Builds My LC 80 thread. (1 Viewer)

[Dave 2000]

Update time. Well no leaks and after a day or two the coolant level settled. I have noticed that the engine is running cooler but that may have been brought about by the sudden cold spell we are getting at the moment. The temp gauge is definetly less 'active' and at the moment sitting around one needle width below it's norm.

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Observations after the new pump and thermostat.

The obvious change is the engine is definetely running cooler on a typical run, the indication is it is running around one needle width cooler, my favourite test climb is a 550 metre hill leading away from the coast, this would bring the gauge on a typical day at least to halfway, on a very hot day about two needle widths below the red, now it climbs about one needle width, assuming I can extrapolate from that I will assume that halfway or a little more on a hot day?

Now here is the interesting bit, after reaching the top of the hill and starting down the other side with a trailing throttle the gauge would come down as expected, but would continue to drop right down below the previous normal running temperature. Only after the car had been driven on the level for a couple of miles would the temperature come back to the 'pre climb' temp.

I have observed this with previous vehicles so thought nothing of it until I had a think about it, on a typical engine the now very cool water from the rad is entering the engine from the bottom hose and will course through the engine cooling it as it goes until it reaches the thermostat at the TOP of the engine,the cold water would bring down the temp as expected, the thermostat holding that water in the block until it reach the rated stat opening temp.

Now on the 80 the stat is in the bottom hose reading the incoming water and would react to the cold water quicker than the top position thermostat, so the reason my engine temp dropping so severely after the climb was because the thermostat was sticking wide open after the climb.

With the new thermostat the temp drops down to normal and holds it there even during the run down the other side of the hill, I have seen dozens of thermostats stick closed and just as many stick open but never one that continued to operate just very very slowly. Of course none of this would have been noticed without the temp gauge mod which IMO is one of the most important mods you can do on your 80.

As an asides, today so I could measure the radiator for the planned electric fans, I removed the fan/radiator shroud, (I have somehow misplaced the old rad I took off?) and then I got a call from a friend to go to his house and check out why his burglar alarm was sounding, (it seems he got an automated call while he was in another province miles away) you guessed it, the house is on the other side of the 550 metre climb, so up and over I went and noticed the temp did not alter from the previous readings taken earlier when the shroud was fitted, a clear indication that the cooling system on the 80 is designed with plenty of spare capacity built in, what a machine, the phrase 'they don't make em like they used too' must have been coined for the 80!

regards

Dave

PS, in case you were wondering the house alarm was a false one triggered by a window not being closed properly.

 

[Dave 2000]

Yesterday brought up another problem, I was travelling around 60 MPH and had to accelerate to overtake another vehicle and as I did I felt a vibration through the body of the car. I suspect a propshaft joint has started to fail, I have four airports runs over the next two weeks. Assuming it is the propshaft that is at fault I have no time to order and get the parts fitted before the various journeys.

I will 'dive under' before the weekend and have a good tug to see if anything appears to be amiss, in the meantime as the temps here are not over 23 C at the moment I have left the fan shroud off and put it in the back of the car in case I encounter any situation that warrants refitting on the quick, hmmm I did see three cars queueing at the traffic lights this morning

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Vibration update

The vibration issue was looked at and barring very little movement in the propshaft I could not see the reason for the vibration. I thought I will leave it until after Christmas and have another look when I return from the UK. Since then a leg injury has seen me laid up for a couple of weeks so the car has not seen much work. The vibrations seemed to not get any worse so I guessed I had better just order the UJ.s as a way of eliminating them from the diagnosis. Yesterday however, as I rolled to a stop I heard and felt a clunking noise, very very slight but there was something not right. The noise and clunk is repeatable and can be felt through the gearstick. I have to use the car for a few more days but the slight movement on the UJ's has not got any worse, I am now thinking gearbox bearing, as the synchro on second that has never been brilliant since I bought the car I will not get any better I will do that as well.

