Build My Tonka Truck

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That would be a band-aid. They didn't come from the factory with lower than 4.11's so that isn't your cause. You are running larger than stock size tires, but they aren't big enough to cause that much of an un-sprung weight issue. You aren't loaded down with gear. You've driven the truck for a while now, you should be able to feel when something has changed.
 
I meant that re-gearing for more "power" wouldn't be a true fix of your issue. It would be a shortcut. Swapping transmissions (if you are SURE that your transmission is going out) would be a good way to go :).

I swapped mine because I had all the parts and two weeks off. My a440f transmission wasn't "going out", in fact it was rebuilt and fine. I'm just a glutton for punishment I guess.

My recommendation would be to start with swapping a whole H42 and transfer case combo out of a 60. That way you can delete the vacuum shift 4WD.
 
I drove through flagstaff on my way to California so I understand what you mean by high grades. I can't speak for the Automatic trans, but with my 2f/h55/4:56 gears & 35s I was able to manage all of the hills in 3rd and 4th gear cruising with the semi trucks.

I would think that 4:56 gears might be a bit much for 33s and would make you rev out on flat roads quick. I would say go for a 5-speed and keep the 4:11s.

A buddy of mine has a 62 w/ a 4 speed and the fuel injection paired with a manual trans is a lot more responsive than the carbureted 2f. He's pushing 3k @ 65mph though so the drivability on the highway is limited but with a 5 speed it would be a great setup.
 
Check the kick-down cable.
 
Sorry for the lack of updates. Life got in the way. Not much has happened. Had the torque converter rebuilt again and transmission pump replaced, replaced the tint to 20% front, 5% everything else, and went through another speedo cable. My speedo needle has always bounced. I think with the lift, whatever that's broken in the gauge is catching up with me for the speedo to break twice in a year. I'll be getting it fixed soon.

The main reason for my disappearance on MUD was due to moving. I have a garage now. After some a**hat stole my CB antenna and shovel, and tried to take my hi-lift, I decided to get my truck in the garage. Without a shovel, I didn't need the mount anymore, which was the tallest part of the truck. After adding two 7 gallon jugs of water to the tailgate, she fits!!! Now, if its hot out or I've been driving a lot, my roof rack scrapes the doorway of the garage.

My primary focus right now is fabbing panels in the cargo area to mimic the WagonGear panels, just out of wood, and with tie down points. Then, sound deadener and new upholstery. I want to replace everything that's plastic with something that will last/ be easily replaced, and the biggest hiccup in that plan is the dash. Its falling apart.......help?
 
Good Morning, Mudders!!!

I'm losing my mind this morning. Last night, I drove a truck. Not just any truck. I drove an FJ62 with a rebuilt 3FE. But, the shifter was really weird....and there was an extra pedal....my old key, that I've seen since I was young, started the truck. It was strange. It was similar to my old Tonka truck, that I've grown up with since I was a baby....but she didn't drive like my truck. She had POWER! I actually referred to my old Tonka truck as QUICK! SHE WAS A TRUCK!!!!

Sorry for the dramatics... Back in February, something went wrong with the transmission went out in my '89 FJ62 with 345,000 miles. Transmission fluid went spraying out the back of the truck, covering all the other traffic on the freeway. I limped it home where the rest of the fluid spilled onto the garage floor. If it was the transmission pump, it would be at least $1,000 for the pump, which I had already replaced two years ago... I was tired of this transmission. I've had it rebuilt 3 times, and this would be the second pump, in 10 years... I'm a young guy with a young family and limited funds. I can't keep doing this. But, I'm not going to get rid of my Tonka truck.

It was time. I had dreamed of putting in an H55f in my truck since I found this forum. I started the search, and rediscovered the H55f conversion kit I had saved from CruiserParts.net back in 2012. I called and bugged the piss out of them, asking questions. My mechanic at Camelback Toyota, Tom, also got tired of me asking about a project he knew about but hadn't completed before.

I finally got the guts, offered my first born (pictured in my avatar), and got the conversion kit and transmission. It took a couple months to get done. Tonka had been sitting for over 6 months as it was, so there obviously wasn't a rush.

Finally, after not having been in the driver seat of my truck since February, it was surreal... It was the interior I had always known, but the truck SOUNDED like a truck, FELT like a truck, and DROVE like a truck!!!!

