….right (LOL).

Part 2: Shortly after I finished the rig, I came across a Berens Hone-O-Drive overdrive as a barn find, it was in a box, complete with the transfer case replacement shaft. It was all there, with the planetary gear set in ‘Not ground to razor sharp teeth’ condition. For you that are not familiar with these units, hard parts are unobtainable. However, bearings, synchro rings and O-rings are….so it was rebuilt. In fact, for assembly and to make sure I had all of the hard parts, I used a Berens Hone Drive manual I downloaded from Mud (thank you whoever posted that…so long ago). Below is a picture of the overdrive guts prior to assembly.

Part 3: So once the the transmission started making noise, and since I have pretty much 2 of everything for the 68 FJ40, I cleaned up and rebuilt a second 3 speed, and a second transfer case using the Hone-O-Drive output shaft. The only hard to find parts for the 3 speeds are the needle rollers in the reverse gear and the cluster, no longer available in USA (unless you go to SOR, at $500 a set). But, if you’re persistent in your internet search, you can order from the UK, and pay the shipping (96 rollers and 56 rollers). You’ll still spend $100…but it ain’t $500 (LOL). Below picture shows the gear train assembled.

Part 4: this last weekend, we got the rig up on the lift and pulled the old and installed the new. Still got quite a few hours of fab time plus powder coating modified skid plates, brackets and linkage bits, buts she’s installed…we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. One of the items a sorta’ kinda’ worried about was reusing my other unobtainable part, the Man-A-Free disk parking brake. We ended up ‘re-indexing’ the caliper plate so the little Airheart brake clears the cross member and allowed clearance for the speedo drive. Anyway, as the photos show, it all fits.

So when I finish this project up, I’ll finish up this entry.

Bee good, and keep the shinny side up…my FJ40 friends.

MMJennings

 

[Living in the Past]

How much are you going to have to cut the rear driveshaft down? As a daily driver a OD will be nice. My 68 has an H42. While the four speed is nice an OD would be even better. Have a couple of Fairey ODs but with the four speed would not clear the torque tube.

 

[Living in the Past]

Curious was there not enough room for the OEM hand brake? Not sure where the Hone was originally made but in the US only theb73 and early 74 had the later tunnel cover and torque. All the other years were pretty much the same as 68. Though the stock hand brake would work. Not a fan of the disc style hand brake. Too much exposed for two track trails.

 

[Mark Jennings]

How much are you going to have to cut the rear driveshaft down? As a daily driver a OD will be nice. My 68 has an H42. While the four speed is nice an OD would be even better. Have a couple of Fairey ODs but with the four speed would not clear the torque tube.

The drive shaft will be shortened approximately 8 1/4”. These planetary drives give you a 30 OD. As far as cruising at modern hi-way speeds, not gonna happen…but I would like to be able to maintain 60 without the old girl ‘screaming for mercy’.

As far as the parking brake, it’s a curiosity to pontificate over a cold beer more than a necessity. The Hone ODs were designed for the drum, and I had cleaned one up for use….if my disk assembly couldn't be made to work.

To keep the weeds and road kill out of the disk, we welded an extension on the skid plate. It was delivered to the powder coater this am, I’ll have pictures when I update…and get her on the road.

Bee Good

MMJennings

 

[Mark Jennings]

Hello All, time to Update the Update. We got the old Bone-O-Drive installed and fabricated up a shifter and linkage…..

This is pre-powder coat, so please forgive the ‘raw’ steel look.

Because the driveshaft is Uber Short (removed 8 1/2 inches), I decided to take a closer look at the pinion angle and try to get as close to the transfer/overdrive angle as possible. Keep in mind this rig has a set of Hijacker 2 1/2 inch springs and an old set of Conifer 1 inch shackles in the rear. I originally had 2 degree spring perch shims. We decided to replace the 2 degree shims with 4 degree shims. That brings the difference between the pinion and drive line to within 1/2 degree.

After we got everything installed, overdrive, axle shims, parking brake cables, etc…. Time for a test drive. With 31 inch tires, at 60 mph, engine went from 3000 rpm to 2000 rpm….oh baby. One of the best upgrades I’ve done so far…..

However, the rest of the story. The damn thing would pop out of direct drive. Stayed in Overdrive, but wouldn’t stay in direct drive.

The problem, the spring and detent ball that secures the Bone-O-Drive in gear just wasn’t tight enough. In fact in the Bone-O-Drive manual there is actually a note that states this, “if it pops out of gear, shim the spring 1/16 inch”….and we did….and problem fixed.

What I figure is that the original owner of the overdrive removed it from his rig because it wouldn’t stay in gear. The problem is that the hardened steel spring eats down into the aluminum housing, and you lose tension in the spring….and bang, pops out of gear.

I’ll post some pictures soon to show how we extended the skid plate and rerouted the parking brake cable to the disk parking break caliper….regular Roug Goldberg, but it works.

Bee Good

MMJennings

 

[South Texas 97]

very very nice. I used to have ARDCO buggies (4X4 and 6X6) with disk parking brakes - worked fine, but they were a bit higher up that the FJ40, and were mechanical not hydraulic.

 

[Mark Jennings]

very very nice. I used to have ARDCO buggies (4X4 and 6X6) with disk parking brakes - worked fine, but they were a bit higher up that the FJ40, and were mechanical not hydraulic.

The Man-A-Free Airhart disk is mechanical, uses the same brake cable as the original drum….it was a pretty ‘light duty’ kit. However instead of filling the brake drum with gear oil from the transfer case…just dripped in the driveway (lol).

MMJennings