For now though the leg is giving me more grief so the car will have to wait, this is the first real issue I have had with this car and of course approaching 19 years of age it will not be my last. As a mechanic by trade, barring getting a bit of muscle to get the box out I will strip and rebuild it myself, this assumes it is viable from a cost point of view.

I will update as and when something gets done.

Regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Well on the way home the other morning the noise became louder so I pulled into a petrol garage and rang the 'Grua' (breakdown truck), I was concerned there would be irrepairable damage so got the truck home on a low loader. I am using my little van as a workhorse now and am waiting on prices for gearboxes and or spare parts. I am not 100% sure it is the gearbox or transfer but the 'feeling' I get through the gearstick says almost certainly it is the gearbox. I did pull the front propshaft and locked the diff and then refitted and removed the rear shaft again no difference, I used both high and low in the transfer box and again no difference, sooooo I am calling a bad gearbox.

regards

Dave

 

[ajnabi]

Dave, I've been following this thread for a while. Hope you get it sorted without too much trouble. I see you've already found the MTM rebuild on .landcruiserclub.net.
What's your current mileage?

IQ

 

[Dave 2000]

IIRC it is around 235,000 miles...ish. Car is at home and I am staying out in the countryside for awhile.

Yes I did see the thread on Landcruiser forum, it was good from a reference point of view, I have built plenty of gearboxes in the past so a rebuild is no issue however, with the gray matter getting older by the day a few pics will always help. I think it was a great thread, if you have not already put up a link then I will get it sorted later?

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Well just a quick update, the spanish breakers yards want 1000 euros plus shipping for a secondhand unit with 12 week warranty, but they are not sure what is the right gearbox .

A recon unit is 2000 euros but only a six month warranty, knowing how common these vehicles are NOT here does not give me much confidence in the skill of the rebuild guy (girl).

I am now waiting for a reply on a secondhand unit from the UK but with shipping costs this could prove to be a non runner. I may end up stripping it and rebuilding, the only issue I see here is the individual cost of components which appear to verge on the rediculous.

On the plus side the little Opel Corsa van I had sitting in the garage will return 60 plus MPG without trying, also no worries when one of the locals use it for 'impact parking' in the town.

Soooooo....watch this space.

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Well I pulled the gearbox, and started the stripping down procedure, the gear cluster is out and I can see no damage anywhere? No broken teeth, bearings, and no metal in the oil? I need to get some time this week to pull the gears off the main shaft and have a look in that area. I will post back as and when. I will add that I drained the oil from the transfer gearbox and the same clean oil result as per the gearbox oil.

regards

Dave

 

[ajnabi]

Pics?

 

[Dave 2000]

Pics?

Of what? I took a few pics to help with putting it back together but at the moment all there is are a bunch of cogs on a couple of shafts, nothing to see other than that I am afraid. That is the frustrating thing about it, I would have loved to have found a couple of mashed cogs, I plan to at least have a few minutes in the garage tomorrow but that depends on how I feel, not a 'well bunny' at the moment. I am going to start pulling the individual gears and see if any are spinning on the shaft, the fact that the noise is in all gears I am aiming at the primary shaft end first.

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Update, I have pulled most of the gears off the shaft and nothing thus far. This is very frustrating to say the least. The noise that was being made was soooo loud there should be metal bits everywhere but nothing, and I drained and checked the T/box as well again nothing. I thought I had found at least something which was a needle bearing in two pieces but Jon over on the European LC site pointed out that it was meant to be in two parts, damn! I need to get some more garage time in and will get back to the forum asap, in the event that someone recognises this sound/problem feel free to throw out an idea and I will respond with a nay or yay.

regards

Dave

 

[jdlsantos]

Nice thread and nice rig!
Could you post pictures about the starter modification, please?
Thanks

 

[Dave 2000]

Nice thread and nice rig!
Could you post pictures about the starter modification, please?
Thanks

I have them in an archive somewhere so will get five mins and dig them out. There was a 12v starter that bolts right in but I was told it was very expensive? Mine is a typical 12v unit I got off ebay dirt cheap, well for nothing actually such was it's condition.