1st gear didn't exist; if I went over 5mph, I was at 5,000rpm. 2nd got me up on people like none other! Granted, it had been a while since I drove a stick, but the truck wanted to get up and go! Once I got into 4th gear, she was absolutely cruising.

Now, I got on the freeway. Now was the time. I threw the stick to 5th gear, and pushed in. It didn't want to go. I had to force it into 5th gear (firmly, I didn't break anything). Once it went, OMG!!!!! I was barely touching the gas pedal and hitting 70mph at 3,000rpm! The truck felt ALIVE!!!! The engine felt so free! At that moment, I took back anything bad I had ever said about the 3FE motor. When given the chance with an H55f transmission, she got power for days. Yes, I'm not taking on anything more than a J**p on a 1/4 mile, but now I'm not a slug in traffic, and if I am, its because I'm still relearning a stick shift.

Please ask any questions you have about an H55f swap, please hit me up! Also, I'll be putting up all the parts from the old transmission setup in the Classifieds, since I got all these parts. If you want parts, let me know!

I need to give a huge shoutout to CruiserParts.net for the conversion kit, Eric Murphy at Camelback Toyota for helping get the transmission and a few additional parts, and Tom Price, my mechanic for 6 years now who has taken care of my Tonka truck with the engine rebuild, transmission repairs and this swap, my dad's '83 SR5 pickup rebuild (OK, The Project BEGINS!!!), and the suspension work on my 2010 Tacoma (Lana), and all the little stuff in between. Tom has been an amazing source of knowledge for anything Toyota, and I would trust no one, truly NO ONE else to work on our vehicles than him. His new shop, Desert Toy Shop in Mesa, AZ, is Tom's new place of employment, and will be my new truck doctor. If you need ANYTHING Toyota or FJ related, Camelback Toyota or Desert Toy Shop are your spots. Trust me.

I will be posting parts lists, pictures, and other tidbits about this part of my Tonka build later. Now, I need to get her emissions tested and renew the tags so I'm not ridin dirty. Again, any questions or offers for A440 and its parts, let me know!
 
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What kind of money all said and done are we talking for the H55F Tansmission, conversion and labor (auto to manual)?
Thinking this could be my route as there is such a lack of power with my auto tranny. I know its all related to that stupid A440
Nice write up!
 
New h55 is about $2500. You will need the shifter and pedal assembly. Also need a clust master and hydraulic lines. I think you have to do something to the computer to trick it out of the neutral safety switch. You will need a flywheel and clutch. Trying to think what else.
 
Seth, you’re dead on with the conversion list, and there is an override needed for the neutral switch. The linkage for the hi lo stick is also 6 inches too long, so a mod there. Get the conversion kit from cruiserparts.net. They make sure you have everything you need. Trust me. The only additional items I needed, from what I remember, were a throttle cable because mine was frayed, and a shifter. The kit is pretty complete. When I have time I’ll get a parts list. I’m at work now, and all I can think about is driving my truck. I have a hill I have to drive up on my way to work. Before, I’d have to slam the throttle and go into overdrive. Today, I kept the gas pedal in the same position, and lost a tick of rpm going up and over the hill at about 55mph. It’s amazing. MrMacdugal, do the conversion. In my life, order of greatest moments- Birth of kids 1 and 2, getting married, H55 conversion, graduating college.
 
i did it to mine and what a difference. just do it before swapping gears in the diffs. i went to 4.56 when i went to 33 inch tires. then when i went to the h55 i needed to go back to 4.11s to make it feel right.

now you need a shifter ball from cityracer!!
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A little update on my Tonka truck- the motor is shot. I had it rebuild 5 years ago. Not four months after getting my Tonka turned into a dream with the H55f, the motor went. Somehow, it ate through 6 quarts of oil, and threw a rod. The crank, cam, and rods are shot. They even turned blue. As of now it doesn't seem like any major damage to the block, but the whole thing will need to be rebuilt, again, including pistons, rings, etc. I have no idea how it happened. I wasn't billowing smoke, and after the H55f, it was the first time in that truck's life that it DIDN'T leak...…….