Have a hunt around for more info on the 12v version, I think (but don't quote me) it is an industrial unit that has the right voltage/teeth/reach etc.

I will post the pics when I come across them.

regards

Dave

 

[Sc0-]

Any further updates as to what caused the noises/vibrations?

 

[Dave 2000]

Any further updates as to what caused the noises/vibrations?

Hi, sorry for the delay in updates, ultra busy lifestyle versus health issues consumes oh so much time. Still no conclusion but the T/box is looking to be the suspect.


The gearbox is in dozens of bits on the workbench and absolutely nothing is out of place so, my attentions are turning towards the transfer box. I will get to that when I get some time probably within the next couple of weeks?


regards


Dave

 

[HDJDub]

Dave, Love your truck. I actually picked up my first 80 in november and its very similar to yours. Same colour, 5 speed, diff locks, etc but my has the 24 valve. I'm jealous of your heated seats!

I'm curious about your fuel mileage. I record every tank and I'm averaging about 19-20mpg. I take it you're probably using the Imperial gallon for measurement right? I use US for mine because I go across the border to get fuel in the states. If I use imperial gallon that still only brings me up to 23-24mpg. I think the last owner in Japan must have tweaked the injector pump, it shoots pretty sooty clouds under hard accel. I'd like to turn the pump down and hopefully achieve mileage similar to yours.

My truck also has higher mileage and transmission "difficulty". I'm at 289,000kms and 1st is nearly impossible to select when slowing down to a stop. I always slide it into second to be able engage 1st at a stop. I'm waiting till the clutch starts to go then I figure I'll order syncros/bearings/seals/etc. Are you rebuilding yours at all or just going to move on to the T/case to locate that noise? I'm wondering where the best place to source the parts is.

Cheers,

Eric

 

[Dave 2000]

Hi, the gallons are Imperial, I live in Spain where it is all in litres and I convert over to the UK standard, I am ultra accurate on those figures so they can be relied on. One thing I did notice when 'brimming' the tank, fill it up to the top and grab the rain gutter and gently rock the car side to side, this allows air trapped in the top of the tank to escape, I have often managed to get another 4 or 5 litres in, this can significantly affect your calculations. Apart from the 'odd' idle my car exhibited the only other modification to the pump is removal of the cold start mechanism and the timing rechecked. No Black smoke unless really giving it some stick, just to blow out the cobwebs you understand 8>) and that is it, no other unusual emissions. I note your 'under hard acceleration' comment, I generally tend to plod about but find it really hard to get through a tank full of diesel without finding a reason to driver her a little harder, this too affects overall consumption.

Where I reside by the coast we rarely see traffic except during carnival times, I can drive along the coast bypass road between villages for around 40 kilometres at a steady 60 MPH and not see another car the whole journey, terrible huh?

I also do not have any real consumption mods, no bigger wheels, heavy iron bumpers, roof rack and suchlike, this along with tyre pressures, crap in the trunk all of which can affect your numbers.

Re the gearbox, I may rebuild the gearbox and purchase a second hand t/box but, at the moment I cannot seem to get hold of another gearbox OR t/box!

Parts suppliers in Spain for these cars seem to be scarce, I can get a gearbox/t/box from the UK and do not mind suffering the transport cost however, IF the unit/s are faulty the suppliers are not prepared to pay the return transport and refund the money, I am stuck between a rock and a hard place at the moment.

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Quick update, this week I am travelling over to Alicante as a breaker reckons he has the right parts for my cruiser, so I am guarding my enthusiasm/excitement at the moment but will update as and when I know the outcome.

regards

Dave

 

[kevsta]

Hi Dave. good news on finding the box hope its a good one and you get sorted.

my old girl sailed through the ITV this week, no word about it being registered as an 8 seater, had rear seats folded, they never asked or looked at them, seatbelts or whatever. they also passed my facelifted front bumper, 30mm front suspension spacers, and rear wheel lift mod. ..I did paint muddy water on them to disguise a little though..

kevsta