My options- reman 3fe from CruiserParts.net, have my existing motor rebuilt, or use a 2f that is sitting in my mechanic's stall, looking for a home. The motor needs a refresh, but seems like the best option. It'll be the cheaper route, and I'll be upgrading from a 4 liter to a 4.2, with more accessible parts than staying with a 3fe. Anyone have any input or experience with a 2f block under a 3fe top?
 
tonka az said:
A little update on my Tonka truck- the motor is shot. I had it rebuild 5 years ago. Not four months after getting my Tonka turned into a dream with the H55f, the motor went. Somehow, it ate through 6 quarts of oil, and threw a rod. The crank, cam, and rods are shot. They even turned blue. As of now it doesn't seem like any major damage to the block, but the whole thing will need to be rebuilt, again, including pistons, rings, etc. I have no idea how it happened. I wasn't billowing smoke, and after the H55f, it was the first time in that truck's life that it DIDN'T leak...…….

My options- reman 3fe from CruiserParts.net, have my existing motor rebuilt, or use a 2f that is sitting in my mechanic's stall, looking for a home. The motor needs a refresh, but seems like the best option. It'll be the cheaper route, and I'll be upgrading from a 4 liter to a 4.2, with more accessible parts than staying with a 3fe. Anyone have any input or experience with a 2f block under a 3fe top?
Click to expand...
Just read through your whole thread....Way to keep rig on the road for so long.. I am having issuses with auto trans light coming on after long drives, otherwise shifts flawlessly (just purchased a Hayden trans cooler that should be going in later this week).. Will be doing the H55F conversion in the future, already have some parts for it... Good luck on the rebuild, are you going to slap on all the fuel injected stuff on the 2F? That would be sweet, more displacement with the 2F and you keep the driveablility..
 
tonka az said:
A little update on my Tonka truck- the motor is shot. I had it rebuild 5 years ago. Not four months after getting my Tonka turned into a dream with the H55f, the motor went. Somehow, it ate through 6 quarts of oil, and threw a rod. The crank, cam, and rods are shot. They even turned blue. As of now it doesn't seem like any major damage to the block, but the whole thing will need to be rebuilt, again, including pistons, rings, etc. I have no idea how it happened. I wasn't billowing smoke, and after the H55f, it was the first time in that truck's life that it DIDN'T leak...…….

My options- reman 3fe from CruiserParts.net, have my existing motor rebuilt, or use a 2f that is sitting in my mechanic's stall, looking for a home. The motor needs a refresh, but seems like the best option. It'll be the cheaper route, and I'll be upgrading from a 4 liter to a 4.2, with more accessible parts than staying with a 3fe. Anyone have any input or experience with a 2f block under a 3fe top?
Click to expand...
I’m Far from an expert but recall folks stating the 2F block with a 3FE top end is the best of all worlds. Given your situation is this an option? Also, the 55 with the 3FE ((at least the fuel injection) is the absolute best I’ve seen in the gassers. That way you have minimal modifications to do with the wire harness and fuel system. Did the 55 conversion on my brothers 62 and it really woke that truck up.
 
Just read your whole thread. What happened to your oil? Where did it go/ howd it get out? Short life for that extensively rebuilt motor. Seems you have had a lot of misfortune with your drivetrain. Hopefully your luck turns around..

That being said, before i ditched the auto for a 5spd & 33s i mounted the tires and drove around for a week. The truck still got up above highway speeds on hills (maine/nh hills anyway) with the auto.
The 5spd is the way to go in the snow up here too, shifts when i tell it to and starts off in second gear when i tell it to.

Also you said cruiserparts supplied all the needed parts for the conversion, did that include all transfer rebuild parts when the shop had the cases split apart to swap in the h55f?
 
@bluefish, the CruiserParts swap kit had just about everything I needed, from what I recall. Aside from the shifter knob, I don't think there was anything else I needed to order.

@CenTXFJ60 and @cc93cruiser, your input kinda confirms what I was thinking with the 2f+3fe top. My mechanic has a 2f in his stall that just needs a cleanup. Totally an option, and it sounds like a cheaper one at that. We have absolutely no idea where I lost 6 quarts of oil. The exhaust pipe is clean (for a cruiser), and there's ZERO leaks underneath. My dad said "it always used oil." In my opinion, she "used" the oil to mess the garage floor just to get attention.

@cc93cruiser, your trans will go sooner or later. I would get the light coming on as well, and the trans cooler didn't help.... Bite the bullet and dump the A440. The only problem doing the swap is figuring out what to do with the old transmission! It was the best decision I ever made for that truck. With the motor now the issue, my wife is making the suggestion we should get rid of it! She later apologized for such blasphemous comments, but Tonka HAS been a bit of an attention wh*re recently.....
 
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